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HARLEQUINS

ISSUE 51

RBS SIX NATIONS PROMISING TO BE THE MOST OPEN COMPETITION IN YEARS

RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 WE LOOK AT HOW PREPARATIONS FOR THE TOURNAMENT ARE COMING ALONG

MUTA PROVIDING A BEST PRACTICE GUIDE ON MARQUEE HIRE FOR SPORTS CLUBS

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ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS CLUBS IN THE WORLD OF RUGBY £6.95

PRIVATE AIR TRAVEL

AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR METHOD OF TRAVEL FOR RUGBY CLUBS

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First Set of Tickets FREE No License Required No VAT on Cashbox Very Easy Install Raises Valuable Funds Profitable Games Easy to Use

InterClub Lotteries Ltd 19 Apex Park, Diplocks Way, Hailsham BN27 3JU

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LET’S FACE IT!! Raising Funds is always going to be a major concern to club communities. This is the machine that has raised over £500,000 in pubs and clubs all over the UK. It is a very simple and regular way of raising funds for your club. Unlike other machines, there is no licence required and no VAT on the cash box. The machine comes with a full set of overprinted tickets with your club name printed on them. This set will give you a net profit of £1350.00 after all the prizes are paid out and a full one year warranty with full support after that. The price of the machine is £695.00. This price included VAT and Carriage and the first set of tickets. To be paid either by cheque or credit card. This machine will continue to make funds for your club for years ahead with very little effort on your part, this leaves you more time to concentrate on your other fund raising activities. These machines are raising thousands of pounds extra revenue in sports clubs throughout the UK. They are easy for you to install and come with a full 1 year warranty and full spares and telephone back up service. On your first purchase you will make £1350.00 net profit when all the tickets have been sold. With the Jack Slots tickets- you could raise £655 for your funds AFTER you have paid for the machine. The machine comes in a range of 6 colours for you to choose from.

It will be the best investment you will ever make!

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RUGBYclub FEATURES 04 pRIVATE AIR TRAVEL 08 MUTA 10 RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 14 six NATIONS CLUBS IN PROFILE 17 FARNBOROUGH 18 HARLEQUINS 24 EPPING UPPER CLAPTON 26 burnham on crouch 32 TREHARRIS PHOENIX 34 SYSTON 36 MARKET BOSWORTH 38 ST JACQUES 42 ABERGAVENNY 43 OLDHAM ST ANNES 46 BOWDON 47 PENALLTA 50 ROCHFORD HUNDRED

CONTENTS

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56 PERSHORE 60 SHIPSTON-ON-STOUR 62 SWINDON COLLEGE OLD BOYS 68 SALCOMBE 70 CLAREMORRIS COLTS 73 CURRIE 74 MINCHINHAMPTON 76 BEDFORD SWIFTS 78 LUTTERWORTH 80 DROITWICH 82 COVENTRY WELSH 86 MEDWAY 88 WETHERBY 92 SHEPPEY 94 HADDINGTON 96 TROJANS 104 HELSTON 105 CUMBERNAULD 110 Gloucestershire All Golds

113 JED-FOREST 115 MOFFAT 116 CHARD 118 THURROCK 120 KELSO 122 KESTEVEN 125 SELKIRK 126 SEAHAM 129 TREHERBERT 130 SWINTON LIONS 132 AYR 136 STANFORD 139 HOYLAKE 142 LLANDRINDOD WELLS 144 MORRISTON 145 KEYWORTH 148 WELWYN 150 GALWEGIANS

STEVE TURNBULL T: 0191 447 6107 E: STEVE@SPORTIP.CO.UK MELANIE RAE T: 0191 447 6767 E: MELANIE.RAE@SPORTIP.CO.UK PAUL LENNON T: 0191 340 0622 E: PAUL.L@SPORTIP.CO.UK

EDITORIAL HEAD OF PRODUCTION GARRY HOOSAN T: 0191 597 6078 E: GARYH@SPORTIP.CO.UK EDITOR IN CHIEF JAMIE SEYMOUR T: 0191 435 7878 E: EDITORIAL@SPORTIP.BIZ

DESIGN CATHERINE GOLDSMITH T: 0191 597 6078 E:DESIGN@SPORTIP.BIZ MATTHEW MURPHY T: 0191 597 6078 E: COPY@SPORTIP.BIZ

‘It will never happen to me!’ Visit any hospital on a weekend and you can guarantee to find an injured sports player. We’ve all had a mate hobbling into the pub on crutches, getting plenty of free beer and having a laugh, but when they go home, unless they happen to be lucky enough to have sick-pay through their employer, the unfortunate reality for most is that with no income coming in and bills still to pay, they may be struggling financially. We insure cars, homes and mobile phones, but without your income none of this is possible. If you had a cash-machine in your house permanently giving you £1000 in cash every month, you’d certainly make sure it was insured against breaking down. Well, your body is that cash-machine, so should be one of the most important things you insure.

WEB ADMINISTRATOR JASON AMES E: WEB@SPORTIP.BIZ OFFICE MANAGER MARIE LENG T: 0191 447 6161 E: ADMIN@SPORTIP.BIZ

FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG © PROCESS PUBLISHING LTD ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any mean, or stored in a retrieval system without prior written permission, except as permitted under the copyright designs and patents act 1998. Applications for permission for use of copyright material shall be made to the publishers.

Whilst some injuries are obvious and may require an urgent visit to the hospital, life in the real world can show us that many injuries only become apparent days later. If you’re then signed off work it may be hard to prove that it happened on the sports field, and if you only had ‘sports-accident insurance’ your claim could be declined. So why take the risk? Peter Preston of income protection specialists INCOME ASSURED recommends comprehensive income protection cover rather than sports-accident insurance; because if you’re signed off work it doesn’t have the same restrictions on what you can claim for, and is much cheaper than people think. Subject to underwriting, pre-existing conditions may also be covered too. In his 20 years’ experience in the industry, Peter is still surprised at how many people are unaware of this type of cover. He says ‘If you want an insurance policy that covers you for all the sports you enjoy - including adrenalin-rush types, and want to know that you can potentially be covered for the same injury, as many times as you like, as well as being covered for accidents at work (with most high-risk jobs included at no extra cost) and any illness, then this is the cover for you.’

Secure your future financially now by calling INCOME ASSURED for a quote on 01209 614666. You won’t only be protecting your income; you’ll be protecting your lifestyle too.

HARLEQUINS

PRIVATE AIR TRAVEL FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

Private Air Travel has become increasingly popular and can be particularly useful for Sports club’s that have a large number of fixtures outside of their home country. The Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA) oversees the field with the objectives to ‘promote the highest standards of professionalism and ethics within the Aviation Industry.

Their Chairman, Tony Coe, took the time to tell us more about the benefits involved for sports clubs using private air travel. He started by giving us a little more information about BACA and the role he plays there, saying, “My company has been a member of BACA since 1997. The Association has always stood as a benchmark for quality, honesty and integrity. BACA’s motto “Our word our Bond” says it all and has done since 1947. To be able to display the BACA logo is a sign to the industry and clients that our business is conducted to the highest ethical, professional, and honest standards. The most rewarding aspects of my role are helping companies and individuals through difficulties, sometimes with legal help but certainly sharing our knowledge on how to cope in an extremely competitive world. Training and particularly training younger entrants to the industry is probably the most rewarding thing for me.

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Seeing people almost physically sucking in information is a remarkable thing. With comments and observations after training sessions, it never ceases to amaze me just how important this aspect is in life - the passing on of knowledge.” He went on to tell us about the part they play in representing commercial aviation companies and said, “BACA currently has 216 member companies and this is increasing on average by 30-40 companies per year. The split is interesting. 34% Brokers, 33% aircraft operators, 33% associated companies such as fuelers, handling agents/FBO’s, aviation law firms, and so on. BACA has a code of conduct which each member signs up to, and reaffirms that every year. We insist companies operate to the highest industry standards. We represent the industry in many important areas. We fight causes on behalf of the members should that be necessary. We are introducing Broker industry standards which has never been done before, and are about to embark on a Training structure that will encompass classroom and/or on-line courses.”

HARLEQUINS

Making travel a pleasure, not a chore

What are the advantages of flying privately as opposed to first class with domestic airlines?

guaranteeing that they will receive honesty and reliability together with realistic pricing.

Tony: There are many. Firstly there is security. You and your fellow passengers are the only ones travelling on that aircraft. The crews are dealing with corporate, business clients each and every day, and their first priority is always safety.

Have you any advice for those that are interested in flying privately?

Secondly you have multiple choice of airports that are not available when flying first class and/or domestic. You can generally depart from an airport much closer to your place of work or residence. Thirdly you can depart and arrive when you want to. Generally you can arrive at an airport within 15 minutes of your departure time and be airborne within a few minutes. The same applies to arrivals. Generally one can be on your way within minutes of landing. What would be the main advantages to our Sports Clubs and Sports Professionals of using a Baltic Air Charter Member Company ? Tony: The BACA has a firm belief that abiding by the code of conduct is the correct way to do business and that honesty and integrity are still valued by the majority of clients worldwide, unlike some industries which seem to thrive off dishonesty and hoodwinking the general public. By using a Member Company Sports Clubs and Professionals are

Tony: Work with a BACA Broker. They have had to be in business for a minimum of 2 years, and many in excess of 2030 years. They know the best aircraft for the job. They have probably checked or even flown on various aircraft being offered. Build up a rapport with the same company. They get to know your likes and dislikes and travelling then becomes a pleasure and not a chore. Remember that cheap is not necessarily (and probably not) the best. Using the Internet can be good at times, however contracting can leave you in a delicate situation. Some Internet aviation companies will insist you contract directly with an operator. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine until there is a problem, for example weather diversions, or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re held up in traffic etc etc. And what do you know about contracting aircraft?! A good broker will take care of all of that, and all the problem areas that can arise - and indeed they do. Booking via the internet could leave all that messy stuff to you

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We have created a new category in private jet travel. Excellence.

Since 2005 Oxygen Aviation has stood for the very best in private aircraft travel. By consistently providing a first-class customer experience Oxygen Aviation has become a dominant global player in the private aviation market. Our philosophies of Trust, Service and Excellence are shared by us all and our reputation depends on providing each as much as the other. Oxygen Aviation provide services to Government Bodies, Royal Families, Celebrities, Private Individuals and an array of Corporate Clients. The trust we earn from all our clients is due to the high levels of service and utmost discretion we deliver on every occasion. With access to aircraft with 4 to 400+ seats based all over the world, Oxygen Aviation can service any private aircraft requirement.

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Call us today: +44 (0) 1403 237 010 Or send us an email: info@oxygenaviation.com

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The Baltic Air Charter Association The aims and objectives of the Baltic Air Charter Association are: • To be the representative forum of the air charter industry. • To be accepted by governmental and other regulatory agencies as the accredited negotiating body representing the air charter industry. • To promote the interests of its members world-wide: • To provide membership to any organisation or individual who can demonstrate - Active participation in the air charter market. • Commercial integrity, Acceptable financial standing, Occupational competency. • To provide both professional and social facilities for members. • To promote and protect the reputation of the industry • To institute, promote, support or oppose legislative or other measures affecting the interests of members of the Association • To assist with commercial mediation if required by members. • To furnish such advice and assistance to members in pursuance of any of the above objects as the Council of the Association may, at its discretion, consider as necessary or expedient. • To provide professional advice as requested on such terms and conditions as the Council may from time to time decide.

A Breath of Fresh Air The Sporting Industry has always been an important part of private jet companies and encompasses a plethora of ‘reasons to fly’. It is not only reserved for the rich and famous - aircraft chartering has its place whether flying the sporting personality the fans or even, as we once had here at Oxygen Aviation, an urgent part of a Formula 1 car. Mark Green, Director of Oxygen Aviation says, “Private jets are nowadays a business tool. For the sports personality, it offers quiet surroundings to focus before the competition or a relaxed environment for their holiday flights without media intrusion. They also arrive more refreshed and whilst these days most personalities have no objection to posing for ‘selfies’ with adoring fans, for every fan, there is also the fan of the competition who might wish to offer some choice words of support! This applies whether you’re a footballer, golfer, cricketer, rugby star or anyone well known in the sporting arena.” The fans also play their part in aircraft chartering, for away fixtures and events the fans travel en masse, it can put a strain on the services offered by regular airlines and often they are not flying to the most convenient airport for the event, the chartered aircraft can utilise airports not serviced by scheduled services whilst also travelling with a dedicated aircraft full of fellow supporters. In terms of private jet as a business tool, it makes a huge difference during the football transfer windows. Green continued, “a club or an agent will use a private jet to move a high profile player who is about to sign for a new club, we have

all seen the “Transfer Deadline Day rush” and clubs need to keep things under wraps until pen is put to paper, so sitting in Seat 1A on board a regular flight from Barcelona to Manchester could be seen as a ‘bit of a giveaway’. At Oxygen Aviation we have welcomed on board some of the highest profile players in the Premiership during their transfers, as well as players to/from other European leagues, naturally we have comprehensive non-disclosure agreements signed to ensure discretion is rock-solid at all times, the slightest leak can scupper a deal.” The costs are not vast either, chartering a private jet will almost always be more expensive than business class airfares, but not to the extreme that you might think. Six passengers flying on a light-jet from London to Paris (return) can be bought for as little as £5,000, when one considers the time saving at the airports alone, plus the enhanced travelling experience, it begins to make sense. Whilst there are the larger and more luxurious aircraft that are more pricey, when prices start at less than £1,000 per person, who is to say it is only for the rich and famous.

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MUTA Temporary Structures – Another Marquee Signing Rugby grounds and other sporting venues often benefit from extra event space provided by marquees and other temporary structures. Some clubs even use these types of structures for more permanent installations, a good example being Fanzones. Fanzone areas are typically located near to the entry of the ground to encourage the free-flow of fans in the run up to the match. They are an ideal way of the club engaging with supporters, sponsors and the wider community “outside” while offering weather protection and controlling access to the space. Such structures, which typically do not require planning permission, can be used as meeting points complete with lighting, temperature control, signage, big screens, refreshments, family activities and media & promotion areas.

Frame Marquee (Danco Plc)

There are a wide range of temporary structure options available covering small spaces right up to single structures that can cover a whole pitch. Traditional Marquees are popular for private functions and are widely available and easy to erect in widths from 20ft to 100ft. Spectacular Marquees For Truly Memorable Occasions

Weddings | Parties | Corporate | Themed Events Established in 2004, Baillies Marquees are a family run Company with a deserved and enviable reputation for providing great Customer Service and Diversity of Product. We pride ourselves on offering a personal service and dedicated project management to all our Private Customers and Corporate Clients. We offer our services predominantly throughout the Central belt of Scotland but can travel further afield if required. Baillies Marquees, together with our staff have worked tirelessly over the years to make sure all our customers expectations have been met ... or exceeded.

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Frame Marquees, as the name suggests, consist of a rigid steel or aluminium frame over which covers are positioned. These marquees can be any size from 3m to 50m wide and can be up to 300m long. The uninterrupted internal space of frame structures makes them very popular for a wide variety of events from private functions to corporate hospitality and large exhibitions. In addition the engineered frame used for this type of marquee can accept higher levels of loading by way of accessories, such as doors, glass windows, side panels, lighting, sound and sophisticated flooring systems. Nordic Tipis take the familiar tipi-shaped tent, scale it up, and introduce the capability to link multiple Nordic Tipis together. Different linking techniques can be used to create all manner of interesting shapes to meet the requirements of individual events. The main poles are the trunks of latematuring spruce trees harvested sustainably in the far north of Sweden, and the covers are a canvas fabric. The overall effect is natural and unusual.

MUTA

Permanent Fanzone Shelter (Aquila Shelters)

Stretch Tents are characterised by funky shapes in a wide variety of colours. They use a special technical fabric that is stretchy but also provides structural stability. The fabric is anchored at its corners and along it sides, and poles of different lengths are pushed up to create the iconic shapes. Inflatable Tents use air to support the structure. They typically use air beams, tubular construction or cellular walls and are highly customisable and capable of being branded.

Once you have chosen the style of temporary structure for your event, it is important to take time to choose a reputable hirer too. There are some brilliant marquee and tent hirers out there, and some very poor ones too. The best will build you a firstclass structure, keep your stress levels low, manage your on-site risk and be a delight to work with. The worst ones will make your event a nightmare.

tents and structures, has prepared a Guide to Choosing a Hirer which is available to download for free from www.muta.org.uk All MUTA members abide by the Best Practice Guide for the Safe Use and Operation of Temporary Demountable Structures which is supported by the Health & Safety Executive. In addition all members are subject to regular Health & Safety inspections and are fully insured.

To help in your choice, MUTA, the UK's only trade association dedicated to marquees,

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RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015

RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 As we enter 2015, the Rugby World Cup moves ever nearer and the countdown to the tournament has now begun for the 20 teams set to compete. With RWC 2015 set to be one of the biggest events of the sporting calendar Rugby Club Magazine takes a look at the impact of the competition.

t is expected that around 460,000 supporters will make the journey to England and Cardiff for the tournament and the enthusiasm generated was there for all to see when tickets went on general sale in September. Across the 17-day window over 5 million ticket applications were received with 1.85 million tickets being sold. This puts RWC 2015 on course to be the best attended and most viewed Rugby World Cup ever. Speaking to www.rugbyworldcup.com England Rugby 2015 Chief Executive Debbie Jevans spoke of her hopes for the year ahead, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is hugely exciting to mark the year of Rugby World Cup 2015. Our ambition is that

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RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015

RWC 2015 – The Groups Pool A

Pool B

Pool C

Pool D

Pool A promises to be the most competitive of the groups with 3 high quality sides set to compete for two places in the last 8. England and Wales will both have to hit the ground running if they are to be successful whilst specialist 7s nation Fiji also has the

On paper South Africa appear to have a clear route into the quarter finals and it is difficult to see the reality being any different. Scotland showed plenty of promise in the Autumn and Pool B should give them an opportunity to build some momentum for the later stages.

Anyone looking to win the World Cup will probably have to beat holders New Zealand and their fixture with Argentina promises to be a bruising encounter. Tonga and Georgia will look to upset the odds against Argentina to grab

Ireland’s performances in the autumn internationals highlighted their ability to challenge at the very top of the game. It is difficult for anyone to predict how the French will perform whilst Italy could do with a strong performance here to give their game the shot in the arm it needs.

potential to entertain.

Australia England Wales Fiji Uruguay

England will feel like a ‘rugby nation’ throughout 2015 and that we deliver a tournament that both excites and inspires the nation while keeping rugby at its heart.” Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset also told the competitions official website of his plans for the tournament, “January 1 marks the beginning of the Rugby World Cup 2015 year, and with excitement and anticipation gathering pace, fans and the participating teams

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South Africa Samoa Japan Scotland USA

a place in the last 8.

New Zealand Argentina Tonga Georgia Namibia

can look forward to a very special and record-breaking celebration of rugby and the host nation. It really will be too big to miss. As we enter Rugby World Cup year, tournament preparations are in great shape and driven by a collective vision and strong teamwork between RWCL, England Rugby 2015 and the RFU, the foundations have been laid to ensure a competitive tournament on the field, an exceptional experience off it, and the platform for unprecedented rugby

France Ireland Italy Canada Romania

projection and growth. We really are set for the best-ever Rugby World Cup.” Projections suggest that the competition will have a value of £982 million to the economy, creating new jobs, investment opportunities as well as providing an opportunity to celebrate this magnificent game. Hopefully the home Nations will be able to produce strong performances once the tournament gets under way but either way RWC 2015 is sure to be a spectacle not to be missed.

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SIX NATIONS 2015 promises to be a huge year for Rugby Union with the World Cup just around the corner. First up we have the small matter of the Six Nations and it promises to be a cracker of a tournament. At least four of the sides entering the competition will be hoping to claim the trophy in one of the most open tournaments in years.

ast season Ireland took the Championship by the narrowest of margins on the final day after defeating France by 22-20 on the final day whilst England took the Triple Crown to become the first side to do so whilst not taking the overall title. With the World Cup just around the corner there is additional emphasis on performing well here and with 4 fixtures set to be repeated in both competitions (England vs Wales, France vs Ireland, France vs Italy and Ireland vs Italy) good displays will be vital as rivalries develop.

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HARLEQUINS

Nice try. Not a phrase we’re familiar with. Everyone loves a trier, right? Not when it comes to hospitality. And certainly not when it’s your client’s enjoyment, not to mention your reputation on the line. Keith Prowse is the leader in official experiences at the world’s premier venues, such as Twickenham, Kia Oval and Wimbledon. When you book with us you’re in safe hands, from enquiry to experience and beyond, because we only ever offer official, guaranteed. You could say that both on and off the field, where others try, we succeed.

