As the editor of Rugby Club Magazine, it is always a thrill to see the season back in full swing. Across the country, pitches are alive again with the sound of laughter, effort, and community spirit. Every weekend brings fresh stories of teamwork, determination, and friendship that remind us why rugby is so special. It is more than a sport; it is a way of life that shapes character, builds confidence, and unites people from every walk of life. The clubs we have selected for this edition stand as powerful examples of rugby in action and the positive impact it continues to have within local communities. They show how our game brings people together, supports families, and gives young players role models to look up to. Each story captures the true spirit of the sport and what it means to belong to a club that gives more than it takes.
I hope you can take a moment to relax and enjoy this edition, celebrating everything that makes our rugby family so remarkable.
Yours in Rugby
Martin Morgan
AYR
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
Arnold Clark Premiership Champions 2024/2025!
BRIAN WILLIAMSON
CHAIRMAN
I’m Ayr born-and-bred, raised at Millbrae, and I’ve always believed a rugby club should feel like home. What keeps me here isn’t just the winning; it’s the way a club can be a safe place for people of all ages. That’s why we’ve doubled down on community— partnering with schools and running rugby programmes that put positive role models in front of kids early. Our Ayr Community Rugby Trust works day-in, day-out across local primaries and secondaries, and we’ve built structured school pathways like the
QTS School of Rugby at Ayr Academy and the Belmont Academy Rugby Academy so young people can train within the school day.
On Saturdays, I’m the annoying bloke with the cables—I brought music into our matchdays years ago. We run Millbrae more like a family day out than a two-hour sporting appointment: good hospitality, a speaker at lunch, proper food options, then live music after the game. People come earlier, leave later, and crucially they come back. That atmosphere isn’t an add-on; it funds the rugby and the outreach. It’s all there in how we run the place—pre-match lunches with guest speakers, post-match entertainment, a clubhouse that’s busy all week.
Becoming a charity was a big cultural shift for us. It means full transparency: everything goes through the books, independently scrutinised, and focused on public benefit. That discipline helped unlock investment and grants, including Scottish Rugby’s Growth & Participation Fund award to support our inclusive new
clubhouse plans—changing facilities, a strength & conditioning gym, a studio and a community café.
The pivotal moment, though, was the Macdonald Legacy. In January 2021, Alan Macdonald offered £3 million to redevelop Millbrae for sport and community use. It meant we could save our spiritual home, plan in phases, and think long-term about youth development and facilities—not just survival.
You can see the physical change when you walk in. We’ve opened the 3G and floodlit surfaces to rugby and football bookings all week, and we’re adding more multisport capacity as phase two progresses. That isn’t “nice to have”—it’s deliberate. A busier venue means more touchpoints with families, more participation, and more reinvestment into coaches, kids’ kit and programmes.
We’ve also taken Millbrae’s reach beyond the touchline. At Dam Park—now part of our wider footprint—we host community fundraisers and awareness events with local
charities. Harbour Ayrshire’s Sleepout raised around £30,000 for homelessness and addiction support, and “It’s a Knockout” with the Ayrshire Hospice turned the place into a day-long festival. Sport can and should sit in the middle of that kind of civic energy.
On the field, culture is our edge. When the FOSROC Super Series was ended, we brought people together rather than apart. The Bulls had just won the 2024 Sprint Final at Millbrae, and even as that chapter closed, we kept the best of what worked— high standards, community focus, and a proper matchday. Those habits now anchor the whole club.
It all culminated last season. Ayr won the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership, beating Watsonians 41–12 in the final at Millbrae. Results followed a very intentional build: Grant Anderson leading the 1st XV, Pat MacArthur driving the rugby vision, and a coaching group that blends player development with the joy of playing for Ayr. Winning is wonderful; what matters is how we won—by making Millbrae the best place to play and watch club rugby in Scotland.
If you strip my philosophy down to one line, it’s this: community first, experience first, transparency always. Get those right and the rugby looks after itself—because families come early, stay late, and the next generation grows up wanting to wear pink and black.
“EXPECTATIONS DRIVE OUR CULTURE—ON AND OFF THE PITCH.” GRANT ANDERSON
Grant Anderson, Head Coach of Ayr’s 1st XV, is clear about the standard: expectations aren’t something the team switches on at kick-off and off at full-time. “Standards shape how we train, review, socialise and carry ourselves in pinkand-black,” he says.
Raised across the water in Gourock/Greenock, Anderson first gravitated to football before an older brother nudged him toward Greenock Wanderers. Rugby stuck. Agegrade honours with Scotland U18 and U20 followed, as did an apprentice spell with Glasgow Warriors and a Scotland 7s cap—experiences that, in his words, taught him to “meet the moment, own mistakes, and set the bar higher the next day.”
Ayr became home early in his senior career when Craig Redpath brought him to Millbrae as a young back. In
sums it up. While the setpiece and power game remain Millbrae trademarks, the backline has powered the evolution too; Jamie Shedden’s joint top try-scorer finish last season was a handy marker of that balance.
Culture isn’t a buzzword under Anderson; it’s a calendar entry. The group invests time in being together—players, staff and partners—because connection off the field shows up on it. “Stay around, share one with the opposition, get on the bus,” is the expectation. “Make time for each other’s lives.” That togetherness is visible when Ayr defends its line and audible in how the squad celebrates the quiet, unglamorous efforts.
May 2023 he returned as 1st XV Head Coach. Promotion back to the Premiership arrived that season, followed by the Premiership title the next—useful validation, but to Anderson simply proof that the process works: “Set the expectation, live it daily, and let results follow.”
On the field he prizes clarity. Reviews are anchored to standards rather than scorelines—Ayr can win and still fall short of what’s demanded. Tactically, his sides aim to keep three live options in every moment— run, carry or kick. “Fearless, never reckless,” is how he
He is tightly aligned with Director of Rugby Pat MacArthur; the pair agree on the big rocks and are honest about the small ones, giving players a consistent voice. Another constant in Anderson’s story is Billy McHarg. Labels like “Rugby Director” and “stalwart” fit, but McHarg’s role runs deeper—mentor, challenger and standard-bearer from Anderson’s teens to the present. “Billy embodies what Millbrae stands for—he challenges you and backs you,” Anderson notes.
Millbrae is family for Anderson in a literal sense as well. His wife, Suzy, has been with him since school, and their two boys have grown up in and around the ground. When he stepped back as a player, the club’s “Thank you, Grant” message resonated less for the trophies than for what Ayr has given his family.
Colleagues and players often describe Anderson as direct. He accepts that label.
“Authentic feedback—given with care—protects standards and accelerates growth,” he says. “I’ll never apologise for demanding the best from myself first, and then from anyone lucky enough to wear Ayr’s colours.”
As for what’s next, the brief doesn’t change because the jersey doesn’t change. With MacArthur, McHarg and a committed staff, Anderson plans to keep pushing the bar: “fitter in body and mind; fearless without being reckless; three options alive on every touch.” That, he says, is the culture. That is Ayr.
PAT MACARTHUR, DIRECTOR OF RUGBY
“WHY I’M BACK AT MILLBRAE”
I’m Ayr through and through. I first walked into Millbrae in Primary 3 and, apart from the years I was a full-time pro, I’ve never really left. This summer I came home again as Director of Rugby, and it means a lot to be asked to be part of the leadership team at the club that raised me.
I didn’t grow up in a private-school rugby system— far from it. In our area back then, school rugby wasn’t really “a thing,” so Ayr RFC was my pathway. From minis to district and age-grade, then on to the professional game, Ayr was the constant. I was lucky enough to play 165 times for Glasgow Warriors and win Scotland caps, but the club at Millbrae was always my base, my safe place, and my community. When I finished playing, I knew I’d come back to give something of that back.
Since retiring I’ve thrown myself into coaching. I helped when Ayr did the Premiership & Scottish Cup double in 2019, then moved into the Ayrshire Bulls set-up—first as assistant, then Head Coach, winning the Super6 Championship in 2021 and returning again for 2022 with
a two-year extension. Those years taught me a lot about standards, selection and blending groups.
Last season showed what happens when Millbrae pulls together. Under Head Coach Grant Anderson—with Frazier Climo leading the youth performance/attack side—the 1st XV climbed, then won the Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership, beating Watsonians 41–12 in the final at Millbrae. We even topped the 1,000-point mark across the league campaign. That doesn’t happen by accident; it’s culture and depth.
My job now is to keep that momentum while making sure the whole club—seniors, women and girls, youth and minis—feels part of the same story. That’s why I spend as much time coaching the coaches as I do running firstteam sessions. If I can give an U16 or U18 coach three practical fixes on safe scrum shape, maul detail or contact technique, every child they see that week benefits. The better we coach, the safer and more confident our young players become—and the easier it is to bridge U16/U18
into senior rugby.
The other pillar is our Ayr Community Rugby Trust. It’s a huge part of why we’re thriving. The Trust is in classrooms and on school pitches every week, growing the game in state schools and widening the door. Programmes like the Belmont Academy Rugby Academy and the QTS School of Rugby at Ayr Academy put structured rugby—and strength & conditioning, nutrition and life-skills—into the timetable. That’s the level playing field we can offer locally, and it’s priceless.
Pathway matters to me for another reason—my wee boy, Gabriel, is in P4 and he adores it. He comes to first- and second-team games, knows the players by name, and sees what I fell in love with: play hard, then sit together afterwards— friendships, songs, the whole lot. When kids watch the seniors enjoy each other like that, they want to belong to it. That’s rugby, and that’s Ayr.
We’re lucky with our people. Brian Williamson (our Chair) sets the tone at the top; Grant runs a tight
on-field programme; Frazier drives youth performance; and the volunteers who coach, kit-wash, staff the gate and pour the teas are the heartbeat. Our media is brilliant too—Mark Carrick keeps the story straight and the standards high. My role is to join the dots: keep the 1st XV standards sky-high, build the youth pathway under it, and make sure every team at Millbrae feels supported and expected to give back in return.
We’ll stay humble. Success brings choices, and we’ll make the right ones—invest in coaching, keep the Trust strong in schools, welcome families on a Saturday, and give ambitious youngsters the chance to train up with the seniors. If we do that, we’ll keep three senior sides healthy, grow the women’s and girls’ game, and make Millbrae the place players choose to stay because the rugby’s great and the people are better.
I’ve had an amazing journey in this sport. If my work now helps the next kid in Ayrshire wear pink-and-black, or even play for Scotland, that’s the win that matters most.
GRAEME
FERGUSON, GENERAL MANAGER
“IT’S A LIFESTYLE, NOT A JOB.”
I’ve been around Ayr RFC my whole life. I joined when I was 6 years old, I played my way through every age group, and ultimately captained the 1st XV. I had a spell while at university in Edinburgh that included time with Currie, but for 2 of those years away I travelled back to turn out for Ayr. I hung up my boots about twenty years ago to focus on a young family, but I never really left. I returned to the club when my kids took up the sport - I started coaching, then became Mini Convenor, followed by Committee for a couple of years before we transitioned to become a charity with our new governance structure. Since March 2023, I’ve been the club’s General Manager—
the “front-facing” person for sponsors, hospitality, and pretty much everything else.
My connection to the club is family as much as rugby.
My dad, David Ferguson, was a past player and President - he was involved with the redesign the club crest back in the 80’s, along with various extensions and changes to the clubhouse over the years (he was an Architect).
People sometimes assume success just “happens.”
It doesn’t. Everything we achieve is the product of hard work—on and off the field.
We get criticised for money, or for being “dominant,” but there’s no secret formula. We graft. We organise. We keep evolving. Rugby is entertainment, and clubs that still run like it’s thirty years ago are going to struggle.
I’ve said it before: we need to stop thinking of ourselves as just rugby clubs and start operating like businesses that serve our communities. Looking back at an old title won doesn’t help you today if your matchday experience, sponsorship, and structures haven’t moved on.
My job covers everything off field, from utilities to sound systems and memberships to sponsorship. I can be dealing with a burst pipe one minute and a ninefigure company the next. On home matchdays the rugby is the focal point in the middle, but there’s so much before
and after that determines whether people feel welcome, looked after, and keen to come back. Its odd, I’m not involved on the rugby front, but I love listening to the team meetings and watching it translate on the pitchhats off to the players, they are a great bunch and very good players. They have performed at the top of the Scottish club game for years and to maintain that level of consistency is impressive.
Sponsorship is a constant priority. We’re fortunate with our base, but you never stand still—we always need to grow it, tell our story better, and make it easier for people to support us. We’re a charity now, which helps some partners meet their corporate social responsibility goals, and I’ve invested time in building our digital backbone. I chose the Snap Sponsorship platform after calling around both football and rugby clubs to see how they managed renewals and inventory. It isn’t perfect, but it’s a big step forward: it shows opportunities clearly, automates renewals, and gives us 24-hour “selling” even when I’m not at my desk. The real payoff will be this coming cycle, when all the data we’ve loaded prompts timely, transparent conversations about renewals.
When I was finishing as a player, the 1st XV had not long been promoted
back to the top division; we haven’t looked back since. Huge credit to the people involved since that time, I am simply trying to build on their success and keep things going in the right direction. What makes Ayr RFC special is the generations who pass through and stay connected. Families grow here. Kids become players, coaches, volunteers, sponsors, and then their kids start the journey. The club’s reach into the community—schools, local businesses, supporters who might never have played a minute—means if Ayr RFC didn’t exist, there’d be a real hole in local life.
So yes, call me General anager if you like, but the truth is simpler: I’m an explayer and coach who loves this club, who believes its history should inform—not limit—its future, and who wants to see our club go from strength to strength. If we’re doing it right, the rugby’s brilliant, the welcome’s warm, the sponsors feel valued, and the volunteers feel seen.
Graeme Ferguson General Manager - ARFC gf@ayrrugbyclub.co.uk 07730 289285
All the latest sponsorship opportunities here www.snapsponsorship.com/ rights-owners/rugby/ayrrugby-club
JOHN HICKS (BRAND AND MARKETING DIRECTOR) SUPPORTER & MAIN SHIRT SPONSOR:
ALBERT BARTLETT
While I’ll freely admit I’m not a rugby fan myself, I’ve come to really appreciate what Ayr RFC represents — both on and off the pitch. Our connection to the club goes back over a decade and actually began through a long-standing relationship with Drew Young, a major potato grower for us and a former president of the club. Drew’s one of those genuine, grounded people who believes in hard work, community and integrity — values that align perfectly with what we stand for at Albert Bartlett.
Initially, our Scotty Brand appeared on Ayr’s kit because of our partnership with Drew.
Over time that relationship deepened and two years ago, we took on the main shirt sponsorship under the Albert Bartlett brand, supporting the club from the grassroots all the way up to the then Bulls’ team. While it was disappointing to see the Super6 structure come to an end after all the effort and energy invested by everyone involved, the spirit of the club hasn’t dimmed. In fact, what excites me most is what happens beneath the surface — hundreds of kids running around in Ayr colours, learning teamwork, discipline, and friendship; the rapid rise of the women’s section; and the way the club has embedded itself so positively into the wider community.
We’re proud to be part of that journey because Ayr isn’t
just a rugby club — it’s a hub. The people there understand that sport has the power to unite, to give purpose, and to create opportunity. When I see the scale of youth participation, the effort going into coaching, and the way the club reaches out into schools and families, it’s clear why they’ve become such a cornerstone of the local area.
I also have huge admiration for Graeme Ferguson and his team. Graeme’s vision and energy for connecting Ayr RFC’s sponsors, supporters and local businesses are something special. He’s helped build a community of partners who genuinely buy into the same ethos — supporting each other and the club as a shared enterprise. That sense of collaboration is what makes
Ayr stand out and why it’s such a natural fit for us.
At Albert Bartlett, we’re Britain’s largest potato grower, but our success is deeply rooted in local communities like Ayrshire. Ayr is an important potato-growing region for us, so giving something back locally just makes sense. We don’t see it as marketing — it’s about mutual respect and long-term partnership. Whether we’re supplying quality produce to homes across the UK or supporting a club that gives back to its town, it’s the same philosophy: nurture what matters, invest in people, and help things grow.
For me, community is the connection. That’s what drew us to Ayr RFC, and it’s why we’re proud to keep our name alongside theirs.
BILLY LYNCH
LIFELONG SUPPORTER, YOUTH COACH AND SPONSOR (LYNCH HOMES)
“AYR RFC HAS ALWAYS FELT LIKE ONE BIG FAMILY—AND I’M PROUD TO HAVE GROWN UP IN IT”
I’ve been tied to Ayr RFC for as long as I can remember. My dad, John—sadly no longer with us—and my mum, Patsy, took me to Millbrae when I was a wee lad. Back then it wasn’t about superstar players or silverware; it was a good, social, friendly club where people looked out for each other. Mum still pops down on a sunny day to watch the boys. That says everything about what Ayr has been to our family.
As a kid I split my time between football and rugby. Football was probably my first love, and after school I played it seriously into my forties—life and a new farm business made me step back from playing anything for a while. But when I had sons of my own, I knew exactly where I wanted them to grow: in a rugby environment. I wanted them to experience Rugby values—respect, honesty, discipline, hard work—which matched what I believed in.
I took my eldest, Gregor, along to minis and that’s how coaching began. I’d rather get involved than stand on the touchline, so I jumped in to help our head coach, a good friend. We took that group through to U16, then I moved across to help with Harry’s age group, and later with Jack’s when they were stepping into S1. We had some very successful youth teams along the way, with lads who pushed to a very high level, and we also had squads that needed a bit more shaping and belief. I loved both. My coaching philosophy never changed: build teamship, keep standards, enjoy the graft, and make friends with the coaches on the other side. We’re all in it for the same end game—bring the
best out of the kids and keep them loving the sport.
To this day I still bump into coaches we faced for years; a few are refereeing now. That friendship across the white line matters.
Rugby also taught my boys different kinds of courage. Gregor spent most of his rugby in the front row—brutal work, and he did it from P4 right through. Harry’s a centre; he’s 25 now and played at a high level. Jack, the youngest at 23, was a hooker until a herniated disc ruled out the front row—he’s a flanker now and thriving. They’ve all pulled on the pink and black, sometimes together in pairs, never all three at once. Gregor’s stepped back these days—married, a wee one, running the farm—and he’s taken to golf. There’s no pressure from me; sport should give to your life, not take from it. But I still watch every game Harry and Jack play. That won’t change. With three boys playing, my wife and I often had to take turns week after week, making sure one of us was at each son’s match. It wasn’t always easy, but it mattered that each of them felt supported.
People call Ayr a big club now, but to me it’s still the same place I grew up—only better organised, great coaches and with higher expectations. I’ve served on the committee and seen up close how it works when good people disagree but still pull together. Not everyone sees eye to eye; that’s normal in any family. What matters is the shared aim: do right by the club. Decisions are made properly, and the culture holds. We’ve also been fortunate to have such fantastic past presidents, whose hard work and dedication left a huge legacy. That leadership still underpins much of what makes Ayr strong today.
We’ve got the right characters around the place. Grant was always destined to lead a team like this—he has that mix of edge and empathy good coaches need. Brian’s done a huge job as chairman, and I’ll always credit Alan McDonald for picking the right man. When you look at the senior side’s start—still undefeated—you know the badge on your chest paints a target on your back. Everyone lifts when
they face Ayr. If we’re off even a bit, we’ll get turned over, because there are plenty of good coaches and good players in this league.
Beyond the pitch, our family’s support for Ayr runs through our business. Lynch Homes has been around for more than fifty years; Dad backed the club from the early days, and we’ve carried that on. Sponsorship, to me, is about strengthening the roots—helping keep a community hub healthy so it can keep shaping people. I’ve seen what rugby gives: discipline without bluster, friendships that last decades, a safe place for youngsters to grow. It gave that to me as a boy standing at Millbrae with Mum and Dad, and it’s given it to my sons.
