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Chairman’s Welcome
Welcome to Amersham and Chiltern’s online match programme. A particular welcome to the players, officials, and supporters of our visitors.
After promotion last year, our 1st XV play in the Regional 1 South East league of the RFU’s London and South-East Division. This is Level Five of the RFU pyramid and provides a standard of rugby that is very testing for a club from a relatively small town like Amersham. We are proud to compete here.
Thanks to the vagaries of RFU administration, our 2nd XV is in the South-West Division, and play in the Counties 2 Tribute Bucks, Berks and Oxon South competition. Like the 1st XV, they were promoted last year.
The Third XV play in an informal competition for Bucks third teams, usually under lights on a Friday evening. They provide competitive but social rugby for those who cannot commit to weekly league matches and training.
Like most clubs, we are always looking for new players. If you would like to join in, at any level, please contact our Director of Rugby, Pete Gibson, or get in touch through the club website. Alternatively, go old school and ask at the bar, or speak to anyone involved with one of the teams. You will be very welcome.
As well as our adult sides, we run extraordinarily successful Mini and Junior Sections, providing rugby for age groups from
Under 6 to Under 18. Last year we won the County Cup at every age group. The club is absolutely buzzing on a Sunday, when training and matches take place. If you have a child who would like to try rugby or one who already plays, please contact Ryan Westmacott (Minis) or Richard Clifford (Juniors) - or just bring your boy or girl along.
If you have five minutes before the game starts, please flick through the other pages of this programme and check out our fantastic sponsors. They are all great local companies; without their support it would be very difficult for us to continue. If you could use any of them, and mention where you saw their name, you would be doing the club and the game a real service.
Along with the rugby, we have a full calendar of social events, details of which can be seen elsewhere in this programme, on the website, or on the posters in the clubhouse. Whatever your level of interest in rugby, it’s a great club to be a member of, and we’d love to have you join us.
Huw Thomas Chairman
President: Peter Kenyon; Chairman: Huw Thomas; Hon Sec: Ralph Hayward; Hon Treasurer: Chris Tavender; Membership Secretary: Sandra Hitchman; Director of Rugby: Pete Gibson; Mini Chairman: Ryan Westmacott; Junior Chairman: Richard Clifford
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The Centenary Fund
For the next100 years
The centenary of our great club will be marked by many events at the club during the season 2024-25. We are an ambitious, friendly and successful community club providing an exceptional and inclusive rugby and social experience to all our members of all ages and backgrounds.
We are entirely dependent on the support of our members and many generous sponsors. The annual cost of running a big sports club is considerable and we always need to spend large sums on clubhouse and ground maintenance.
The Centenary Fund has the target of raising £200,000 and we hope that members past and present will support this project - it will make so much difference to our club and benefit all our members. The Fund will be used exclusively to support key projects around the club, including:
• Clubhouse refurbishment and upgrade
• Extended patio area with multi-weather surface
• Pitch and floodlight improvements
• Resurface north car park
• Improved gym facilities
• Expanded solar panelling
Please support the club by donating at JustGiving/The Centenary Fund - and please tick the Gift Aid option as the club receives an additional 25% on top of your donation.
For donations over £1000, please pay directly into the Fund’s bank, complete a Gift Aid declaration and let me know via email. Fund bank: Amersham & Chiltern RFC, sort 40-2417, account 2266 4879. Any queries, please email.
Peter Osborne Chair, The Centenary Fund posborne@osbornesamuel.com
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REGIONAL 1 SOUTH EAST LEAGUE
Chiltern miss- kick as Southend sigh with relief
The Gambler
‘You’ve got to know when to hold’em Know when to fold ‘em Know when to walk away And know when to run You never count your money When you’re sittin’ at the table There’ll be time enough for countin’ When the dealin’s done’
Only a couple of superfans joined us for our trip to the largest City in Essex. They had keenly booked their seats, seeing through my misleading 14th November date and being rewarded with front row coach seats. Our thanks to Nick Hayes and Matt Webb for their jokes and singing on the bus in addition to their continual loud vocal support from the side-lines. We all agreed that it was quite a trip and quite a match,
and well worth the trip behind enemy lines. They also secured some festive fair as the mingled with the local’s foot tapping to the Christmas beat. We arrived in plenty of time and confident of achieving our 1st away win of the season. In September Southend had managed to score a converted try in the final minute at Weedon Lane to secure a 27 -34 win.
This time though we had secured a couple of wins and had a pack capable of mighty things. Match
MATCH REPORT
to the sounds of Shakin Stevens - ‘Merry Christmas everyone’, colourful Christmas jumpers and lashings of alcoholic beer.
Southend were the first to strike with silky backs move triggered by their impressive scrum half out to the centres and full-back. Easily converted (7 -0). It was to be a first half of end-to-end touch downs.