To book your experience please call

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Rugby Club Magazine takes a look at the team’s prospects ahead of this year’s tournament. England There have been positive signs from the England set–up over the past year with performances looking increasingly cohesive. However some disappointing results over the Summer and early Autumn Internationals have taken some of the wind out of their sales meaning good results as well as performances will be vital in building momentum for the World Cup. France Not unusually, the French have suffered from a lack of consistency in recent competitions yet still pose a threat when at the top of their game. If they cut back on their rotation as they look to consolidate their first XV they will have a great chance in this Championship. Wales The Autumn Internationals were a disappointment for Wales but Coach Warren Gatland has put together a side capable of competing with the best sides in the World. There are question marks over their strength in depth but their first XV is still as strong as any in the competition. Ireland Having won the title last season Ireland will be determined to retain the trophy this time around. With stiff opposition it will prove to be a tall task but with both France and England coming to Ireland they should be there or there abouts going into the final two fixtures. Scotland Scotland’s performances in recent years have generally been disappointing and they have struggled to implement a style of play which allows their team to develop. They have now adopted a more open approach and were rewarded with promising displays in Autumn. It is still a work in progress so expect them to be inconsistent here but they should provide their fans with plenty of entertainment. Italy Italy have found it difficult to bridge the class gap between themselves and the other sides in the competition and face a battle to avoid the wooden spoon. Having two or three players have a breakout tournament whilst competing in the majority of their fixtures should be seen as a triumph for the Italians.

There have been positive signs from the England set–up over the past year with performances looking increasingly cohesive. 16

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FARNBOROUGH

FARNBOROUGH Tilebarn Close /// www.farnboroughrugby.co.uk /// Founded 1915

First established in 1915, Farnborough Rugby Club is based at Tilebarn Close in Hampshire and their first team currently compete in the Snows Group Hants 1 League. They are led by the team of President Robin Moses and Chairman Gary Allcock and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

hey are committed to playing an important role in the local community and make their facilities available to a variety of other sporting clubs including Rushmoor Sunday Football Club, the Rushmoor branch of the Disabled Sports Association, Farnham Knights American Football Club and the Dolphins Sub-Aqua Club among others. The social side of the club is considered to be a vital aspect of the work that they do and Farnborough pride themselves on being a friendly and welcoming club that encourages anyone with an interest in the game to get involved.

This season it would be fair to say that they have not perhaps enjoyed the start to the season that they would have liked, having compiled a record of 2 wins and 8 defeats from their first 10 matches. This has left them sitting in the bottom half of the table with 11 points on the board. There is still plenty of the campaign left to play however and a good run of results would see them quickly climb up the table. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of doing so. Farnborough is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a thriving youth set up. This part of the club looks to provide youngsters from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

They run rugby for boys and girls from U7s to U12s as well as boys rugby from U13s to Colts. It is important for any side to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors develop over the coming years. In order to help these players to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also run a 2nd team. This allows them to give them experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. There is much to admire about the work that Farnborough have been doing lately and hopefully they will continue in the same manner for many years to come.

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HARLEQUINS The Twickenham Stoop /// www.quins.co.uk /// Founded 1866

Harlequins, or Harlequin FC to give the club its full title, was founded in 1866 and is recognised around the world. The Club is a founding member of the RFU and boasts six current international players, including the England captain, Chris Robshaw.

n 2016, the Twickenham based club will celebrate its 150th anniversary. During the last 148 years, Harlequins has contributed generously to the development of the game both on and off the pitch. The club has a reputation for producing and attracting players who have been major innovators, for example Ronnie Poulton-Palmer, Adrian Stoop and William Wavell Wakefield in the first quarter of the 20th century. Over a century later, the current generation of players in Danny Care, Mike Brown, Nick Evans and Luke Wallace among others are taking this style to new levels. The club’s influence extends beyond England via a network of affiliate clubs around the world. They include Harlequins Pretoria, Kenya Harlequins, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Harlequins Melbourne and Dallas Harlequins to name but a few. For the last 51 years, Harlequins has called the Twickenham Stoop home and has played over 625 matches, winning 418. A part of the club’s vibrant history is its long affiliation with the home of English Rugby, Twickenham Stadium. Harlequins has played over 1,000 matches at Twickenham Stadium having called it home from 1909 until 1963. Stand out memories from Harlequins’ time at Twickenham Stadium include winning the first four Middlesex Sevens tournaments from 1926, the John Player Cup and of course the Aviva Premiership in 2012. While Harlequins were based at Twickenham Stadium, attendances were poor. There are numerous stories of players having to reclaim the ball from the stands by themselves when it was kicked out of play! In 2008, Harlequins reignited its relationship with the home of rugby and became the first English side to regularly take club rugby matches to larger stadiums and attract tens of thousands to watch domestic rugby during

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TWITTER /// @QuinsRugbyUnion

HARLEQUINS

Images courtesy of PPAUK/Harlequins

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a grand and spectacular day out. Mark Evans, Harlequinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chief Executive at the time, sought inspiration from the type of spectacles French teams, like Stade Francais, produced in one off fixtures. With close proximity to Twickenham it was decided to bring a match a c r o s s

the road in an effort to expand Harlequinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; supporter base and put on a great family day out to inspire supporters to come to the Twickenham Stoop and watch the exciting and vibrant rugby that Harlequins produce week in week out. Among the ideas was the production of a unique charity match shirt to be worn by Harlequins. In its first year, the chosen charity was Cancer Research and Harlequins played

in a pink and blue quartered jersey. The inaugural fixture saw Harlequins play the defending Zurich Premiership Champions, Leicester Tigers. In an exciting match, the league points were shared as the match concluded in a 26-26 draw. Of course the spectacle off the field was equally exciting, with pyrotechnic displays and musical entertainment pre-match.

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HARLEQUINS HARLEQUINS

“In an exciting match, the league points were shared as the match concluded in a 26-26 draw.”

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The attendance for this match was capped at 55,000, but when Big Game 2 came around in December 2009, a then world record crowd for a club match (76,716) witnessed another dramatic match, this time with London Wasps’ John Hart scoring the winning try six minutes from time. Off the field X Factor’s Olly Murs and Jamie Archer were joined by an ABBA tribute band; operatic singers also performed. An eagle provided the unique match ball delivery by flying with the ball to the half way line. December 2010 saw another London clash, as London Irish visited the home of English rugby. Harlequins legend Jason Leonard delivered the ball on a hovercraft, while entertainment was provided by Pineapple Dance Studio and X Factor’s Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson, with Jamie Archer returning for another performance. In another nail biting match, George Lowe raced through in the final minutes to score the winning try and secure Harlequins’ first Big Game win. A third unique match shirt was produced, this time with Help a London Child the beneficiary. By Big Game 4 the popularity of the Christmas fixture had increased so much so that a new world record club attendance was one again achieved as an 82,000 sell-out crowd filled Twickenham Stadium. Right to Play were the chosen charity and performances from Killer Queen, operatic singer Camilla Kerslake and X Factor finalists Misha B and Amelia Lily made for another great occasion, despite Saracens running out eventual winners on the day. London Irish returned to Twickenham as the opponents for Big Game 5 and another sell-out crowd of 82,000 witnessed the festive fixture. Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity were the charity with one of their patients delivering the match ball to the centre of the pitch. Lawson provided the pre-match entertainment which preceded an excellent Harlequins victory. Last year Big Game 6 was considered the best yet. Performances from X Factor winner Sam Bailey and finalist Luke Friend were complemented by a performance from the Military Wives. This year, in Big Game 7, Harlequins take on defending Aviva Premiership Champions Northampton Saints on December 27th kick-off 16:30. With tickets selling faster than ever before, this match is set to be the biggest and best yet. Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity are once again the chosen beneficiary and a number of exciting off field activities are planned, from a hedge maze and ferris wheel, to a traditional German Um Pah band. The pre-match entertainment act is due to be confirmed soon as another sell-out crowd is expected for a club rugby fixture like no other. With the conclusion of the 2014 QBE Autumn Internationals, up to 28 current or former internationals from seven different nations could go head to head. Twickenham Stadium the venue for such a fitting fixture.

For further information about this year’s Big Game, please visit the Harlequins website

www.quins.co.uk. 22

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TWITTER /// @QuinsRugbyUnion

HARLEQUINS HARLEQUINS

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EPPING UPPER CLAPTON

EPPING UPPER CLAPTON Upland Road /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/upperclaptonfootballclub///// Founded 1879

Epping Upper Clapton RFC is a great example of an establishment that is committed to playing an important role in their local community. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Chairman Steve Slade to find out more.

e told us, “I have been involved in the Club for approximately 36 years. I joined to improve my playing standard and I also liked the club and the atmosphere. As President (3years) and now Chairman (3 years), we have gone through a major transformation programme over the past 5 years. We have changed the way we operate; we now run as a business with a Board of Managers, we have improved our playing structure at senior level and have built an All Weather Pitch to enable training to take place in all weathers. We have a solid coaching structure that is developing a young team into a smart, fit team. We also run sides from U6 – U17’s and have a solid coaching structure in place. This year we are in the process of building a new club house which should be completed mid-2015 and have changed our name to; Epping Upper Clapton Rugby Club. The mood here is very good, everyone is excited that the teams are playing good rugby and there is progress on the development of the new club house. Youth rugby is very important; it is the future of the club. We are building the new club house and facilities for them. Integrating these players is the most difficult area for us and we have failed on many occasions. We do have in place a structure to improve the transition and this seems to be working. 24

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TWITTER /// @EppingUCRFC

EPPING UPPER CLAPTON

We are a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC). We have soccer, netball and local schools using our facilities during the week. We also run a girls section and we hope this will improve this once we have the new club house in place. The club has produced many quality players over the years I have been a member. We have had players play for England and the Counties i.e. Middlesex and Essex and a number of players have gone onto bigger clubs such as; Blackheath, Roslyn Park, Bedford and most recently Ealing Trail Finders. Our ambitions are to improve our playing standards and move up the leagues. This will be done by attracting new players and developing our existing youth players. We want to have a viable sports club that is financially sustainable that offers sports and educational facilities for the benefit of all people in the area.â&#x20AC;?

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BURNHAM ON CROUCH

BURNHAM ON CROUCH Dengie Hundred Sports Centre /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/burnhamoncrouchrufc

Burnham on Crouch is a club that is committed to playing a vital role in their community, Particularly in relation to the development of young players. Rebecca Diss, the Club’s Deputy Youth Chair took the time to tell us more about the work that they do in this area. Karen Sadler - Youth Secretary

he told us, “Youth Rugby is the feeder of the senior teams and even the youngest little 3 year old is the potential future of our club so we nurture and progress each and every child that comes on our pitches. It is essential that we have a strong youth section to enable the senior side of the club to continue to thrive. Our youth section is growing almost weekly, with some of our mini and midis squads having two or three teams. To see the club growing in this way is fantastic and incredibly rewarding to all

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“I’ve been involved for 8 years, first coming when my two boys wanted to try rugby. I’ve had 4 years as secretary to Youth Chair, firstly discovering just how much was involved in running a rugby club from the Youth side, discipline, fixtures, first aid etc. etc. I mostly take minutes at the Youth Committee meetings and then remind the Chairman what he is meant to be doing! The mood here is exciting and inspirational for the ladies/girls teams and training, very busy with youth training both on the pitch and in the classroom and very keen to develop the younger age groups by encouraging new children to join. Youth development is exceptionally important to us here, not only is it recognised that the sport is inspirational to the youngsters but the youth are the adult players of the future for the club. They are encouraged to support the seniors by watching their games, the senior members/players help coach the youth and this then leads the youth to follow in their footsteps.”

TWITTER /// @BURNHAMRUFC

BURNHAM ON CROUCH

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BURNHAM ON CROUCH

the volunteers who ensure that Burnham Rugby club is what it is – a family, who are having fun playing the most incredible sport. We ensure that the youth section is fully committed to upholding the RFU Core Values, through their coaches, supporters and the players themselves. We have just launched a new “girls only” session on a Tuesday evening and we have had a huge uptake, with over 30 girls attending last week in the wind and the rain! We are planning an in house tag tournament to bring together as many age groups as possible in December. The Youth Chair works closely with the Chairman of the club to ensure that the Colts are progressed into the senior section appropriately and at a time that is right for the player. The Youth Chair liaises with the Colts and Senior team coaches to make them aware of players who are nearing their transition to ensure that they are moved at the correct time for each player. Rebecca went on to tell us about the role they play in the community, saying, “Without a shadow of a doubt, Burnham rugby club is totally supportive of Burnham as a town and as a community. Many teams and committee members ensure that they attend important events within the town, including Remembrance Parade, charitable events and many others. The youth section supported Maldon District Council when they set up their “Sport in the Sunshine” day in May. The club set up a 7s tournament which anybody could join in from the club or the community as a whole. We provided a bbq and snacks and sweets. It was a fantastic event which drew people in. The Club also host a Fun day which is always incredibly well attended, not only by club members but by many people from Burnham and the surrounding area. Hundreds of people attend to join in the fun!”

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Honorary Secretary Jenny Nelson spoke of the club’s set up. “We recently held a primary schools tournament and attendees were impressed by how well it was hosted. We provided a tuck shop and hot food which received lots of positive comments from parents and teachers. We try to use the facilities as much as possible to encourage visiting teams to stay and socialise after games – we usually provide a hot meal for players, we have TV’s in the clubhouse showing sports and a bar area. We would love to make improvements to the facilities but as we don’t own them (they are owned by Maldon District Council and form part of a leisure centre complex) we aren’t able to. We currently run a kitchen and club shop at weekends that provide some revenue for

TWITTER /// @BURNHAMRUFC

BURNHAM ON CROUCH

Jim Kelly - 2nd XV Team Manager â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sunday mornings with the youth section is always buzzing, the club place a great importance on the youth section and there are currently seven players in the second team who have sons and/or daughters playing at various levels within the club. As second team captain, watching the younger players learning from the "more experienced" gentlemen is the most rewarding aspect. Losing players to the Firsts at lunchtime on match day is "challenging". I've been playing about twenty years now. I was told by the then First team captain that Tuesday night training was noncontact and there was no other amateur men's sports teams in the Dengie; he lied on both counts, bless him.â&#x20AC;?

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BURNHAM ON CROUCH

the club. If we were able to run our clubhouse and bar independently we could do a lot more for the club through social functions and events.” She also spoke of their challenges and ambitions, saying, “We only have 8 years left on our lease at Millfields. Our biggest challenge is not knowing what will happen to the club when this lease expires. The next few years will be tough as it is difficult to make plans for improvements and developments when the club may lose its facilities in the not too distant future. We want to continue to grow our youth section, build on our new girls and ladies section with a view to having ladies and girls contact teams and also to see some of our current youth players go into the 1st XV and 2nd XV teams.”

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Jonathan Beale – U8s coach and senior player “I have been a member for just over 21 years. I was invited by friends and loved it so much that I started playing. I have done coaching for about 6 years. Looking after 12 plus 7 year olds is fairly challenging, but seeing them succeed and smile makes it very rewarding. The atmosphere here is the same as it always is...... fun, cheerful and sociable. Every club has its issues, but Burnham Rugby Club is very sociable and gets over any problems. Youth rugby is an integral part of the club. Without the youth coming through, we would not have enough players for 2 senior teams. They come down to training with the seniors every week and being a small social club, most of the seniors know the youth players anyway.”

TWITTER /// @BURNHAMRUFC

BURNHAM ON CROUCH

“I’ve been involved here for over 20 years and find the appreciation from the kids (team) as well as the parents very rewarding.” Debbie Smith - U11/12s Manager

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TREHARRIS PHOENIX

TREHARRIS PHOENIX Forest Road /// www.treharrisrfc.mywru.co.uk/ ///

Treharris Phoenix RFC play their home games on Forest Road in Merthyr Tydfil and their first team currently competes in Division 3 East Central B of the SWALEC National League. They are led by President Dai Harvard who is supported by Secretary Karl Edwards and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

hey have made a storming start to their current league campaign, having put together a record of 6 wins and only 1 defeat from their opening 7 matches. This sees them sitting proudly atop the table with 28 points on the board and a 2 point gap to their nearest rivals. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they are able to keep up their recent form they will have a great chance of making top spot their own. One of the highlights of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performances has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have managed to produce. This is reflected by the fact that they have already racked up 236 points at a rate of more than 30 per game, making them the top scorers in the league. This has certainly ensured that any supporters attending their matches have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in the future. This in turn has the

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potential to provide them with a valuable source of additional revenue. A key reason for the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive performances has been the try scoring form of exciting duo Danyl Davies and Steven Parry who have scored 22 tries between them in just 11 games. They will be hoping to continue this form over the remainder of the campaign. In order to be successful on the field it is important to

TWITTER /// @trePhoenix

TREHARRIS PHOENIX

have a reliable place kicker and Treharris appear to have this area covered. Ross Jones has been in fine form with the boot having already proven this year that he can be relied to come up with the goods under pressure. This is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however as they also have a number of youth sides in place. These teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look to provide youngsters from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is vital for any side looking to be successful to produce their own talent and Treharris clearly recognise this. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can develop over the coming years as they look to transition into the senior game. Treharris Phoenixâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s superb recent form is representative of all the hard work that has been put into making them a success in recent times. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner over the coming years and Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the rest of the campaign.

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SYSTON FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

SYSTON Barkby Road /// www.systonrfc.co.uk /// Founded 1887

First established in 1887, Syston RFC started out as a small local team on the Northern side of Leicester where they played for more than a century before moving to Queniborough in 1989. They have a strong Committee in place, led by Chairman John Brindley and President Tony Edgely.

ead Coach Chris Tarbuck oversees their coaching set up which focuses upon helping players to thrive on its original core values of encouraging players from the ages of 6 to sixty to participate in the game. At present they have over 150 Senior Members between the ages of 17-60, as well as 250 Children Members. They are able to offer excellent facilities with 5 pitches, 8 mini pitches and 6 changing rooms. Club Representative Phillip Smith took the time to tell us more about how the club is getting along at the moment, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I joined Syston as a 12 year old playing junior rugby, progressed to colts and then into Syston 1st team where I made 501 appearances. I then moved into coaching bringing an age group side through from U10s to U19s. There are now 15 of that age group still playing here with 6 in the 1st team.

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This year we added a development side to the club with the idea of keeping our U18s colts playing and offering a way back to rugby or new start up coaching on a Thursday night with Andy Ward/Dave Manship, 2 ex-players. This group has now gathered momentum with touch rugby and coaching available. The mood at the club is very good. We now boast senior numbers on Thursdays at training of 90+. On the pitch, having been relegated last year from National 3 Midlands we have bounced back. Presently after 10 games we sit second having lost 1 game. Former Leicester Tiger and Head Coach Chris Tarbuck and Backs Coach Craig Hewitt are leading our push back up at our 1st attempt. The second and third teams sit top of the Leicestershire Premier and Division 1 with the development side

TWITTER /// @SYSTON RFC

SYSTON

also progressing well and bringing through our young lads. Our colts and U17s stand alone in their respected age grades having at least 20 registered players at each age. Our Minis/Juniors go from strength to strength from U6s to U16s boasting 250 players. We presently have 10-15 players in the Tigers Development Squads between the ages U13 - U16. Over the years Syston have provided many players for Leicester Tigers and various England ages. Thanks go to our main sponsor Taff Chapman from C& E International Plant who for many years have supported the club both on and of the pitch [both sons play for the club]. Thanks also to Mini Chairman and sponsor Neil Cavnor for all their hard work on and off the pitch [Also both sons playing]. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d also like to thank all our small sponsors who are just as important to keeping the club going forwards. The biggest challenges for us come from recruitment. As we do not pay players we rely on our own development and players joining of their own free will. It will be important to train more coaches for mini/ juniors to help develop our own future players and we also need to maintain our facilities at their current high standard. We are ambitious and want to push on to get promotion and compete at the highest level possible with our present structure.â&#x20AC;?

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MARKET BOSWORTH

MARKET BOSWORTH Cadeby Lane /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/marketbosworthrfc /// Founded 1887

Market Bosworth RFC is an amateur club based on Cadeby Lane in Warwickshire just outside the historic town of Market Bosworth. They currently compete in the Midlands 2 East North League and they are led by the team of Chairman David Shakeshaft and President John Ward and they have made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

far this season they have been in fine form, having compiled a league record of 5 wins and 3 defeats from their 8 matches. This sees them sitting just behind the early pace setters with 28 points on the board. This should provide then team with the perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they can retain their current group of players and

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perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of mounting a push for promotion.

One of the standout features of the Market Bosworth setup is the outstanding youth section that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment

whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any team looking to be successful to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be

TWITTER /// @Bosworth_rugby

MARKET BOSWORTH

exciting to see how their juniors can develop over the coming years. In order to help them to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have a number of additional sides running. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having extra teams is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Market Bosworthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promising start to the season is a reflection of all the hard work that they put in during the summer months. Rugby Club Magazine would like to take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck for the rest of the campaign.