If you ask me why a rugby club is special, the answer is simple: it’s one big family. You don’t get to choose every personality in it, and sometimes you butt heads, but you find a way because there’s something bigger than any of us—the club. The best teams I coached weren’t just talented; they trusted each other. Front row, back row, backs—it only works when everyone knows their role and puts the team first. That lesson carries into business and life: understand your place in the pack, do your job well, and respect the people beside you.
I’ve done my time with cones and clipboards, and I loved every minute. Now I’m mostly a dad with a touchline voice and a sponsor who wants to see the next generation come through smiling. Ayr RFC took a young family under its wing and gave us a home. Decades on, we’re still here—because once you’ve felt what this club is, you never really leave.
MARK WHEELDON CLUB PRESIDENT
“IN THE LAST 35 YEARS, I’VE NEVER BEEN MORE PROUD TO BE ONE OF US.”
I’m Coalville born and bred— proper Hovis-ad stuff. My dad was a miner, my grandad was a miner, and the club has always felt like an extension of that community. I started playing around 13, hopping over to a neighbouring side because they had a youth team. When that fell away, I joined Coalville’s Colts at 15—and that’s been my home ever since.
I came through Colts into the 1st XV, then captained the Seconds for a few years before hanging up the boots. When my lad Thomas started, I went full circle—coaching right through minis and juniors with him, then stepping in as Development Team Manager to help our youngsters bridge the gap into senior rugby. From there it was committee work, and now I’m in my second year as Club President. That Development XV piece mattered. We didn’t just
COALVILLE
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
change a name—we reshaped the purpose. The aim was a genuine pathway: competitive, yes, but aligned with the 1st XV in standards, coaching and environment so those young players felt what “senior squad” really means. Winning wasn’t the be-all… though the group only went and won their league that year. The measure that still makes me proud is how many of those lads are now comfortable, contributing senior players.
We’re a homegrown club at heart. Most weeks 85–90% of our 1st-team squad are Coalville through and through, with a couple of smart additions who add real value. It’s inclusive, it’s welcoming, and it feels like those old miners’ welfare nights—families in, kids everywhere, the place buzzing early evening before the grown-ups settle into a more traditional rugby club later on. Our women’s team is thriving, our minis and juniors are the heartbeat, and we’ve got a young, vibrant committee pushing the place forward.
None of this works without volunteers and safeguarding. Coaches giving their time, people stepping into safeguarding roles, the club backing qualifications—no one’s getting paid to do it; they do it because they care. That spirit shows in ways you can’t script. When we suffered a mindless break-in, the players didn’t wait for a call—they turned up, cleaned up, and the community rallied. Other clubs chipped in, a GoFundMe appeared, even the local MP came to see for herself. Out of something horrible came a reminder of who we are.
We try to live that Beyond rugby, we try to give more than we take. Alongside years of support for Coalville Foodbank (5+ tonnes to date; 355g on our latest drive), our Christmas Toy Appeal was led entirely by three members— partners of players and club officials—who drove it from start to finish, rallying ~260 gifts for the FREEVA appeal.
On the rugby side, we’ll be judged by results—last
season we finished third and reached the Papa John’s Cup Final—and we’ve started this campaign with a hard-earned win against a side we know well. League structures change: we focus on what we can control. Solid planning, strong sponsors (local firms who also offer jobs and apprenticeships to our youngsters), and giving our men’s, women’s and agegrade teams the best resources we sensibly can. Celebrate the wins, learn from the losses, keep improving.
Thomas is now packing down in the 1st-team front row alongside a cohort he’s grown up with since he was six. That continuity—seeing kids become senior players and club people—tells me our pathway is doing its job.
If you ask me what truly makes Coalville special, it’s belonging. You can’t always put it into words—you feel it when you walk in the door. And that’s why, hand on heart, I meant every word at last season’s awards night: in the last 35 years, I’ve never been more proud to be one of us.
CHRIS WATSON
SECRETARY
From my front door I can see the driveway to our club. That feels about right, because Coalville RFC is where my family spends most of our week. I’m a late starter—only laced up in my mid-30s after years of coaching my lads—but one session with the 2s and I was hooked. Since then, I’ve played right through, helped out wherever needed, and this year I’m serving as club secretary. Coalville has a way of pulling you in and giving you purpose.
We talk a lot about “new beginnings,” and that isn’t just a slogan. A few years after COVID we were short on numbers and short on confidence. But the lads who stuck it out have grown into leaders, and a wave
LEE CHRISTOPHER SUPPORTER & SPONSOR
At Premier Logistics, we’ve been proud to support Coalville RFC for a number of years now. As a local business, backing grassroots sport is something we’ve always believed in and Coalville is a great example of what makes clubs like this so important.
It’s more than just rugby. It’s about giving young people a positive place to be, teaching them respect,
of home-grown players has come through. We put two senior sides out strong, the 2s went unbeaten to win their Merit league, and we even pushed all the way to a national final in the Papa John’s Cup. The result didn’t go our way, but the journey reminded us of who we are: resilient, together, ambitious.
The other half of our turnaround has been off the field—and this is where my wife, Stephanie, deserves the credit. When she stepped up as premises manager, she made it her mission to give the club a clubhouse worthy of the people in it. We secured Impact ’25 support and then rolled our sleeves up—sponsors, volunteers, careful budgeting— to deliver a full refresh: new
teamwork, and helping them feel part of something. That kind of environment doesn’t happen by accident. It’s down to the hard work of volunteers, coaches, parents, and supporters who give up their time week in, week out. We see the same values in our business people pulling together, doing things properly, and looking out for each other. That’s what makes our connection with the club feel like such a natural fit.
floors, seating, layout, and the whole place brighter, warmer, more welcoming. We tied the work to a Grand Re-Opening and marked 25 years at the Memorial Ground. What mattered most wasn’t the paint or the furniture—it was the feeling. Instead of the place emptying at six on a Saturday, we’re busy into the evening; instead of parents dashing off on Sundays, they stick around. You can feel the club breathing again.
That family thread runs through everything we do. Our minis and juniors are buzzing; on any weekend you’ll see seniors cheering the kids and the kids turning up to watch the seniors. We’re flinging the doors wide to newcomers— some players are brand-new to sport and still find their way into a Coalville shirt. Our Ladies are part of that picture too, with more young players
joining and a real sense of momentum. It’s exactly what a community club should feel like: many teams, one badge.
Phase two is already on the board: upgrading the changing rooms and showers so the player experience matches the welcome in the bar. It’s not about being flashy; it’s about respect—showing every member, volunteer and visitor that they matter.
Why do I love this place? Because it’s a big, honest Coalville family. Because families are supposed to celebrate together, graft together, and look after the town around them. And because when you walk into our clubhouse now—kids racing about, first-teamers chatting to age-grade coaches, old friends and new faces—you can see what we’ve built. We’re not finished. But we’re very much alive.
“RUGBY
BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER – THAT’S WHY WE SUPPORT COALVILLE RFC”
BY WOLFGANG GORNER, MD OF HÖRMANN DOORS
Although my name and accent might not suggest it, I was raised in Aberdeen, and I still hold the northeast of Scotland very close to my heart. I’ve always been a sports fan—football, of course, as a Dons supporter— but rugby has a special place for me. I played a little at school, both my boys played to a good level, and I’ve long admired the sport’s inclusivity and values.
What I love about rugby is that it really is for everyone. It doesn’t matter your background, your job, your size, or your ability—rugby clubs up and down the country welcome all. They become the beating heart of their communities. Coalville RFC is the perfect example. Coalville is an old mining town, and just as rugby sits at the centre of Welsh valley communities, so too has it become central here.
At Hörmann we are a family-run business, still in the fourth and fifth generations. That family ethos makes our partnership with Coalville such a natural fit. One of the younger generation even discovered rugby whilst studying at St Andrews,
played the game, and came back to Germany to explain to the rest of his family just why this odd-shaped ball sport was so special. For us, supporting Coalville isn’t simply about logos on posts or boards—it’s about helping a club that lives its values and serves its people.
When the clubhouse was broken into, we were
heartbroken. The vandalism was mindless, the complete opposite of what the club stands for. Our immediate response was simple: “What can we do to help?” We supplied new security doors and offered whatever else was needed. That’s the kind of twoway relationship we want— supporting a club that gives so much back to its community.
For the past two years we’ve even hosted our staff barbecue at Coalville RFC. We close early on a Friday, bring the team together at the clubhouse, and I take my place at the grill. It’s great fun for everyone, but more importantly it supports the club by putting money behind the bar and strengthening ties between a local employer and a local institution.
Our connection to rugby extends further too. We partner with Leicester Tigers to host customers, and what I’ve always noticed is that rugby creates an environment where families feel welcome. You can bring your partner, even your children, and enjoy the day. That’s not something you can say of every sport.
Coalville RFC embodies everything I admire about rugby: openness, respect, teamwork, and friendship. There is no prejudice, no barriers—it’s there for all. In today’s world, with all its challenges, children and young people especially need those life lessons. Rugby teaches humility, courage, trust, and the value of working together, and that is every bit as important as winning.
For me, supporting Coalville RFC is not just sponsorship—it’s being part of a family. And long may that relationship continue.
CHRIS SIMPSON TREASURER & BUSINESS MANAGER
I’ve lived in Coalville since I was six, and although I didn’t grow up a rugby player—I was a slalom canoeist, the lone bloke throwing himself down a river between poles—rugby has become the heartbeat of my family and my week. My route in wasn’t through playing, but through family: my brother-inlaws Jim, Richard and Steven all played for Coalville, and when my son Jordan turned five he announced he wanted to play “like my uncles.” He had no interest in canoeing; he wanted a rugby ball in his hands.
Like so many rugby stories, mine began on a cold January morning. I took Jordan down to minis, and by the end of that first season I’d been roped into coaching. I’d never played a minute of rugby in my life, but people helped me along and I learned. I coached Jordan and a tight little group of his mates for 13 years, right through to Colts, before handing them over to the senior squad. Watching them grow from little lads into men—seeing the discipline, respect and togetherness the sport instils—was a privilege you can’t put a price on.
I’ve always loved rugby’s values. Long before coaching, my wife and I were Leicester Tigers season-ticket holders. What hooks me isn’t just the game—it’s the respect. You see it early: a referee telling a new U12 captain, “I won’t always be right; you don’t have to shout—come and talk to me.” That tone shapes people. I’ve taken friends from football to Twickenham and watched their jaws drop at the atmosphere: fans in different colours chatting, buying each other a beer, applauding good
rugby whoever scores. It’s a different culture, and it’s why I’m proud Coalville fights hard to keep those traditions alive.
When Jordan turned 18, I stepped away from the committee side of things for a while to build the business. About three years ago the club asked me to come back as treasurer—and I said yes, but only if I could run the finances like a business. These days I call myself Treasurer & Business Manager because it’s more than paying bills. I produce monthly management accounts for committee meetings—proper P&L so everyone can see exactly where we are. At the AGM I project the full management accounts on the screen so members can see what’s coming in, where it goes, and what we’re investing in. It’s their club and their money, and we’ve made a conscious decision to reinvest what we generate back into facilities and playing environments. We don’t chase big “profit”; we chase progress.
Sponsorship is part of my brief, too. I made a point of going out with our then president to meet every existing sponsor for a proper handover, and I keep in touch with them—email, visits, inviting them to President’s Dinners. Coalville sits in a quarrying area, and I work in a similar industry, so I’ve used those relationships to bring in some new support as well. The best part is how many of these businesses want to give back locally; some of our lads even work with them. That’s the circle we’re trying to strengthen.
This summer we pushed through our “Impact 25” clubhouse renovations, marking 25 years at the Memorial Ground. My wife, Carol, really stepped up— she now volunteers behind
the bar on busy nights and was hands-on during the refurb—alongside Chris’s wife and a bunch of players who mucked in to get jobs done. On the first home matchday we held an open day and our 25th anniversary celebration. I stood at the bar around eight in the evening and just took it in: the first-team boys in shirts, ties and chinos; their partners, parents and kids all together. It felt like we’d restored something important—family, camaraderie, that one-club heartbeat.
We’re determined to knit past and present together. Jim, Richard and Steven are still about the place—they come down to watch, not only when Jordan plays, but to be with old mates. We’re also building the “1902” President’s Club to bring former players and stalwarts back into the fold. The history matters; the baton only passes if people keep showing up.
On the pitch, Coalville want to play fast. Fitness is a big emphasis—players grumble as all players do, but we see the benefit in the last ten minutes when it counts. We’ve also brought back a small tradition that opposition sides seem to love: jugs in the changing rooms after games for the senior squads. It’s simple, it’s old-school, and it says who we are.
Jordan has come through the pathway to the first team as a winger. He’s currently out injured, which is tough on him and on us—we’re a rugby family, and you feel every high and low—but seeing him stick with the sport from age five to now tells you everything about what this club gives to a young person: belonging, standards, a second home.
Running a rugby club is an expensive business. Memberships help, bar takings help, sponsors are vital—but the real fuel is the one-club ethos. Players looking after each other on and off the field. Volunteers turning up with sleeves rolled. Past players coming back. Parents pouring pints and kids chasing each other around the clubhouse. That’s the return on investment I care about most.
I came to rugby as an individual sportsman and found my team. Coalville RFC taught me that the ledger matters—but only because it funds a culture worth protecting. My job now is to keep the books straight, keep the sponsors close, and keep the doors open so the next five-year-old can come in on a frosty Sunday, pull on a shirt, and grow up in a place that makes him a better player— and a better person.
PAUL CROSS, SUPPORTER & SPONSOR: MQP
I’m originally from Leicestershire, though not from Coalville itself. I actually live further south, but our MQP head office is only about a mile away from Coalville Rugby Club, and one of our major quarries is nearby too. So even though rugby’s not really my sport—I’d much rather be out on the golf course than getting myself hurt—it’s always been on the radar.
Our business, Midland Quarry Products (MQP), has been around for close to 30 years now and is part of Heidelberg, one of the biggest cement companies in the world. Over that time, MQP has had an association with Coalville RFC in different ways. I’ve been with the business eight years, and I know there was sponsorship before me because I remember going to a wedding at the clubhouse and spotting our logo on some old shirts.
My personal link into the club has really come through Chris Simpson. Chris is one of my biggest customers, a great businessman and a lovely bloke, and he twisted my arm into getting MQP back involved as a sponsor. He’s passionate about the
club, and it’s infectious. We’ve put some money into shirts recently and I know he’ll be chasing me again next year for a bit more—he’s very persuasive!
At MQP, we try to keep our charitable and sponsorship efforts local. We employ around 170 people, many of whom live in and around Coalville, so it makes sense to give back to the communities where our staff and their families live, go to school and play sport. We’ve supported Rainbows Hospice for many years because it’s local and very close to the hearts of some of our colleagues whose children have used its services. We also back plenty of local schools, PTAs and sports teams with small donations—raffles, Christmas prizes, Easter events, things like that. In total, MQP donates around £10,000 a year across different causes.
Coalville RFC fits into that picture perfectly. It’s not just about rugby—it’s a hub for people. Coalville as a town has its challenges, like many old mining communities do, but the rugby club gives people somewhere positive to go, whether that’s kids getting into sport for the first time, families coming together for events, or even people like me just dropping by for an
Hardstone and Asphalt Suppliers
Very proud of our long association and support of Coalville Rugby Club.
MQP is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of aggregate and asphalt to the building, construction and rail industries.We provide a comprehensive range of products to comply with current British Standards and Highway Agency Specifications.
open day. When I visited with my partner, my boss and his wife, Chris showed us the improvements they’d made— new lights, refurbished bar and clubhouse—and it looked fantastic. You can see how hard they work to make it welcoming not just for rugby people but for the whole community.
For us, supporting Coalville RFC is about more than putting our name on a
shirt. It’s about being part of that local fabric and showing that MQP is here, engaged, and contributing. Whether it’s rugby, golf, cricket, or just painting fences as a team at the Great Central Railway in Loughborough, we believe in getting out there, being seen, and doing our bit. Coalville RFC does the same through rugby, and that’s why we’re proud to be associated with them.
KEYWORTH
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“2024/2025
Champions of Counties 2 Midlands East
(North)!”
KEVIN PRICE CHAIRMAN
I grew up in Leicester and only really found rugby in my mid-teens. Our school—Alderman Newton’s Grammar—was a rugby school, but it didn’t click for me until two new staff arrived: England international Keith Fielding and Richard Moss. They got me hooked around 15, and I’ve never really looked back.
After a year of work, I went to Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham. I lodged in Keyworth and someone said, “They’ve just started a rugby club—give them your name.” The club had only begun playing in September 1976; I moved to Keyworth in January 1977, joined, and within a fortnight I was playing every week. I was 20 then; I’ve just turned 69. I played for Keyworth until 1987—just shy of 300 appearances. I started at openside and finished at No.8, right in the thick of it. I stopped when the doctor told me the head knocks were adding up. I took the whistle
after that and refereed for about a decade. We were lucky at Keyworth: we had links with some high-level refs who helped me along. It kept me in the game and gave me a different appreciation for it.
On the field, what I miss most is the old clubhouse camaraderie—staying for a pint with the opposition and chatting to the ref. It still happens, but life moves faster now. Even so, at our level you still see the best of rugby’s
values most weeks.
This last couple of years have been astonishing. We won promotion the year before last, went up again this past season, and did it by playing positive, attacking rugby. “Fortress Widmerpool” isn’t just a phrase—we’ve barely lost a league game at home since late 2022. Successive promotions mean we’ll face some big, well-run clubs next year, but the lads have bought into the travel
and the standards. We’re ready for it.
I’m proud of the pathway beneath the first team. Our U18 Colts reached the RFU National Cup quarter-final in 2021/22 and were edged out on the away-side rule after drawing with Kettering—who went on to the semi-finals. That group fed straight into senior rugby, and you can see the benefit now.
This club means so much to me because of how it
welcomed me. I wasn’t local when I arrived; people took me in and made me feel at home. We had very little then—farmer’s fields, changing at the school, a linemarker trundled down the lane on a Saturday morning— but we built something together. Today we’ve got our home on Willoughby Road in Widmerpool, right on the Nottinghamshire–Leicestershire border in the little triangle of the “three W’s”: Widmerpool, Wysall and Willoughby-on-the-Wolds. It still feels like one big family.
If there’s a motto, I’ve tried to live by in the club it’s the one from my school—“not for yourself but for those that follow.” My hope is that what we’ve built—the grounds, the teams, the culture—gives the next lot the same belonging rugby gave me.
CAVAN KIERAN
FORMER PLAYER, PARENT, COACH AND ALL-ROUND KEYWORTH STALWART!
I’m Keyworth born-and-bred, from the next village down, Toton. Rugby bit me at South Wolds School thanks to a history teacher, Pete Ford—an ex-Keyworth player and a proper rugby nut. He ran with the oval ball whenever he could, and as my form tutor, he had plenty of chances to drag me along. That’s where it started.
There wasn’t much of a Colts pathway back then, so I drifted out after school and came back in my early twenties via a couple of local clubs. My eventual “transfer” to Keyworth was classic village rugby: the first-team captain—my brother-in-law’s best mate—invited me to a couple of summer sessions. I signed a “training waiver” and only found out I’d actually transferred when my old club rang to ask why I’d left. That was about 27 years ago. I’ve never looked back.