Rory Vorster our little winger scoring in the corner. Unconverted by Tom Fawssett (7-5). Chiltern were in the mood and with ball in their own hands they meant business. After a sustained period of Southend line pummelling. it was the mighty Razvan Dranca bulldozing his way over for our 2nd of the day. Tom was unsuccessful with the conversion (7 – 10).
strategy wise there was a bold emphasis on ‘the kick sadly, more of this to come as we now focus on the action.
3pm KO and floodlights on, not the brightest but not the dimmest. Southend won the toss and favoured a 1st half towards a dip in the corner. The sun was also hasty in setting but there were no visibility issues. The crowd was tense despite the few Santa hats dotted around.
Lively start and both teams chucked it around. Apres Christmas Lunch guests vocal
MATCH REPORT
Noah Jarvis pouched the ball in a fine intercept running the length of the pitch to ensure a (22-22) half time score.
Southend started the 2nd half well securing a couple of further tries and a couple of penalties (42 – 22). Our kicking was poor as seldom the ball went out of play to clear pressure and usually fell into the hands of an impressive set of backs.
We were duly punished. Too little too late and with a change of direction A&C resumed our normal business with Joe Batt
Within minutes that kicking game, I mentioned, did some damage and again the same Southend back line did us for another converted try (14-10). Tom Fawssett made up for his missed conversions and went round the outside for our 3rd try and very unselfishly actually converted it (14 -17).
Like a metronome tick-tock Southend then scored their 3rd try and missed the conversion off the post (19-17). Tight game and so Southend then kicked a straightforward penalty (22-17) before
MATCH REPORT
pushing hard and over following a lineout mall and then Jordan following likewise soon after.
The conversions sadly missed once again (42 – 32). Southend then kicked a final penalty for a (45-32) victory. Poor kicking generally, a lack of conversions and some shrewd penalties meaning a defeat.
Personally, I think only ourselves to blame. Great pack though, some fine set plays and plenty of character in the loose and in our try scoring. A couple of yellow
cards issued and surprisingly no injury time played was frustrating especially such a keenly fought game.
Next week – no coach and no need because it’s our trendy Christmas jumpers and festive frolicks day at Weedon Lane, starting with an amazing win over Tring prior to our own sounds of Christmas’s past and our Centenary Christmas Party.
Win next week and we’re in 7th. Dreams do come true!!!
See you there.
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FROM THE TOUCHLINE
by Huw Thomas
Merry Christmas! Whether you’re here for the Christmas Lunch, or you’re staying for the Christmas party, or you’re doing both, or neither, I hope you have a wonderful time here and at home.
We’re past the halfway mark in the league programme and today we welcome the players, officials and supporters of Tring RFC, for our first return home match. We lost the game at Cow Lane in September by 43-31, when Tring were a little more experienced and streetwise than Chiltern. On the other hand, we did manage five tries. The team are better adjusted to the requirements of the league now, so we can be hopeful of turning the result around on our own patch. That won’t be easy, though, because Tring have gone on to have a strong season, and currently lie fourth in the table, having won six of the twelve games they have played.
Our last home game saw us beat Bedford Athletic 33-24 and climb out of the relegation spots. It was an excellent performance in some self-inflicted adversity. We were 12-17 down at half time (tries from Jordan Scott and Mike Everett) and really staring down the barrel shortly after the restart when Josh Finch’s second yellow (the team’s fourth) reduced Chiltern permanently to fourteen men. However, the boys stepped up and applied themselves to the task: tries from Razvan Dranca, Ben Harris and Kaz Olayinka took us well clear at 33-17, before Bedford scored a late consolation. It was a great day, though everyone was left wondering how we might perform if we could play eighty minutes with a full team.
Two away games were meant to follow, but the first, away at Old Northamptonians, fell victim to Storm Darragh. We will now go up the M1on 25 January. We played the second away game last week, at Southend. It was another high-scoring affair, but unfortunately we went down 45-34. I say unfortunately, because our six tries were one more than Southend managed. On balance, though, it was a fair result: we gave away too many penalties and once again only had fifteen players for threequarters of the match. Our forwards were on top, but they had a lot of pace behind and their 10 is an exceptional player at this level. These results mean that we have slipped back to eleventh place in a table of twelve, albeit with a game in hand.
The Mighty Twos are at home today and it will be great to have another match on a Saturday at Ash Grove for the first time this season. The Seconds last played on 30 November, when they won 22-31 away at Newbury. A scratch team of a bare fifteen, which included coach Andy Saunders making his playing debut for the club, really dug deep for the points. Today’s game, which kicks off at 1pm, is not a league match and we welcome visitors Crowthorne for, as far as I know, the first time. The Third XV continue their unbeaten season, winning 7-24 at Aylesbury last Friday night.
The last thing I really must tell you about is the Centenary Match, 1pm a week today. A team from the club will play a round robin with an Old Berkhamsted side and the returning students XV we play every year. It will be a fabulous day, so be there!