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ST JACQUES KGV Playing Fields /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/stjacquesrfc///

Competing for the first time in the UK League System, St Jacques RFC has made a fine start to the new season. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with Club Representative James Mroch to find out more about the good work they’ve been doing.

e said, “I have personally been involved with the club for 4 seasons now. I was playing rugby for the local youth academy, and was nearing the end of my time with the Academy as I was 18. I had played against St Jacques on a few occasions, including in a memorable Christmas game where after the game which was played in horrific conditions, we had Christmas dinner together and played ‘games’ etc. Therefore when the opportunity to come down and get involved with the club was offered to me, I took the chance.” The Role “Firstly I am a player for the 1st team squad, which obviously comes with its challenges, but away from the pitch I perform a few different jobs. Most challenging is finding enough time to write match reports, communicate with the local media and updating the website, just after games etc. However the most rewarding is seeing the excellent coverage that our club gets in the media now, and how our image and reputation is growing within the community. People now want to know what’s happening with St Jacques, and are excited about the club.” Atmosphere “The mood is very upbeat at the moment, as currently we are unbeaten and top of the league, so naturally everyone is very excited. As this is our first ever season playing in the UK League system, the whole club is very excited and it has really helped improve our club already. We have always had quite a good following, but now it is growing all the time, with more people wanting to come and watch home fixtures, get involved in events etc.” Youth “Youth rugby is very important to St Jacques, as over the last few seasons we have heavily recruited youth players who were turning 18 etc. A very large majority of our squad is aged under 23, and as we don’t have our own youth system, we have been trying to build bridges with the local youth rugby academy. As St Jacques continues to develop over the coming years, we would hope we can help more with the development of young 38

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players in Guernsey, including helping to coach the youth players, as well as getting them involved with the club.” Integration “Because St Jacques has a lot of young players, and because of the size of Guernsey it is natural that often our players know many of the younger players who are coming through. Therefore this greatly assists the transition to senior rugby. St Jacques is a very close club, with a strong family feel and is very accepting of new players no matter their ability. Therefore new young players tend to fit in very quickly and we always try to make them feel very welcome, this greatly assists the transition as obviously a player makes that transition smoothly and quickly if they feel comfortable and welcome.” Community “St Jacques is very much a community club, and is about much more than just a rugby club. Our home ground is the King George the Fifth

Memorial P l a y i n g Fields (KGV), which is an excellent local multi s p o r t s facility. The KGV is more than a

TWITTER /// @StJacquesRFC

ST JACQUES HARLEQUINS

sports facility however, it has a thriving community hub of social members, disabled sports members, Darts, Pool & Euchre (a traditional Guernsey card game) leagues, and St Jacques members are very much at the heart of that. We try to get involved with the club, supporting in various different ways. The members are very supportive of St Jacques and support us on match days quite avidly, and we are grateful for their support. As a club we accept new members, no matter their background and whether they play rugby or not they will be accepted into the club in a friendly warm manner.â&#x20AC;? Facilities â&#x20AC;&#x153;The KGV is not owned by St Jacques, but is owned by the people of Guernsey. We are tenants of the facility, and are very lucky to have access to the facilities. The KGV is currently undergoing a massive redevelopment, and it will be the premier sport facility in Guernsey once complete. We now have a full-size 4g Artificial pitch which we train on, and can be used for matches if the main

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Images Courtesy of Guernsey Sports Photography 40

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TWITTER /// @StJacquesRFC

pitch is heavily waterlogged ensuring no game will get cancelled. The teams we host have nearly all given positive feedback of their experience, particularly as we are keen to keep the traditions of rugby very much a part of the experience to the KGV. However the new changing room block which is due to be built can’t come quick enough, as the current facilities are quite small.” Commercial “St Jacques is very present on both Facebook and Twitter, and is slowly managing to develop the brand and get more people involved. Never before have we had such a diverse following, from not just in Guernsey but from around the world. This along with regular positive media coverage is helping to build and develop our commercial image, and more and more

ST JACQUES

businesses are coming on board as sponsors.

the highest level possible for the foreseeable future.

We have some very substantial sponsors now, whom are excellent and without them we could not play in the UK leagues. It’s not just financially our sponsors have got involved with St Jacques, they have really got behind the team with pregame lunches before cheering on the team from the side-lines, and celebrating with the team after matches etc. However we are always looking for new ways to generate sponsorship, and to develop our commercial presence.”

Over the next five years we will be looking to build infrastructure around the club to help continue our development with a professional outlook and attitude. Ideally we are looking to gain promotion into the Hampshire County Leagues then who knows.

Challenges/Ambitions “The biggest challenges I think we could face is ensuring we continue to improve and ensuring we are running a financially sustainable club, which will ensure we can compete at

I think although some time off, getting the club into the regional leagues is a real aim. If we continue to develop the squad, work hard and bring in new talented players to keep everyone competing for their shirt, I think it could be possible. We would also like to re-enter a 2ND XV into the Channel Islands League, which will provide an opportunity to develop players and feed them into the 1st XV.”

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ABERGAVENNEY FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

TWITTER /// @Abergavennyrfc

ABERGAVENNY Bailey Park /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/abergavennyrfc //// Founded 1875

First established in 1875, Abergavenny RFC is based at Bailey Park in Monmouthshire and they currently compete in Division 2 East of the WRU SWALEC Leagues. They are led by the team of President Alun Griffiths OBE and Chairman Huw Beaven and are looking to progress under their guidance.

t first team level they are looking to bounce back this time around having endured a disappointing campaign last season. They ended up finishing in the bottom half of the table as they failed to ever really find the consistency needed to be successful. The team has been working hard during the off-season though in order to ensure that they are able to do better this time out. This set them up to begin the campaign with plenty of confidence. So far they have made a steady start as well managing to win 2 of their first 6 matches, losing the other 4. This has left them sitting in a mid-table position with 11 points on the board. This should provide them with a platform from which to build and they will look to climb the table as the team gels together.

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So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of improving on last seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performances which would represent progress for them. Abergavenny is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however as they also have a number of youth sides in place. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent if they want to be successful, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. Their coaching staff are confident that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve a number of juniors involved with the potential for a bright future.

In order to ensure that these players enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game they also have a 2nd team running. This allows them to provide youngsters with experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having an additional side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. There is much to admire about the set up that Abergavenny currently has in place and this is thanks to the hard work that their Committee has put into the club. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

OLDHAM ST ANNES

TWITTER /// @OldhamStAnnes

OLDHAM ST ANNES As Kyle Eastmond faces the world champions, the All Blacks this weekend, the former St Helens back, and now Bath centre, we can look at a club where it all began for Kyle, and many other famous players that learnt their trade as a youngster. Higginshaw Road /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldhamstannes ///

t all started at a club nestled in the heart of the Pennines, in a proud town with rugby roots as strong and as pronounced as the old cotton mill chimneys that were once a common site around the borough. That town is Oldham, and the club is Oldham St Annes ARLFC. The Saints operate one of the biggest Youth Sections in the Northwest with over 300 plus children playing from Under 7s to

Under 18s. It’s a club rich in history that can boast the development of players such as Mike Ford – Bath RU Head Coach, Wigan, Leigh, Oldham and Castleford, Leo Casey – Oldham & Featherstone, Steve Molloy – Warrington, Leeds, Sheffield, Featherstone & Oldham, Iestyn Harris – Salford Head Coach, Warrington, Leeds, Bradford and Wales RU and Matt Calland – Featherstone, Bradford, Hull & Rochdale in the past, to name a few.

The Saints can add to this list of former professionals and can look to a bright future with the club sporting players at a few Super League Scholarships. Just below these scholarships, in 2014, the Saints under 13s were crowned the Lancashire Cup winners in a pulsating game against Leigh Miners held at the Stobart Stadium. It was a fantastic achievement for the young team who have been developed and guided by former Huddersfield Giant, Oldham and Rochdale player, Neil Flanagan. With Neil’s dedication and knowledge, fused together with the help of the teams volunteers, they have gelled this side into a successful one and one that has everybody in the rugby world talking about. It’s a success celebrated by everyone associated with St Annes, but the club measures it success firmly on how many players they can get to play the game of rugby league, and more importantly, how they enjoy their experience. The buzz word around the clubhouse is enjoyment, and it’s shared by every coach and volunteer that wears the famous green and gold. With the youth of the club thriving, it bodes well for the Under 18s and the Open Age sides the club puts out. It was only this season that the Under

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OLDHAM ST ANNES

ISSUE 51

TWITTER /// @OldhamStAnnes

OLDHAM ST ANNES

18s were crowned North West Counties Division One champions, edging out local rivals Waterhead into second place. This marvellous achievement was masterminded by former Rochdale and Oldham player Bob Marsden and his son Ben, a former St Annes player. It’s these local links, that is a backbone that runs throughout the club, and it is something Oldham St Annes are proud of. The ‘Made in Oldham’ theme continues to first team level that operates out of the Conference in Division Two. In charge of the first team is former Keighley and Oldham centre Mick Fogerty, assisted by former Oldham and Great Britain player Mick Worrall. It was a seventh place finish for the Saints last time out, and in 2015 they have their eye on promotion to Division One. It’s an achievable goal considering the talent that is coming through the club at present. With the playing side looking positive, good artists need a good canvas to paint on, and the Saints were awarded a grant of £87,500 to carry out vital drainage on three pitches. This would allow the club to utilize for the first time in 2015 a third pitch based at the club. This grant was made up from Sport England and topped up with further funding from the RFL. Once this work has been finished, the pitches will be that of professional standard, allowing its players of young and old, to ply their trade on a surface fit for their talents. The club would like to go on record in thanking everyone and the organisations that made this development happen. Next year looks to be an even better season for the Saints, and with a lot more hard work, dedication and devotion, there is no reason 2015 cannot be the Year of the Saint.

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BOWDON FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

TWITTER /// @BowdonRugby

BOWDON Clay Lane /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/bowdon /// Founded 1877

First established in 1877, Bowdon RUFC play their home games on Clay Lane in Cheshire and their first team currently competes in the South Lancs/Cheshire Division One. They are led by the team of Chair Tom Sloan and President Roy Kitchiner and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

owdon itself is situated in Timperley, just 5 minutes away from Manchester Airport and the club takes pride in welcoming everyone, be it players, spectators or social members. They have a Marquee Room and a Committee Room which they make available for members of the public to hire. This helps to demonstrate the club’s commitment to playing an important role in the local community. Additionally, it also has the potential to provide them with a valuable source of additional revenue. This season, it would be fair to say that their first team has not put together the start to the campaign that they would have liked. In their 15 league matches they have put together a record of 4 wins, 2 draws and 9 defeats which has left them sitting in the bottom half of the table with 24 points on the board. There is still plenty of the campaign left to play however and so long as Bowdon are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in in with a good chance of climbing the table. There is a confidence amongst the players that they have the quality to do so. Bowdon is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however and they also have a thriving youth setup. This part of their system looks to provide young players

from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area they appear to have covered. Coaching staff overseeing their juniors are confident they’ve plenty of talent currently involved with the potential for a bright future. In order to help these players to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have a number of additional sides running. This allows them to give youngsters experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having so many teams is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Although Bowdon’s form in the first half of the season has not been great this should not take away from the good work that has been getting done at the club. Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck for the future.

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ISSUE 51

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PENALLTA

PENALLTA Based at Hengoed in Caerphilly, Penallta RFC currently competes in Division 1 East of the SWALEC National Leagues. They are led by Chairman Gareth Davies who is supported by Treasurer Scott Lowe and are looking to progress under their guidance. Sue Noakes Leisure Centre /// www.penalltarfc.mywru.co.uk /// Founded 1952

irst established by 1952, the club was set up by a group of miners from Penallta Colliery and played its first fixture the same year. Their colours are blue and gold and they are affectionately known by their supporters as the ‘Pitmen’ and are very proud of their mining heritage. They became a full a member of the Welsh Rugby Union in 2004 and have enjoyed a considerable amount of success since then, winning Divisions 3, 4 and 5 South East as well as the coveted Silver Ball Trophy in 2005. Their most recent success at senior level came when they won the Swalec Plate in 2011-12.

This season, their senior side has enjoyed a storming start to their league campaign having managed to win their first 7 fixtures. This sees them sitting top of the league with 34 points on the board. This should provide the side with a perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they can retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions then they should be in with a good chance of mounting a serious title challenge. Penallta is a club that is committed to playing an important role in their local community, providing as many players as possible with an opportunity to play the game and this is reflected by the fact that they also run a women’s team. Up to now, it would be fair to say that they have not enjoyed the start to campaign that they would have liked, having drawn 1 and lost 8 of their matches. This leaves them at the bottom of the table with 2 points and

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they will be keen to get a win on the board as soon as possible to give them a much needed confidence boost. Penallta is not a club that focuses solely upon senior rugby however and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a superb youth section. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can progress over the coming years. They gave a glimpse of the potential that they have last year when they managed to win the WRU Youth Cup at the Millennium Stadium. Led by Captain Jack Condy, they produced a superb display in the final to overcome Gilfach Goch by 27 points to 18 in a great demonstration of the skill levels in youth rugby in Wales. The trophy was presented by Wales internationals Andrew Coombs and Alex Cuthbert and everyone at Penallta was rightly proud of this superb achievement. Credit must also go to the Gilfach Goch side that helped to ensure that the final was a great spectacle for supporters. With their first team thriving and some terrific young talent coming through the ranks Penallta appears to have everything in place for a bright and successful future. Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;They managed to win the WRU Youth Cup at the Millennium Stadium.â&#x20AC;?

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ROCHFORD HUNDRED

ROCHFORD HUNDRED The Rugby Park /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/rochfordhundredrfc /// Founded 1962

Rochford Hundred was the brainchild of John Roden and Ernie Mills and was first discussed in November 1961 when the two met at the White Hart in Hawkwell. John had played at Ilford Wanderers and Ernie was an Old Tottonian so both were keen to play on their own doorstep.

he Club is currently playing in London 2 (North East) and we can look back on over 50 years of activity with considerable satisfaction. Our Youth System The club supports the introduction of rugby to children as young as 2 years old via a fantastic family run business called the Little Scrummers (www.littlescrummers.com). Their aim is to introduce younger children into the game of rugby at an earlier age, by equipping them with tag rugby skills that they can develop later at school or at club level. The business utilises our clubs U17s coach and Schools Liaison Officer Roger Fitz-Patrick to run weekly sessions for over 80 children aged 2-6 year olds, divided into relevant age groups and times. Roger regularly visits all of our local schools, running sessions introducing rugby to the local community and trying to gain valuable players into our club.

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HARLEQUINS ROCHFORD HUNDRED

TWITTER /// @RochfordRugby

From under 6 upwards the club provides rugby teams running through all the age groups covering boys and girls of all ability giving rugby for all. Youth rugby plays a key part in developing the 1st XV and the Club. We have generated many quality youth players who have gone on to be successful adult players. We have produced no fewer than 10 England internationals, ranging from U16 to U21 for both girls and boys, covering full honours from schools, colleges, The Fire Brigade and a Scotland U19 representative. Ellie Gatlin, Catherine Pugh and Lucie Wood were all part of the England Womens U20â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s squad playing in the Six Nations last season and Lucie is now in the England Elite Squad for this season. A rising England star and a name to note for the future is Alex Brown, now under a full time contract with Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership, also played his youth rugby at Rochford. This crop of youth talent has no doubt led to the success of the 1st XV and the Club. Our Senior Teams We currently run three regular mens senior sides with an occasional 4th, ladies and Vets team also playing games. This season our 1st XV will play their rugby in London 2 North East, with promotion to London 1 North, which is only one league below the National levels, the top priority for the team along with the development of our current young crop of players to achieve this goal and safeguard the clubs future.

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ROCHFORD HUNDRED

The 2nd XV “The Harts”, play league rugby in Division 2 of The Shepherd Neame Essex Merit Table and have reached the finals of this league several times in the last few years, along with reaching the final of the 2nd XV Essex Cup final in 2013. This regular competition provides a perfect learning environment for developing players and getting them ready for 1st team rugby. Our Recent Successes In total, we now run over 20 sides and have a family driven collective base of players, parents, supporters, volunteers and friends that total well over 1000 members. Of this we have over 450 players across all age groups across the club including our Mini, Youth and Girls sections which are always increasing. This season has seen the addition of an Under 13 girl’s team increasing our girls section to 3 sides in addition to our Ladies senior side. The club has received a “Highly Recommended” award by Rochford Council as part of Citizen of the Year Awards 2013 in the Community Spirit category. The Awards Committee commented: “Rochford Hundred Rugby Club Outstanding and hardworking volunteers which make this club successful for all its members who enjoy and benefit from it.” The clubs Ladies and Girls coach Peter Turner won the Services to Sport Award at the Rochford & Castle Point Awards for 2013.

Last season the U18 Girls came third in the Kent and Sussex League and the U15 Girls came third in the Kent and Sussex League. Our U17s had another successful season last year winning the Essex League Division 1 title and being Runners Up in the Essex Cup. Our Future and Vision By Colin Wiseman, Club Chairman At the age of 18, having never played rugby before, not even at school, they didn’t do Rugby at that time, I was persuaded by my next door neighbour to come along to see if I liked it, well I did, that was back in 1975 and I’ve been here at Rochford Hundred ever since. I started off playing for the 5th team on Saturdays and the colts on Sundays until I was 19, over the next 7 years it became obvious I wasn’t going to continue as a back I was moved to a prop, I gradually worked my way up to play for our 2nd team known as the Harts. At 25 I got my break due to injuries to one of the props I was selected for our 1st team, what a jump, 2nd team Rugby I didn’t find too hard, now! A big step, harder faster could I manage playing at this level, well fortunately I did - just! Remaining there for the rest of that season. The following season though I was back down to the 2nd’s due to new props joining the club, well I’d had my chance and liked it and wanted to get back up there. The following season again more through

luck as one of the props due to work had to leave, I was again selected for the 1st team and fortunately this is where I stayed for 24 seasons, in that time I have been vicecaptain for 4 seasons then taking over as Captain for 2. In all those years I was very fortunate to represent Essex County, England Fire Service for 9 years; here I played with and against full Internationals, A team and B team players, premiership players, what an absolute joy, even getting a game for the British Fire Service. When through an injury, not through rugby I might add I was forced to hang up my boots, but I can’t complain I did have a good innings. My two sons by this time were playing youth Rugby at the club, since I’ve had the pleasure of watching them play for our 1st team. Our then Chairman John Drinkwater was looking to stand down so I thought well it’s time to put something back into the club - I’ll stand there can’t be a lot in it. What on earth was I thinking? Well here I am now into my 5th season as Chair, having never run a business before, which is what it is. I’m having to learn all the time, you don’t get everything right but I do enjoy the role and only hope I get most things right, we have some great committee members some for many years, some I’ve twisted their arm to join so I can use their expertise but all do a fantastic job for us. Our Youth, Mini and Girls sections, all those coaches, managers, mum’s and dad’s,

TWITTER /// @RochfordRugby boys and girls giving up their free time week nights and weekends is fantastic they do us proud.

U19, U20 and U21, the Blue Bulls (Currie Cup), South Africa U21 and also South Africa Students.Captain

Where do I see us in the next few years, obviously in anything you want finance plays a big part, we do have some fantastic sponsors but we can always do with more, I want us to be playing National League Rugby and sustaining our position there, to do that we need to strengthen not only our senior playing squads but also our youth and mini’s. Even those guys who play social Rugby; the more people we can get playing Rugby and enjoying the social side of the game the better.

The opportunity came knocking to play in the Northern Hemisphere where I represented Cardiff Blues, Bracknell, London Wasps, Harlequins and London Irish. Unfortunately my professional career came to an end, due to injury, after 14 years and I started coaching, beginning with amateur clubs and then moving on to starting my own business, Fouche Rugby. My company works as consultants with the RFU, professional and International teams on a daily basis as well as representative teams and the development of smaller unions through the IRB.

Rugby has given me many memorable times, being able to make great friends not just from our club but every club, home and abroad, I have total respect for everyone who gives up their own time voluntarily for the benefit of the game, Rugby isn’t just a game to me, it’s a way of life. George Fouche, Director of Rugby I was born in King Williams Town in South Africa and started playing rugby at the age of 5. Throughout school I always played in representative sides and in six form I represented South Africa schools U19 for two years. At the University of Pretoria at the age of 19, I began playing for the Tuks first team (Tuks Rugby is the biggest rugby club in the world with 72 teams). During my time at University I also represented the Blue Bulls

Rochford Hundred is a club close to my heart because in my early days of coaching, they gave me an opportunity and 9 years later I am back almost full circle in a way. The club now has the infrastructure to become a leading club in East England delivering National rugby locally in the very near future. Adam Faherty, Commercial Manager Having been involved with the club since I joined as an 11 year old in 1988, playing through the youth ranks up until becoming Colts Captain and beginning my senior playing career before it was cut short due to injury, I have held several different roles within the club.