I was a hooker most of my career—anywhere across the front row later on. I finally
hung the boots up six years ago… or tried to. I went along to “get three minutes” off the bench at 50, and one of the props broke a finger after four minutes and wouldn’t go back on. I ended up doing 76 minutes. Two new hips later (knee due soon), I was done as a player and went all-in off the pitch.
I’ve served on the committee—discipline chair, players’ chair—and then got into coaching. I’ve followed our current U11s since they were U7s, and I’m part of the senior coaching group as well: Mondays on the grass, helping Wednesdays, and match-day prep on Saturdays. This is a whole-family thing for us. My wife, Victoria, is a rugby nut and a sports massage therapist—she’s the one taping bodies together on Saturday mornings—and both our kids grew up at the club. Our lad Thomas captained the first team the
year, then won the league and the NLD Cup, and went again to win the league this past season. At home we’ve made Widmerpool into a bit of a fortress, and the 2nd XV won their Merit Table league too—which says a lot about our depth and the pathway coming through. The big focus now is consistency: getting a regular 2s out, making the whole squad “first-team ready,” and embracing the travel as we step up. The universities are a bit of an unknown, but the boys are skilful enough—the difference at the next level will be fitness and the details.
season before last and is vice-captain alongside Harry this year; we’re very much a Keyworth household.
As a club, the last three seasons have been a proper journey. We moved out of the Merit set-up back into the Counties leagues, brought in Sam Williams as head coach, doubled down on fitness and togetherness, and kept the lads tight with socials, buses for the short away days, and a lot of honest graft. We finished runners-up the first
What makes Keyworth special? Simple: it feels like family. We’ve had new lads arrive from bigger clubs and their partners say they’ve spoken to more people in three weeks here than in three years elsewhere. We’re “the biggest little club in the NLD,” tucked away in the middle of nowhere, and that means we work hard to be welcoming and visible—whether that’s social media (our “Chuck Norris” bloodhound hunting down lapsed players), family fun days with hay-bale assault courses and waterslides, or just making sure every agegrade parent knows there’s a place for their mates’ kids, too. Bring them through the gate and the rest takes care of itself.
Rugby gives you more than a game. It gives you belonging. That’s what I had as a player, and it’s what I’m determined to pass on now.
RICHARD BROOKS, LONG STANDING SUPPORTER & SPONSOR: EUROBALE
I’m as local to Keyworth Rugby Club as you can get— I’m a farmer and our fields border the ground. When Harry was eight or nine, he’d drive across the farm in our all-terrain vehicle to training, park up in our field, and head straight in. We introduced him to rugby because we knew it was a great way to make good friends. That’s exactly what happened: a great bunch, and he’s stayed close with them ever since.
Rugby’s values matter to me. What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch; afterwards you shake hands, share a drink, and respect the referee. If someone tells me in a job interview that they’ve played rugby and been active in a club, I rate that highly—it usually means the right sort of person. I’m 61 now and my wife, Will, and I are avid supporters. I run the VEO camera through the winter and we love being around the lads. Age never feels like a barrier at Keyworth—colts of 20 or 21 mix in easily with us old stagers, and everyone goes out together. It’s a proper, welcoming club.
I played at school and a few years at club level before horses stole me away—I was probably better on a horse than a rugby pitch and spent years on that “dark side.” Later, in my late forties and early fifties, I wandered back, played a few games again (even managed the odd runout alongside Harry), and then settled into the best role I’ve got now: noisy supporter on the sideline.
The friendships go well beyond Saturday. We’ve just come back from a catamaran trip in Greece—Harry came along and we took three clubmates with us. Next year is the club’s 50th anniversary and we’re already talking about a Keyworth rugby flotilla—Harry’s taking his Day Skipper, a couple of the lads are too, and we’re thinking four or five boats. In the summers, Harry runs a farmbased business here; some days we’ve had eight or nine Keyworth players working on the place. We could have put out a tasty sevens side from the yard alone.
On the pitch we’ve been blessed these last few years— riding the crest of a wave for a small, tight-knit club that genuinely plays for each other, backed by high-quality coaching. Back-to-back league champions, a double promotion, NLD success—it’s staggering for a club our size. One of our great strengths is how family-minded we are.
Rugby asks a lot: training twice a week, Friday nights in, Saturdays playing, Sundays sore. Partners have to be understanding—and at Keyworth, they’re included. Wives and girlfriends come down, they know each other, and our socials are built to involve everyone. It makes a huge difference. New players and their partners feel it straight away: it’s friendly, genuine, and you’re part of it.
Last season’s finish summed us up. We went to Ashby, they were unbeaten at home, and the title was on the line—winner takes the league. We took a full coachload; I’ve never seen so many Keyworth supporters. It was a glorious sunny day, the lads put in probably their performance of the season, and Ashby looked a bit shell-shocked. Will and I still have the VEO footage; we occasionally sit and relive it. It was the perfect way to end the year.
Now we step up to Counties 1 Midlands. As a farmer, I can tell you the ground’s been like concrete— unplayable at times—but we know what’s coming: a higher level, and at some point momentum meets a ceiling. Even so, I’ve watched training and the group looks slick and hungry. Sam Williams, our head coach, is a real maestro—strong,
competitive, wants to win— and right alongside him is Nick Martin. If you asked me to name one person who epitomises Keyworth Rugby Club, it’s Nick: completely selfless, a leader who seems to get better every year, and a massive presence in supporting Sam and the lads. We’ve attracted a couple of new faces, but the best thing is it’s still largely home-grown lads who’ve been with the club for life. We’ve been unbeaten at home for two and a half years; whether that holds at the next level, who knows, but I’d be disappointed if we’re not in the mix.
We’re humble about it, a bit pinching-ourselves, but there’s belief. Harry could probably play elsewhere (and
he’s captain now), and there are others who could too—but they choose to stay and play with their friends. That’s the crux of Keyworth: no cliques, no first-team/second-team divide, just people happy to sit next to anyone in the clubhouse. If a senior player is rotated into the seconds, there’s no sulking—everyone’s pleased for the next man up. It’s always the club before the individual.
If you ask me what I love about Keyworth Rugby Club, it’s simple. It’s family. It’s friendship. It’s the kind of place where your son drives across the fields to play as a boy, and years later you’re still there together— working, travelling, cheering— surrounded by people who feel the same. I love this club.
AND HAY
WHITCHURCH
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
DAVE WINDSOR CHAIRMAN
I’m Whitchurch born and bred. My first game for this club was back in 1976, straight out of the grammar school that sits over the road from Edgeley Park. I’ve dipped in and out—marriage, kids, the usual injuries—but every time life threw me a curveball, I came back to the club, and the doors were open like I’d never been away. That’s the magic of this place: you walk in, and it feels like home.
We’ve come a long way without losing who we are. Whitchurch RFC started in 1936, played where we could, and then settled at Edgeley Park in the 1970s with a clubhouse built by our own hands. The faces change but the spirit doesn’t— local people, volunteering, coaching, putting on a shirt and grafting for each other. That’s the heartbeat of North Shropshire rugby.
Last season was a tough one for the seniors—no sense pretending otherwise.
We were pitched into a farflung league; the travelling was heavy, and it wore on players and families. We were relegated from Level 6 and had to take our medicine. But even in a hard year there were bright spots. We brought in Andy Powell—a big personality and a good bloke—who came for the love of the game and gave the place a lift.
What kept the belief burning was our Colts. They were outstanding—made the National Colts Cup semifinal—and that pipeline is everything to us. This summer we’ve doubled down on transition: Colts in with the seniors in pre-season, lads earning shirts on merit, and genuine competition for places across the squad. That energy is back around Edgeley Park, and you can feel it on a Thursday night.
This season the league makes more sense geographically—Counties 1 Midlands West (North)— so our furthest trip is
manageable, and the local derbies are back on the menu. It’s better for players, families and the bar till. After last year’s miles, that matters Community is our north star. We’ve got nearly 300 minis and juniors from six to sixteen coming through— Sundays are a sea of red and white—and the clubhouse is buzzing longer because we’ve rolled our sleeves up and refreshed the place: new flooring, seating and tables, a few screens on with the rugby, and we’ve made it more welcoming for parents to stay, chat and connect. It’s not flashy; it’s just us investing in the space where friendships are made.
We’ve had a go at girls’ and women’s rugby in recent years—some talented youngsters came in—but numbers were thin across age bands and a nearby club built momentum faster, so several drifted there. That’s okay: the door stays open. When the timing and numbers are right, we’ll build it again—properly
and sustainably—because the sport’s better when more people play.
Beyond the rugby, we try to be useful. We host Andy’s Man Club every Monday because mental health matters here and a conversation can change a life. We lend the facilities to local groups, schools and fundraisers because we’re part of the town, not separate from it. When you run a community club, you learn that the more you give, the more you receive.
Why do I love Whitchurch? Because it’s local lads and lasses running their own club, from the president to the Colts captain; because a shy 12-year-old can arrive on a wet Sunday and leave an 18-yearold leader; because after a hard week you can walk into the bar, see familiar faces, and know you belong. That’s what this place gave me in 1976, and it’s what we’re passing on now—one training night, one debut, one quiet arm round a shoulder at a time.
JASON CROMPTON
CHROME NORTH WEST
I’m Jason Crompton, managing director of Chrome North West, and we’re proud to sponsor Whitchurch Rugby Club. My family and I moved to Whitchurch a few years ago, and the warmth of the welcome we received from the club was something special. My son Alfie, who’s now Second XV captain, absolutely loves it there — it’s everything I believe rugby should be about: discipline, camaraderie, and honesty.
We’ve supported the club for several years now, not for publicity but because we see the good it does locally. It’s a real community hub — a place where young and old come together, where values matter, and where people look out for one another.
Supporting Whitchurch feels natural to us; they’re a genuine, down-to-earth club run by good people, and I’m proud we can play a small part in helping them thrive.
RICH CHARMLEY CLUB PRESIDENT
I first picked u a rugby ball when I was 16 at school in Malpas. Our PE master encouraged me to go along to Whitchurch Rugby Club, and that was the start of it all. In those days the club ran five senior sides and even had a midweek team because the shops used to shut on Wednesday afternoons. I began in the fifths, worked my way into the seconds, and before long I’d won young player of the year.
To be honest, I was painfully shy back then, but the lads at the club really looked after me. They gave me confidence, and with their encouragement I found my feet. One night, Terry Clark and Percy Miller pulled my parents aside and told them the only thing holding me back was my eyesight. They sorted me out with contact
lenses, and after that I never looked back. I broke into the first team and eventually got chances further afield –playing rugby in New Zealand and then in Australia with Wagga Wagga. Those were incredible experiences that came about because of rugby.
Farming has always been my other great passion. Back in the 1980s when milk quotas hit, things were tough. One evening in the rugby club bar, a friend of mine mentioned a farm that was up for rent. We put in a tender and got it, and to this day I’ll always say I wouldn’t be farming what I am now without the opportunities and friendships that came through Whitchurch Rugby Club. Rugby has given me everything – friendships, confidence, even my livelihood.
Over the years I’ve played, captained, coached minis, juniors and Colts, chaired the minis and juniors, and
eventually found myself back at the club as President. I wasn’t sure about taking it on at first, but I’ve grown to love the role. For me, it’s about putting something back into a club that has given me so much.
What makes Whitchurch special is the people. From the old stalwarts like Terry, who still comes down to watch despite his health challenges, to the kids running around in the minis, it’s a family beyond family. We support each other through good times and bad. That’s what rugby clubs do. They connect people, they fight loneliness, they give youngsters somewhere to belong, and they give adults friendships for life.
I’ve been lucky enough to watch international rugby, even a Lions tour, but truthfully, I’d rather watch grassroots rugby any day of the week. The pride I feel seeing our Colts develop, watching local lads step up to the first team, or simply sitting in the clubhouse with lifelong friends – that means more to me than anything else.
At 62, I still love being around the game. I walk the fields, work the farm with my sons, and keep myself busy, but rugby will always be central to my life. Looking back, I can honestly say I owe the best of what I’ve got to Whitchurch Rugby Club – and that’s why I’ll always be passionate about giving back to it.
JONATHAN GASKELLGASKELLS WASTE MANAGEMENT
Rugby has been a big part of our family life for years, and Whitchurch Rugby Club has become a real hub for us. We live in Spurstow, about ten miles north of Whitchurch, and both my sons play there - Freddie is in the under-16s and Hubert in the under-11s. My daughters Arabella and Alberta are also regulars down at the club and enjoy watching the matches.
Freddie joined three years ago after hearing great things about the club and loved it from day one. It’s a friendly, supportive environment that’s helped him grow in confidence and be part of a strong under-16s team. Hubert’s still finding his feet, but he’s enjoying every minute; which is what really matters.
With four kids, weekends are busy, but we get to senior matches when we can, and the boys love being part of the club community. Whitchurch RFC is welcoming, family orientated and built on great values - the kind of place where everyone knows each other and new faces are quickly made to feel welcome.
That’s one of the reasons we’re proud to support the club through our business, Gaskells Waste Management. We’re a family-run company with depots in Liverpool, Welshpool, Telford, Anglesey, and now South Wales, and we’ve always believed in supporting the communities we operate in.
For us, sponsorship isn’t just about logos and box ticking - it’s about helping a great local club continue to develop young players, bring families together, and strengthen community spirit. Whether it’s watching the kids play or enjoying a pint in the clubhouse, there’s something genuinely special about Whitchurch RFC.
As both a parent and a sponsor, I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it.
• Wheeled bins, Front End Loaders (FEL) & Roll on Roll off Containers
• Suppliers of Compactors & Balers
• Separate collections for: General Waste, Cardboard, Food, Glass and Dry Mixed Recycling
I`m a Black Country lad who’s spent most of his life in and around rugby. I grew up at Dudley Kingswinford (DK): all my minis and juniors were there, then county rugby with Hereford & Worcester / North Midlands, and later senior spells with Walsall, Bridgnorth, a stint up north with Sandbach, and finally Crewe & Nantwich when work moved me. I even laced them up again at 40 for firstteam rugby—right up to the moment the Achilles went… and then the other one. That was the body telling me I’d had my share.
Rugby has always been a family thing. My dad, John Smallwood, played for DK and then coached me—he was a great coach and a better man. The pattern repeated when I stopped playing: I coached my own kids at Crewe & Nantwich. My sisters’ families are steeped in the game too. Gemma’s three boys all play—one in the Melbourne academy— and Justine’s son James has returned to DK in his thirties after years away. You can see what rugby gives him: structure, mateship, somewhere to put the week’s noise, and a better mood come Monday. That’s the sport in a nutshell—15 v 15 for 80 minutes, leave it all out
there, and share a pint with the opposition afterwards. I never actually played for Whitchurch, but I’ve played against them plenty—at DK, Walsall, Bridgnorth— and alongside their lads at county level. They’ve always felt like a proper town club: good people in the right
places, strong coaches, a welcoming set-up, and real care for the kids. In our patch, Whitchurch (and Sandbach) could field multiple junior teams while smaller clubs scraped numbers—that tells you about their pull and their programme. What I admire most is that they’ve kept their identity. Plenty of club’s chase league positions and lose the heart of what made them special. Whitchurch invest in minis and juniors, keep a strong conveyor belt into Colts and seniors, and resist the temptation to throw money at short-term fixes that upset the wider club. That’s long-term thinking.
My business, Solar Structures, came to Whitchurch in the usual rugby way: we talked for three minutes about panels and two hours about
rugby. It was a natural fit to help them—community club, community energy, community benefits. Sponsorship, like coaching, should be personal; you stay visible, answer questions, and help make good things happen. Rugby’s values are simple and lasting: respect, honesty, teamwork, and looking after each other. You trust a prop on Saturday; you can trust the same person to turn up on Wednesday and do a job right. That’s why rugby people recommend rugby people. And that’s why Whitchurch is a great club: they look after their own, welcome others, and keep the focus on what matters— growing the game the right way, so more kids pull on the jersey, and more adults find a place to belong.
WIGTON
RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB
“Counties
JAMES FITT CHAIRMAN & FIRST XV PLAYER
1 Cumbria Champions 2024/2025!”
My journey with rugby began back in Year 7 at school when I first picked up the oval ball. I was fortunate to have two excellent rugby-playing teachers who fostered my early interest. From there, I quickly got involved with Wigton Rugby Club, initially joining the Sunday morning junior sessions. Wigton has always been my club—I grew up in one of the surrounding villages, went to school locally, and I’ve genuinely never considered playing anywhere else.
Throughout my teenage years, I balanced playing Colts and occasionally featuring for the second team during sixth form. Then I headed off to university,
where I briefly switched codes and played rugby league. My early career in banking meant a brief hiatus from the game, but by age 23, I was back playing regularly for Wigton’s first team, where I’ve been consistently involved for about five years now. I typically play in the second row or occasionally the back row, particularly now that we’ve got some rapid, talented younger players filling those spots.
I’m incredibly proud of Wigton’s robust youth setup. It’s a cornerstone of our club, genuinely reflective of our community spirit. Last season, nearly our entire first team came through our junior ranks, a remarkable achievement for a town of around 4,000 people. Our Colts squad especially excites
me—last year, our under-17s competed in an under-18 league, gaining invaluable experience. They’re now primed to dominate the Cumbria under-18 scene, which is testament to the effort put into nurturing our young players.
For Wigton, it’s always been about the community and our club culture, especially during recent challenging periods. Before COVID hit, we faced cultural and strategic struggles that could have driven the club downward. However, the enforced break from rugby served as a wake-up call. We realized we needed to refocus on properly developing junior talent and fostering a positive club culture. This strategic pivot has revitalized us, resulting in greater numbers at all levels and fostering an infectious enthusiasm that’s carried us forward.
Our recent promotion to Counties Two is thrilling, not just for the challenge of higher-level rugby but also because it reconnects us with traditional rivals like Upper Eden and Keswick, as well as strong clubs from the Northeast. It’s been about ten years since Wigton competed at this level, and the excitement within the club is tangible. While we might not be the biggest team physically, we’ve embraced a dynamic, expansive style of rugby that we’re committed to developing across all age groups.
I’m currently serving as Chairman, a role I took on in September last year. I’m probably one of the youngest chairmen around at this level—something that’s drawn attention and hopefully brings fresh ideas. Working in digital banking, I’ve also had the chance to contribute to the RFU’s digital initiatives, helping Wigton maximize our online and social media presence. It’s exciting to combine my professional background with my passion for rugby to help the club grow.
Another proud milestone is our recent launch of a women’s team, set to compete for the first time next season, alongside our junior girls’ squads. Given the traditionally conservative nature of our area, establishing women’s and girls’ teams has been a significant, progressive step.
Ultimately, Wigton Rugby Club is special because of our vibrant culture and closeknit community spirit. From junior trips to Newcastle Falcons games to singing on the bus rides home, it’s this camaraderie and passion that keep players and supporters returning. Despite the practical challenges of running a club in a small rural town, our culture keeps thriving and drawing people in. This sense of belonging and togetherness is why I’ve stayed with Wigton, why I’m so passionate about its future, and why I’m proud to help lead us into an exciting new chapter.
PHILLIPPA DODD
PROUD SUPPORTER & SPONSOR THROUGH HALF MOON LANE
DENTAL SURGERY
We’ve lived just outside Wigton for over twenty years, and the club has been part of our weekends for almost all that time. Mark, my husband played here, so when the kids came along it was clear where they’d end up pulling on their first shirts. Jonny was five when he started playing tag, Sarah had a little runout too, and then Michael followed them both onto the pitch. We’ve grown up around Wigton Rugby Club as a family.