Huw
THE TEAMS
SATURDAY 21 DECEMBER 2024, KICK-OFF 2.00pm
AMERSHAM & CHILTERN 1XV
1. Razvan Dranca
2. Joe Batt
3. Max Morphey
4. Harry Bradshaw
5. Jacques O’Driscoll
6. Jordan Scott
7. Josh Finch (C)
8. Kazeem Olayinka 9. Ben Harris 10. Alex Bower
11. Tom Fawssett
12. Noah Jarvis 13. Josh Fisher 14. Tim Hayes
15. Ben Pothecary
16. Charlie Swerling
17. Dave Francis 18. Jack Green
BHUEL TRING
1. Nick Brown (C)
2. Alex Osmond
3. Richard McCabe
4. Dan Wilton
5. Jack Marks
6. Roman Naylor
7. James Osmond
8. George Hayes
9. Ben Hogan
10. Ben Criddle
11. Charlie Goss-Lambourne
12. Rich Beeny
13. Rory Hardman
14. Nathan Meridan
15. Ollie Green
16. Jack Flanagan
17. Guy Fountaine
18. Toby O’Gorman
Referee - Scott De Waymarn (RFU)
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UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
JAMES MORRISON AKA DIBS
One look at James and you just know he is a scholar. A man of learning, with a sophisticated way, a passionate pause and an English elegance at variance with his stunning Scottish roots.
So easy to normally spot from a far I look in the distance for his deep autumnal coloured hair and then like spotting a pheasant within the green grass of home I see him hunting within an ancient wood near to a Buckinghamshire Brook.
Even as an international man of mystery when I call his name he is eager to stop and we meet up to share our flasks of coffee, eat cake, and explore his inner being.
I start with some warm up banter. James has claret running through his veins and is a colour he loves. Andy – you can drink claret too although I never had him down as a vampire. Surprisingly his lucky number is 10. A bit more
practice needed for stand-off. Like his father, Nick the Chilts is his passion.
He has asked Santa by registered mail (he is a Solicitor) for a Montblanc pen –don’t lose it!! and his only wish is for us to stay up. A lover of eggnog, especially on Christmas morning he mixes it up with some fruity ale and buns. He swears by ginger root ice cream to keep his hair shiny and loves to sing Jerusalem in the
Sabrina Carpenter is always singing to him on his Spotify account and every Saturday prematch he ensures he has a wee watch of her Netflix show.
He is a sucker for the Last Christmas video and ensures he wears the same skiing fashion on the slopes. The film ‘Love Actually’ makes him cry whilst National Lampoons Christmas makes him
He is a sucker on rhubarb and custard boiling’s and then I ask the 6 million dollar question. Why Dibs? – It was my dad’s idea, my mentor and my hero. To follow in his footsteps is an honour
– we used to live next door to a pub and he stayed out late on Hogmanay without permission – he was really naughty and it was the millennium too , the year 2000 and all the computers were going to crash and there was going to be Armageddon. Dad came home and ‘dibble one spotted’ me with a burnt cork. Like Simba in the Lion King. I was a mere youth at 25 and still go
by this name today. I like it!!! It’s like having 2 names.
Dibs our very own little red squirrel – a man of the law and a man brave enough to possibly lose a Montblanc pen.
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SPONSORS AND ADVERTISERS
Why do we need Sponsors
and Advertisers?
The rugby club is run as a charity and in a good year the income from subs and the clubhouse events and sponsors means we just about break even.
This season we celebrate 100 years of our active presence in the local community. The senior club was founded in 1924 and just as importantly we were one of the pioneer clubs who started mini rugby 50 years ago. We continue to provide a wonderful rugby experience for players and supporters of all ages.
Peter, pictured here, always in his A&C attire, chatting on match day
Our loyal members are very supportive and over the years we have done various fundraising schemes to improve every aspect of the club. The clubhouse itself was the biggest and others have followed such as the solar panels, the new car park and of course the borehole. All of these investments make it possible to start the season.
Incidentally with our energy costs increasing dramatically we need to focus on ways to become more energy efficient. Pitch maintenance is another big expense, with an extra £20,000 spent this summer on more ground’s maintenance work and nearly £30,000 on clubhouse repairs. We continually invest and the Centenary fundraising offers a great opportunity to make more progress. One reason for doing this is to make the club house the kind of place people will want to use for events, from private parties to corporate away days.
Of course, our sponsors and advertisers are always welcome at the club for lunch on home match days.
So, without the support of our sponsors and advertisers it would just not be possible to contemplate the level of capital expenses we face every year. We have a huge responsibility to our members and to the wider community, we get no external support even though we are one of the biggest sports clubs in the area and provide outstanding pastoral care and specialist coaching to players of all ages and their coaches too.
We recognise that in return for the fantastic support we get we need to work with our sponsors and advertisers to see how we can help them.
Ruthie Brockett, our Sponsorship & Publicity Manager, will be delighted to hear from you with ideas and suggestions. Please contact her on sponsorship@chilternrugby.com.
Most importantly we want our members to enjoy using the products and services in this programme.