HARLEQUINS ROCHFORD HUNDRED

My main role at the club now was created around 4 years ago and it was to cover everything commercially for the club and to assist with moving the club forward with modern times. Whatever sport people are involved in, for that team or club to function, grow and develop there is always a massive need for support both financially and with volunteers assisting in helping that the club functions as “One Club” from the roots to the roof. To continue with recent successes and to maintain the community feel at Rochford we are constantly seeking to combine sponsors and advertising from within the local community and on a corporate level. This sponsorship and advertising is not only of interest to rugby enthusiasts as we have many social events and facilities that can cater for client hospitality and general functions. We now have such a range of sponsorship and advertising opportunities available that everyone from local independent company’s right up to large corporate businesses can all benefit with prices starting at just £35 for the season. This has allowed us to obtain and keep on a long term basis a wide variety of sponsors and advertisers who are all listed on our website. Should you wish to be sent a brochure, please email commercial@rochfordrugby.com

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ROCHFORD HUNDRED

TWITTER /// @RochfordRugby

Our Testimonials Alex Brown – Exeter Chiefs “Rochford Hundred has always been my home club. It plays a huge part in the reason why I am playing professional rugby now. From mini rugby to seniors, my whole family has been involved and I have benefitted from young and old members alike in the development of my own rugby. It is a family club, a community club and one that regardless of where my career takes me, will always bring me joy when I go to watch a game there. It is a testament to all its members regardless of ability or age when family members can be seen playing together with siblings and parents on the side-lines cheering them on. Welcoming new members as well as old, it is a humble club not spoilt by commercial pressure and the epitome of what amateur rugby really is and should be.” Colin Charvis – Wales and British Lions “Had a fantastic time at Rochford Hundred. Great cheer and great beer. Hospitality second to none. Just what grass roots, family clubs are all about”

Our Club Details League – London 2 North East Address – The Rugby Park, Magnolia Road, Hawkwell, Essex, SS4 3AD Telephone – 01702 544021 Website – www.RochfordRugby.com Twitter - @RochfordRugby Facebook.com/RochfordRugby To sponsor the club email – commercial@rochfordrugby.com To play for the club email – coaching@rochfordrugby.com To hire the club email – functions@rochfordrugby.com

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PERSHORE FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

PERSHORE Mill Lane /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/pershorerugbyfootballclub ///

First established in 1962, Pershore RFC currently runs 3 senior teams, a ladies section with O2 touch and Minis and Juniors. Their first team competes in the Midlands 3 West (South) League. Chairman Anthony Perks took the time to tell us more about the club.

e told us, “I first joined the club in 1976 as an impressionable 15 year old, bought to the club by Dr G Preece, my rugby coach at Pershore High School. As rugby was my passion it was natural that I joined my local club as it was only 1.5m away from where I lived. The group of players that were at the club at that time were social and made everyone that joined the club very welcome, something that has not changed to this day. Since joining Pershore I have been involved with the committee for many years as grounds man, bar chairman, social secretary, 100 club secretary, 2nd and 3rd team captain and also played 1st team rugby over a number of years. My current role is the most challenging undertaken within the club. Our previous chairman Robert Willson Taylor sadly passed away in February from cancer and left a huge void at the club. Taking on the role as chairman is a massive challenge as the amount of work involved is both challenging, interesting and rewarding, although with a fantastic committee at the club this has helped ease me into this role. After a difficult 2013-14 season Pershore RFC have bounced back to being both positive and buoyant with the mood within the club being as good as it has been for a few years. With ex Worcester Warriors fly half Tommy Hayes joining the club as player/coach a couple of years ago, he has bought a belief in players which has seen on field performances improve. This improvement culminated in Pershore reaching the Midlands Vase Final in 2013-14 which is only two games from playing a final at Twickenham. Unfortunately Pershore lost a very close encounter to Stewarts. This involvement has seen the same improvement this year and we are currently 3rd in the league, the 2nds 56

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“After a difficult 201314 season Pershore RFC have bounced back to being both positive and buoyant with the mood within the club being as good as it has been for a few years.”

TWITTER /// @PershoreRFC

are playing well and in the top half of their league , the ladies have finished 2nd in their touch league and continue to grow and improve, whilst the Mini and Junior section are also growing and improving every year. The most important areas at the club at the moment is our Mini and Junior Section, we feel that for our club to survive and generate senior players we need a strong and healthy junior section, which we are continuing to support and build. Transition into senior rugby has always been overseen by qualified coaches in both our junior set up and by our Senior Coaches. The high level coaching we have at Pershore has seen colt players at the club establish themselves as regular 1st team players. We have recently added a coaching set

up for our lower teams which we encourage our colts to attend. We do regard ourselves as a community club as we visit local schools promoting both rugby and Pershore RFC. Our club is also available for social functions for all club members and to hire within the local community. We also have a close relationship with Pershore Horticultural College with O2 rugby now being available at the college along with a pitch the club can use when our club is flooded. Over the years the name of Pershore has received good reviews from not only other clubs but also officials that have officiated here. Referees have often been coerced into staying at the club a little longer than they perhaps would want. Over the past 34 years we have seen Pershore RFC move from

PERSHORE

the New Inn public house in Pershore to building our own club house in 1976, to building a further extension in 1992. We currently have agreed with Pershore Horticultural College to maintain and use a pitch at the college when our pitches are unplayable. Pershore Club is built on a floodplain, and was built at a height greater than any flood in the previous 50 years. Unfortunately, over the past 12 years we have seen an increase in flooding which has caused an increase of lost games at the club. In 2003 floods entered the clubhouse by 18 inches, and again in 2007 when it was above the bar in the clubhouse and above the crossbar on the pitch. This resulted in the club being closed for 8 months while being refurbished. At this time

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PERSHORE

TWITTER /// @PershoreRFC

we survived due to the loyal support and commitment of both members and the sponsors, which continues to this day. Pershore has many challenges. Reduction in the number of people playing rugby throughout the country has already had an impact at Pershore as 6 - 7 years ago Pershore were running 4 - 5 sides which has now dropped to 3 sides, which is a trend with a number of clubs in the North Midlands. There has been an increase in flooding which has seen 7 weeks in the 2012/13 season lost and 8 weeks in the 2013/14 season lost where the club has not been open which puts massive strain on the clubs finances. The clubs ambitions over the next 5 years are to increase all aspects of the club, by recruiting more players which results in more teams, recruiting more Minis and juniors which in the long term will benefit us. We want to have a closer rapport with Pershore Horticultural College in the hope that both can support each other, and finally to survive in an increasingly difficult time for rugby clubs.

Additional Staff President: Vic Haines Chairman: Anthony Perks Secretary: Dave Griffiths 1st XV Captain: L. Dolphin Club Coach: T. Grace Mini and Junior Chairman: B. Andrews Ladies Chairman: F. Bewley

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Tel: 01386 553 288 / 01386 552 769 Fax: 01386 554615 Email: info@vichaines.co.uk Website: www.vichaines.co.uk Racecourse Road, Pinvin Industrial Estate, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 2EY. www.rugbyclub.biz

SHIPSTON ON STOUR

SHIPSTON-ON-STOUR Mayo Road /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/shipstononstourrfc /// Founded 1963

Based in the small market town of Shipston-on-Stour in South Warwickshire, Shipston on Stour RFC is a friendly rugby club currently competing in the Midlands 3 West League. They are led by the team of President Roger Hawkins and Chairman Nick Underwood and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

he club was first established in 1963 by a group of Masters and old boys from Shipston High School. They were a nomadic club in their first season with no pitch of their own as they relied upon High School facilities to play on and used local pubs for postmatch refreshments. In 1973, with help from local benefactors, the local council, the County Council and the RFU plans were drawn up for a new Clubhouse which was extended in 1987. They then funded a new clubhouse in May 2000 and erected floodlights for the main pitch in 2006. Their first team has put together a steady campaign so far this time around, having compiled a record of 4 wins and 6 defeats from their first 10 matches. This has left them sitting in a safe mid-table position with 20 points on the board. This should provide them with a solid platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions then they should be in with a good chance of putting together a successful season. One of the standout features of the Shipston on Stour setup is the superb youth section that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide

ISSUE 51

young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can develop over the coming years. In order to help their young players to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have a 2nd XV. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having a 2nd team is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Shipston on Stour RFC has certainly come a long way since their early nomadic existence and this is thanks to all of the hard work that their Committee has put into the club. Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck for the future.

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SWINDON COLLEGE OLD BOYS

SWINDON COLLEGE OLD BOYS Nationwide Pavilion /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/swindoncollegeoldboys ///

Swindon College Old Boys suffered the disappointment of relegation from the Southern Counties League last year. They have wasted no time however in bouncing back as a summer with several new signings and hard work on the training field allowing them to make a positive start to the current campaign. Rugby Club Magazine spoke to a number of different club representatives to find out more about what has been behind their turn around.

hairman Darren Astley told us about his role and the club’s ambitions for the future, saying, “As Chairman of the club there are many different challenges and rewards. Certainly at the moment the rewards are hugely outweighing the challenges because of the hard work and commitment from all involved.

The club had a very challenging season last year. Our 1st XV were relegated from Southern Counties and due to a number of injuries picked up many of the 2nd XV were often pulled up to play for the 1st’s which in turn left them turning up to games with the bare 15. Numbers at training were not what they could be and the players did not like the training facilities we were using. The

feeling in the club at the end of the season was low and changes were needed. It was felt that the club needed to find a new direction and energy so I was voted in as chairman and 3 new coaches were brought in. Martin Lloyd, Mark Lea and Chaz Drew are all long serving players and previous coaches of the club and

TWITTER /// @SCOB_RFC

HARLEQUINS SWINDON COLLEGE OLD BOYS

“I’ve played for the club for 4 years having been invited to come and train following a charity rugby game - the team and coaches were positive, enthusiastic and had the right rugby feel.” James McLaughlin, Player

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SWINDON COLLEGE OLD BOYS

understand the ethos of SCOB and what was required. We moved to the Ridgeway School, Wroughton, on the outskirts of town who have allowed us to make this our home for our 2nd XV as well. The facilities are brilliant and it also allows us to buy a few sets of our lights and store and use them there. Secondly, after such a testing season was to ensure we still had the players on board and that they were all willing to go that extra yard to get the club back on track. It soon became clear that not only did we have the commitment of the existing players we had the commitment from new players who liked what we were trying to put in place and wanted to be part of it. On top of this there are the usual challenges that come with the role such as ensuring everyone involved in the club are happy, how the money is spent, ensuring new sponsors are sought, new kit, etc. But these challenges are totally outweighed by the rewards we are beginning to see. The 2 teams are winning again and enjoying their rugby. The social feel of the club is back which is a major factor for us and we are looking forward to the future with bright optimism. We know we are on the verge of potentially something big for the club which will change it forever. Our first target is for our 1st XV to gain promotion back to the Southern Counties League and more importantly stay in that league. We have found that there is a considerable jump between our current league and the one above so it will take a huge effort to ensure we maintain that status. Once we have maintained this and we have our own home we can then look to see if we can progress further and plan for the future.

“I had been playing Semi Professional Football for a few years without the camaraderie Rugby gives you; too many yellows in Football resulted in a ban for me so I accepted a request from a friend to play rugby. I didn't ever play football on a Saturday again after that game and night out. 20 Years later I am still involved.” Mark Lea – Head Coach The 2nd is for our 2nd XV to gain promotion to D&W1 to ensure they stay 1 league below our 1’s to ensure the constancy is there. This may prove harder as there are a lot of very good teams in that league and mostly 1st teams. We have seen historically most teams that have been promoted are relegated the next season as the jump again proves too high. Finally, we want to set up a youth development system within the club. We are in early talks already with the RDO for Wiltshire and looking to get our accreditations in place so that first step is in place. Ideally, we would like to have all age levels playing but know this will take a bit longer to establish but I am comfortable that, with the commitment and enthusiasm within the club, this is just a matter of time.” Mark Williams is their club captain and spoke of how he got involved and what he enjoys most about his role. He said, “I joined SCOB approximately 25 years ago. Having experienced senior rugby in Gloucester at Longlevens RFC, representing their colts and senior sides for 2 years, I was looking for a similar club ethos when I moved to Swindon. After a 2 year spell at a local Swindon club it killed my passion for the game and I quit the sport I loved playing for 11 previous seasons. A year later I bumped into an outstanding senior player at the previous club, Tony Brant, who said that he had now joined another team and invited me to come training. I went training and never looked back. The unwritten ethos at SCOB that everyone was made welcome and supported, committed to an underdog fighting spirit on the pitch and celebrate like heroes off the pitch win, lose or draw was irresistible to me.

ISSUE 51

TWITTER /// @SCOB_RFC

HARLEQUINS SWINDON COLLEGE OLD BOYS

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HARLEQUINS FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

“SCOB is a community club in that we are we known - we have an association all around Swindon and even people who don’t know rugby, know SCOB. That is testament to our current standing in the community however when we have the clubhouse that will allow us to really start to have a positive impact on the community.” Tom Birnie, 1st XV Manager and player

ISSUE 51

TWITTER /// @SCOB_RFC

SWINDON COLLEGE OLD BOYS

The most challenging thing is trying to find new ways to compensate for my age when training against some outstanding young talent in the team. Levels of fitness and commitment have increased over the years. It is very rewarding watching and coaching new players to grow in confidence both on and off the field and them knowing that they have friends in the club that will support them.” Director of Rugby Martin Lloyd told us, “Due to poor choice, bribery and the lack of any other candidates I have managed to reach the elevated role of Director of Rugby, albeit a hands-on DOR, where an all hands to the pump, multi-functional approach is required. I think the most important role for myself and the club is to provide an environment that allows the membership to pick what’s most important to them. We have competitive rugby; we have a good and active social ingredient, and healthy financial stability. We believe in a ‘band of brothers’ mentality where any kind of elitism or clique is strictly prohibited. Most embrace these core ideals with relish, especially the good and active social ingredient. Over the next few years the outline of a permanent clubhouse should start to materialise. A working group of some of the more prominent local business people from within the club, with the necessary qualifications, experience and drive to make the dream a reality, have already taken the first steps. We have always been a nomad club, and over the years this has served us well. However the time has come for us to put down roots. Our overwhelming desire is to integrate fully with the local area, providing facilities to local groups and sports diversity to the community, not just rugby. We have the people in place for this to be a realistic objective. The south side of Swindon is a rapidly growing community with a diverse population; this is the area we want to make our own. The infrastructure is growing fast and the addition of this type of facility is essential for community identity. We have a first team cup final to look forward too, our numbers are growing rapidly, the teams are developing and there is a great atmosphere and buzz. In my years at the club as a player and coach I can’t remember a more positive outlook, long may it continue.”

Anyone interested in joining Swindon College Old Boys please visit www. scobrfc.org or head to Wroughton Leisure Centre, 18:30 Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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SALCOMBE FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

SALCOMBE Twomeads /// www.salcomberugby.org.uk /// Founded 1888

First established in 1988, Salcombe RFC is based at Twomeads on Camperdown Road in Devon and they are a great example of a club that plays a vital role in their local community. In particular they do a fantastic job of developing talented young players, helping them to reach their full potential.

heir first team has made a steady start to their current league campaign, having put together a record of 4 wins and 3 defeats from their first 7 matches. This has left them sitting just behind the early pacesetters with 19 points on the board. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. If they can put together a good run of form they will have a good chance of mounting a title challenge. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with Club Representative Martin Gautier to find out more details about some of the fantastic work that they’ve been doing at youth level. He told us, “I was first involved when my son started training with the minis some 10 years ago. Salcombe is the nearest club with a genuine family atmosphere and passionate following. I started as general helper, got my coaching qualifications, coached a number of age groups and now run the minis section. Our main challenges are numbers. Salcombe’s demographic means there’s not many local kids to pull from - 50% of Salcombe’s housing is 2nd homes. There’s also competition from other clubs in the locale (Kingsbridge). The most rewarding aspect is being involved in kids developing over the years, usually moving to Kingsbridge for Colts and then having them return as senior players. Youth rugby is vital to us, both as a revenue generator (parents drinking on training nights) and for senior squad

ISSUE 51

SALCOMBE HARLEQUINS

TWITTER /// @SalcombeRFC

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“We work hard to migrate talented kids to other local clubs and keep in touch during their development.”

development. It’s tricky to ensure that players enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game. Our numbers are such that older age groups struggle to get a side together and end up folding. We work hard to migrate talented kids to other local clubs and keep in touch during their development through Colts with a view to grabbing them back if they don’t leave the area for work or University. We develop a lot of talent that move into larger clubs in higher leagues or University sides. Perhaps our most famous son is England World Cup winning Prop Julian White. In the future we aim to develop the minis section, retain our current numbers, improve our 2nd XV and get back out of Devon 2 - after an appalling coaching experience last season, we dropped a league and are keen to bounce back.” Salcombe’s strong start to the season is a reflection upon the hard work that has been put into the club and their superb youth section should enable them to look forwards to a bright future. Everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season.

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CLAREMORRIS COLTS

CLAREMORRIS COLTS Knock Road /// www.claremorrisrfc.com /// Founded 2009

Claremorris Colts RFC was founded in the summer of 2009 on the back of an adult Tag Rugby league run in the town over the summer. From the onset, the mission of the club has been to promote the core values of rugby - Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship to children, youths and latterly adults in the town of Claremorris and the surrounding South Mayo vicinity.

rom an initial membership of 80 children aged 6-12 years old playing mini rugby on Saturday mornings, the club has grown to having over 270 child, youth and adult rugby players in the 2014/15 season despite having no dedicated rugby playing facilities to call its own.

joining the club as players and/or coaches after their involvement over the summer. Signs are positive at this early stage in the current season that the ‘Colts’ star is continuing to shine with further increases in membership numbers expected again.

Claremorris Colts RFC inaugural season began in September of 2009 with an enthusiastic group of coaches mentoring 80 boys and girls in the skills of the game and playing in blitzes within commutable distance of Claremorris.

Perhaps all the more remarkable is that the club’s growth has been achieved without access to dedicated rugby playing facilities in Claremorris. The mini rugby players are indebted to the Mount St Michael Convent Girls Secondary School for making their pitches available at the weekends.

Membership rose to over 150 players in the 2010/2011 season with under-13 and under-15 boys teams added to the mini rugby programme established in year 1. The tag rugby league continued to grow with in excess of 100 male and female players turning out each week over summer 2010.

The youth and adult teams use the playing facilities of neighbouring Hollymount-Carramore GAA club for training over the winter months and competitive games are held at neighbouring clubs or more often than not, home advantage is conceded to the opposition.

Claremorris Colts RFC’s third season commenced with over 180 children registering in September 2011. The youth rugby programme was expanded with the addition of a boy’s under-16 team and a girl’s only mini rugby programme was introduced to develop the budding ladies rugby stars of the future.

It is imperative for the ‘Colts’ to acquire dedicated playing facilities in order to realise the goals within the club’s five year development plan. The core ambition within this plan is to be hosting adult men’s and women’s rugby on a regular basis in Claremorris with the club being represented by teams comprised of graduates from the indigenous mini and youth rugby programmes.

The club achieved a major milestone in April 2012 when recognised as ‘Club of the Year 2012’ by the Connacht Branch of the IRFU. The award citation acknowledged the giant strides made by the ‘Colts’ in bringing rugby to an area not traditionally recognised as a stronghold and opening up the rugby family to a cohort of players who would have been lost to the game under normal circumstances.

To that end, the local Claremorris Racecourse Committee has granted the ‘Colts’ a 25 year lease on a 5.6 acre site at Claremount, Claremorris. Phase 1 of the site development plan encompasses the construction of a competition standard playing pitch and two adjoining training areas suitable for use throughout the year.

The ‘Colts’ have not rested on its laurels since this landmark award. Playing membership has continued to expand and an adult rugby team entered the Connacht Rugby Junior 2 League in 2013/14.

The lofty ambitions of this development are not cheap and whilst some funding has been made available through the governments Sports Capital Programme, there is still considerable work to be done to meet the funding target required to bring the plan to fruition.

The club undertook its first overseas trip in 2014 when the U-12 mini’s and U-15 youths teams travelled to participate in the Welsh International Festival of Rugby and nine ‘Colts’ players were invited to train with various Connacht Rugby Youth Development squads over the summer just past. Tag rugby continues to enjoy growing popularity nationally and the Claremorris Colts tag league has expanded in line with this growing demand. Fourteen teams participated in the recent summer league with a number of the participants 70

ISSUE 51

The main fund raising vehicle is the pitch development lottery with €1,000 in cash prizes available each month for the lucky winners. Entry into the draw is €10 per month payable by cash or more conveniently by standing order and, with entries limited to 300 tickets, there is an excellent chance of a cash prize whilst supporting the ‘Colts’ at the same time. More details on this vital fundraiser activity are available on www.claremorrisrfc.com or by calling Kevin on 087 746 1829 or Fergal on 087 694 4669.