This Season will be a special one for us. Jonny has taken on the responsibility of Captain of the 1st XV - still young for the role, but he’s got a good rugby head on him—and he’s loving it at number eight. Michael’s a prop; he’s just had a knee injury and we’re waiting on the MRI. He’s worked his way up through the juniors and Colts and hopefully he’ll be back soon. One of my proudest Rugby Moments will always be the day when Mark and both boys; all three Dodds out on the pitch together for the first team, even if it was only twenty minutes—what a memory.
As For Myself - I’m a Dentist in the town, so supporting the club has always been about looking after our own. At the start of the season, I’m usually down on a Sunday taking impressions and fitting
gumshields for the minis and juniors, working with Solway a local lab so we can keep the cost sensible and protect as many teeth / smiles as possible. We’ve chipped in for a few bits of kit over the years too—pads on the posts, Ties for the Colts—Just little things that help keep the place running and keep the game safe. What I love most about Wigton is how it goes beyond Rugby. We hardly miss a game: if one of us can’t go, the other does. Mark and the boys have been on tour recently (Amsterdam was a cracker), the coach trips to the North East for Colts games —one away day Parents and players even turned out in full fancy dress… it all becomes part of family life. Back home it’s the simple things:
a packed clubhouse, friendly faces, and my washing line full of green shirts drying in the wind on the Sunday. The club is a hub—rugby, yes, but hockey and cricket too; a great environment for friends and families alike to support the various teams, friendships made through sport.
I know from chatting to Jonny and Mike , they know as a team that stepping up a league this season is going to be tough. There are some big, seasoned sides and the travel won’t be easy for everyone every week. But they will go in with a positive head, chase tries, learn the lessons quickly, and look after each other. Points add
up if they keep their nerve. There are some talented youngsters coming through, the squad feels together, and the lads I’m sure will back one another—home and away. For me, what makes Wigton special? It’s that everyone is included and it genuinely feels like family. Supporters on the touchline, kids tearing about in club colours, old boys swapping stories, and players all pulling in the same direction. It’s where our children found their friends and where our weekends found their routine. I’m proud of Jonny and Michael, and grateful for everything this club has given us as a family.
“Very proud Sponsors of Wigton Rugby Club!”
Half Moon Lane, Wigton CA7 9BF
016973 45800
PHIL ADDY CHAIRMAN
I’m Leeds born and bred, and Yarnbury is in my blood. My dad, Dick Addy, first pulled on a Yarnbury shirt back in the early 60s before going on to play professionally in league. Rugby and fishing were his passions; my brother took the rod, I took the ball. I started at school, joined Yarnbury as a lad, and—bar a surgeon telling me at 21 that a wrecked ACL meant I’d never play again— I’ve never really left. Seven years later I laced up anyway, helped start the Vets in my mid-30s, and kept turning out into my 50s whenever cannonfodder was needed. Now I’m chairman, but at heart I’m still just one of the lads who loves this place.
What makes Yarnbury special is simple: when you walk into the clubhouse it feels like two big arms round your shoulders. You can disappear for ten years and the welcome’s exactly the same—bit of stick, big grin, pint shoved in your hand. It’s a proper family club and we work hard to keep it that way.
We’re proudly, stubbornly amateur. We don’t pay players and never have. Everyone pays subs. Instead, we put our limited money where it truly matters—coaching. Our whole model is to grow our own: minis to juniors, colts into our senior sides. We’ve brought specialist coaches into the top age groups so our
YARNBURY
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“Promoted 2024/2025 season!”
U17s and U18s learn the same shapes, standards and habits they’ll meet in senior rugby. Last season alone half a dozen colts made first-team debuts. That pathway is our lifeblood.
On the field we’ve been honest about who we are. We’re not the biggest pack—you should have seen the average weight of our front row last year—but our forwards graft and give our backs a chance to play. We set out to be fast, brave and accurate. It clicked. We put ourselves in the promotion fight and kept our form when it mattered. The standout day was lifting the Yorkshire Shield at Doncaster, beating North Ribblesdale in the final—a side who’d gone two seasons unbeaten—on a day none of us will forget. To do that and bring the Shield to Yarnbury was huge for our community. Those performances earned us the step up. The
leagues came out and we were confirmed for Counties 1 Yorkshire—Yorkshire One—and that means a new challenge we absolutely relish. We know it’s a step in physicality and tempo, and we won’t be anyone’s biggest pack, but we back our conditioning, our speed and our skill. We want to surprise a few people by playing our game and sticking to our values.
Everything we do is about strengthening the whole club, not just the 1st XV. I’m a massive believer that your firsts are only as strong as your seconds and thirds behind them. We push hard to keep our youngsters local—finding apprenticeships, keeping ties to colleges and unis— because we all know how easy it is to lose players once they move away. We also put real energy into the women and girls. They’ve been a
brilliant addition to our rugby family, and we’ve invested in facilities (including new changing rooms) and coaching to give them a proper home and a pathway of their own. On any given Sunday you’ll see mums, dads, sisters and brothers in club colours—exactly how a community club should look. Off the field, we graft just as hard: a big beer festival that brings Horsforth through our gates, school links, and a load of volunteer hours from people who never ask for thanks. If I started naming them, I’d miss someone, but our coaches, managers and committee— along with the likes of Lauren, who somehow spins about five plates at once—are the unsung heartbeat of Yarnbury. My job is to back them, keep standards high, and make sure the place is welcoming to the next kid who wanders up the drive with a scuffed ball and wide eyes. We’re ambitious, but we know who we are. We’ll keep being a club that develops its own, plays with intent, and looks after people. Last season proved what’s possible when a tight, local group buys in. We brought silverware home and earned a shot at a higher level. Now we go again—onwards and upwards—with the same values my dad found here sixty-odd years ago and the same warm hug when you step through the door. That’s Yarnbury.
LAUREN MORGAN CLUB SECRETARY & LADIES 1ST TEAM CAPTAIN
Rugby has been the golden thread through most of my life. I grew up in the North East. My brothers played for DMP and I pestered my mum until she let me join in. I started at 13, came through age-grade at DMP, then in my U17s moved into the Sharks setup. I was lucky enough to play England Colleges and represent the North East, and when I moved down to Leeds for university, I kept travelling back up to play. Around 2014 the miles finally caught up with me, so I hung up the car keys, picked up a whistle and got into coaching — first with an U18 boys’ side, then into seniors. Nine or ten years later, here I am at Yarnbury, wearing a few hats and still loving it.
At Yarnbury I’m both club secretary and the women’s captain. Our women’s team is young — we’re heading into our fourth season — and we compete in NC2 (West). Last year was brutally tough from a travel point of view: we found ourselves in a league with Preston Grasshoppers, Lancaster and Workington. I sat down at the end and added it up: 998 miles of matchday driving, not including training. That’s a lot of podcasts. But we learned, we bonded and we kept turning up for each other.
I led the very first Yarnbury women’s XV out — I’ve captained all four seasons — and I still play No. 8. When
we launched, Charlie Beach came in and said, “Let’s get a women’s side going,” and we just cracked on from there. We’ve since created “legacy numbers” for the women: when you make your debut you’re given a number for life. I’m Yarnbury Women’s No. 8 and always will be. It sounds simple, but it matters — you can see the U18 girls itching to earn theirs.
I’ve been in rugby for 22 years now (I’m 35), and I’ve seen the women’s game grow from car-share scraps to proper pathways. I also help on the Yorkshire women & girls side — supporting clubs and competitions — because if I can give even five percent back of what rugby’s given me, I’ll count myself lucky. Honestly, I don’t think I could do my day job in the police without it. Rugby’s given me resilience, calm under pressure, communication, and a sense that teams solve problems together.
We run Yarnbury as a true “one club.” I pay the same membership as the men’s first-team captain, and we have equal access to pitches, physio and facilities. When we decided to set up a women’s side, we didn’t pretend it could float on its own — it had to be part of the whole. The committee backed that up with bricks and mortar: we built two standalone changing rooms (plus a referees’ room) so we can stage women’s and girls’ fixtures independently of the men on any day. It’s a small detail that makes a huge difference.
Pre-season is underway, and we’ve shifted training to Wednesday/Thursday to help recruitment and ease pitch pressure — which is very real at a club our size. On any given week we’re juggling minis and juniors (U7 to colts), U12/U14/U16/U18 girls, three men’s senior sides and the women. We deliberately train the U18 girls alongside the women to keep the pathway tight; three U18s played senior rugby for us last season. The juniors operate a “find your own sponsor” model, but at senior level we’re proudly backed by JCT600 on both the men’s and women’s shirts — another sign of that oneclub approach.
Recruitment is the big challenge on the girls’ side. We’re in a crowded market with booming girls’ football and a strong rugby league presence. We’ve had RFU support for
schools interventions and we’ve got a coach (primarily the men’s forwards coach) pushing hard into schools and across the club to standardise good practice. Our men’s section doesn’t pay players; most are home-grown. That’s exactly what we want to build on the women’s side: minis to juniors to seniors, all in our colours. And yes — here’s hoping the Women’s World Cup bounce helps. Why Yarnbury? Our badge carries a Latin motto that translates as “let everybody contribute.” That’s us. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, your background, your size — there’s a place for you here. After years in the game, and now balancing it with a demanding job, I can say hand on heart: Yarnbury feels like home. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
SPONSORSHIP
SECRETARY: “I COULDN’T WALK AWAY FROM A CLUB THAT’S GIVEN ME SO MUCH.”
I found rugby at 11, at school. We didn’t even have a football team—the PE staff were rugby people through and through—so I laced up, took a few early knocks, and fell head over heels for the game. I played locally for years, then a couple of us were head-hunted to come up and strengthen the squad. We did, and I instantly fell in love with the place—its social side, and an ethos that runs right through everything.
I was an active playing member for decades. Age and injuries eventually told me I couldn’t play at the level I wanted anymore. My last “proper” game was the curtain-raiser on the new pitch—eight or nine years back now—and since then it’s only been the odd vets runout when the mind’s willing but the shoulders, knees and back politely disagree. I’m pushing 60 and I’ve learned to be sensible!
What I couldn’t do was walk away. The club has given me too much. So, I put my hand up to the committee— “If there’s something useful, I can do, I’ll give the
time.” Sponsorship needed looking after, so I took that on (I tend to call myself Sponsorship Secretary), and I also sit on the Beer Festival committee—I book the bands, stage and sound. Between those two and being a regular social member, I keep my hand in.
Sponsorship, for me, starts with looking after the people who already believe in us. We work hard to hang on to existing sponsors and help them renew. Pitch-side boards are the staple—on the drive and along the main road— priced by size and location. We print a quality board (the sponsor owns it) and there’s an annual subscription to keep it in situ. Over the last six months we’ve also formed a sponsorship sub-committee—a proper cross-section from the women’s and juniors, plus a couple of current sponsors—to spark new, practical ideas that bring more value.
A big focus now is making the offer quantifiable and inclusive. Not just a board, but access: sponsors’ dinners, use of facilities, ways to genuinely engage with the club community. We’ve long talked about building a proper database so we can communicate better; like lots of volunteer committees, bandwidth’s the
choke point—it’s usually the same good people asked to do more—but none of it’s insurmountable. The truth is simple: without money, a community club doesn’t survive. And when a business aligns with our values, it adds something to their brand as well. That was never truer than when we brought in a major corporate partner last year in JCT600’s approvedused arm—they saw the value in our community heartbeat. Why does any of this matter to me so much? Because of what this place is. When I played my senior rugby here there was a ripple through the club—a happy, welcoming current. Socials were oversubscribed, away trips were a joy, and you never wanted to leave at the end of the night. It’s still like that. Whether you’re first team, seconds, juniors, women, or a social member, it’s a comfort blanket you slip on the moment you walk through the doors. Lifelong friendships are forged here. There aren’t many games where you put your head where others won’t put their feet—but you do it because you won’t let your mates down. That feeling spills into the rest of your life. I was married at the weekend—to Renée. All four groomsmen, and my best man (my brother), are lads I’ve
played rugby with for 30-plus years. At my stag in Leeds about a month ago, around 45 turned up. One of the groomsmen, Pete, laughed that there wasn’t a single bloke there he hadn’t taken the field with at some point. That’s rugby for you: no politics, no nonsense— just real connection. Renée’s felt it too. She’s been coming up to the club as long as she’s known me, and her own friendship circle has grown through the wives and girlfriends. It’s that kind of place.
We’ve also got a wee lad— almost a year old. It’s a bit early to stick a ball in his cot, but you can bet there’ll be a club shirt on his back soon enough. I’d love him to follow in my footsteps—tag rugby to start, a few tours down the line—and I’ll do my best to keep myself in one piece so I can run around with him when the time comes.
In the end, that’s why I do the sponsorship, the beer festival, the emails and the phone calls. This club has been woven through my life—every season, every friendship, even my wedding day. It’s given me more than I can ever repay. The least I can do now is help keep the lights bright for the next generation who’ll walk through those doors and feel exactly what I felt: “I’m home.”
STUART MEAYS PROUD TO SUPPORT
YARNBURY RFC
I’m a local lad from Yeadon and have always been into sport. I played rugby when I was younger, along with a bit of karate, bodybuilding and cycling. My connection with Yarnbury RFC began through my three sons — Ben, Jake and Joe — who all played there from the minis right through to Colts, with Ben going on to open age rugby. My wife Bev and I spent around fifteen years up at the club every weekend, watching, helping and getting involved in any way we could. It became a huge part of our family life.
We’ve always believed in giving something back to the community, and Yarnbury has given us a lot over the years. Through our business, JB Meays Family Butchers, we’ve supported the club for nearly twenty years now — sponsoring kits, donating prizes for raffles, and supplying the meat for events. We even sponsor a barrel at the annual Beer and Music Festival, which is always a great occasion. Wherever we can help, we do.
The club has grown from strength to strength and last season’s promotion was fantastic to see. There’s a real sense of pride and togetherness at Yarnbury. You
go up there and everyone greets you with warmth and respect, it’s a genuine community hub. Even when I haven’t been up for a few weeks, it’s like I’ve never been away. You walk in, get a handshake, share a bit of banter and it feels like home.
For me, that’s what makes Yarnbury special: the inclusiveness, the camaraderie, and the people. It’s a great environment for kids to grow up in, and a safe, positive place for families to spend their weekends. We’re proud to still support the club and will keep doing so for as long as we can. Yarnbury’s a big part of our lives, and always will be.
BARNY HALL CHAIRMAN
“ONE CLUB, ONE WORTHING — AND I’VE LIVED IT SINCE I WAS BORN.”
I’ve grown up here—literally. My mum and dad were both on the committee, so I was on the touchline from a few days old, played through every age grade from under 5s, finished up in the Vets, and only stopped a couple of years ago when a blood clot put me on blood thinners. Contact rugby had to stop; walking rugby will come… just not quite yet.
This season the mood is very positive. We’ve got a new coaching team and—crucially—they’re all former Raiders. That matters here. The squad has gelled well, a few new faces have arrived, and we’ve promoted a healthy number from our youth—around eleven lads stepped up during preseason. That pathway is the heartbeat of what we do.
Yes, we want to compete hard and climb, but our ambition is wider: to be the leading club in the South East for both men’s and women’s rugby, while keeping room
WORTHING
RUGBY CLUB
for every calibre of player— from performance to purely social. We’ve invested in the women’s and girls’ pathway because we were seeing too many talented U18s drift elsewhere. With extra coaching and a clearer bridge
into senior rugby, we want them to stay at Worthing and come back after uni.
We’ve also re-energised the U23 concept—a group returned and played quality fixtures, including a floodlit game against the Royal Navy that drew a fantastic crowd.
Those occasions say a lot about the club we are and the club we want to be.
Worthing has a proud history of mini and junior rugby, having been the first club in England to offer mini rugby and having held the first mini rugby festival in
England. These sections as still a great source or pride to our club.
We’re lucky: 23.5 acres, owned by the members, with six full-size pitches. That lets us run the kind of calendar most clubs dream of, one of the largest girls’ festivals around—about 1,500 people on site over the weekend. We were among the first to build a Minis section; now we host two Minis festivals a year, plus a Junior Boys festival and a long-running Sevens.
The clubhouse and grounds work year-round: football and hockey festivals,
music events, weddings— there’s hardly a weekend without something on, and it’s a vital financial engine for the rugby. We’ve added four padel courts, a physiotherapy suite, a nursery, and even a building company unit on site. It’s all about maximising the space to keep footfall high and the rugby healthy.
All this activity is carried out by a small number of staff and a group of volunteers who play their part in running the club. I would like to express my gratitude for what they do, the efforts put in by the few benefit the many
across the club.
As a club we try and get into the community to promote the benefits of rugby, this involves working with school and running multisport clubs in the holidays.
My dad came to rugby through the Army—told he could either go for a run or play rugby; he chose wisely. He was famous for his singing, his capacity for a pint, and eventually served as club secretary. Mum followed him onto the committee as commercial lead—the first woman on our committee back in the early ’80s. Dad
passed away about eighteen years ago; Mum still comes up to watch. I like to think they’d both be proud (and also think I’m a bit mad) that I’m now in the chair.
Before becoming chairman two seasons ago, I spent eight years in finance and commercial here. I also coached a youth team for a spell—the same cohort that just left Colts this year—and seeing a few of those lads run out for the first XV is as good as it gets.
It’s simple: friendship and belonging. My closest mates today are blokes I started with in Under-5s. Tours, muddy Sundays, the shared language of rugby—months can pass and you pick up exactly where you left off. You’re never more than two introductions away from a Worthing connection wherever you go.
That’s One Club, One Worthing in real terms: a place where elite aspirations sit alongside social rugby; where girls and women have a clear, exciting path; where Minis pack down next to Vets on a festival day; and where the site hums seven days a week so that the rugby thrives on Saturdays and Sundays.
I’ve had a lifetime of rugby here. Now my job is to protect it, grow it, and hand it on in better shape—so the next five-year-old who wanders onto Roundstone Lane gets to fall in love with the same club I did. I am extremely grateful to those who have invested their time and money in to the club to allow myself and others to have had the opportunities over the years. We as a club are also very grateful to the sponsors that enable the club to operate at the level it does.
SIMON BEAL – SOLAR
DYNAMICS AND WORTHING RUGBY CLUB
(AS TOLD BY SIMON BEAL, LEAD SPONSOR OF WORTHING RFC)
I was born in Brighton but have lived in Worthing for over thirty years now. My own rugby playing days ended when I was about seventeen when girls and beer got in the way, and I drifted away from the sport. Looking back, that was probably my undoing because when school ended, so did rugby. It was not until my sons became involved that I found my way back into it, and I am so glad I did.
My eldest, Joe, first started playing rugby when he was about nine or ten. He played for a few years and then moved into athletics, throwing hammer at a very high level across the UK. We would be driving him all over the country for competitions, but one day he decided he wanted to return to rugby. Back he went to Worthing, and from there his passion really took hold. He played for Worthing’s second team, at college, and then up at Newcastle University where he also turned out for Tynedale. When he came home, he rejoined Worthing Raiders and played last season, but in June he suffered a serious ankle injury when his foot was
literally facing the wrong way. He has had eight screws, a plate and a tension wire put in, and though it is still troubling him, he is determined to play again. The physio told him maybe he should not, but his answer was simple: “That’s not an option.” That is Joe all over.
My middle son Charlie had a tougher journey. When he was eighteen, he suffered three concussions in one season and spent a full year battling brain fog afterwards. It is all cleared now, but he decided to stop playing. He said to me, “It’s my brain, Dad, I’m not going back.” I completely respect that. He was lightning quick and loved the game, but his decision was the right one for him.
Then there is Sam, my youngest, who is now seventeen and a tighthead prop for the Colts at Worthing. He is built like a wrecking ball, gyms four or five nights a week with his brothers, and he just loves the game. He has had trials with Harlequins and Ealing Trailfinders, which did not go anywhere, but he does not mind. He is happiest pulling on the Worthing shirt every weekend. He plays across the under seventeens, under eighteens and Cup squads, and never shies away from the physical stuff. He has only just turned seventeen but is already built like a man.
One of the things that makes rugby so special to me is what it teaches you. Trust, respect, and self-discipline are not just words, they are life lessons. The front row alone is a masterclass in trust: the hooker would never put his head between two props unless he had total faith in them. And beyond that, it is about respect for others and for yourself. I still remember the coaches from my own youth, their kindness and direction. Many of them are no longer around, but the impact they made remains.
Rugby clubs are like villages, and villages are what raise children. Worthing Rugby Club has always embodied that. It is a family club at heart, warm, inclusive, and outward-looking. Yes, we all want to compete at the highest level, and dropping from National 2 to Regional 1 was tough for everyone, but the club’s strength is that it does not live or die by its league position. It is about people, connection, and belonging.
You can see that community spirit in every part of the club, from the minis and colts right through to the women’s section, which is one of the biggest in Sussex. The atmosphere is open and encouraging, and whether you are a player, a coach, a sponsor, or a parent, you are
welcomed and made part of something special.
For me, watching my sons grow through rugby has been a privilege. Seeing them develop confidence, resilience, and camaraderie means a lot. When they win Player of the Match, or even when they lose but hold their heads high, that is rugby teaching them life. One day, it would be wonderful to see all three of them play together, even just once, in the same team at Worthing. That would be a proud day.
Through my business, Solar Dynamics, I have been proud to support Worthing Rugby Club. We have sponsored the club for about eight years in total, with Solar Dynamics as lead sponsor for the past two. Our branding is on the shirts, around the ground, and on the scoreboard. The company works nationwide in both residential and commercial solar energy, and we are even the solar provider for Aviva Healthcare across the UK, but it is our local connection that means the most.
Worthing Rugby Club represents everything I value: community, integrity, and genuine care for people. It is not just about rugby, it is about life, belonging, and giving back. And that is why I will always support it.
CHAY TOOK
PARTNER
KRESTON REEVES
LONG-STANDING SUPPORTER AND SPONSOR OF WORTHING RFC
I’ve lived in Worthing most of my life. For a couple of years, I was literally over the fence from the club, then across the road— these days I’m a ten-minute walk away. I pass Roundstone Lane most days, and it feels like part of my routine and, frankly, part of who I am.
I’m not a former player and I won’t pretend to be a technical expert. My love of rugby started like many people’s: Grandstand on TV with my dad, and later university in Wales, where the old Five Nations turned weekends into events. What kept me in the game wasn’t tactics; it was the community. Worthing RFC is local, welcoming and disciplined in the best rugby sense— respect for others and respect for yourself.
I’ve followed Worthing for 20-plus years, often with a mixed table of friends and work contacts. We’ll take a hospitality table for a match, and I’ve celebrated milestones there too—my 50th was in the clubhouse. That’s the point: the club is a community resource as much as a team. In a town squeezed between sea and Downs, people are close—connections overlap— and the club is a natural meeting place.
Professionally, I’m a Partner at Kreston Reeves. Our firm’s association with Worthing RFC goes back well before
my time—into the 1990s and earlier. A former partner had children at the club and served on the committee; a colleague was treasurer for years. We’ve simply kept the baton moving. I’m told we may even be the longest-standing sponsor, which says a lot about both the club’s values and ours. As a firm we’re rooted in the South East—Kent, Sussex and London—and we back local sport consistently; our Canterbury office sponsors Canterbury RFC, for example. We don’t measure this purely in leads and conversions. Yes, relationships strengthen around a matchday table, but the real return is helping a good club stay strong for the town.
Worthing RFC works hard to keep things local-first and
future-focused. On Sundays the place is heaving with minis and juniors; you see confidence and friendships being built in real time. The club is committed to women’s and girls’ rugby, and it keeps innovating with things like the U23s concept to bridge gaps in the player pathway. There’s a humility about it too. I remember a match played in memory of a stalwart where Joe Launchbury quietly turned up on his weekend off to stand on the touchline with everyone else—you don’t often see that in other sports.
Like most community clubs, Worthing has to work hard financially. There are no illusions about that. You’ll see the odd “fairy godfather” pop up in sport,
but Worthing’s backbone is committed, loyal people who give their time and energy because the club matters. Fewer home fixtures some seasons means fewer chances to host, but it never dents the warmth of the place—or the quality of the rugby.
Why do I support Worthing RFC? Because it represents the town well—on and off the field. The relationships last, the standards are high, and the club keeps striving to be a flagship for the community, even with the usual constraints. That’s exactly the sort of organisation Kreston Reeves wants to stand alongside, and the sort of place I’m proud to call my local club.
NEIL BAXTER
CLUB CHAIRMAN
I was born within sight of the club, and you could say Mistley is in my blood. My dad started the club in 1983 with Jeff Read, Dave and Shelagh Tate joined shortly after the beginning and gave freely of their time for many years. I was five, and my first job was picking ring-poles off the pitch at the local school where we played. I went through every age group, started senior rugby at 14, hung my boots up at 44, and now I’m proud to serve as chairman.
The turning point for us was completing our new clubhouse about five years ago. It’s purpose-built for rugby and became a catalyst. We went from “one-anda-half” senior sides and a couple of youth teams to a full youth pathway, two senior men’s sides, a vets team, and both a women’s full-contact team and a touch side. Oddly enough, COVID pushed us on—focused us. Last season our seconds won their league unbeaten, and our firsts— newly promoted—finished third. That progress comes from volunteers doing it because they love it.
I try to be everywhere I can—Saturdays and Sundays—watching the seniors, the women, the kids. My daughter volunteers
MISTLEY
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
in the kitchen; I’ve even done some coaching with the women. I still sneak the odd game with the vets and turn out for a constructionindustry charity side that supports mental health. It’s not quite the same as playing every week, but it’s close.
Mistley is more than matchdays. From Christmas hampers for local families to running the village pram race, fundraising with Pandora (a women’s refuge), and opening our doors to anyone—we work hard to break the old stereotypes. It doesn’t matter what you do or what’s in your pocket: come in, feel welcome, join in—or just sit with a pint.
With pubs closing around us, the clubhouse has become
a social hub. We’ve hosted ladies’ lunches, and when the Queen’s funeral was on, we invited older neighbours in for tea, so no one watched alone. We’ve also welcomed the local women’s football team to use proper changing and hot water on Sundays; we want to be a focal point for women in sport in our area.
On the pitch, our aims are clear: the first team is going for promotion; the seconds want to hold their own at the higher level. The women are in the Inner Warrior series (with an extra league added), learning fast—they won one of their fixtures last weekend within their tier. Our U14s (now U15s), fresh from winning the Suffolk Plate, step into tougher cup rugby,
and to combat the teenage drop-off we’ve created a Tendring Barbarians-style combined side at U16 to keep lads playing through to 17–18. It’s all about more rugby for more kids, and a pathway into senior squads.
We’re planning extensions—a bigger social space and two more changing rooms—and working on a new lease for extra land to add another pitch and a car park. It’ll take money and graft, but that’s never stopped us.
What makes Mistley special? People. None of this happens without the army of volunteers and our dedicated committee. Years back we worked with a nearby secure unit for young lads who were on the edge. Two of them came down—cheeky, troubled—and with a bit of direction and encouragement they changed course. One went on to play for the Army and Navy; the other pushed on into senior rugby. Sometimes all it takes is someone saying, “You’re good at that. Well done.”
That’s what this club is: a place that believes in people, gives them a shirt, a job to do, and a welcome. Forty-odd years on from my dad starting it, that spirit is still the heartbeat of Mistley Rugby Club.
Youth & Senior players at the annual President’s Day 2024.
George Fuller - 14-37 win against Colchester II’s.
LYNNE SMITH CLUB SECRETARY
I’m born and bred in Mistley, but I only found my way into rugby when my grandsons started at Mistley. They were tiny—about four when they first pulled on a shirt—and I’ve been hooked ever since. They’re 12 and 14 now: Emre and Can-polat. Watching them grow up through the age groups has been one of the joys of my life. Last season our under-14s won the Suffolk Plate, and I felt fit to burst with pride.
I began like many do— making tea on a Sunday morning—and somehow that turned into five years (and counting) as club secretary. There’s a lot of paperwork in rugby these days; I handle most of it, with Neil’s help when needed. But Mistley is the sort of place where titles don’t matter: if the kitchen needs hands, we are in the kitchen; if the bar needs covering, we are behind the bar. Everyone mucks in. That’s what I love most about this club.
Come a Sunday morning the field is full of kids, and on Saturdays the touchline fills for the seniors. Our women’s team has been a revelation—starting with just two or three, and now around thirty committed players in a year. It’s infectious watching the joy they get from rugby. The club gives people a place to belong, keeps youngsters busy and pointed the right way, and you feel it the moment you walk in no awkward silence, just faces that welcome you.
Rugby’s values— Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship—aren’t just words on a poster here; they’re how we do things. They’re what our kids learn early, what our adults live by, and why I’m so honoured and proud to be part of Mistley Rugby Club.
Matt Wadling - Annual President’s Game 2025.
U14’s victory in Suffolk Plate Final.
Clair Tingey - Mistley Swans vs Haverhill.
Mistley youth awards at annual President’s Game 2025.
“I’VE GIVEN HALF MY LIFE TO MISTLEY RUFC, BUT RUGBY’S GIVEN ME EVEN MORE”
BY STEPHEN BETTS, PLAYER & DIRECTOR OF RUGBY, MISTLEY RUFC
I’m Essex born and bred. I live in Manningtree now, but I grew up just down the road. Rugby grabbed me early at school I was lucky enough to earn my county colours at around 12 years old. There was a gap after that, as I attended a school that didn’t play the sport, until one day at 17 I ended up in Mistley to see a friend, saw there was a rugby club, walked in and enquired about playing. “Got your boots?” someone said, as we need a centre. I didn’t but soon found a pair and I was in the centres that afternoon. That was it. Hooked. Thirty-seven years later I’m still here and loving every moment of it.
I’ve played pretty much everywhere you can play. I started as a prop at school, moved out to centre, lived a while in the back row, and these days you’ll find me in the second row. If the club needed me to pull the No.1 or 3 again, I’d do it. Alongside playing, I’m Director of Rugby; responsible for the senior men (the women’s section has its own excellent setup). My job is simple in theory and relentless in practice: get two teams out every week. That means calls, messages, knocking on doors, asking players’ wives and girlfriends’ permission (sometimes that’s more dangerous than playing rugby) … whatever it takes.
We’ve deliberately stayed at two men’s teams because
"we’ve seen what happens when a third becomes a “ghost” side. Instead, we’ve focused on one squad, two teams: our 1st XV and the Marauders—so everyone earns and gets meaningful game time. We’re also building a vet’s team and pushing for a local vets league next season; that’ll bring old heads back and strengthen the whole club.
Last year we finished third; two tight results, six points across two games, probably cost us the title. We’ve been honest about that. Pre-season we met, reviewed the VEO camera footage, and got specific: discipline, decisionmaking, when to take points, when to go to the corner. We’ve changed training fields for more space and brought in a weekly physio so knocks get treated straight away. As ever, the first month was pure fitness before layering on skills. This season we’ve started well, played two, won two in Counties 2 Eastern Counties and, yes, a couple of clubs have already told me we’re the team to beat. Ambitions? For the 1st XV, top two and promotion. For the Marauders, survival first, but I fancy us for mid-table if we keep our standards. We have a great coaching team, who work tirelessly to get both squads playing the same standard. They do a lot of the hard work and I just get them the players to do it with.
I’ve sponsored Mistley since I was about 20. Back then a few of us business owners scraped together enough for the first away shirts. These days I support through boards, ads and whatever I can whether that’s
" Mistley’sjourneyiswhatI’m proudestof.Wewereasmall, one-team outfit—farmers, locals, schoolteachers and builders—and nowwe’rethearea’ssportinghub.
time, effort, money because for me sponsorship isn’t just logos. It’s fuel for grassroots rugby: friendship, respect, inclusivity, the life skills this sport teaches if you start young and stick at it. Rugby shaped who I am, and it’s woven into my business life too; some of the lads I played with became successful businesspeople, and a few are still on the committee. The club’s professionalised in the best way, run like a business but with a village soul.
Mistley’s journey is what I’m proudest of. We were a small, one-team outfit, farmers, locals, schoolteachers and builders and now we’re the area’s sporting hub. This used to be a big football patch; we had to fight tooth and nail against four or five strong football clubs around us. Today, we’ve outgrown them. Our youth structure is in place at last, and that will carry the club into the future. The heartbeat is community: volunteers who love rugby,
put on events that pull the village together. The pram race, the Mayflower Walk and many more and a clubhouse that looks after people.
Ask me what makes Mistley special, and I won’t give you a league table. I’ll tell you about camaraderie. I’ll tell you about the lad who turns up needing a game and leaves a member for life; about friendships where you can go years without seeing each other and pick up like it was last week. Rugby knocks the hell out of you for 80 minutes and then buys the opposition a pint. It demands discipline and respect and, just as importantly, teaches you to respect yourself.
I’ve given half my life to Mistley RFC. In return, it’s given me purpose, mates, memories, and a community worth fighting for. That’s why I’m still lacing up, still chasing players on a Thursday night, and still backing this club with whatever I can. Because Mistley isn’t just where I play. It’s home from home.
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PAUL JAMES - T.I.S.S. ELECTRICAL LTD SUPPORTER & OFFICIAL
SPONSOR OF THE MISTLEY SWANS
WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM:
My connection to Mistley RFC began in the simplest way dropping into the clubhouse for a game of pool and a chat. What kept me coming back wasn’t just the rugby; it was the feel of the place. You can sense the graft behind the bar, the volunteers juggling a hundred moving parts who’ve grown this club from a small shed into a proper community hub. That matters to me.
My business is what people call “organic.” It’s grown over the years purely through recommendations and solid
client relationships. We try to do things properly, look after people, keep standards high, and support projects that make a real difference both locally and further afield. That’s why I sponsor grassroots sport.
Up north, I support a men’s walking football team. The Harrowby Diamonds are made up of lads who’ve weathered tough patches, mental health knocks, break-ups, feeling isolated, getting out of shape. What started as a modest contribution turned into full sponsorship. Now they have a proper kit, league entry and most importantly, a renewed sense of belonging. Watching them stand taller each year is exactly the return I’m after
and it makes everyone at our company proud.
At Mistley RFC, my heart is with the women’s rugby team The Mistley Swans. When they were starting out, I didn’t want to just slap a logo on a sleeve and disappear. I wanted to give them a platform. Becoming their main sponsor allowed the team to design and choose their own kit and the freedom to concentrate on building the ethics of Mistley RFC into the team, Spirit, Passion, Strength. Something that makes a real difference to the players, It’s the basics that make players feel valued. Fast forward 12 months and the number of women playing for The Swans has grown to almost 30 and it’s still rising.
I know I didn’t get here alone. I’m deeply grateful to my grandparents, steady people who modelled honesty and a strong work ethic into me. To my dad, Glenn some of my best memories are riding shotgun while he took me to radio-controlled car meets, teaching me that teamwork makes the dream work. Mondays after work, weekends at shows the two of us tinkering with bearings and car parts. It was never about winning; it was about time together and learning to care about the details.
Then there’s my uncle
my business mentor who challenged me to think bigger, to back myself and to see leadership as a form of service, to be grounded and have courage to do the impossible, The phrase “Life is not a rehearsal” still shape how I run my business today and how I show my support for this wonderful club and the strong, committed women who are The Mistley Swans.
Mistley Rugby Club’s growth brings decisions. Where to invest, how to better involve schools and families, how to bring the community together in a fun and active way. I’ll always offer straight advice because I want the club to thrive, from the youth sides right through to the seniors. Everyone brings a story. Everyone leaves with a smile.
This club is the hub of the community full of welcoming volunteers and fantastic coaches who give their time and dedication to make Mistley RFC as special as it is. Sport is simple, the more you give, the more you get back. Not in headlines, but in mental and physical wellbeing. It’s about leaving the club feeling better than when you arrived.
That’s why I’m in. Spirit. Passion. Strength.
Mistley Swans”
OLD CATERHAMIANS
RUGBY CLUB
ANDREW NYE
CLUB CHAIRMAN “WE’RE A FAMILY. WE’RE A RUGBY FAMILY.”
I’ve been at Old Caterhamians for over forty years. I didn’t come through a rugby school—far from it. I was about 20 or 21, working on the scaffolds, when a lad who’d played for the club said, “Come along.” My girlfriend’s brother was playing too, so I popped up, had a go, and that was it—I was hooked. I played 18 seasons, mostly second row or back row, and finally called it a day around 38. When the boots went away, I moved into coaching; a couple of seasons later the chair role came up sooner than I’d planned, and here I am, starting my third year as chair.
It’s always been a family affair. My three boys—George, Oscar and Sebastian—came through the club and all play 1st XV now. Oscar’s our captain (fourth or fifth season), a genuine lead-from-the-front number 8 who brings mates with him and sets the tone. George is out on the wing. Seb started on the wing and has grown into the centres—bigger, stronger, running good lines. I managed one game with the eldest two before my back protested, but seeing all three in the same side… I’m so proud. Around us, my brother stepped in as treasurer, and my nephew Jim helps on matchdays—pitch set-up, the VEO camera, shirts—the whole lot. That’s OCs in a nutshell: if there’s a job to do, family and friends muck in.
Last season was special. We earned promotion from Surrey 2 and I was delighted—not just with results, but with the way we did it. We had a solid core squad, good coaching, and we played to a system that works. No big-time Charlie stuff—fifteen men as a team, a squad rather than individuals. We shored up the front row
early, which mattered, and we kept our heads when others talked about who they were missing. At the awards dinner, what made me happiest was the sense that the lads were enjoying themselves. I know what relentless losing feels like; it’s miserable. This group pushed each other, welcomed new faces, and made Saturdays fun.
Now we’re in Surrey/Sussex 1—Cobhams, Haywards Heath, Hove, Trinity and the rest. We’ve added a couple of coaches, one focusing forwards and one backs, and the feedback from the players is excellent. We’re realistic: I’d be very happy with mid-table consolidation, then build again, strengthen, and go. The future looks bright—but we’ll earn it.
What keeps me here is the people and the values. We’re
known as a welcoming club; referees tell us they enjoy coming, and we work hard to keep it that way. We draw good crowds—lots of parents, plenty who don’t have family on the pitch—and with the VEO live stream, supporters who can’t make it still watch every week. Rugby, to me, is inclusive and respectful. I don’t care for the theatrics you see in other sports; the old line still makes me smile— football is 90 minutes trying to convince the referee you are injured; rugby is 80 minutes trying to convince them you’re not. I’ve taken the boys to Twickenham and the Army–Navy; you sit with supporters from anywhere, have a chat, take photos—no bother. It’s a different atmosphere.
Pathway matters. This year we’ve put a rota in so senior players are up at minis every
Sunday—walking around, helping out, making it clear we’re one club. Girls’ rugby is a tougher nut; a while back our girls linked with Dorking’s excellent setup, and many stayed there. We’re still recruiting and, when we can, we ask Liv—Oscar’s partner, Olivia Ortiz, USA’s nine—to pop up, talk to the girls and share a few tips. My ethos is simple: go away and play as high as you can. We’ll back you. And when you’re ready for a more social brand of rugby, come home—bring the knowledge and experiences you’ve gained and share them with the lads.