CLAREMORRIS HARLEQUINS COLTS

TWITTER /// @claremorrisrfc

Michael and Alison are delighted to be associated with Claremorris Colts RFC saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;we believe it is important to support the local community wherever possible and sponsoring the Rugby Club gives us a chance to do so. The club does a fantastic job providing young people with an opportunity of playing rugby and learn core values which will be of benefit in later lifeâ&#x20AC;?. We hope to be able to continue to support the club for many years and would like to take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck for the rest of this season. Michael Keane and Co., Solicitors was established in November 1974 and has grown and prospered over the past 40 years and provides expert legal services in the areas of conveyancing, probate and Wills, commercial and personal injuries litigation, District Court and Circuit Court road traffic law and in family law. The firm represents many local businesses and private clients as well as the local GAA, rugby and golf clubs.

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CLAREMORRIS HARLEQUINS COLTS

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The first five years in the life of the Claremorris Colts have been challenging but great fun for all the players, parents, coaches, sponsors and other stakeholders in the club. The foundations established since 2009 places the club on a strong footing to better serve our current and future mini, youth and adult rugby players, their parents and supporters whilst at the same time, further the club’s involvement in the local community and build greater awareness of rugby in South Mayo. Log onto www.claremorrisrfc.com for more details on how you can get involved and sign-up for the weekly club e-newsletter to keep in touch with all the happenings in Claremorris Colts RFC.

ISSUE 51

TWITTER /// @Currie_RFC

CURRIE

CURRIE Malleny Park /// www.currierugby.org ///

Based at Malleny Park in Balerno, Currie RFC currently competes in the BT Premiership. They are led by the team of Chairman Charles Mullins and President Phil Thomas and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

his season they have put together a solid campaign up to now, having compiled a record of 5 wins, 2 draws and 6 defeats from their 13 matches. This sees them sitting in a safe mid-table position in the league with 29 points on the board. This should provide them with a solid platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will be in with a good chance of pushing on up the table. Currie is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a number of youth sides running. These teams look to provide youngsters from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors progress in the coming months. In order to help their young players to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have a 2nd team in place. This allows them to give youngsters experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

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Another benefit of having an additional side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. There is much to admire about the set up that Currie RFC currently has in place and this is thanks to all of the hard work that has been put into the club. Everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.

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MINCHINHAMPTON FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

MINCHINHAMPTON Minchinhampton RFC is based at Hollybush in Gloucestershire and they currently compete in Gloucester 3. They are led by Chairman Peter Varley who is supported by Secretary Robert Edmonds and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

Hollybush /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/minchinhamptonrfc ///

T Impcross, a world-class specialist precision engineering company based in the Stroud Valleys, is proud to be associated with Minchinhampton RFC as its main sponsor.

heir first team has made a superb start to their current league campaign, having compiled a record of 8 wins and only 1 defeat from their 9 matches. This has left them sitting top of the table with 36 points on the board.

To remain at the forefront in today’s highly competitive manufacturing world, Impcross continually invest in state-of-theart CNC machines to enhance their role as a world-class centre of precision engineering excellence.

This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they are able to keep up their recent level of performance they should be in with a great chance of going on to claim the league title.

Investing in people is also part of the Impcross success story and Roger Witts, Impcross Business Development Director said, “The very nature of our business is working together as a team to produce a winning formula - and Minchinhampton RFC epitomises this ethos.”

One of the highlights of the team’s performances has been the attacking brand of rugby that the side has managed to produce. This has been reflected by the fact that they are currently the top scorers in the league having racked up an impressive 244 points to date.

He continued, “Although our business is becoming increasingly global in its nature, with clients and partnerships around the world, we like to keep our roots in Gloucestershire, and supporting Minchinhampton RFC is part of our ongoing community programme.”

This has certainly meant that any supporters attending their fixtures have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in the future. This in turn has the potential to provide the club with a valuable source of additional revenue.

To find out more about Impcross,

Minchinhampton RFC is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a superb youth set up in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

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ISSUE 51

It is important for any side to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can develop over the coming years. In order to ensure that their youngsters enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game they also have a 2nd team running. This allows them to give young players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for 1st team action which can be an important step in the development process.

MINCHINHAMPTON

TWITTER /// @MinchRFC

Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Minchinhampton RFC’s fantastic first half of the season is a reflection of all of the hard work that has been put into making the club a success. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work and Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season.

“Minchinhampton RFC is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a superb youth set up in place.”

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BEDFORD SWIFTS FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

BEDFORD SWIFTS International Athletics Stadium /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/bedfordswifts ///

Bedford Swifts Set Sights High After the disappointing end to last season Bedford swifts were left facing harsh accusations of final performances warranting words such as disheartened, disillusioned and desperate. To tell you the truth these words were not too far from the truth. However what any of these truths failed to tell you is that deep, deep down within each Swift lies a chamber full of determination, desire and defiance.

Training for the Swifts began early July with fitness training being provided from Andy Champ. The training was brutal, to the point that backs were left crippled for once putting in their fair share of the graft on the pitch and the forwards were made sick for once being made to run faster than a prance from each ruck. At such hardships some people may have called it a day for the want of an easy ride to the top. Not one Bedford Swift felt the same. Each and every single Swift knows that to reach the top of the table you need quality, endurance, teamwork and a tad bit of luck. With Bill Shanklys words, “the harder we train the luckier we get” pushing each other to the limit became the norm throughout the summer training sessions. Such limits were aided no less thanks to the efforts of the new physio Kerry Whinibrow, who through gaining experience herself has provided a leg for the team to stand on, another building block to the success of the season. For the Swifts the success of the 2014/2015 rugby season shall hold more than just personal pride and glory. Having managed to secure the support of several new sponsors, not only do the Swifts represent all of the past, present and future supporters of the club but they represent the town of Bedford itself. Thanks must be given to Bedford University, The Standard, Higham

ISSUE 51

Roofing, Intelligent Building Automations, and Julie Dass as with their support another pillar has been added to the infrastructure of the club for this season. Besides winning Midlands East Division 4, Bedford Swifts have also set high targets for their public efforts of raising money for charity. Some say that charity is not purely about giving money, rather instead, about feeling pain for it, the Swifts did just that and walked around Bedford Park in woman’s high heels. Bedford Daycare Hospice has benefited greatly from Bedford Swifts determination as once again the Swifts surpassed their target of £750 donation. Whether the nude calendar will help raise any more money for charity is yet to be seen! I am the paper who waited on your doorstep to be picked up and read; I am the tab on your web browser who drew your eyes to my page; and I am your invitation, your ticket to join us, Bedford Swifts, on and off the pitch for one unrivalled season of adventure. There is no chamber of secrets, no hidden room of requirement; we need to win every point possible to guarantee promotion; so come down to Bedford International Athletic Stadium to witness not a fantasy but history in the making.

TWITTER /// @BedfordSwifts

BEDFORD SWIFTS HARLEQUINS

Harvey Robjohn, Press Officer Atmosphere “The mood at the club is one brimming with a muted confidence. We have currently had great starts to the season for all three of our teams as out of a combined 10 matches only 1 has been lost. The reason I express a muted confidence is because last season we were high flyers to begin with, defeating the then to be champions Long Buckby, however we then travelled away to Corby who would finish last and lost. We face that exact same point in time and fixture this weekend so here’s hoping no slip up will be had. Fundamentally if we win every match we will gain promotion and thus this is our aim. However the season is a long period of sustained rugby and realistically anything can happen because of the bonus point system.” Youth “Youth rugby is vital to our club and it is what keeps our club rejuvenating year after year. We try to utilise youth at every possibility bringing them through the two squads giving them experience wherever possible to improve on their capabilities. Further to youth players, we like to set an example to all spectators of the sport and routinely have youth members of the community and club learning the rules of the game on the sideline.” Community “Our club is very much a community club. This year alone we have raised over £750 pounds for the Bedford Day Hospice through several events such as a nude calendar and ‘Walk a mile in her shoes’, which consisted of walking for a mile in ladies high heels.

Furthermore our history dates back to the very beginning of rugby in Bedford, in which the Bedford Blues formed. Facilities “In full honesty, for a club in the league that we are, I have not played at a finer ground. Bedford International Athletic Stadium is a dream to play at. The pitch itself is kept in great condition and free of public admittance so there is never any foul on the surface itself. With an ever changing ale at the bar, you are spoilt for choice for the post match pleasantries.” Ambitions “The clubs ambitions for the next 5 years are to be promoted into Midlands East Division 2. Currently we sit in Midlands East Division 4 and must get promotion this year. Promotion is as we as a club are more than capable to play a higher level of rugby and this is emphasised by an undefeated season so far with emphatic score lines such as 98 – 10. However if we really want to progress we need to attract even more quality to the club.”

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LUTTERWORTH FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

LUTTERWORTH Ashby Lane /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/lutterworthrfc ///

Lutterworth RFC is based on Ashby lane, Biteswell in Leicestershire and their first team currently competes in the Midlands 2 East (South) League. They are led by the team of President Martyn Homes and Chairman Jason Woodward and the club are looking to progress under their guidance.

hey have made a steady start to their current league campaign, having compiled a record of 5 wins and 5 defeats from their first 10 matches. This has left them sitting in the top half of the table with 26 points on the board. This should provide the club with the perfect platform from which to go on and put together a successful season. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they may well find themselves challenging for honours come the end of the campaign. One of the highlights of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performances this year has been the superb defensive record they have compiled. This is reflected by the fact that they have conceded fewer points than anyone else in the league, giving away an average of less than 15 per game. This is a reflection of the superb individual defenders they have at the club and also of all the hard work that their coaching staff have put into ensuring that they are a well drilled unit. Being so tight defensively should give their flair players the confidence to go out and play with freedom. Lutterworth is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however as they also have a number of youth sides in place. These teams look to give youngsters from the local area an opportunity to play the game

ISSUE 51

HARLEQUINS LUTTERWORTH

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in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors develop over the coming years. In order to ensure that they enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game they also run a number of additional sides. This allows them to give their youngsters experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having so many sides is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. There is much to admire about the fantastic set up that Lutterworth has in place both on and off the field. This should enable them to look forwards to a bright and successful future and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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DROITWICH FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

DROITWICH The Glyn Mitchell Memorial Ground /// www.droitwichrfc.co.uk /// Founded 1972

Based at The Glyn Mitchell Memorial Ground in Worcestershire, Droitwich RFC currently competes in the Midlands 2 West (South) League. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Chairman David Warner to find out more about the good work that they’ve been doing.

e started by telling us about his involvement with the club, saying, “Rugby is something that we have always been passionate about in my family. My father played for Richmond and my brothers both played county rugby. My own playing career ended with a bad injury when I was 21 but I was still very keen that my son should play, if he was interested. Droitwich RFC has such a good reputation that when we moved here from London it was the club that everyone recommended. Alex started playing here 5 years ago. It was such a friendly, welcoming club with a real buzz around its Mini & Junior rugby on a Sunday that Alex and I were both hooked from the start. I began coaching the following season, became Minis’ Manager a year later and took over as M&J Chairman in 2012. I was elected Club Chairman in June 2014.” The Role “We are a business that has an annual income of around £250,000 and a clubhouse and grounds (4 adult pitches and 7 M&J pitches, as well as a football pitch) worth in excess of £1 million but we have to run it through a committee of volunteers. That is a real challenge. There is so much to do and all of us have to fit it around the day job. I am always amazed (and very grateful) at members’ willingness to step up and get involved but we always need more help and the challenge is to find willing volunteers and to harness their enthusiasm; whether it is for coaching, safeguarding or raising sponsorship. The reward is seeing a full bar after a victory by the 1st XV on a Saturday and watching almost 400 young players train on a Sunday on wellmaintained pitches, coached by enthusiastic and knowledgeable coaches. When I see that I know that we are doing something right.” Atmosphere “We are in good shape. Our M&J section goes from strength to strength, with almost 400 players

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TWITTER /// @OfficialDRFC

DROITWICH

this season. Our senior M&J age groups have been very successful – winning silverware wherever they go. We are an O2 Touch Base, having introduced touch rugby at the Club about 4 years ago. That is thriving and bringing in people to the club who are new to rugby. At senior level our players and coaches are in good spirits. We enjoyed a successful pre-season and start to our league campaign although recent results have not all gone our way.” Youth “The importance of youth rugby for the future of our sport is one that can never be under-estimated. I think that everyone at Droitwich RFC recognises just how vital it is to get young players into the game and to keep them there as they become adults. We have got a really successful M&J section that is the envy of many clubs but in recent years we have not been as clever as we need to be at keeping those players interested after 16. That has become our real focus over the past 2 years and it is starting to pay dividends. As a Club we focussed last year on our newly revived under 17 age group and I am pleased to say that many of those players have now gone on to play senior rugby under the guidance of their former coach, who is the new 2nd XV manager.” Progression “We are really proud of all our players. We have a number of young players playing at county level and 5 have recently been selected for the North Midlands U16 squad and 1 for the Warwickshire squad. We also have several players at the Gloucester and Worcester Warriors Academies as well as in the player development programmes. Some of our former players include Josh Feek, who played for England U16 3 years ago, and Josh Nott, an ex-DRFC player, who has been selected for England U18. Worcester Warriors currently boast 2 former DRFC players in Sam Smith and Jonny Hughes.” Community “We are definitely a community club. Droitwich RFC lies just outside the town geographically but is right at its heart. We are heavily involved in the All-Schools programme with the local high school; we have an active schools liaison programme to raise the profile of the Club with primary schools; and we host inter-school matches and tag festivals during the year. We are rightly recognised as being a big community player.” Challenges “Like all rugby clubs, Droitwich faces the challenge of keeping players in the game after 16. The pressures of school, exams and other distractions mean that rugby will always have to work hard to keep existing players and to attract new ones. However, I believe that the key to that is delivering a club that players want to be a part of. That means quality coaching, a welcoming atmosphere and good “craic”. We think that part of that involves attracting other sports to Droitwich to share our great facilities and to make themselves a home here.” Ambitions “We are very ambitious. Over the next 5 years we want to develop our facilities here at by building a multi-sport indoor training centre (for which we have planning permission) and adding floodlights to our 2nd XV pitch. I also want to start fundraising to extend our clubhouse. On the pitch we are looking to achieve promotion a couple of leagues above where we are now and to revive the 3rd XV and Ladies Contact teams. We also want to see more of our teams crowned as North Midlands champions, as our U16 team have been for the past 5 years.”

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COVENTRY WELSH

COVENTRY WELSH Burbages Lane /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/coventrywelsh /// Founded 1948

Coventry Welsh are a great example of a club that provides rugby for the whole family. Secretary David Welsh took the time to tell us more about their approach to the game.

e told us, “I have been at the club for about 25 years, joining the under 15s team, making friends and enjoying the rugby and atmosphere so much I never left. I have this in common with many other players and club members from this era. I have come through all age groups and teams at the club, and at the end of last season was voted in as Secretary along with Chris Neal (Treasurer) and Paul Neal (Chairman) all of whom played in a successful colts team during the nineties, to senior rugby and now into the ‘backroom’. We are a family club, with whole families playing roles from the kitchen to the playing field to coaching to the bar on any given Sunday!” Atmosphere “The mood here is very optimistic at present. I am new to the Secretary role having been voted in at the start of this season, along with the Chairman and Treasurer, and we are all very enthusiastic in moving the club forward. As we are also still players (when needs must!) we have a close relationship with the team both on and off the field and this has brought the club closer together, we have the whole club supporting us. The players feel they have a real role to play in their club, and have shown this through generating 82

ISSUE 51

sponsorship and a general enthusiasm to help the club. We have fantastic kitchen staff, Pat Kitchener, Susan Thatcher and Carol Ellis who not only provide support post-match but also for events and are always looking to generate new income. Wasps have recently become our close neighbours, which has also ignited interest and further opportunities for Coventry Welsh.” Youth “Youth development is very important to us, after all, the basis of many first teams at Coventry Welsh have come through from this foundation, including myself and most of the committee. But we are not getting any younger! We have recently invested in new changing rooms to allow us to host junior rugby, and are looking to start a new youth section next season. It’s a major priority for us.” Community “We are definitely a community club. This is something we believe is vital to the survival and prosperity of Coventry Welsh Rugby Club. We are a stone’s throw from the Ricoh Arena, and as such play an important part in many events held. We host parking for Coventry City fans on match days, and will be welcoming travelling and new local Wasps fans to Burbages Lane for their first game

TWITTER /// @coventrywelsh

COVENTRY WELSH

“The players feel they have a real role to play in their club, and have shown this through generating sponsorship and a general enthusiasm to help the club.”

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COVENTRY WELSH

against London Irish on the 21st December. We provide food, entertainment, BT and Sky Sports both pre and post-events. This is enabling the club to grow, indeed we have just started investing and expanding our facilities, to attract more players, play better rugby and ultimately bring success to Coventry Welsh.” Facilities “We have recently upgraded our changing rooms and can now accommodate ladies and youth rugby. We have also improved our player’s lounge and main room to provide a better environment for our members, visiting teams and local guests who use our facilities. We have upgraded our floodlights and have plans for further expansion including an extra pitch. We are investing heavily in upgrading our facilities to give our current and future players the best possible environment to achieve their full potential.” Ladies “We will have ladies rugby at Coventry Welsh starting next season. This was one of the targets set at the start of the year, and where our expanded facilities were key in attracting the ladies team to the club. Ladies rugby will always share equal footing with the men’s rugby here and we look forward to sharing their successes in the future!” Challenges/Ambitions “We are currently limited in the rugby we can host as we only have one pitch. We are desperate to expand to accommodate more rugby, and have begun talks with local landowners to explore local opportunities. With our on-going investment in facilities and grounds we are laying the foundations for a brighter, successful future for Coventry Welsh Rugby Club. We target multiple promotions for both men’s and ladies teams with a thriving junior section, being the important centre of the community here in Coventry - so watch this space!”

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COVENTRY WELSH

TWITTER /// @coventrywelsh

George Pickard FCIOB, Sales & Marketing Director at Litecast Homefloors welcomes the association with Coventry Welsh RFC We were only too pleased to be approached by Paul Neal, Chairman of Coventry Welsh RFC with a view to becoming a sponsor of the club. We as a local company believe that everyone should have a hobby in life and this is best nurtured during school years and adolescence. Rugby in particular teaches young people the need for team work, self-discipline and social responsibility. The sport has great role models in local clubs and throughout the professional game. This is no better personified than by Paul and the committee whom have great plans to provide Coventry Welsh the platform to go on to great things.

From a personal point of view I played rugby as a school boy and then in the colts, I can only remember enjoying the experience and I am sure that this prepared me well for some of the knocks that come along later in life. My son Miles also played rugby from 16 – 20 first at Harbury RFC and then Old Leamingtonian’s RFC – both of us played in the scrum so we have very little understanding of the ref’s interpretation of the rules! We recently attended sponsors day where the enthusiasm of members and players was excellent. Welsh played hosts to Brackley, both teams put on a good show with Welsh the winners in their ‘lucky’ Litecast Homefloors Strip.

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MEDWAY FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

MEDWAY Medway RFC play their rugby at Priestfields in Rochesterand have enjoyed plenty of success in recent years, including 4 promotions. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Head Coach Taff Gwilliam to find out what has been behind their success.

Priestfields Recreation Ground /// www.mrfc.net /// Founded 1931

“I

joined the club in 1976 having been posted to the area as a young Policeman. I did look at other clubs being new to the area but Medway had the real rugby identity and a belonging feeling to it. I continued to play for the club until retiring from playing in 1989.” The Role “I returned to the club as coach in 2006 with the club at rock bottom of the RFU playing pyramid. A few of us got together and committed to rebuilding the club back to its rightful place. Since then more and more people have joined in and everyone has worked really hard together to continually improve us both on and off field. A real challenge but one with great satisfaction at all levels along the way as we climbed the leagues.” Atmosphere “The mood here is vibrant. The atmosphere on match days is electric with a true rugby ethos of beer races with opposition and the occasional song or two. A real rugby club. The club has also become the social hub of many members lives and this just creates the real family feel that is so important for a club with community values such as ours.” Youth “In these days of professionalism it is vital to have a mini, youth and development structure. We do not pay players so it is key that we work hard to develop our own and in tandem with this create an environment that is appealing to other local players to

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MEDWAY

TWITTER /// @MedwayRFC

join us. The club’s youngsters love coming together to play. The space we have and the location allows for all ages to have a great time at the club in a safe environment.” Integration “In 2006 we scrapped the Sunday colt system and created a U20 Saturday Development squad. We added a couple of experienced props to provide a bit of steel and capped Sunday’s to U17. As a consequence all the younger players get Sunday jobs rather than Saturday and this has helped us retain more players on Saturday. We have grown from 2 sides to 5 since its inception. It is not the only factor but certainly a primary one. The individual player’s development is accelerated having removed the cocoon of age group rugby at U19. These days 18 year old internationals are not uncommon so we wanted to remove the age restriction where it was restrictive to the players development.” Community “We are very much a community club. It is the essence of everything we stand for. We are built on community values. In the 1st XV squad we talk of us all being part of the ‘family’ that is Medway RFC.

Having improved the vital on field facilities we are now in the final stages of improving the off field with planning permission for a new clubhouse and changing facilities. We are desperate for more pitches as not only do we have 21 different age group and Senior squads in the club we also host the local university, 6th form college and school academy sides.”