Community runs through everything. Our facilities are fantastic, thanks to the connection we have with Caterham School, but it’s the people that make the place sing. We still pack out the lunches; the blokes who were 1st-teamers when I started are back telling stories, and we’ve just been handing out centurion caps—100 firstteam games—often to faces who return from all over the country and beyond. They keep in touch, they care how the club’s doing, and they show up.
And we still tour—properly. Last year it was Antwerp. Fifty of us: current players, old boys who haven’t laced up in twenty years, all together like a family reunion. I even ended up refereeing when they were short. The younger lads do the dorms; us “gentlemen” book a few rooms and make a weekend of it. We’re all there for the match, we all have a laugh, and—let the record show—no one’s been arrested for a very long time.
Why is OCs special? Because it’s home. It’s the only club I’ve ever known and it’s an inclusive, community club where we really do sing from the same hymn sheet. We welcome everyone, play hard for each other, respect the officials, and keep an eye on the next generation.
Promotion is nice, of course, but the real win is seeing boys and girls grow into themselves, friends for life made on a touchline, and families—like mine—woven into the club’s fabric.
That’s what Old Caterhamians is to me: family, rugby, and a place everyone belongs.
BILL BROADHEAD
CLUB PRESIDENT
I’m nearly 85 now, and I’ve been around rugby— and Old Caterhamians in particular—most of my life. I was born in Peebles in the Scottish Borders during the war years. My father worked for a Scottish bank; before the Second World War he was posted to London, then volunteered for the RAF. My mother went back to Peebles to stay with his parents, so that’s where I arrived and started school. After the war we moved to Glasgow, where I finished my primary education—very happy times. When I was eleven my father’s work brought us south again. He already knew this area from pre-war days, and that’s how we settled here. I’ve never lost the pull of Scotland; I still support anything wearing a blue shirt.
Rugby runs in the family. A cousin of my father’s played for Peebles and once broke his leg; awkward, as he drove the local ambulance he helped maintain—someone else had to take him in—while his mother burned his kit on the spot. I later looked up the club’s history and found one of Peebles’ founders shared my surname. We were the only Broadheads in town for generations, so he must have been kin.
I came into Old Cats straight out of school. In those days our spring term sport at school was hockey; if the weather was bad, we’d tramp up the hill to the old boys’ pitch and ask for a game, and I turned out a few times for the thirds while still in sixth form. So, when I left in 1960 it was natural to join. The club put me to work immediately— social secretary before I’d even warmed a seat— organising dinners, dances and speakers. Pre-professional days were different: wellknown commentators and players would turn up for
the meal without demanding big fees. The author Michael Green who featured Old Cats’ fabled inter-club seven-a-side Singing Competition in his Coarse Rugby books, came along at one point.It was all very convivial.
On the field I played most backline positions for the club, but fullback was home. I captained the second XV from there—an excellent vantage point to see and shape a game—and in sevens I often shifted to scrum half. Over the years I watched our playing strength wax and wane. Through to the 2000–01 season we regularly ran four sides; for a long while after that we fielded three. Over the past decade it’s usually been two, with the very occasional third—typical of amateur clubs round here now. A constant challenge has been reliable fixtures, particularly for the seconds; when oppositions drop out, some lads understandably look elsewhere for a guaranteed game, and you have to keep persuading them it’s the same story everywhere.
We were early movers on the women’s side—launched in 2001–02—but a couple of years ago we had to suspend the team. Women’s rugby in Surrey and Sussex didn’t bounce back strongly after COVID, and our opponents kept defaulting. The players
combined with Dorking to keep playing; you’ll still see them in Old Cat socks under a Dorking shirt. The aspiration is to reconvene here once there’s stability and numbers—believe me, we’d love nothing more.
Old Cats is, and has long been, an open club. It had to be after the war—since 1946 we’ve relied on players and administrators from the local community as much as former pupils. That mix has given us remarkable resilience. We’re tucked away behind houses, which doesn’t help visibility, but we share a superb setting with the school. When I joined there was one pitch on the hill. Over time, whenever the school built something we had the spoil brought up to level new ground. We now have six rugby pitches up here and two cricket squares, plus a public-park pitch we can call on. Logistically it can be a nightmare at the beginning and end of seasons, with school rugby, our league games and then cricket coming in. Personally, I think the amateur season starts too early and finishes too late with extra cups and sevens layered on; it puts unnecessary strain on shared facilities for many clubs like ours.
My family has been woven through the club fabric. My wife, Allison, was heavily involved for years: back
when team sheets went by post, I’d type the stencil on a Saturday night, and she’d address a hundred envelopes for four sides. She and the other players’ wives did the team teas. Later our daughter, Nicola, and her friends took over the teas when they were about thirteen. Our son, Richard, came up through the minis and, in the mid-90s before he left for university, he and his mates often ran out for “Banger’s B XV,” captained by the inimitable Simon Lane—an undercover policeman who once phoned on match day from a hedge in Sussex to say he’d be late. A character, and still dresses like one. Richard now lives in Tokyo, a professional linguist and translator with a family of his own. We visited ten times before COVID and travelled widely on the JR Pass; these days we spend more time with the family when we go.
In 1977 we moved into the house we’re in now, which backs onto the club. The consequence? The kit lives in my garage. I’ve looked after it ever since. We’re fortunate the school is a boarding school with industrial laundry on site; through my long stint as chair of governors (thirty years, up to 2010) we built strong relationships and the domestic staff kindly offered to take our kit. To this day I drop it off on Mondays and collect it on
Thursdays. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference.
Looking ahead, Stepping up to Counties 1 is an unknown quantity, but we’ve attracted one or two new faces off the back of recent success. Head coach Steve Wagstaff has been excellent at recruitment through his contacts, even though he’s moving away mid-season. The leadership group is a proper family affair: Oscar—Andrew’s son—has captained superbly, George (Oscar’s elder brother) is vice-captain, and their cousin Jim manages the side. It works.
As for me, I’ve kept the club archives since I became chairman in 1972, and I’ve carried on ever since. I’ve served as president since 1992—over three decades now. I was one of the youngest to hold both roles; before me presidents were often retired headmasters. My predecessor, Stephen R. Smith, was head at the school and a former England scrum-half—he and Dickie Jeeps vied for the shirt back in the day—and he was very supportive of the club.
What makes Old Cats special? From the first day I wandered up looking for a game I was made welcome, and the committee put me straight to work—on a carboot sale, as it happens. That spirit has never left: dedicated people, a genuine sense of belonging, and the habit of pulling together when there’s a crisis. Some better-funded local clubs haven’t weathered the tough times as well as we have. We’ve even got a little motto that sums it up: OCTID—Old Cats Till I Die. You’ll see it on team sheets and announcements. It’s more than a slogan. It’s how we live the club.
OSCAR NYE
CLUB & TEAM CAPTAIN
I was born and raised in Caterham—and, in a way, raised inside Old Cats too. Some of my earliest memories are being up at the club watching my dad play, then pulling on a shirt myself for the minis and youth. I didn’t go to Caterham School (Dad didn’t either). I was at John Fisher up the road, and people still ask why I don’t turn out for their old boys. The answer’s simple: Old Cats has always been home. What surprises people is how many of our lads didn’t come through the school—there’s a real mix of backgrounds, and that’s part of what makes us who we are.
My pathway wasn’t perfectly straight. I started in the minis, but when I was
about 12 or 13 my team disbanded, so I played school rugby for John Fisher until I was 16 or 17. Then I came back to Old Cats and jumped in with the year above at U18s for a season before everyone disappeared to university. I floated between senior rugby and school for a bit, headed to Cardiff Met and played there for three years, and when I came back it was straight into the senior side at Cats.
I’m 27 now, a number eight, and club captain— first XV skipper—heading into my fifth playing season with the armband. It came a bit earlier than I expected. During the COVID season our captain stepped down and a lot of eyes turned to me. I’d captained here and there but never officially; still, I said yes. I was about 22. It helped that the group was young—about my age—and there were only a couple of older heads. No one pulled rank, no one made a thing of my age; they backed me from day one. We’ve grown together since then. Two-thirds of a typical team sheet is still the same names from four years ago, and a core of around ten have been week-in, week-out. It shows in the results: three promotions in the last four seasons. It’s never about one person—plenty of people take responsibility and make my job easier—but I’m proud of how we’ve matured as a group.
Away from the pitch I’m doing a master’s in physiotherapy, and that’s fed straight back into my
captaincy. Healthcare drills leadership and communication into you— speaking in public, giving and receiving feedback, getting a message across clearly. The crossover is huge. The way you talk to a patient isn’t a million miles from how you talk to a teammate after a tough session or a tight loss.
Rugby’s also given me community wherever I’ve gone. In the summer of 2022 I travelled in the States— mostly Denver—on my own. First thing I did was join a local rugby club. I’m still in touch with those lads now; I get wedding invites from that trip. I tell everyone the same thing: go anywhere in the world and find a rugby club— you’ll have friends for life, even if you’re just around the place more than on the pitch.
This season is a step up—the highest level the club has ever played. We lost the opener to a really experienced side, but it didn’t feel like we were out of our depth. Our mistakes got punished, and that’s the lesson in this league: you pay for errors more quickly. Dusting off the cobwebs, learn and go again. The feedback from them was basically, “keep improving and you’ll be fine,” and that’s how we feel—no panic. It’ll be a long season. We’ll meet plenty of teams at that level, and we’re buzzing for the challenge.
Playing alongside my brothers adds something special. George, my older brother, has been at Cats
longer than me and brings a lot of wisdom out on the wing. Sebastian, our younger brother, has really matured into a strong centre. We don’t always cross paths on the pitch—wing, centre, and eight live in different neighborhoods—but the bond is there. Our mates are each other’s mates, and that knits the group even tighter. You can feel it in the dressing room.
What makes Old Cats special to me? Family— yours and the club’s. On VP lunches you see generations
reconnecting; people come back just to be there. We get a proper crowd, and the clubhouse always has that homely feel—win or lose, people are in supporting the boys. The club has been a huge part of so many families’ lives and memories. With our 100-year anniversary next year, the history is everywhere you look, but the thing you feel most is the sense of belonging. That’s why I was born into this place, grew through it, and keep giving back to it. It’s home.
GEORGE WILLIAMS COMMERCIAL MANAGER
I’ve lived around Caterham for the better part of four decades, and Old Cats has been my second home for most of that time. My rugby started at boarding school in Kent, carried on when I was back with my parents in the Medway towns, and then followed me as work brought me up to Croydon. I had my share of knocks—first a bad hand, then a shattered shoulder that robbed me of movement for years. After several operations I clawed my way back for a season, stepped away to protect the shoulder, and eventually got lured into vets at 35. Rugby has a way of calling you back.
When we moved to Caterham and my son arrived, I wanted him to have what rugby had given me. Minis at Old Cats weren’t really running then, so I started coaching elsewhere for a spell, but it never felt right. A group of us—coaches, kids, parents—shifted over to Old Cats and I ran that side from under-11s through to Colts. We had a brilliant cohort. Later, when they’d gone off to university and started jobs, I came back into the thick of it—playing manager, coach, press secretary, whatever was needed. Old Cats has always been like that: a family club where you roll your sleeves up and muck in.
The game and the landscape have changed. Where clubs once fielded three or four sides and the bar buzzed until eight at night, now you’re lucky to run one or two and the place is quiet by six. You can moan about it, or you can adapt. When I became chair, I felt strongly that we had to treat the club like a proper commercial organisation if we wanted to be sustainable. I put a five-year strategy in place: build the commercial side, bring in funds for coaches and equipment, and make Old Cats somewhere players
would choose to be.
We started modestly— about £8,000 of sponsorship that first year—then £12,000 by the time I stepped down, and last season £19,000. It isn’t the money alone that matters; it’s what disciplined funding allows you to do. I introduced simple businesslike processes: if someone wanted to spend club money, they filled out a sponsorship request—what is it, what does it cost, who benefits, who looks after it? One or two committee signatures depending on the amount. It sounds dry, but it stops waste and keeps us focused on benefit to the whole club.
Part of that plan was “one club, one image.” When I took over, minis and juniors each fancied their own colours. We standardised everything—branding, kit, banners—so whether you’re a Cub, a Colt, or in the firsts, you feel part of the same badge. And the funds are shared across the pathway: scrummaging machines and coaching for the senior sides; proper coats for the admins; full kit bundles for minis coaches. It all signals pride and belonging.
People often ask me what’s made the difference lately. In a word: Oscar. He’s energised the place and drawn players in because the ethos is right. But I’m adamant about this—success needs both the people and the resources. I watch clubs with plenty of cash slide because they haven’t got the heartbeat, or strong teams tumble four leagues in five seasons because young lads won’t stay if they’re taking a 40 nil beating every week. Culture and performance feed each other. We’ve had ups and downs like everyone, but this has been our best run in twenty-odd years.
COVID bit hard. Our juniors were decimated; we rebuilt and now go up to under 14s with momentum
again. Crucially, our first and second XV boys go down and coach the minis and juniors. That’s the pathway. Most of your future sides are grown inside your own walls. We’ve invested in connection too: the Veo camera means former players and far-flung supporters can watch the game live or on a Sunday morning and still feel part of it.
We revived our history in ways that matter. The 100-cap initiative for first-teamers— spurred by the younger lads, delivered with a bit of my admin and purchasing— reached back fifty years using Bill’s meticulous records. We presented caps to old servants and the next club lunch sold out a month in advance. It wasn’t just nostalgia; it reignited pride. The same with “OCTID—Old Cats Till I Die.” Some of the boys have it tattooed; my granddaughter even makes bead bracelets we sell in the clubhouse. Small things, big meaning.
I’m proud we once ran a women’s side for two decades—something I helped start with two ladies, one being my daughter. COVID took its toll there too, but the women who played still support the club, still come to dinners, still
belong. That matters to me. Belonging is the whole point.
If you strip it back, my philosophy is simple: people looking after each other, backed by sensible structures that keep the lights on and the standards high. Gone are the days when you could tell the front row to pull a bar shift and the back three to do house and grounds in the morning. Players pay subs now—some grumble about that - however, you can’t run a modern club on goodwill alone. But you also can’t buy spirit. You nurture it.
I’ve stayed long after my son moved to London because I love this club. I wasn’t a first-team star; I played, managed, coached, chaired—whatever was needed. I kept playing until 50 just to share a jersey with my boy. That’s a memory I treasure. And I’ve seen rugby change lives.
The best thing about a good rugby club is the levelling. On one side of you at the bar might be a roofer; on the other, a company director. No airs and graces— just shared respect. Values matter. Treat people well, listen, keep your word. In my seventies now, I still believe that if you run a club with those values—and clear, fair systems—youngsters will come, families will stay, and the place will hum.
We call it home for a reason. Park Avenue is more than a ground—it’s where history, hard work, and heart meet. We’ve had dips and we’ll have more; every club does. But with Oscar driving the rugby, Rocky, Bill and the committee steady on the tiller, volunteers stepping forward rather than pointing from the sidelines, and a commercial base that supports all ages and stages, Old Cats is in good health. One club. One image. One community. Old Cats till I die.
MARK BARRETT BRANCH DIRECTOR AT FAIRALLS BUILDING SUPPLIES: CLUB SPONSOR
I manage our Taylor’s Hill branch but also help oversee the Godstone High Street branch. Day to day we’re delivering across Caterham, Reigate, Oxted, Croydon and the surrounding patch—very local, very practical, and very community-focused.
I’ve been a rugby fan for years. I’ll happily watch most sports, but rugby has always had something a bit different about it—more etiquette, more togetherness. I get to a couple of Saracens games most seasons and usually one England Six Nations match. I’ve been lucky with tickets over the years and caught some cracking fixtures, including England–South Africa. What I enjoy most,
though, is the atmosphere: you can have a pint, a laugh, and a proper chat with opposition fans without any drama.
That’s exactly what I see in Old Cats. As a sponsor I admire the great mix of long-serving volunteers, a steady culture, and players who lead by example. It’s a friendly, well-run place with standards, and that appeals to me. I didn’t get down last season, but now that I know more about the setup and the people, I’m keen to get to a home game and put some faces to names.
Part of why rugby works, in my view, is the respect baked into it. Coaches set the tone, players listen, and kids learn quickly that if you’re on the pitch, you’re focused. I played a lot of football growing up and still love it, but rugby edges it for me now. The way youngsters are encouraged— whatever their size or position—to find a role and stick at it builds confidence and good habits. You see it later in life: turn up on time, back your teammates, listen to the person in charge.
From a sponsor’s point of view, Old Cats are straightforward and appreciative. They communicate well, they keep you in the loop, and they make you feel part of things— not just a logo on a board. That matters. We’re a local business; we want to support clubs that genuinely serve the local community and give families somewhere positive to spend a weekend.
I’ve had plenty of reminders of how downto-earth rugby people are—whether that’s chatting with players at events or the easy banter you get in clubhouses. You don’t forget those little moments: sharing a beer, swapping stories, and everyone pulling in the same direction. Old Cats has that vibe in spades.
Why do we sponsor them? Simple: they represent the best bits of community sport—respect, effort, and a warm welcome. If our support helps keep the minis and juniors thriving, the first team pushing on, and the volunteers recognised, then that’s money well spent.
I’m looking forward to getting down to the club this season—meet the coaches, say hello to a few of the stalwarts, and watch some good rugby. Fairalls will keep doing our bit. Old Cats are easy to admire, and we’re proud to be in their corner.
“IT’S ABOUT SUSTAINING THE GAME WE LOVE, BACKING GRASSROOTS RUGBY, AND REINFORCING THE VALUES THAT RUGBY AND FLUIDONE SHARE”
LLOYD EVERARD
FLUIDONE
I’ve been connected with Old Caterhamians RFC for most of my life. I first picked up a rugby ball as a mini at East Grinstead, before moving on to Caterham School. From there, it was a natural step to join the Old Boys and carry on playing with my schoolmates. That continuity, from the classroom to the rugby field, gave me some of my closest friendships—many of which I still cherish today. Rugby has that special quality where even if you haven’t seen a mate for years, when you do, it feels like no time has passed at all.
That’s the essence of rugby for me: camaraderie and respect. Those values have stuck with me ever since my school days, and they’re the reason I wanted to give something back to the game through sponsorship. It’s not just about seeing the FluidOne logo on the posts or on the shirts—it’s about helping grassroots rugby thrive. The sport teaches teamwork, discipline, and resilience. It’s inclusive, it’s a leveller, and it sets young people up for life. Supporting that pathway is what really matters.
Our relationship with OCRFC goes back over a decade—probably closer to 12 or 14 years now. It began through SAS Global Communications, the company I was part of, which was later acquired and integrated into FluidOne in 2022. The connection felt natural: our Colgate office is only a short distance from the club, and many of our staff are still local to the area. I still get down to games when I can— usually once a month, plus the regular club lunches—and others from FluidOne often come along too. It’s always a fiercely friendly experience, and the atmosphere is second to none.
Over the years, our sponsorship has supported all sorts of initiatives: including the live-streaming camera, that allows supporters to follow games from anywhere. That particular project has been a real pleasure—we’re in the business of delivering secure connected cloud solutions across the UK, so helping OCRFC embrace technology that brings their rugby community closer together feels like the perfect match.
I’ve loved watching the team progress through the leagues, and it’s clear that the standard of rugby keeps getting stronger. The players are fitter and more skilful than in my day, but what hasn’t changed is the spirit of the
"I’ve loved watching the team progress through the leagues, and it’s clear that the standard of rugby keeps getting stronger.