We also look to build partnerships with other clubs elsewhere in the World. We have been involved in a successful player exchange partnership with the Oriental Rongotai RFC in Wellington New Zealand for the past few years. It is a great mutual experience for both clubs players to experience a different culture and environment which ultimately makes them better players and more importantly better people. We also have a thriving schools programme and are bringing new youngsters to the club every year. We have regular local schools tournaments here. We are truly one club.”

Challenges/Ambitions “Off the field to complete the clubhouse rebuild. We are ambitious and have taken the senior club to a level where the payment of players is very prevalent and if we are to realise our ambition to achieve national League rugby then financing and rewarding the players will be a significant challenge for us to overcome in such a way that it does not damage the fabric of the club. Our sponsors have been fantastic.

Facilities “In 2006 the pitches were mud baths and unloved. We have since then invested heavily in our pitches and training facilities and with the quality groundsmen we now have we have got them to a level which is the envy of nearly all the clubs in the area. The County senior side use the club as their training base and we have been selected 3 times in the last few years to host County Championship matches against such sides as Cornwall.

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Anything we do must be sustainable. I believe the RFU are currently involved in study of this issue and it will be interesting to see the findings and how they will impact on clubs at our level and just above us. We want to continue to grow on and off the field and be the best we can be without sacrificing our values and beliefs.”

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WETHERBY

Grange Park /// www.wetherbyrufc.com /// Founded 1966

ased at Grange Park in West Yorkshire, Wetherby RUFC currently competes in the Yorkshire Division 4. They are led by President Peter Ziegler who is supported by Secretary Phil Hill and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance winning promotion in 2010-11 in style after winning the Yorkshire 5 League. Since then they have continued developing, establishing themselves in their new league and they now appear ready to take another significant stride forwards. Their first teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s form this season has been nothing short of spectacular and at the half way stage they sit proudly atop the table with 11 wins from 11. They have opened up a 15 point gap to their nearest challengers as the other sides in the league struggle to keep pace. One of the highlights of the teams play has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have managed to produce. This is reflected by the fact that they have racked up an incredible 709 points in the league alone. This has meant that any supporters attending their fixtures have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the club in the future. The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performances so far should give them the perfect platform from which to build a successful campaign and there is a real confidence amongst the players that they are capable of doing just that. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players it is difficult to see anyone stopping them claiming the league title. Wetherby is a club that is committed to playing an important role in their community and their Sports England Clubmark Status is evidence of this. They have thriving junior and ladies sections at the club, demonstrating their commitment to providing everyone in their area with an opportunity to play the game. Their youth section has a great record for producing players capable of going on to flourish at senior level with the focus being upon providing players with a safe and enjoyable environment in which to play the game whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

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TWITTER /// @WethRUFC

WETHERBY

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“Wetherby’s superb start to the season is a just reward for all of the hard work that has been put into the club.”

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TWITTER /// @WethRUFC

WETHERBY

It is vital for any club that is looking to be successful to be able to produce their own talent and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can progress over the coming years. In order to help their youngsters to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have a reserve side running. This allows the club to give them experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Wetherbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s superb start to the season is a just reward for all of the hard work that has been put into the club. Hopefully they will continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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SHEPPEY Stupple Field /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/sheppeyrfc /// Founded 1892

Sheppey RFC was first established in 1892 by members of Her Majesty’s Forces and they play their home games at Stupple Field on Lower Road in Kent. The ground was given this name in 2011 in honour of the work that had been carried out by Alf Stupple in maintaining the pitch which many can agree to be one of the best surfaces in Kent.

“This season they have made a promising start to their league campaign, having compiled a record of 7 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats from their 10 matches.”

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ISSUE 51

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efore the club found its home at ‘The Ditch’ they played on many other playing fields around the Island. They moved to their present base in the 1960’s and had full ownership of the ground in 1977 making it an an important date in their history. The club as a whole is currently led by President Gerry Lawson and has made a considerable amount of progress under his guidance. Competing in the Shepherd Neame Kent 1 League their first team is overseen by Head Coach Rob Dengate. This season they have made a promising start to their league campaign, having compiled a record of 7 wins, 1 draw and 2 defeats from their 10 matches. This sees them well positioned just behind the early pace setters with 38 points on the board. This should provide the club with the perfect platform from which to go on and put together a successful campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will be in with a great chance of going on and challenging for honours. Sheppey is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however as they also have a number of youth sides in place. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can progress over the coming years.

SHEPPEY

TWITTER /// @Sheppey_RFC

In order to ensure that their youngsters enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game they also have a 2nd team which acts as their development squad. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having an extra side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Thanks to all of the hard work that has been put into making Sheppey RFC a success over the years they now have a solid foundation that will undoubtedly serve them well in the future. There promises to be many memorable times in the coming years for all those involved with the club.

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HADDINGTON Neilson Park /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/haddington ///

Based at Neilson Park in East Lothian, Haddington RFC currently competes in Division 2 of the BT National League. They are led by President Peter Brownlee who is supported by Secretary Andrew Cunningham and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

e caught up with their President Peter Brownlee to find out more about the good work the club has been doing. He told us, “I’ve been involved with the club for over 30 years since moving to the town. The biggest challenge has been trying to keep morale high during what has been a tough year on the playing front. The most rewarding thing has been seeing the improvements to the Clubhouse and facilities which have been made recently. My biggest thrill is seeing the smiles on the faces of the minis on a Sunday morning come rain hail or shine. The start to the season has not gone well at senior level but following a tie up with Preston Lodge our Colts are playing good rugby and showing promise. Our 2nds doing remarkably well while our 3rds struggle for numbers at times but more of a worry is the struggle they have for opposition.

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We aim to win enough games to survive another season in National 2. Irrespective of our eventual fate it will be important to build in order to provide a strong challenge in whatever league we compete 2015/16. Developing young players is vitally important, the youth section are the lifeblood of the club. Haddington will not go down the road of “buying a side” at least not on my shift. We are working very hard to create a culture and brand of “Haddington Rugby” community to ensure players enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game. Building bridges between the local secondary school Knox Academy and the club to support Knox’s status as a School of Rugby. Most clubs in Scotland struggle financially and given that it costs C £800 each 1st XV match given the fiscal times we operate in income generation has to be a priority. We’re all trying to dip into a shallower pool in terms of sponsorship etc. Our current standing in terms of league position is not exactly attractive to potential sponsors. Over the next 5 years we want to compete in the top 25 of Scottish club rugby, enhance our standing in the Haddington Community, continue to provide a top class rugby experience to the youth and not so young of Haddington and surrounds. Although Haddington RFC has not enjoyed the campaign that they would have liked this time around, this should not take away from the good work that has been getting done at the club. Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck for the future.

TWITTER /// @Haddingtonrfc

HADDINGTON

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TROJANS FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

TROJANS Stoneham Lane /// www.trojansrugby.co.uk /// Founded 1874

Trojans FC was first established on the 3rd of September 1874 and they continue to play a vital role in their community to this day. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Chairman Shaun Magill to find out more.

e started by giving us an insight into what has been the club’s longevity, saying, “One reason for our longevity, certainly in more recent years could be the constant presence of key people at Committee level. These men have been great servants to the Club - the late Chris Holt was our fixture secretary for 33 years! He was well known throughout Hampshire and the RFU, then there is John Mist who was our Honorary

ISSUE 51

Secretary for 25 years and last but by no means least is Peter Reid, he was treasurer for 21 years. Peter is still on our committee as our sponsorship and marketing liaison man. These Trojans have a wealth of experience and knowledge and have been a tremendous help to me during my time as Chairman.” Next he spoke of the club’s current atmosphere telling us, “The mood in the club is quite good at the moment. Despite dropping two leagues in two

seasons, we still have the self-belief that we can get back to London Div 2. The youth section is still going from strength to strength and as vibrant as ever, still attracting new players. We haven’t had the best start to this season. The firsts have only won three games so far! Having said that, we now have a few more established players coming back from injury and work commitments. This slow start however has given us a chance to see some young up and coming players

TWITTER /// @Trojans_Rugby

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During a match between Trojans and Portsmouth Victoria in 1886, the ball was kicked into the Trojans’ in goal area where it rebounded off a stray dog. A Portsmouth player gathered up the all to touch it down for a try. The Trojans protested, and claimed “deadball” the ball having struck a “spectator”. The objection was later referred to the to the RFU committee who ruled that the try should stand, as dogs could not be classed as spectators.

ISSUE 51

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that have come through our youth system. Considering the youngsters were thrown in at the deep end, they’ve done extremely well.” Youth development is a major part of what Trojans do as Shaun explained, “ Youth rugby is tremendously important to Trojans. I started as an under 13 back in 1977 and have never left. Trojans is one of the biggest youth set ups in Hampshire with around 350 members and still growing. Our 1st XV is about 70% home-grown talent, some having come through from our under 7’s. We have connections with local schools, some of which come and use our facilities for their sports lessons, as well as hosting inter school competitions. We are also an O2 touch rugby centre for the Southampton area.

“We are now starting to put some good results together and hope to stabilise the club and halt the drop.”

Finally Shaun spoke of the challenges the club may face in the coming years and what

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ISSUE 51

TWITTER /// @Trojans_Rugby

TROJANS

Trojans have had some great Rugby teams over the last thirty years or so, during which time I have supported my son Russell since he started playing mini rugby from the age of six. Many of the young players from the early 1980s who graduated to play for the County and the first XV remain friends to this day. Not having played rugby myself I was keen to enrol Russell to Trojans as it also gave me the opportunity to meet other parents and develop long standing friendships. In the absence of having a rugby background I became the ball boy/assistant to Malcolm LeBas, one of Trojans former Presidents who coached the mini section including the under twelveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for many years allowing him to also keep a close eye on two of his sons Steve and Nigel. I would highly recommend local parents introduce their children to Trojans at an early age even if they have no knowledge of the game. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great game to watch and support from the touchline followed by excellent social activity with your kids in the club bar afterwards. Travelling to away matches for tournaments and to play old rivals like Newbury and Havant gets you involved with the tremendous spirit of the game. Whilst I am not able to watch so many games today, I do attend the club on occasion for a luncheon before a match and the continued friendship is so heart-warming as some of the ex-players in my age group after a few drinks seem to recall me having played with them forty years ago?

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they are looking to achieve. He said, “The recruitment of new players is always a challenge. We have quite a few clubs locally and we are all trying to attract new members from the same limited pool of players. Sponsorship is so important even at our level. We currently work very hard and depend, like most clubs on volunteers to attract more local sponsors. We are finding that you now need to run a rugby club like a small business. This of course is incredibly difficult because we are all volunteers with jobs and families outside the rugby club. I’m lucky to have a very understanding wife who’s dad played rugby, so she knew what she was letting herself in for. Our main ambition this season is to stay in this league. The last two seasons have been difficult, dropping from London 1 to London 3. We are now starting to put some good results together and hope to stabilise the club and halt the drop. Once we have achieved that, we’re looking to get back into London 2. That had previously been a good league for us. It’s a good standard and there’s generally not a lot between the teams which makes it very competitive. Needless to say that’s not going to happen overnight but I’d like to see Trojans back there within three seasons.” 102

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On the evening of 28th November 1878, a match was played against Rovers Football Club by electric light, having been cancelled the night before because of rain. This was the first exhibition of electric light in Southampton, and believed to be only the second ever game of rugby under lights. The local paper reported that “at times the light was very brilliant and players could be seen plainly”.

TWITTER /// @Trojans_Rugby

TROJANS

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HELSTON FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

HELSTON King George V Playing Field /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/helston /// Founded 1973

Helston Rugby Club plays their home games at the King George V Playing Fields on Clodgey Lane in Cornwall and they currently compete in the Tribute 1 Cornwall League. They are led by the team of Chairman Brian Hosken and President Robert Barnes and the club is looking to progress under their guidance. The idea of setting a club up in Helston first came more than 40 years ago when a group of rugby followers discussed the idea at the Red Lion public house. The opinion that, ‘it would never get off the ground’ was offered. This did not stop a team being put together however and they played their first game against Penryn Reserves, losing by 14 points to 9. It was not long before they picked up their first victory as they overcame Newquay Hornets Reserves by 6 points to nil. The club has certainly come a long way since then. This season it would be fair to say that the team has not perhaps got off to the start that they would have liked,

having compiled a record of 2 wins, 1 draw and 7 defeats from their first 10 matches. This sees them lying near the bottom of the table with 12 points on the board. There is still plenty of time left in the campaign however and a good run of results would quickly see the side climb the table. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should climb away from the danger zone. One of the highlights of the Helston set up is the superb youth section that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a

F3 L GO ole PAR 18 H

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safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors develop over the coming years. Although Helston’s early season form has not been great this should not take away from the good work that has been getting done at the club. Everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the rest of the campaign.

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TWITTER /// @CumbernauldRFCU

CUMBERNAULD

CUMBERNAULD Cumbernauld RFC are committed to providing as many people as possible from their local area with an opportunity to play the game and currently field 2 senior teams as well as a number of sides at youth level. Club Secretary Iain Calder took the time to tell us more about the club. Auchenkilns Holiding /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/cumbernauldrugbyclub /// Founded 1970

e said, “After a poor start to the leagues the 1st XV are on a high, winning their last 3 games and in doing so team moral has improved tremendously. Director of Rugby, Drew Reid and his coaching staff, led by Ian Wallace, are enthused by the numbers turning up at training due to the success. Whilst the 2nds have had mixed results they are reaping from this success.” Youth “The youth and mini section run by Paul Justice and Michael Mcdonald respectively are critical to the future of the club. Retention is a big problem within the youth section but with an outdoor 3G + pitch available in the community numbers have improved at Youth level where they are able to train throughout the winter months under floodlights in a safe manner. Mums are also happy with this arrangement as the boys and girls don’t come home with muddy gear.”

Integration “Transition from youth to senior rugby is difficult in this modern era. But success breeds success and CRFC aim to ensure smooth transition by closer integration with the senior teams and coaching staff and also listening to the demands of the youth and providing them with a sound base to develop their rugby careers. Furthermore in the national press recently it was stated that Cumbernauld is a preferred location for the SRU’s new Youth Academy in the West of Scotland. If this is the case then this can only enhance the Club’s vision for youth rugby in Cumbernauld.” Bill McLaren Positive Coaching Scotland accreditation programme “Additionally CRFC is about to embark on the Bill McLaren Positive Coaching Scotland accreditation programme. The aims of this programme are to develop rugby players, develop

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people through rugby and build and sustain a strong and positive culture in our rugby environment.” Community “Cumbernauld Rugby Club is committed to continuing to develop a strong, local community ethos which is displayed in a number of ways. We have a strong mini and youth section, ranging from Primary 1 and 2 and extending to U18 teams. In addition we are linked to one of North Lanarkshire Council’s School of Rugby Programme in St Maurice’s High School, Cumbernauld. Local primary schools use our pitches on a fairly regular basis for inter-school rugby competitions. We have an associated football club, Kildrum United, who operate at all age levels from Primary 1 through to seniors. The clubhouse is booked regularly by local groups such as Craighalbert Centre (special needs – Spina Bifida), Redburn School (pupils who require additional educational support). Facilities “While we are fairly satisfied with our existing facilities, we appreciate that there

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TWITTER /// @CumbernauldRFCU

CUMBERNAULD

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“The club’s main focus over the next 5 years will be the creation of a Community Sports Hub at Auchenkilns.”

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TWITTER /// @CumbernauldRFCU

CUMBERNAULD

is a need to improve and expand on what we already have. For example, our referee’s accommodation is very basic and we have recently applied for external funding to upgrade these facilities. The SRU Sustainability Fund is another area of funding we will strongly consider. However, any dialogue of upgrading existing facilities has to be undertaken in the context of our wider aims for developing Auchenkilns, namely, the acquisition of funding for a new 3G pitch with accompanying, additional changing accommodation.” Commercial “Taking into consideration the harsh economic circumstances over the last 7-8 years, Cumbernauld Rugby Club, like all other clubs, has found it difficult to maximise commercial potential. Playing numbers at senior level have certainly decreased and this has had a knock-on effect on club revenue streams. Our long term plan includes achieving funding for a new 3G pitch to be used for rugby and football thus giving us the opportunity to grow local sporting opportunities which will in turn allow us to increase our revenue. We currently operate in conjunction with our sister organisation, Cumbernauld Rugby Football and Sports Club, who have overall responsibility for developing other sports.” Challenges/Ambitions Jim Cochrane, President of Cumbernauld RFC, spoke of the biggest challenges the club will face over the next 5 years, saying “Our biggest challenges include, playing numbers – drop off between youth and senior rugby currently 80% in Scotland; the general reduction in the number of players; and sustainability of revenue – local authority rent/rates increased charges; reduction in footfall in club generally. Gaining funding/sponsorship is also a major challenge due to the current economic climate. “The Club’s main focus over the next 5 years will be the creation of a Community Sports Hub at Auchenkilns.” Again, Jim Cochrane identified the following strands of development: Phase 1 – 3G pitch, fencing, floodlights and Phase 2 - changing facilities – changing rooms, office accommodation, meeting rooms, car park upgrade in order to help the club to progress.

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GLOUCSTERSHIRE ALL GOLDS

GLOUCESTERSHIRE ALL GOLDS Oxstalls Campus /// www.allgoldsrugby.com ///

Gloucestershire All Golds enjoyed a steady campaign in 2014 and have been making considerable progress in recent years. 26-year-old Chief Executive Robert Webber took the time to give us an insight into what’s been behind the club’s success.

e told us, “I have been involved in the club since 2006, starting as a student at the University of Gloucestershire. I was attracted to the club as it was a fresh new opportunity for me, being from a rugby union background, and my first taste of the great sport of Rugby League made me immediately fall in love with it and I have never looked back. I have 2 favorite memories both of which came in 2014. The first was the momentous win against Hunslet Hawks last season. To win at one of the most famous clubs in rugby league, in the heart of rugby league territory was a great victory and one that will live with me forever.”

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TWITTER /// @AllGolds

West Midlands residents left average of £1,208 out of pocket because they ‘don’t want to make a fuss’ following an injury. QualitySolicitors research reveals over a third (34%) of people in the West Midlands put off claiming for an injury that wasn’t their fault because they don’t want to contribute to the ‘compensation culture’ in the UK today. Three quarters (79%) admit they judge people who put in a claim following an injury and twothirds (69%) feel resentful towards them because they feel it’s driving up their insurance premiums. However, over half (55%) say there were real consequences to not claiming. Financially, it left those who didn’t make a claim an average of £1,207.70 out of pocket, with over one in 10 (15%) having to find £2,000 or more to cover their costs. Nearly one in five (17%) suffered a loss of earnings and one in 10 (11%) had to make cut-backs on day-to-day expenses such as reducing their shopping bill. Over one in 10 (11%) had extra costs they hadn’t anticipated to help manage their injury for

example getting a taxi if they were unable to drive. If you’ve had an injury and you’re not sure whether you should make a claim, just think about the difference negotiating a successful claim could make to your life. There are many factors that contribute to a claim such as loss of income, pain, medical costs, travel costs etc. Don’t simply respond to a company coldcalling you after an accident – they really don’t have your interests at heart. The only way to properly assess your potential injury claim is to have a meeting. We’ll come to you or you can come to us. We have offices in Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Pershore. To arrange a free initial meeting, please call us on 01684 299 633, or ask for our FREE Serious Injury Compensation Pack.

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“To win at one of the most famous clubs in rugby league, in the heart of rugby league territory was a great victory and one that will live with me forever.” www.rugbyclub.biz

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Club of the Year “The second moment was being crowned ‘Club of the Year’ at the Kingstone Press Awards Ceremony. This was a victory off the field that meant a lot to myself and my ops team. Recognition on the field is regularly given so to be rewarded for being a great club behind the scenes was outstanding. We are a young, innovative and forward thinking club with a unique business model so we have no blue print of success. This award was credit to all the staff and players collectively.” History “The University of Gloucestershire All Golds are the only professional rugby side owned by a university anywhere in the world. It’s been a remarkable journey from a student side playing in the lower reaches of the student game six years ago to the All Golds debut in Championship One in 2013. It was someone from outside the world of academia who first sowed the seed. Lionel Hurst, Ellesmere College Public Schoolboy, is a passionate Rugby League fan. The idea to become a professional club started when Dr Andrew Pitchford looked at other institutions that have used professional sport as a pathway for player development and a way of gathering profile, including Bath University and Loughborough and believed the model could work for Rugby League at his university. He became chairman of the new club and set about convincing the sceptics. In 2013 the All Golds were admitted into Championship 1 and are now about to enter their 3rd season.” Atmosphere “The mood in the club is very good. Lee Greenwood, our new Head Coach, has brought a wealth of experience to the club and has introduced a number of techniques to increase the morale of the players. The back room staff are working incredibly hard to get ready for 2015 and after receiving the award for club of the year we have set our standards even higher than normal.

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There is a real sense of ownership at the club, everybody wears the ‘Golden Fern’ with pride and passion but at the same time with a real determination to ensure that the club, the university, the county of Gloucestershire and the sport of Rugby League is treated with the utmost respect.” “2014 was a dramatic improvement on the field when Scotland Head Coach, Steve McCormack, was appointed. Finishing one place off a play-off spot was a disappointing end to the season, as we targeted the play-offs. The performance off the field was also an improvement on 2013 as we increased our staff infrastructure, improved our scholarship scheme and was awarded TASS accreditation, delivered rugby league to over 2000 children throughout Gloucestershire and had many other successes.” Off-season “After a quick rest for us all it is back to the grind stone and setting our sights on what we can achieve in 2015. As a club we never want to stand still and we want to keep progressing each year. Our main projects for the off season are to improve our home ground, the Prince of Wales Stadium, to improve the match day experience, build a squad capable of making the play-offs next season and securing continued resource to help us deliver an outstanding community program and academy. For us we absolutely must develop the club from primary schools all the way up to first team as without every element working we will never achieve all that we can.” Challenges/Ambitions “The biggest challenge as ever is imposing a rigorous infrastructure right through from primary school into the professional side. The acquisition of high quality staff off the field, as well as on, will determine the long term success. By the season of 2020 we are aiming to be finishing in the top half of the Championship. Ambitious? Yes, but achievable with the resource and drive that we have here at the University of Gloucestershire All Golds.”

TWITTER /// @JedforestRFC

JED-FOREST

JED-FOREST Riverside Park /// www.jedforestrfc.com /// Founded 1885

Jed-Forest RFC is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest and most famous clubs, having first been established in 1885. They play their home games at Riverside Park in Roxburghshire and have achieved considerable success at first team level recently securing promotion to the BT National League.

t would be fair to say that their first team has not perhaps enjoyed the start to the season that they would have liked, having put together a record of 3 wins and 8 defeats from their first 11 matches. This sees them sitting in the bottom half of the league with 15 points on the board. There is still plenty of the season left to go however and the side will be confident of pulling away from the bottom clubs. So long as they can retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will be in with a good chance of doing so.

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The season has not been without positives and one of these is that they have generally defended better than the teams around them. This has the potential to provide them with a platform from which to build a successful second half to the campaign. Having a tight defence will be a major confidence boost for their flair players and should serve them well during the winter months when it is difficult to play a free-flowing game. They have a game in hand on their nearest rivals and a good run of results could see them rapidly climb the table. Jed-Forest is a club that is committed to playing an important role in their local community and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a 2nd team in place. This allows them

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to give twice as many players an opportunity to play the game every week. Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. As a club they also have a strong commitment to the 7s format of the game and they host The Mainetti Jedforest competition at the end of the season which is traditionally the last of the Kings of the 7s Tournaments. The result of the whole series is often decided at this event. It is always a great way to end a campaign and is well attended by people from the local area. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event is sure to be another huge success with some great rugby on display. Jed-Forestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slow start to the campaign should not take away from the good work that has been getting done at the club. They have a fantastic base from which to go on and achieve plenty of success in the years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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MOFFAT

MOFFAT The Holm /// www.moffatramsrfc.org//// Founded 1994

As a relatively new club, first established in 1994, Moffat Rams have been progressing well and currently compete in the Scotland West Division 4. The team is known as the ‘Rams’ because they were named after the statue in the High Street which commemorates Moffat’s connections with the wool trade. They play their home games at The Holm on Selkirk Road in Dumfriesshire.

he club is led by President Jim Johnstone who is supported by Treasurer Chris Sermin and they have made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance. This season their 1st team has put together a strong record of 6 wins, 1 draw and just 1 defeat from their 8 matches which sees them sitting proudly atop the table. There are a number of teams just behind them in the table and the 2nd half of the season promises to be full of excitement. There is a confidence amongst the players at Moffat that they have the ability to claim the title and if they can keep up their recent level of performance they will certainly be in with a chance. A major positive of the team’s performances this time around has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have managed to produce. This is reflected by the fact that they have racked up 328 points already, making them one of the top scorers in the league. This has ensured that any supporters attending their matches will have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side. This in turn has the potential to provide the club with a valuable source of additional revenue. One of the highlights of the Moffat set up is the superb youth section that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent and the work that Moffat are doing in this area should enable them to look forwards to a bright and successful future. There is much to admire about the set up that Moffat Rams currently has in place and the progress that they have made since being established is thanks to the hard work that their Committee has been put into making them a success. Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck for the future.

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CHARD FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

CHARD

Essex Close /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/chardrfc /// Founded 1876

First established in 1876, Chard RFC is one of the oldest club’s in Somerset and their first team currently competes in National League 3 South West. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with Club Representative Paul Gammage to find out more about the good work that they’ve been doing lately. This Season He told us, “We are nearly half way through the season, and to be really honest, we have found the step up to this level, to be the biggest jump yet! We have lost 6 or 7 players from our play off winning team, for various reasons, and we have had unfortunately, some injuries this season, to compound the problem! However, that said, we are playing some younger players who have gained terrific experience, and we still have a couple of older heads who, thankfully, have not yet hung up their boots.” I think winning the League is now beyond us! However, staying in this League is really important, and if it is, as they say “a game of two halves” then thankfully we have the second half to look forward to!” Youth “Youth Rugby is extremely important to us and we have a great Mini and Junior Section within the Club. Our overall committee structure is such that the whole Club is run by a Senior Management Committee. This is equally represented by the Chairmen, Treasurers and Secretaries of the Senior Club and Mini/Junior Section as well as our Director of Rugby Steve Broome, to ensure that all voices are heard and one group does not get left out of the decision processes. Within this, we are just going through some RFU courses relating to young player retention and integration, and this is very important to us as it becomes the lifeblood of the Club in the future. We also believe in some core values, vital tools at this stage of a young player’s career, and these are Respect, Discipline, Enjoyment, Teamwork and Sportsmanship. Keeping a young talent in the game is difficult enough for any club – competition from other sports, educational opportunities and other distractions, does mean Rugby can take a back seat. The availability of players in the right age groups is sometimes tough, but we have been really lucky recently, that we are now fielding an U18’s side that is full of enthusiasm and it is great to see them getting so much enjoyment, from playing the greatest game in the World.” Integration “We are actively developing age groups where we can keep the bond that develops between players, together. This can be difficult at times and we see it at other local clubs too, where age groups can lose some momentum. I think it is a difficult question to come up with precise answers as the key thing is being able to manage and look after players as individuals at this stage, as each one will be different and it won’t be a one size fits all, solution.” Community “To me we are getting more professional in how we run the business, that is Chard Rugby Club and within this, we fully appreciate that the

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TWITTER /// @ChardRFC

CHARD

greater the support we can get from within the town, the more likely we are going to be able to progress things in the future. This may mean we are putting more back than what we may have done in the past, but this is the 21st Century and we are evolving all the time. Small things will make such a difference as to how successful we are in this. We already have crowds of between 150 – 250 people coming along to watch a 1st XV home game, and this is important to us. We will also be seeking RFU Accredited Club status in the future. We are also interacting with as many different elements within the town – exercise classes and external groups using the Club for meetings all help to involve the Club in the community – as does putting on a massive family Fireworks Night event for the town. Being slap bang in the centre of the town makes us so much more accessible for any group wishing to use the Club facilities and we are more than happy to see this progress.” Challenges “Our biggest upcoming challenge will be dealing with our next promotion! Of course I am being serious. We have great players and great coaches who all want to be doing better, than what we are currently providing. Managing growth within our structure and limited volunteer base will always be a challenge.” Ambitions “We want to consolidate a position in the highest league we can, giving all our players the best opportunity to play great rugby. It is also important to have a successful girls/women’s team involved within the Club – success, initially will be measured in numbers involved and the overall progress of the players and Coaches, as we will be starting off from a current zero level. We need to have a Club on a sound financial footing that is doing its best to provide the highest standard of Rugby, that can be found in the area whilst promoting all of the virtues of this great game and to continue to grow the game in South Somerset. We are also looking to take the message that is Chard Rugby Club, into local schools, and try and “sneak” a few players away from soccer!”

Image courtesy of Andrew Graham

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THURROCK FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

THURROCK Oakfield /// www.thurrockrfc.com /// Founded 1876

Based at Oakfield on Long Lane in Essex, Thurrock RFC do a fantastic job of providing people with an opportunity to play the game with men’s, ladies and youth sides. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Director of Rugby Dean White to find out more about the good work that they’ve been doing lately.

“T

he mood here is very positive at the moment. We have brought in a number of new initiatives to ensure that we are one big club all working together. We are now fully integrated at every level and have a motto of ‘ONECLUB’. We have tried to make our set-up as professional as possible with a focus upon getting the right players for the club that want to play for Thurrock.” The Season so far “It has been very busy and exiting. Our youth section is flying high with fantastic numbers

and results each week and the future looks to be in good hands. Our ladies team are sitting top of the table and are looking to go into the premiership this season. Our men’s sides are going through change and have a new coaching set-up. The 1st team are going steady and are looking to consolidate after the disappointment of relegation last season. We have 4 men’s teams at the club with two being social sides and two being serious sides. I have set-up a new rugby academy at the club this season and this has been fantastic. I have also managed with the help of the RFU to set up two local rugby academies in the area. One at a six form and one at a school. These will feed players into our system and over the next five years we will really see the benefit.” Targets

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“We’re looking to consolidate at men’s levels with a big emphasis on bringing our youth players through to senior rugby. It will be important to ensure our ladies team gain promotion into the Premiership. We also want to keep improving on the standard of our youth players/coaches and to ensure that everyone is heading in the same direction with the same goal. Our goal as a club is ‘To be a successful, sustainable rugby club with strong community links, playing a brand of rugby to be proud of and having a relentless drive to producing high quality rugby players at the top level.’” Youth “Youth development is a major priority at the club as these players are our future and will all hopefully be senior players one day. New this season we have ‘transition sessions’ at the club. This means that players will attend training sessions of the age group above to get a better relationship with players that they will be playing with in the future. This also happens with colt players attending senior training. I have also put a talent identification officer in place whose job is to link between the youth and senior sides highlighting future stars.”

TWITTER /// @thurrockrfc

THURROCK

Challenges/Ambitions “Perhaps our biggest challenge is keeping playing numbers up. With lifestyles changing and people working more we do tend to lose players at senior level. This is one of the reasons that we feel it’s important for players to enjoy themselves and feel part of something. Since the economic meltdown players seem to work on Saturdays and then become unavailable for match days. Over the coming years it will be important to keep producing players of a good standard. We aim for the men’s 1st team to return to the national leagues. Additionally we will look to fully support our youth section and give them the tools to succeed, continuing to be a fully integrated club.”

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KELSO FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

KELSO First established in 1876, Kelso RFC currently plays their home games at Poynder Park in Scotland. Their first team competes in the BT National League Division 1 and they are looking to make progress over the course of the season. Poynder Park /// www.kelsorfc.co.uk/home /// Founded 1876

he first half of their campaign can be said to have gone reasonably well as they have put together a record of 5 wins, 1 draw and 7 defeats from their first 13 matches. This has left them sitting in a mid-table position with 28 points on the board. This should provide the club with a solid platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the current campaign. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of pushing on further up the league. Their Head Coach Gary Holborn took the time to tell www.kelsorfc.co.uk his thoughts about the first half of the campaign, saying, “I think that the initial fear that we had as a group of coaches, being thrown into the deep end so to speak has gone. That is down to the way the players have responded, and came together as a group. It's great to be part of a set up where on training nights lads are having fun and improving, then taking what we have worked on into a game. I think you will agree that despite the opposition in front of us on Saturday we played some excellent rugby for the full 80, when in the past we would of taken the foot off.” (Kelso 77-0 Hillhead/Jordanhill – Saturday December 20th) “This backs up the positive attitude and work ethic we are developing. The most pleasing aspect though has to be the zero on the scoreboard against Hillhead/Jordanhill. We are still, and will be for a while yet 'a work in progress', but we will have some fun on the way. The best aspect of being a coach is to see lads given the opportunity of a run in the first team and establish themselves, this helps build a sustainable playing squad to push on to the next level.

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TWITTER /// @KelsoRfc

KELSO

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Finally on behalf of Skeena, Fordy, Ian, Richie and Neil, have a happy xmas, see you all in 2015.â&#x20AC;? Kelso is not a club to focus solely upon their first team however and they also have a number of additional sides. This allows them to give far more players an opportunity to play the game every week. Another benefit of having so many sides is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of drafting players in with a limited amount of disruption. There is much to admire about the work that Kelso has been doing this season and Rugby Club Magazine would like to take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck for the New Year.

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KESTEVEN FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

KESTEVEN Woodnook /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/kestevenrfc ///

Kesteven RFC’s first XV has enjoyed a superb first half to the season as they look to gain promotion and have been playing some fantastic rugby. Secretary Bill Berridge took the time to tell us more about the good work that the club has been doing lately.

e told us, “I’ve been involved with the Club since I moved to Grantham in 1990. As someone new to the town it was natural to seek out the local club. I was given a very warm welcome from Founder Member Derrick Smith, Secretary Nick Pert and 3rd team Captain Mike Money. After a short spell away from the area I returned to the Club in 1998 and volunteered for the role of Secretary – which I still hold today.” The Role The most challenging aspect of my role has been to ensure that the Club complies with all the requirements of managing a club which took the step of becoming an Industrial and Provident Friendly Society, then a Community Amateur Sports Club. There are also increasing demands to comply with Rugby Football Union requirements such as the new Game Management System. However over the years the club has had an enthusiastic band of volunteers who make the whole club operate.” Atmosphere “The Club is in great heart at the moment. The 1st team is going well and looking for promotion to Level 7 while the 2nd team are leading their league and the 3rd team exists to provide social rugby for those who do not wish to play every week. The mini and junior sections continue to thrive.” This Season “The start to the season has gone well for the senior sides with the 1st team lying 3rd in their league and having reached the semi-final of the Notts, Lincs and Derbys Shield. They are currently the league’s top scorers. The 2nd team currently head their League, playing some outstanding rugby. The aim of the 1st team is to win promotion and to go as far as we can in the County Cup competitions.” Youth “Youth rugby is vital to the success of the Club. We have a thriving youth section with teams from Under 6

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KESTEVEN

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to Under 18. The success of the senior teams in recent years is largely down to the success of that youth policy. The current first team has a core of players who have played together all through Mini and Youth rugby. They are Kesteven players through and through.” Integration “The club has appointed a development coach whose role is to ensure that Colts players integrate into the adult game. Several of our Under 18 squad play regularly in the Senior teams, at 1st, 2nd and 3rd team level. They benefit from playing alongside senior players, gaining valuable experience. Last year’s Under 17 squad were an exceptional team winning many awards and cups. That squad will grow as they progress through to senior ranks.” Challenges/Ambitions “The biggest challenge will be to meet the expected upsurge in interest in the game as a result of the Rugby World Cup. As well as recruiting new players at all levels we need to ensure that we have enough qualified coaches to cope. In the longer term there will be a need to increase the ground area we have and ultimately we will need to improve our changing facilities too. We have firm plans to upgrade and extend our floodlights as well. The Club will endeavour to play at the highest level it can, but being realistic and not overstretching itself. We also want to continue to grow the junior section to the best level we can.”

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SELKIRK

TWITTER /// @SelkirkRFCInfo

SELKIRK Philiphaugh Stadium /// www.selkirkrfc.com /// Formed 1907

Playing their home games at the Philiphaugh Stadium in the Scottish Borders, Selkirk RFC currently compete in the BT National League Division 1. They are led by President Mick Craig who is supported by Secretary Ian Walker and the club is making a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

he club has a proud history with a terrific record of producing high quality players including 12 Scotland internationals. Perhaps the best known is fly-half John Rutherford who gained 42 caps for his country and played for the British Lions in New Zealand in 1983. Perhaps the club’s finest hour to date came when they managed to win their only Scottish Club Championship in the 1952-53 season as well as the Border League title. They also won the border league title in 1935 and 1938 and will be keen to add further silverware over the coming years. The signs are certainly promising this year as they have put together an outstanding league record with 14 wins out of 14 fixtures played. Unsurprisingly this sees them sitting top of the table with 64 points on the board. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to go on and claim the title. As long as they are able to keep up their recent level of performance then it is difficult to see any of their rivals catching them and a league trophy would be a fine way to cap off what has been a terrific season so far. One of the highlights of the team’s performances this time around is the superb brand of attacking rugby that they have been producing. This has been reflected by the fact that they have racked up 417 points already making them the top scorers in the league. Playing such an exciting style has certainly meant that any supporters attending their matches have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in the future. This in turn has the potential to provide the club with a valuable source of additional revenue. Selkirk RFC’s superb first half of the season is a just reward for all of the hard work that has been put into the club over recent years. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine.

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SEAHAM FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

TWITTER /// @Seaham_RUFC

SEAHAM Seaham Leisure Centre /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/seaham ///

“We started this season with losses in the quarter final of the Durham County Junior Cup and our first two league outings. We really struggled with player availability and had to rely on veterans such as Steve Meir, Colin Hall, Steve Wilkinson, Rob Thornton and Dave Drinkwater to come out of retirement and get us back on track.

e’ve since regrouped after key players returned and won five out of our last seven league fixtures, and drawn one; racking up 25 points out of a possible 35. So it’s fair to say we are in a good place and morale is good. We’ve always been renowned for our “never say die” attitude and our changing room is a happy and buoyant one at present.” Youth “We view youth development as integral to the future of our club. That’s why we’ve forged links with local schools, supported by Durham County Rugby Development staff. They’ve done a fantastic job supporting us to structure our plans for establishing and promoting junior rugby in the Seaham area. I mentored a group of Year 7 boys from Seaham School of Technology down to Twickenham in November 2005, where they played a warm-up match and formed a guard of honour for the England and Australia teams as they took to the pitch for their Autumn International. Some of those lads are enjoying playing adult rugby for us now.” Integration “With the support of Matt Bryan, Laura Coleman and a hardcore of volunteers, we provide a safe and enjoyable environment for local kids to learn and enjoy participating in our beautiful game. We access the local schools and follow a carefully drafted structure to promote the game as a meaningful activity that offers equal and fair opportunities to all interested parties and also engenders a team ethic into their mind-set. The overall aim is to provide a well-managed pathway towards senior rugby.” Community “Our club has always taken great pride in being an integral part of the local community. Our amazing Supporters Club members often don fancy dress costumes for home matches and take a bucket around to raise funds for local causes. Our players also do their bit and participate in events such as the Boxing Day Dip every year. One of our lads raised a princely sum for a local disabled girl

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when he bungee-jumped Teesside Transporter Bridge.

from

Our club donates a generous cheque to the local Mayor’s Charity Fund every year and support the local Tots ‘R’ Us nursery scheme that provides top quality childcare facilities for families with limited income. There are numerous other charitable concerns that we support. We are widely renowned as being a big-hearted bunch that supports those around us.” Facilities “Our current facilities at Seaham Leisure Centre are a massive improvement on those we had at our previous headquarters. Our changing rooms are 50 metres from our pitch and, in a recent Durham & Northumberland Rugby Forum poll, our post-match catering and hospitality at our headquarters - The Marlborough Hotel - were voted the best in our league by a massive majority. We may have to relocate to new premises in the future but our Hon Secretary, Bob Dickinson, has all

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of that in hand and liaises with the relevant parties. We have our hopes and ambitions for the future development of the club. However, as they are still in the consultative stage, it would be misleading to put anything in black and white just yet. But watch this space!” Challenges “Geographically, we are in a rather precarious position; in the middle of a triangle with Horden, Sunderland and Houghton at each point. Each of these clubs has more than one senior team playing every week, thriving youth sections, and ladies sections (at two of those clubs). So trying to compete with those and keep people coming to Seaham is a massive challenge as bigger clubs have traditionally viewed us as little more than a feeder club. We’ve always advocated the best interests of all our players and, if they are good enough to play at a higher level, we encouraged them to fulfil their potential. Players wishing to follow their dreams always leave with our best wishes but we operate an open door policy and always

TWITTER /// @Seaham_RUFC

welcome them back should they wish to return. Holding on to our best players and replacing the ones who either move on or retire may be a tough task. Our coaching team – Jon Dye, John McCallum and Johnny Whitehead – are very passionate about the game and, with the support of senior players such as Ben Bell and John Dixon, look forward to guiding the club through the next stage of its on-going development. We are constantly moving forward and times are very exciting indeed.” Ambitions “We would love to increase our playing numbers at all levels i.e. fielding more than one senior team every week, providing regular fixtures for our youths in various age groups, and increasing our numbers of coaches, volunteers, and basically anyone else who thinks they may have something to offer our club. Who knows, we may even be able to form a Ladies Section. But, in the meantime, we’ll just carry on playing with smiles on our faces and enjoying our beloved game.”