"club. At Old Cats, friendships and community come first. Yes, the aim is always to play at the highest level possible, but what makes the club special is the sense of belonging. It’s a place where young players develop not just as athletes but as people, learning respect and building lifelong bonds.
That’s why our support continues. Sponsoring Old Cats isn’t simply a transaction—it’s about sustaining the game we love, backing grassroots rugby, and reinforcing the values that rugby and FluidOne share. For me, that’s what it’s all about.
KEVIN POTTER
FORMER PLAYER
SUPPORTER & SPONSOR
I’m local to the Caterham area and joined Old Cats the year I got married. I started rugby later than most—early twenties—but from the minute I turned up for preseason the club took me in. I worked hard, got a handful of games in the seconds, then stepped up to the first XV at loosehead and stayed there. We weren’t the finished article back then, but we were ambitious. I remember climbing from Surrey 4 with
three promotions in four years, and playing as high as London 3—big milestones for the club at the time. Rugby genuinely changed my life. Old Cats gave me structure, standards and mateship. People who could have judged me chose instead to put an arm round my shoulder and show me a better way to channel my energy. That spirit—seeing the person first, then helping them grow—runs right through the place. I’ve kept that close ever since.
These days I sponsor the club through my business, KPH. I’m proud to be a main sponsor, but more importantly, I’m proud of how well the club stewards every contribution. They show me where the money goes and why it matters. We always try to have a presence at club lunches, and although I don’t get down as often as I’d like, Old Cats is never far from my thoughts.
On the field, the current group impresses me. Fitness levels, skill execution, and— crucially—discipline have all gone up a notch. I watched two games last season where we were behind and might previously have lost our heads; instead, the boys trusted the coaches, stuck to task and won it in the last twenty. That tells you a lot about culture. A team is only as strong as its least experienced player, and our coaches clearly get that— lifting everyone, not just the standouts.
We’ve had and still have outstanding people. I’ve known Andrew and Debbie for years, and George Williams’ heart is firmly in the club. Bill Broadhead is an inspiration— decades of service and still turning up with that same passion. On the playing side, captains set the tone. In my time we had leaders like Nick Ansell; today, Oscar Nye has all the tools—quality player, but also a proper skipper who gets the best from those around him.
What makes Old Cats special isn’t complicated: it’s the people and the values. It’s the willingness to include, to forgive, to demand better and then help you get there. It’s community first, rugby as the vehicle. The club helped shape me, and if my support helps the next lad or lass find their feet, that’s worth every penny.
Old Cats has always been about more than the next result. It’s about belonging, improving, and leaving the shirt—and the place—better than you found it. I’m grateful for what the club gave me, and I love being part of its journey now.
JAKE DODWELL OLD CATS THROUGH AND THROUGH
I’m a Caterham lad and Old Cats has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My dad, John Dodwell, played for the club back in the day and still helps out as Head Groundsman at Caterham School, so I grew up around the place.
I joined Old Cats in my late teens after playing elsewhere as a mini, and it quickly became more than just a hobby. Rugby gave me discipline, teamwork, and respect—values that have shaped my approach to life and work. I run my own construction business now, so time and injuries mean I’m mostly retired from playing, though I still turn out for the 2s when needed. Once rugby’s in you, it never really leaves.
I’ve been a sponsor for nearly three years because I want to give something back. Grassroots rugby is under pressure, and clubs like Old
Cats need local backing to survive. The people here make it special—characters like Kev Potter, Oscar, Andrew, Bill Broadhead, and George Williams, who keep the spirit alive. It’s a true community club, open to everyone, and if it didn’t exist, there’d be a real hole in local life.
I can’t get to every game these days, but I make time for the club lunches and the President’s game. I’m looking forward to my kids getting involved when they’re old enough—running around the touchline, meeting the coaches, and feeling that same welcoming buzz I grew up with.
Rugby’s lessons stay with you: reliability, commitment, teamwork. Those values help in business just as much as on the field. Old Cats shaped who I am, and I’ll keep backing the club so the next generation can enjoy what we did—playing hard, laughing together, and being part of something that lasts.
BRAINTREE
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“Champions
of Counties 1 Essex 2024/2025 Season!”
NIGEL BRAND CHAIRMAN
I was born and bred in Braintree, and I’ve been involved with Braintree Rugby Club since 1976. I still remember how it all started I was just about 11 years old when I saw a notice at my local school advertising the rugby club. Rugby had just been introduced at school, and a couple of friends and I thought, why not give it a go? From that day, I’ve been part of the club ever since.
In those early days, rugby wasn’t as organised or structured as it is now. For example, when I was about 14, I played in the Colts, and our coaching was very much run by volunteers who were passionate but often unqualified, learning as they went along. Training was basic—mostly jogging on the spot before games, very little stretching, and nothing dynamic. But despite all that, the club was a place to belong, and that sense of community was what kept us coming back.
It’s a place where people of all ages and backgrounds come together, from under- fours right up to those in their eighties. During COVID, the importance of that community was even more apparent— many people really struggled without that connection. Rugby gives focus, belonging, and support, which in today’s world is priceless.
My playing career at Braintree was long and rewarding. I made it into the first team at 18 and I was lucky enough to play there for many years, along with the honour of captaining the side for five seasons. After that, I gradually dropped down to the second and third teams where the enjoyment continued, finally stopping playing at 48. I was already coaching my son at that time, so I continued my involvement by coaching and eventually became head coach of the academy, a role I have enjoyed and now continue into my sixth season. I also assist with coaching the seniors focusing on the crucial transition from youth to senior rugby.
Youth development is at the heart of our success. Over
the past four years, around 18 homegrown players have broken into our first team, which is now predominantly made up of younger players. We maintain close contact with players who go to university, welcoming them back during pre-season, holidays and after they graduate. This continuous flow of talent is vital because transitioning from youth to senior rugby is a big step and can be daunting. That’s why we work hard to make the transition smooth and supportive.
Last season, our average first-team age was around 23, and on most matchdays, 14 or 15 of the 18 players were homegrown. It’s incredibly rewarding to see that investment paying off. We’ve also noticed strong family connections at the club—with several sets of brothers playing together— which speaks volumes about the club’s community spirit.
Rugby is not just about winning; it’s about fun, friendship, and development. We encourage everyone to play at whatever level they can and enjoy the game. Some players might not shine immediately but can blossom later—rugby is a latedeveloping sport in many ways.
We offer a full pathway, from the under-fours all the way through to undereighteens, including girls’ rugby which is growing as rapidly as the womens rugby at the club. Our u18s Girls warriors team made it through to the Regional National Cup
Finals. This all runs thanks to the dedication of volunteers whose enthusiasm keeps the club alive.
I became chairman two years ago, and early on I realised you can’t do it all yourself. It’s vital to surround yourself with enthusiastic people and always try to remember to encourage and thank them. That attitude ensures that volunteers stay motivated and that the club continues to thrive.
The network within the club is vast—there are all sorts of professions which members can tap into. It’s a huge resource, and business often comes through those relationships and the reputation
you build at the club. Being part of a rugby club means you belong to a big family, which is fantastic but comes with its challenges. Over the years, we’ve lost friends and members far too young, and sharing that pain, as well as the good times, is part of what makes the club a true community. People look out for one another in good times and bad.
This season was exceptional. We finished as league champions, scoring more points than anyone and conceding fewer. We lost only a handful of games, and even then, sometimes by the narrowest margins. We try to play an exciting, open- running style, guided by a great coaching team. Importantly, our success is built on homegrown youth rather than recruiting from outside, which set us apart and made our promotion even more special.
Next season we step up to Regional Two Anglia, a tough league with established clubs like Eton Manor and Harlow, who have excellent facilities and attract quality players. We know it will be challenging, but our young players are eager to improve and prove themselves. Our goal is to stay up and build from there and we’re realistic
3 sets of Brothers who played 1st team on that day in our away kit.
about the work ahead.
The increased travel and intensity mean more expenses, especially for coaches and players, but our sponsors are very supportive, which helps us continue encouraging free rugby and broad participation.
What truly makes Braintree Rugby Club special is its friendly, welcoming atmosphere. We often hear from players who have been to other clubs— some semiprofessional—that Braintree is the most welcoming place they’ve been. Everyone is made to feel at home as quickly as possible, and that warmth is genuine.
We’re also fortunate to have committed coaches throughout the club like James, our head coach, who joined us just as COVID hit. Despite personal challenges, James has been dedicated to the club and his passion exemplifies what the club has become to him.
Similarly, our current club captain Josh comes from a long line of club stalwarts—his father, grandfather, and uncle all involved since the early days. He’s a talented fly-half and a great ambassador for the club.
We are fortunate to have a very pro-active committee and volunteers throughout
our club. This has always been the case and makes the club what it is today.
Rugby is about so much more than sport. It teaches values, supports mental health, and provides a safe space for people to grow.
At Braintree, we try and understand that many young players face challenges. Our coaches get to know the players’ backgrounds and offer support tailored to their needs, without judgment. We encourage open communication and help players open up over time. We have seen firsthand how rugby can change lives and provide a grounding that some might be missing.
Rugby clubs like ours play an important role in addressing mental health issues. We have held awareness sessions which are a vital support system, especially for young people facing pressures from social media and modern life.
Ultimately, Braintree Rugby Club is a grassroots community club that embraces everyone. We’re proud of our success on the pitch, but even more proud of the welcoming environment and the lifelong friendships that the club nurtures. It’s a place where people come for the rugby but stay for the family.
Good action in the lineout.
JAMES HERBERT
HEAD COACH
I`m originally from Cambridge, not Braintree, but I’ve come to know the club very well since I started coaching here. When I took the job, I was pretty much an outsider. I only knew one player from county coaching a few years before. I wanted a fresh challenge, somewhere new where I could bring my own philosophy without any preconceived ideas. I was honest with myself—I knew Braintree wasn’t near the top leagues, but I saw potential and an opportunity to build something from the ground up.
My timing was strange because COVID hit right as I started, so the first season had no rugby at all. But I got lucky—there was a group of academy kids coming through, about nine in one year alone, who were very talented. I decided to build the team around these young players, developing them through a consistent style of play across the academy and senior teams. This meant when academy players progressed to the first team, they already understood the system, which helped with smooth transitions.
I’ve been fortunate to have a strong coaching team, with most of them having played at national or higher levels. Together, we focused on a fast, structured, and exciting style of rugby—playing what’s in front of you and enjoying the game. Our training sessions have grown to attract 28, sometimes up to 35 or 40 players on a Thursday evening, which shows the club’s pull and enthusiasm.
In my first seasons, we started by winning just a few games, but each year the team improved physically and mentally, gaining experience in men’s rugby. Last season
was huge for us—we were favourites to win the league, having narrowly missed out the previous year by only a point or two in a couple of games. Our players are young, and that inexperience sometimes showed, but we kept pushing and delivering consistent performances.
Taking the job was a challenge and a bit of a gamble. I wanted to test myself; to prove I could lead independently without prior connections. Rugby isn’t about money for me—I run my own business separately and do coaching for the love of the sport and the challenge. It was tough at first; the club was divided and not in the best place when I arrived. I even told my wife I wasn’t sure I’d made the right choice early on. But things have improved dramatically, and 99.9% of my experience has been positive.
Besides coaching, I also advise the club on broader issues, bringing insights from my business experience to help improve how the club is run. Over time, I took on coaching responsibilities across the academy and senior teams, creating a unified structure that ensures players develop smoothly and understand their roles as they move up.
We’ve been fortunate with our youth pipeline. Although we had fewer academy players coming through last year, there are nine expected to join the first team next season. As a club pays only one coach, who works very hard, we rely heavily on volunteers who play socially or in second teams to support the club’s success.
Rugby has played a huge role in my life, both personally and professionally. I’m very competitive by nature—I love
the challenge and the chance to push myself. I played rugby from the age of 11 through school, enjoying the aggression and physicality of the game. I was lucky to be part of some very successful teams and had a solid playing career before transitioning to coaching.
Coaching at Braintree has given me a sense of belonging I hadn’t found at other clubs. The relationships I’ve formed here have become friendships for life. I’ve learned to separate my coaching role from friendships, keeping a professional approach that helps manage the team effectively, but rugby also gives me a mental break from the stresses of running my business. On the pitch, I’m in my own bubble, focused entirely on the game, which is a great mental release.
Looking ahead, my shortterm goal for next season in the higher, tougher league is straightforward: stay up. Anyone promoted to a new league knows survival is the key objective. I want us to finish in a comfortable
position, pushing mid-table or better, but not getting dragged into a relegation battle. Longer term, I see the club having the infrastructure and young talent to push one league higher eventually. Many of our current players are still in their early twenties, and new academy players are coming through each year, so the future is bright.
For me, what makes Braintree Rugby Club so special is the club’s genuine sense of community. I’ve been to many clubs as a coach, but Braintree is the first where, regardless of team or age group, everyone feels like one club. Whether it’s the first team, the women’s team, or the academy, the players all support each other. Even last year, in our final games, the whole club came together with that collective spirit.
JOSH WADFORTH
FORMER CAPTAIN
I’ve always been Braintree through and through. Even though I moved about a bit, Braintree Rugby Club has always been my home. Rugby runs in my blood. My grandad Ken and great uncle were among the founding members of the club, and my dad, Mark Wadforth, captained the 1st XV in his day. So, when I say it’s in the family, I really mean it. Following in their footsteps was something I aspired to from the start.
I got into rugby through the family, and it’s been the biggest influence on my life in every sense. I firmly believe it’s the best sport in the world for building character, discipline, and friendships. It genuinely changes people. The camaraderie, the manners, the values— it just shapes you into a better human being. That’s something I think every rugby player understands.
I’ve been captain of the 1st XV for the past three seasons now, and while we’ve often started campaigns a little bumpy, it’s never taken us long to find our feet. Like many clubs, we rely on a tight group—around 18 players who are always there. But with injuries and the nature of the game, week-to-week chemistry changes. It’s not always easy, but when we hit our rhythm, we build momentum quickly.
We’re quite a young squad overall, but there are a few older heads who boost
the average age—and that mix works well for us. I play fly-half, and I like to control the game and keep things organised from the middle of the park. It suits me.
Last season was special. We won the league comfortably in the end—by about eight points. On paper, we looked good: solid defensively and dangerous in attack. That’s a fair reflection of who we are. We’re not the biggest team, but what we lack in size we more than make up for in fitness and speed. That’s our secret weapon. Most games are close up to halftime, but we tend to pull away in the second half when the other teams begin to tire. We just seem to have another gear when it matters.
Looking ahead to next season in the higher league,
I know it’ll be tough. But I don’t think we’ll go straight back down. I genuinely believe we can hold our own and compete. There’s more travelling involved and a higher level of competition, but the club is doing everything it can to support us—not through money or payments, but through coaches for away trips, player sponsorships, and other efforts to keep players committed and the team together.
What sets Braintree apart, though, is our social side. I’ve never seen anything like it. Every weekend, there’s something going on—just like in the old days my dad used to tell me about. That closeness, that family feel, it’s what binds us together and pushes us forward. It’s a
proper rugby club in every sense of the word.
I’ve got a younger brother, Thomas, who also plays at the club, and our dad still supports us from the sidelines. My grandad Ken would’ve been proud of what we’ve achieved. The club means so much to all of us.
What makes Braintree Rugby Club truly special isn’t just the results or the league table—it’s the people. It’s the family feel. No matter what you need—rugby-related or not—you can count on the people at this club. Whether it’s players, coaches, committee members— everyone’s got your back. That sense of loyalty and community is something you don’t find everywhere, and it’s why I’ll always be proud to wear the Braintree shirt.
JAMES GREENACRE COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR
I took on the role of Commercial Director at Plymouth Albion at the start of this year because I saw the potential. This is a club with a huge amount of history, passion and community behind it, and I wanted to play a part in helping it grow again.
My background has always been on the commercial side of sport and culture - I’ve been Head of Commercial at Plymouth Argyle and more recently Director of External Affairs at Theatre Royal Plymouth. The industries are different, but the principles are the same: media, marketing, communications, brand, reputation and, ultimately, driving sustainable growth. My job at Albion is to make sure we squeeze as much juice out of the fruit as possible - without losing sight of the club’s roots and its place in the community.
Although I wasn’t born here, Plymouth has been
PLYMOUTH ALBION
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“We’re building Plymouth Albion for the next 150 years”
home since childhood. Like a lot of people, I once thought about leaving - but then I met my wife, a true Plymothian, and we started our family here. I love sailing, I love cycling, and within twenty minutes of stepping through my front door I can be out on the water or up on Dartmoor. There aren’t many better places in the country to raise a family, and I’ve been lucky enough to build a career that means I can stay here and give something back to the city.
One of the biggest lessons I took from football is the importance of community. At Argyle you couldn’t go far without seeing our community trust out in schools and neighbourhoods, making a real difference. That’s the kind of visibility and impact I want Albion to mirror. Sport breaks down barriers - it teaches teamwork, leadership, and confidence in a way classrooms sometimes can’t. The soft skills youngsters gain from being part of a rugby
club or any sports team will serve them for life.
Rugby in particular has a unique social strength. It’s inclusive, it’s respectful, and once you cross the white line it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do for a livingyou’re just another member of the team. That’s the levelling
power of the game, and it’s something I want to embed deep into Albion’s culture.
We’ve also been open about our ambition. We want to return to the Championship. We’ve mapped out a 10-year vision, with a five-year mission beneath it. The first step
is occupancy: making sure every asset of the club that can generate revenue and engagement is being maximised. Last year our corporate spaces were 75% full; this year the target is 90%. Pitchside advertising? We’ve already hit 100%. Beyond that, we’re unlocking assets that haven’t been taken to market in years as part of our growth strategy.
That doesn’t mean pricing people out. We know times are tough, so in some areas we’ve consolidated or even reduced prices to keep Albion accessible. Ticketing has been restructured to bring more young people in, because the fans of tomorrow need to feel welcome today. As revenues grow, we’ll reinvest—piece by piece—in better facilities, not just for men’s league games but also for women’s rugby, varsity matches, and military fixtures like the Royal Marines Medics game.
Our mantra behind the scenes is simple: be better.
Do something a little bit better today than yesterday, and over time it shifts the culture. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel - it’s about being consistent, asking what “best in class” looks like, and getting as close as we can.
Right now our focus is Plymouth. Within 20 minutes of Brickfields there are nearly 280,000 people; across Devon and Cornwall it’s closer to two million. The appetite for rugby is huge. But the first step is making sure Plymouth sees Albion as its club - visible, proud, and central to the city’s sporting life. From there we can grow regionally, then nationally, and who knows where in 20 years’ time.
Women’s rugby is also a huge part of our growth. Just as the Euros transformed women’s football, the success of England’s Roses can be the springboard for rugby. It shows young girls that the game is for them too - regardless of size or background - and that’s vital for the long-term future of
the sport. So what makes Albion special? Potential. The club’s 150-year history matters hugely, and we must honour it. But what excites me most is shaping the next 150 years. We’ve got the foundations, the fanbase, and the passion - on and off the field. The opportunity is massive. I want to see Brickfields full, new faces coming through the gates, and Albion climbing the leagues - not just as a rugby club, but as a community institution the whole city can be proud of.
MAX VENABLES THE HANDS-ON HEARTBEAT OF PLYMOUTH ALBION
If you spend any time around Brickfields, you’ll see why people say Plymouth Albion’s Managing Director never sits still. One day Max Venables is in the office mapping the next phase of the club’s growth; the next he’s pitch-side, literally on a tractor, making
sure the surface is right for the weekend. It’s not a pose. It’s how he works—hands on, all in, no job beneath him if it moves the club forward.