TWITTER /// @RFCTreherbert

TREHERBERT

TREHERBERT Ty Daw /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/treherbert /// Formed 1874

First established in 1874, Treherbert RFC’s base is at Ty Draw, 55 Wyndham Street in RhonddaCynon-Taff and they currently compete in Division 3 East Central B of the WRU SWALEC Leagues. They are a great example of a club committed to playing an important role in the local community.

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his season they have been in superb form, putting together a record of 6 wins and just one defeat from their opening 7 matches. This has left them sitting near the top of the league with 25 points on the board. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to go forwards and put together a successful campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they may even claim the league title which would be a superb achievement. Treherbert is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however and they also have an extremely successful youth set up. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to produce their own talent if they are to be successful, particularly in the current financial climate. Their coaches are confident they’ve a number of juniors currently involved with the potential for a bright future within the game and it will be exciting to see how they develop. In order to help their youngsters to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have an additional side running. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having more than one team running is that it allows the 1st XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Treherbert’s fine performances this season have been a result of the superb set-up that the club has behind the scenes which allows them to flourish on the field. Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck for the future. www.rugbyclub.biz

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SWINTON LIONS Chorley Road /// www.swintonlionsrlc.co.uk ///

Swinton Lions RLFC is based in Swinton and Pendlebury, Greater Manchester and have a proud history having won the Championship six times as well as three challenge cups. We caught up with Club Representative Stephen Wild to find out more about how they are getting along in the present day.

e told us, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I became a director in February 2014 when I was elected to that position by members of the Supporters Trust (along with Alan Marshall). My chief responsibility is therefore to represent the fans in the decision-making process of the club. The formation of the Supporters Trust was originally my idea back in 2002 and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been incredibly successful for a club of our size.

Tel: 07738 367922

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TWITTER /// @swintonlion

I’ve been a Swinton fan for as long as I can remember (I first attended as a 4 year old with my dad in 1968). I gained my interest through family tradition and simply because I wanted to support my local team. I’ve gained a great interest in the club history, and I suppose I’m also the club historian. I’ve written two books on the subject, and I’ve amassed a vast collection of club memorabilia which I continue to add to.” The Role “The most challenging aspect is fitting everything into the week. I work fulltime outside of the RL club yet there are always rugby matters to attend to. It may sound corny but I just find it extremely satisfying to be making a difference at the club I love. I couldn’t be involved to this extent and with this enthusiasm with any other club. As a fan at heart I know what is important to our supporters and I always try to look after their interests.” Atmosphere “The mood here is fantastic. Our new head coach John Duffy is doing a great job preparing our team for the new season. The players are all ‘ours’ (i.e. no dual registration) and we’re trying to instil an ethic of professionalism and hard work. Although we’ve been nomadic in recent years we want our players to understand the rich history and tradition of the club and to give their all for the badge. We believe we’ve assembled a strong team with a mix of youth, experience and physicality. Our aim is to win the League One Championship and the League One Cup. If that doesn’t happen it won’t be for the want of trying.” Youth “I can’t speak for the previous regime, but since the current board took over earlier this year we’ve endeavoured to create a pathway for young talent to progress to our first team. It’s early days, but via Salford City College at Eccles we’ve established an RFL accredited pathway for young players. Within the next couple of years we hope to have established a Swinton Lions youth team playing out of Eccles College.”

swinton lions

had previously been neglected but we’re now making steady progress. Our coach John Duffy has been making the Lions known at our local amateur clubs, in particular Folly Lane and Bury Broncos whose kids will be invited to play curtain-raisers prior to first team games next season. We’re also hosting a Nines Tournament at Sedgley Park on 28 December to which we’ve invited 5 amateur clubs to compete against ourselves. With respect to the local business community, we’ve now established a Swinton Lions Business Academy which meets monthly.” Challenges “Arguably our biggest challenge, and certainly the issue which is of most importance to our fans, would be the relocation of the team back to our home town in a purpose built stadium. Being nomadic, as we have been for 22 years, causes many difficulties, and to resolve this issue would not only assist our income streams but reaffirm our identity amongst our fans and the people of Swinton. At the moment we are in the hands of Salford Reds owner Marwan Koukash, who has submitted outline plans to the Council to redevelop Swinton town centre. These plans include a 4,000 capacity ground for the Lions so naturally we await a final decision there with interest. Hopefully we’ll know within the next couple of months.”

Ambitions “With regard to on the field ambitions we have to manage expectations and put into context where we were a year ago. However, we want to win promotion back to the Championship and to then firmly establish ourselves in that middle tier. Off the field our ambition is to have a new stadium, and to establish ourselves as a centre of local civic pride.”

Community “We would very much like to be recognised as a source of local pride representing the town of Swinton & Pendlebury. This is something that

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AYR FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

AYR Millbrae /// www.ayrrugbyclub.co.uk /// Founded 1897

Ayr RFC has been playing some terrific rugby once again this season and currently sits in 2nd place in the BT Premiership. We caught up with their President Billy McHarg to find out what has been behind their success.

e told us, “I’ve been involved with the club for 15 years now, 9 as President. Some of the success that we’ve achieved during my time here has been terrific. We’ve won the League twice including for the first time ever and we’ve also won the cup 3 times in the last nine years. It’s been a successful period for us and that is thanks to the superb team that we have here behind the scenes. They’ve done a great job.” This Season “Things have been going well this season. You can never take your eye off the ball though. When I first got involved the aim was to get 40 points and not get relegated. Our aim now is to claim a top four finish every year because you’ve no divine right to win anything. It is even more important this season with playoffs being introduced for the first time. Ideally we’d like to get a top two finish to ensure that we get a home tie. The atmosphere here is very positive. Everybody works for each other and recognise that if they want to be part of something successful they all have to be pulling in the same direction.” Youth “It’s not just the senior team that is going well here. 5 years ago we set an Academy up for the Junior section to help players develop. The Scottish U18 and U16 leagues were introduced last year and we won both of them so the future is looking very bright for us.

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TWITTER /// @OfficialAyrRFC

AYR

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AY R RUG BY CLUB M A IN SP ONSOR S F OR T HE L A S T 4 0 Y E A R S

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Racecourse Hotel in Victoria Park , Ayr. Lynch Homes have spent a significant period of time and consideration on this unique development to restore and retain the structure of the existing building and coach house. The materials sourced and used throughout the development have been chosen to be in keeping with the original building and within the conservation area of Ayr, where it is set. The redevelopment incorporates 13 new luxury apartments and mews cottages

with features including a choice of high quality German kitchens by Alno and luxury bathroom / shower suites. Quality modern fixtures and fittings including Oak Veneered internal doors and chrome ironmongery complement the interiors. The exterior features include monoblocking courtyard with turfed gardens and natural slate roofing to the buildings giving this development style and character in keeping with the area and the original design.

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TWITTER /// @OfficialAyrRFC

AYR

As well as introducing these sides we’ve started to play some U20 games to help players make the transition into the senior game. The 3rd XV has some experienced players and we try to introduce some of the younger players into that side to help them to learn as well.” Community “We are a big part in the community and we’re very well supported, I think everyone is buying into what we are achieving here. We’re probably averaging around 500 or 600 spectators at our home games. The biggest add on we’ve had recently was that 2 years ago we started a Ladies team and that has gone brilliantly. About a month ago at the U18s girl’s session there were 43 girls there so that has developed very quickly.” Challenges “Our biggest challenge over the coming years will be gaining additional facilities. Ideally, we would like to move and have a set up where we have high quality pitches and a first class indoor facility. That will be key for us if we are to maintain a top four position in Scotland. We’re working with the Council and the Community to see what we can do in that regard.” Ambitions “Over the next 5 years we want to continue being successful. You can’t take your eye off the ball. We want to continue producing our own players and bringing them into the side. Our structure involves members of our first team going into schools and we want to continue to help people to enjoy the game of rugby.”

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stanford FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

STANFORD Stanford Recreation Ground /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/stanfordlehope /// Founded 1975

Stanford Rugby Club play their home games at the Stanford Recreation Ground on Grove Road in Essex and their first team currently competes in Division 4 of the Shepherd Neame Essex Merit Table. They are led by the team of President Bert Higgs and Chairman Kyran McDonald and have made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

his season their first team has made a superb start to their league campaign, having compiled a record of 7 wins and just 1 defeat from their first 8 matches. This has left them near the top of the table with 34 points on the board and with a game in hand on the leaders. Their performances so far should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the season. So long as they are able to keep up their recent level of performance they may well find themselves top of the pile before too long. One of the main reasons for the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong performances is the superb defensive record that they have. Up to now they have conceded just 88 points at a rate of around 10 per match.

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Their tight defence is thanks in part to the fact that they have some terrific individual defenders but is also a testament to the hard work that has been put in on the training ground in order to ensure that they are a well-oiled unit. Stanford is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section as they also have a number of youth teams in place. These sides look to provide youngsters from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any side to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can progress in the coming years.

STANFORD

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In order to help ensure that they enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game they also have a 2nd team in place. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Stanfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fantastic recent from is a testament to all of the hard work that has been put into making the club a success. Hopefully they will be able to continue the good work that they have been doing for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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HOYLAKE

HOYLAKE Carham Road /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/hoylake ///

Hoylake RFC plays their home games on Carham Road in Merseyside and their South Lancs/ Cheshire Division One. They are led by the team of President Mark Evans and Chairman John McNeill and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

here is evidence of rugby being played in Hoylake as early as the 1890s when a team with close links to the Royal Liverpool Golf Club was running. It is believed that they played on Little Moels Road on land next to the golf course with the ‘dressing’ room being at the Stanley Hotel. There is no sign of a direct link between that club and the present team which was established in 1922. Since being set up they have put together a history of which they have every right to be proud. This season, it would be fair to say that their first team has not put together the campaign that they would have liked, having compiled a record of 2 wins, 2 draws and 10 defeats from their first 12 matches. This has left them sitting at the bottom of the table with 12 points on the board.

There is still plenty of the season left to play however and a good run of results could see them quickly climb the table. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of doing just that.

In order to help their youngsters to make the sometimes difficult transition into the adult game they also have a 2nd side running. This allows them to give players experience of senior level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

Hoylake is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however as they also have a number of youth sides in place. These teams look to provide youngsters from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Hoylake’s disappointing start to the current season should not take away from a club which continues to play an important role in their community nearly 100 years after first being established. Rugby Club Magazine would like to take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck for the future.

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Hoylake Rugby Club: A refurbished clubhouse and changing facilities Hoylake Rugby club were thrilled with a recent installation of Elite PVC sheets with Premier 250 panels. A refurbishment of the clubhouse and changing facilities presented an opportunity for Beplas to showcase their complete hygienic wall and ceiling systems. Our products were used extensively in the shower areas, changing rooms and kitchens where ease of cleaning, durability and aesthetics were all high on the agenda. We were able to offer a complete solution which was sympathetic to their budget concerns. Hoylake RFC is a terrific example of a well-run community establishment and we would like to take this opportunity to wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

Vi s i t o u t w e b s i t e f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n : w w w. b e p l a s . c o m www.rugbyclub.biz

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LLANDRINDOD WELLS Cefnllys Lane /// www.llandrindod-rugby.org.uk /// Founded 1972

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First established in 1972, Llandrindod Wells RFC is based on Cefnllys Lane in Powys and they enjoyed a terrific campaign last time around as they managed to win the Mid Wales Cup. We caught up with their Secretary Jonathan Duggan to find out more about how they are getting along this season.

e told us, “I have played for the club for 12 years, a group of about five of us joined the club from Builth Wells youth, we were attracted to the club as it was our home town club and we felt we would get regular rugby. It’s all about enjoying being part of a grassroots club, sometimes things don’t go right on and off the pitch, but you’ve got to laugh about it and move on. The spirit is good at the moment as we are currently top of our league having won all but one of our league games this season, we have some tough games coming up after Christmas but we have a strong squad and we will hope to be in the mix come May.

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We are a small club so aren’t able to facilitate all of the youth and junior age groups. Over the last 12 months we have set up a small junior section Motor Insurance Household of Under 9’s and Under 11’sInsurance that we hope will grow over the coming years. Liability Insurance

We encourage ladsCommercial from theInsurance age of 17 to get involved with training with a Property Owners Insurance view to getting involved with contact sessions and games when they turn Liability Insurance 18, ideally they will play in friendly games at first with a view to playing Van Insurance league games as their confidence improves. I would consider us a community club, the introduction of our junior section has helped to involve more people in our club, a successful season has also meant we have had good attendances at games this season which has been appreciated by the boys. We as a club try to make the clubhouse

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available to as many community groups as possible to give ourselves a higher standing in the community. As a club we’ve produced players that have gone on to play at a higher level, mainly with Builth Wells in Division 1. British Lion Danny Lydiate went to school in Llandrindod but made his way through the Newport Gwent Dragons Academy, although there is an unconfirmed rumour that he might have had a game for our under 14’s some seasons back. Like any small club, there are peaks and troughs and when older players retire they need to be replaced, with modern work patterns and other social activities available it is important that these players are prepared to commit themselves to playing week in week out to get the best out of their time playing rugby. Over the coming years we would like to improve the clubs facilities, keep the senior team vibrant and competitive and also to grow the junior section to maybe have some more teams.”

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MORRISTON FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

MORRISTON Heol Gwernen /// http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/morristonrugbyclub ///

Based at Heol Gwernen in Swansea, Morriston RFC currently competes in Division 3 West Central C of the Swalec leagues. They are led by the team of Chairman Vince Matthews and President John Evans and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

Playing with such style has certainly meant that any supporters attending their fixtures have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind them in the future. This in turn has the potential to provide the club with a valuable source of additional revenue.

This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to go on and mount a title challenge in the 2nd half of the season. So long as they are able to keep up their recent level of performance they will certainly be in with a great chance of claiming some silverware.

Morriston is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however as they also have a number of youth teams in place. These sides look to provide young people from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

One of the highlights of the team’s performances so far has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have been able to produce. This has been reflected by the fact that they are the top scorers in the league, having racked up 382 points at a rate of more than 40 per game.

It is important for any team to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can progress over the coming years.

Morriston RFC’s fine start to the season is a just reward for all of the hard work that has been put into the club in recent times. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

heir first team has enjoyed a superb start to their current campaign, having compiled a record of 7 wins and just 1 defeat from their first 8 matches. This sees them sitting just behind the league leaders with 36 points on the board.

In order to help their youngsters to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have an additional side in place. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

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TWITTER /// @KeyworthRFC

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KEYWORTH Willoughby Road /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/keyworthrugbyfootballclub /// Founded 1976

First established in 1976, Keyworth RFC is based on Willoughby Road in Nottinghamshire and their first team currently competes in the Midlands 4 East (North) League. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Secretary Jason Holland to find out more about the good work that they’ve been doing.

e told us, “I have been involved with the Club since 2007 when I moved to the village. Whilst still playing 1st or second team games, as a resident of the village I became involved to some extent in the running of the Club. The Club is run primarily by Kevin Price, a founder member of the Club in 1976, prior to moving to its current site in 1983. The ground has previously been home to a hockey club and also a cricket club ((where the cricket legend of the 1950’s Reg Simpson played) as a village resident). Kevin looks after all the administration, upkeep etc. of the Club and the catering side has been looked after for many many years by stalwart Jill Stimpson and husband Tony (President Tony sadly died in mid 2014). The most challenging aspect of the Club is the lack of volunteer support – whilst the Club is well “supported”, the “behind the scenes” work is in the hands of a few – all Club helpers are not paid for their contributions, some of which are very substantial. We all have day jobs! The attraction of the Club is the nearby location – it’s also a good facility for the Community. The Club is suffering from some lack of continuity each week due to availability of players due to injury or non- availability and this can impact the lower sides too - not unusual when we talk to other local Clubs. The season has had a poor start – we have yet to register a win but with many of those results (last week was 17 – 10) close matches but not wins. We are planning a couple of floodlight matches prior to the end of the season as the new floodlights were installed in 2014, with help from the RFU, NLD and Notts County Council in addition to a significant Club contribution. We have an active Youth Rugby set-up at the Club with almost all Age Groups up to U17 represented. It remains difficult to retain those youngsters as the transient student population do not stay locally and go off to College/University. That said, the Youth Rugby section, from U7 upwards provides a strong contribution to the Club on Sunday mornings.

“The Youth Rugby section, from U7 upwards provides a strong contribution to the Club on Sunday mornings.” www.rugbyclub.biz

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HARLEQUINS FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

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One recent Youth Rugby scrum half is now playing first team rugby, combining well with his father, at No 8! There are several others that we expect to step up towards the end of this season. We also host local school competitions for Years 11 and 12 as we have the facilities to do this. The Club is not at the heart of the Community but makes itself available for Community functions, providing the facilities for camping weekends, a village quiz, an election voting post, horse and cart weekends, hunting meetings, parish council meetings and children’s birthday parties and 50th birthday parties to name but a few! The next 5 to 10 years provide some strong challenges to the Club. Whilst we are not looking to grow rapidly, we would seek to increase to 3 playing sides over the next few years, particularly with the help of the 2015 World Cup and the Legacy campaign. The biggest challenge is to retain and recruit players as players retire and younger players gain the skills to play senior rugby and remain in the area – we are not especially close to any universities or colleges. We have launched some significant publicity via posters and personal contact which is starting to pay dividends, particularly at the junior age groups. Our target is to also become more involved with the Community and provide a more central service to the locals and other organisations. We would like to attract a ‘Summer’ Club as the ground is less used for sport/activities in the summer period.”

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WELWYN FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

WELWYN Hobbs Way /// www.pitchero.com/clubs/welwynrfc /// Founded 1931

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Welwyn RFC was originally established in 1931 and their first team currently competes in the London 3 North West League. They are always pleased to welcome new players of all standards and have a superb team behind the scenes with coaches Andy Riley and Jovan Masalunga and Captain Peter Elliott leading the way on the playing side of things.

he club has a history of producing high quality players and some of the most notable include John Wackett who represented England in 1959. In the 70s Steve Bates played scrum-half for Welwyn before going on to represent Wasps before winning his first cap against Romania in 1989. More recently Joe Worsley MBE played for Welwyn RFC before going on to greater things. He has been capped for England many times and was also a part of the 2003 World Cup winning side. He also earned a place in the 2009 British and Irish Lions squad. This season their first team have made a superb start to their current campaign, having put together a record of 10 wins and just 2 defeats from their first 12 matches. This sees them lying in 2nd place in the table with 48 points on the board.

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This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they head into the 2nd half of the

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campaign. As long as they can retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will be in with a good chance of mounting a title challenge. One of the highlights of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performances this season has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have managed to produce. This is reflected by the fact that they are currently the top scorers in the league, having racked up 384 points already. This will certainly have ensured that any supporters attending their fixtures have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the team in the future. This has the potential to provide them with a valuable source of additional revenue.

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Welwyn also recently entered a side in the Herts Returning Students Festival which is a 10 a side tournament for players that were under the age of 23 years old on September 1st 2014. After taking the decision to rest some of their first team players due to a busy schedule the team entered still played some high quality rugby as they made it through their group. They then defeated Old Albanians in the semifinal by 24-10 to make it to the final. This proved to be a game to far for as they went down to Old Merchant Taylors who took the title for the 3rd consecutive year. There is much to admire about the set up that Welwyn RFC currently has in place. This should enable them to look forwards to a bright and successful future for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.

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GALWEGIANS FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG

GALWEGIANS /// www.galwegians.ie /// Founded 1922

Galwegians RFC have played a vital role in the Connacht rugby community for more than 90 years and currently compete in Division 1B of the Ulster Bank League. They are led by the team of President Joe Healy and Chairman Paul Shelly and have made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

ince first being established in 1922 the club has put together a history of which they have every right to be proud and hold the record for the most Connacht Senior Cup triumphs with more than 25. In recent times they recorded 3 consecutive Connacht Cup Victories and two doubles between 2000-2002. They also have a superb record of producing IRFU Presidents Henry Anderson, Johnny Glynn, CP Crowley, John Moore, Bobby Deacy and Don Crowley all holding the role. Billy Glynn has also held the role of IRFU Senior Vice President. This season their first team has been in fine form, having put together a record of 8 wins and just 3 defeats from their 11 matches. This sees them sitting proudly atop the table with 39 points on the board. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead towards the rest of the campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will be in with a great chance of claiming the league title. One of the highlights of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performances so far has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have been producing up to now. This has been reflected by the fact that they are one of the top scorers in the league with 219 points on the board. This has certainly meant that any of their supporters have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the club. This in turn has the potential to provide them with a valuable source of additional revenue.

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Galwegians is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however and they also have a thriving youth section which is one of the biggest in the country. Their Academy has become one of the most vibrant at the club with over 350 players that are supported by around 40 coaches and team managers. The club states on their official website that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main aim of the Academy is to provide a safe and fun environment for young people to learn how to play top quality rugby.â&#x20AC;? They have players from the ages of 6 to 15 involved every Saturday morning whilst their 16 to 19 year olds train on week nights. It will certainly be interesting to see how their youngsters can progress over the coming years. There is much to admire about the set-up that Galwegians RFC currently has in place and this has provided the platform for their on the field success. Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.

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