Max’s involvement with Albion is rooted in a simple conviction: a rugby club should be the beating heart of its city. That belief shapes everything—from the way he’s built the “team outside the team” to the way Brickfields is opening its doors to schools, families, and first-time fans. He knows volunteers keep community clubs alive, but he also knows ambition needs structure. Under his watch, Albion has added professional roles in the key places that drive momentum: commercial, media, and community.
You can see the results. Commercially, the club has shifted from “making do” to thinking like a modern sports business—without losing its soul. Matchday spaces that sat half-empty are now targeted for high occupancy,
pitchside inventory is sold through, and new assets are being taken to market with clarity and purpose. The goal isn’t quick wins; it’s sustainable growth that underwrites the rugby. That’s why the off-field hires matter: people who wake up each day asking how to fill the ground, how to make sponsors proud of their association, and how to turn a good fan experience into a great one.
Just as important is the community spine Max insists on strengthening. Albion’s schools programme, youth section, new women’s team, and citywide engagement aren’t bolt-ons; they’re pillars. When a sponsor prefers to fund coaching in classrooms and a tag-festival for primary pupils instead of just buying an advertising board, that fits perfectly with his ethos. If Brickfields is to be alive all week—not only for 13 home league games—then the club has to serve Plymouth first. Ambition, though, is never far from the surface. Max has been clear about direction: a five-year mission to be a sustainable Championship club, and a ten-year vision to be Premiership-ready. Those targets are only meaningful if the foundations are right, so he’s just as focused on
the unglamorous things— operations, facility standards, matchday flow, pricing that welcomes families—as he is on league tables. The message across the backroom is consistent: do the basics better, every week. That steady lift in standards is how you avoid the boom-andbust that has tripped up so many clubs.
Ask the people around him what defines Max’s leadership and you’ll hear the same themes: visibility, relentlessness, care. He has time for supporters and sponsors, but he also notices the small fixes that make a Saturday feel smoother—the sign that needs moving, the graphic that needs sharpening, the walk-up that needs a nudge on Friday night. He values tradition— the respect and inclusivity rugby is built on—but he’s not sentimental about outdated habits. If another sport does fan engagement or content better, learn from it; if there’s a smarter way to tell Albion’s story, use it.
There’s a personal dimension, too. The club is part of his family life, and that matters when you’re trying to set a culture. Parents will bring toddlers to training nights because Brickfields feels safe. Players will stop to
chat because they know the people behind the scenes are pulling in the same direction. Sponsors will back community projects because they can see—and measure—the impact. That web of trust doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the product of showing up, week after week.
Plymouth is a sports city with a big catchment and a bigger appetite. Max’s job is to make sure Albion claims its share of that attention by being visible, credible, and worth people’s time and money. Fill the ground. Make first-timers feel welcome. Give them a reason to come back. Keep investing in the women’s pathway and the youth pipeline. Modernise without losing the values that make rugby special. And, when the time comes, be ready—on the field and off it—to take the step up and stay there.
That’s Max Venables’ Plymouth Albion: a club that works as hard Monday to Friday as it does on a Saturday afternoon; a place where community and professionalism live side by side; a team setting its sights high and laying the bricks to get there. Ambitious, grounded, and passionately local—built the right way, by a managing director who’s never afraid to roll up his sleeves.
“TELLING ALBION’S STORY—AND BUILDING A CLUB THE CITY CAN FEEL” BY
PAUL NICHOLSON, HEAD OF PRESS, PR & SOCIAL MEDIA, PLYMOUTH ALBION
RFC
I’m Plymouth born, Cornish raised, and—after a few years away—back home where I belong. I didn’t come up through rugby; my professional life was two decades at the top end of British basketball. When the league and our Plymouth club hit the buffers, I found myself out of work and, if I’m honest, out of love with sport. Then Max Venables called. He asked me to bring what I know—media, marketing, fan engagement—to Albion. I joined a week before our first game, still double-checking how many points a penalty was before posting the score. I knew very little about rugby, but I knew how to tell a story and how to build an audience. Albion has given me both a challenge and a reason to fall in love with sport again.
Max’s big idea was simple: build the team outside the team. Volunteers are the heartbeat of clubs at our level, but to grow you also need specialist roles—people who wake up every day thinking about commercial, community, media, and
matchday. He’s brought in James Greenacre as Commercial Director, we’ve added a new community coach, and I’ve been asked to professionalise our communications—on the pitch, around the ground, and across the city.
Day to day, my job is everything from brand and content to old-school posters in shop windows. On a matchday it’s an 11-hour shift: managing videography and photography, coordinating with local press and radio, producing graphics, signage, and kit reveals, and then cutting highlights and interviews for the week ahead. Off the pitch, we’ve launched a monthly behind-the-scenes YouTube series and a new podcast to bring supporters closer to the people and decisions that shape the club. It’s not just “post to socials”; it’s building a consistent voice and a rhythm that turns casual interest into commitment.
What makes Albion different is the community spine that runs through everything we do. Our structure has a few branches: the men’s first team in National One; a women’s team formed last season that’s stepping into league
competition now; a youth section run by brilliant volunteers; and a community programme that takes rugby into schools. Last year we coached in 17–18 schools and hosted a 14-team primary tag festival at Brickfields. One of our sponsors, Vospers, chose to invest directly in that programme—funding coaching in schools and the festival itself instead of just buying a board. That’s the kind of partnership we want: doing the right thing for Plymouth and letting the results speak for themselves.
Pathways matter. We want kids to discover rugby through our community coaching, move into the youth section, and—while we don’t yet run an Albion academy—progress through strong local pathways at Plymouth College, Ivybridge, and Chiefs before, hopefully, circling back into our senior setup. The women’s team is central to that future, too. The growth in the women’s game is energising families and changing perceptions. It’s good for the sport, good for the club, and good for the city.
We’ve been open about our ambitions. We published a clear Vision & Mission: a
five-year mission to be a sustainable Championship club, and a ten-year vision to be Premiership-ready. Sustainable and competitive have to go hand in hand. Plenty of clubs have chased one without the other and paid the price. Our pillars are straightforward: a performance pathway that invests in coaching and player development; facilities and operations that modernise the club; commercial growth on matchday and non-matchday; strong links with schools and grassroots clubs; and fan engagement that makes Brickfields the best day out in town. We believe we already meet Championship ground criteria; now it’s about doing the work, week after week, to earn the right on and off the field.
I measure success in two ways. First, “bums on seats”—because the stadium full of noise changes everything. Second, how it feels to be at Albion. I bring my three-year-old, Luca, to Thursday training. He charges through the stands, wanders the changing rooms, and the players make him feel like he belongs. That sense of safety and belonging is priceless. If
I’m happy for my toddler to roam free at Brickfields, that tells you all you need to know about the culture here.
Rugby’s traditions drew me in—the respect, the inclusivity, the way a dressing room levels everyone. But we’re not bound by habit. My job is to keep rugby’s core values and present them with the best of modern sport: sharper storytelling, smarter campaigns, and better experiences. We’ll keep pushing the content, the creative, and the fan journey so that someone who’s never been to a game feels compelled to try it—and then comes back with friends.
I came to Albion after being hurt by the sport I grew up in. What brought me back was a vision I could believe in and people who live it— Max, James, our coaches, our volunteers, our players, our sponsors, and our supporters. We’re not pretending this is easy. But we’re building something that’s worthy of Plymouth, worthy of our history, and ambitious enough to carry us into our 150th year and beyond.
We’re going to the Championship—if not this year, then next. And when we get there, we’ll be ready.
SPONSOR OF PLYMOUTH ALBION RFC
I’m fairly new on the sponsorship scene at Plymouth Albion, but not new to Plymouth. My wife and I moved down about fourteen years ago, and I’d actually been doing business in the city since 2002—initially as a lettings man, managing our own places and properties for other landlords. About six or seven months ago I made a clean pivot to the sales side only with RED Homes Estate Agency.
I wanted to do this the right way. I bought into a franchise run by a friend, so I had a proper mentor for the sales craft, got fully qualified—NAEA after my name—and set our stall out around fair, transparent fees. I’ve bought and sold plenty over the years as a developer and could never square the bills I was being charged for the “privilege.” So, we keep it simple: 0.75%+VAT headline and, in practice, we usually agree a fixed fee up front so sellers know exactly where they stand. No eyebrow-raising minimums either—certainly nothing like the £3,000 some local agents set before they lift a pen. Most outfits will quote 1–2%; we think there’s a better, fairer way.
We started from a dead stop. The first sale completed about four months ago, but we’ve now got over 20 homes on the books, more coming next week, and another completion due this Friday. I’ve given myself two years to build momentum. Some days it’s a “difficult nut to crack”—you’ll still meet someone happy to spend £1,500 more with their “mate’s agent”—but I believe service, value, and word of mouth will win out.
My route to Albion was very “rugby club” in the best sense: a mutual friend who works with Plymouth Argyle
mentioned James at Albion, I rang him, popped down to Brickfields—under strict instructions from my wife not to agree to anything—and walked out having taken two boards: one pitch-facing and one crowd-facing by hospitality. I liked what I saw. It’s a proper club: welcoming people, right scale, real community spirit. The new training centre blew me away—serious investment, done properly. It made me think: get in early, grow with the club, and do more together over time.
I’ve managed one hospitality day so far and happened to catch a significant win (62-5) on the day after our first board went up. Since then, there’s only been one home game and I was away, but I’ll be back down soon enough. Beyond the ground, we’re building brand visibility around the city—bus rears for a year and a run of lamppost panels on the road by Drake Circus— because we know the biggest early hurdle is simple: trust. People can’t hire you if they’ve never heard of you.
Why sponsor? Three reasons. People first—James and everyone I met were friendly, capable, straight.
Community next—Albion is knitted into Plymouth in the same way we want RED Homes to be. And ambition— the club is clearly moving forward; so are we. I’m 59, nowhere near ready to retire, and I’d much rather put my shoulder behind something that lifts with us: the club grows, the crowds grow, and hopefully RED Homes grows alongside.
If you’re selling in Plymouth and want a clear, fair fee and a proper service, give me a ring. I’ll be at Brickfields— either by the pitch board or the hospitality tent—cheering the lads on and doing my bit for a club that does so much for this city.
OF PLYMOUTH ALBION RFC
I’m a Plymouth girl through and through—born here, raised here, educated here— and rugby has been part of my story since I was sixteen. I’d gone to a sixth form that was almost entirely boys, and we were encouraged to support them on match days. That’s where it started. I remember standing on the touchline for the first time and just being swept up by it all— the energy, the camaraderie, the laughter, and the sense that everyone belonged.
From that day, I was hooked. Rugby, to me, has always represented the best of people. It’s inclusive, it’s humble, and it builds community in a way that few other things can. You don’t need to be the fastest or the strongest to be part of it—you just need heart, commitment, and respect for your teammates. Those are values that have shaped my life and, more recently, my business, Nest Associates, which I set up this year to champion connection, trust, and collaboration—qualities that rugby has been teaching for generations.
As a lifelong Albion supporter, I’ve spent countless Saturdays at Brickfields. It’s been part of my family’s rhythm for years. My son grew up with rugby in his blood— he played minis through to colts, and one of his proudest moments was running out onto the pitch at Plymouth Albion with his junior club when he was just eleven. I’ll
never forget the look on his face, stepping into what felt to him like a vast stadium. Those are the moments that make you realise how powerful this sport is—it gives young people confidence, friendship, and belonging.
When Covid hit, his rugby journey paused, like so many others. But what stayed with us were the friendships, the discipline, and the values that rugby had already instilled. We still see the same faces around the club—families who’ve weathered the years together. I’ve got lifelong friends from standing in the wind and rain on the sidelines, cheering the boys on. Rugby has that magic. It weaves people together. What I love about Plymouth Albion is that it
embodies everything the game stands for. It’s inclusive, family-orientated, and deeply rooted in the community. You don’t walk into the clubhouse as a stranger—you walk in as part of something. That’s why sponsoring the club felt like such a natural decision. As a local business owner, I wanted to give back to an organisation that’s done so much for this city and its people.
A big part of that is down to James Greenacre, Albion’s Commercial Director. James has created a wonderful atmosphere at the club— energised, purposeful, and full of heart. He’s built bridges between families, fans, and local businesses, and that sense of unity is infectious. You can feel it on match days—the buzz in the air, the laughter from the bar, the kids running around in their Albion shirts. He’s passionate about getting the club where it deserves to be, and it shows.
And it’s not just James; it’s the whole team—people like Paul Nicholson and the volunteers who pour so much of themselves into the club.
They’re never too busy to cheer from the sidelines, chat to supporters, or welcome newcomers. That’s what makes Albion special: it’s real, it’s human, and it brings people together.
Rugby teaches us trust— you can’t pack down in a scrum or chase into contact without it—and that lesson carries into every part of life. It shows young people that there are no divides; that teamwork, respect, and courage matter more than background or status. It’s a sport that builds character, and Albion is a place where those values thrive.
I’m incredibly proud to be part of that journey—as a fan, as a parent, and now as a sponsor. What’s happening at the club right now is exciting. There’s momentum, there’s belief, and there’s heart. And for someone who fell in love with the game all those years ago on a muddy school pitch, that’s the kind of story I’ll always want to be part of.
Rugby gives you family, belonging, and purpose—and at Plymouth Albion, you feel all three the moment you walk through the gate.
VICTORIA CREBER — NEST ASSOCIATES & PROUD SUPPORTER
EMMA-LOUISE THOMPSON HEALTHCARE
ACCOUNT MANAGER
NUFFIELD HEALTH PLYMOUTH
I’m Plymouth born and bred, so working with an organisation that plays such a strong role in the city’s wellbeing means a great deal to me personally. My background has always been in marketing, and what I admire most about Nuffield Health is that it’s not just a business. It’s a charity with a clear purpose to build a healthier nation. Every penny we earn is reinvested into programmes that help people live better, longer and stronger lives.
Our partnership with Plymouth Albion reflects that purpose perfectly. Rugby clubs like Albion bring people
together and create a real sense of community. You can feel it when you walk into Brickfields: families, local supporters, businesses and players all pulling in the same direction. That’s the kind of environment we want to be part of, because sport and wellbeing naturally go hand in hand.
Albion’s values of teamwork, respect and resilience are exactly what we stand for at Nuffield Health. This partnership allows us to engage with people beyond the hospital and gym settings, reaching into the community in a meaningful way. We support the club through kit branding, the Player of the Match award, advertising at Brickfields and the sponsorship of the new Albion podcast, which
has been a brilliant way to connect with fans.
I’ve been to previous games and there’s a real buzz about the place. It’s such an inclusive atmosphere, whether you’re a lifelong fan or visiting for the first time. You’re welcomed like family and that’s what makes Albion special.
We’re incredibly proud to continue as the club’s Official Health Partner for the 2025–26 season, especially as Albion celebrates its 150th year. It’s a privilege to work with James Greenacre and his team who share our passion for performance, community and wellbeing. Partnerships like this are about more than logos on shirts. They’re about shared values, mutual support and helping Plymouth thrive.
MARK ENTICKNAP DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, NUFFIELD HEALTH PLYMOUTH
I’ve always believed that sport and health are deeply connected and that’s what makes our relationship with Plymouth Albion so rewarding. Rugby teaches discipline, teamwork and respect, which align perfectly with the principles we live by at Nuffield Health. Supporting Albion isn’t just a sponsorship for us; it’s a relationship built on shared goals and community values.
From an operational point of view, we’re part of a nationwide network that includes 37 hospitals and more than 100 fitness and wellbeing centres, but what
makes Nuffield unique is our local focus. Here in Plymouth, we have both a hospital and a fitness and wellbeing gym, and both are open to everyone, not just private patients. Whether it’s physiotherapy, personal training or specialist healthcare, we want to make quality care accessible to the whole community.
Our “Programmes for All” initiative widens that access even further. We support people recovering from injury, living with long-term conditions or managing mental health challenges. It’s about using our expertise to make a difference where it’s needed most.
Working with James and the team at Albion has been a real pleasure. They’re ambitious, professional and passionate about what they do, both on and off the pitch. The energy around the club is infectious and we share the same mindset: progress through hard work, care for people and pride in the city we serve.
As Albion continues to grow, it’s exciting to be part of that journey. We’ll keep sponsoring the Player of the Match, supporting the new podcast and maintaining a strong presence at Brickfields as a reflection of our shared commitment to wellbeing and community spirit.
For me, it’s about showing that health isn’t confined to hospitals or gyms. It lives and breathes in the heart of a club like Plymouth Albion, and I’m proud that Nuffield Health is part of that story.
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ALEX JEFFERY
BOARD MEMBER
MANAGING PARTNER
BRIGHT SOLICITORS
— LONG-STANDING CLUB SPONSOR
Rugby has been the throughline of my life. I’m Plymouth born and bred, and I picked up the oval ball in single digits. I came through at Devonport Services, spent time in academy setups, and when I went to Plymouth University, I stayed close to Albion. Graham Dawe was around then and brilliant for me as a young player.
Work took me to Jersey for three years where I played a good standard, got offered a contract, and—after a hard think—decided it wasn’t the right step for me at that stage. I came home about eight or nine years ago. These days I’m the Managing Partner at Bright Solicitors, just down the road from Brickfields, and although I stopped playing seriously a couple of seasons back, I still dust off the boots now and again for the odd “farmers” game at scrum-half. Once rugby’s in you, it never really leaves.
My relationship with Plymouth Albion has
ALISON CRUMBIE CHAIR
“WE CAME FOR OUR SON— STAYED FOR THE FAMILY WE FOUND AT BELGRAVE.”
I’m Alison Crumbie, Chair of Belgrave RFC, and a Leicester local through and through. I didn’t grow up in rugby; we were drawn in when our son James was about ten. We drove past the club one day, saw a sign inviting minis and juniors to “come and join us,” and that was that. James played for years—he’s 35 now and retired from playing—but Belgrave became part of our lives.
My husband, Mark, did a bit of rugby at school and then— much later—laced the boots again at 42. He’s still going now at 64, turning out for the seconds when he can. He’s also been the club secretary for around twenty years. Every time he threatens to step back, the lads say, “You can’t go!” It’s a running joke, but it also says everything about the bonds here.
I’ve been chair for six or seven years. We currently run two senior sides. We’ve tried to resurrect minis and juniors and would love to see more girls playing but being an inner-city club in a predominantly Asian area, rugby isn’t always the first sport people think of. Even
BELGRAVE
RUGBY CLUB
2024/2025 Champions of Counties 1 Midlands East (North)
so, our doors stay open and welcoming—we’re proud of the mix of people who find their way to Belgrave, whether they live round the corner or travel in from across Leicestershire. We also pick up the odd student through the universities in Leicester.
Last season was special. We won Counties 1 Midlands East (North) in 2024/25 and earned promotion. In the
past, when we’ve gone up, we’ve sometimes been a bit under-prepared. This time we planned, recruited and organized properly—and it showed. Mark and I got to a fair few games; if he was playing for the seconds we were with them, and when he wasn’t we followed the firsts.
The seconds had a stop-start year—injuries, unavailability, and other teams crying off
meant they didn’t play a full programme—and a few of our twos got called into the ones when needed. That’s village rugby life: you muck in, step up, and get the job done together.
Our home is something we’re proud of. The club owns the clubhouse—four changing rooms, a bar, kitchen and a function room—and the pitches are on church land, so we pay rent for those. We added a new balcony at the start of last season; it’s become a brilliant vantage point to watch a game and a lovely social space on matchdays. It’s the little improvements like that, driven by volunteers, that make a big difference.
Sponsors matter to us, and we work at those relationships. We’ve had shirt sponsors in place for the past few years, and the players do well finding individual player sponsors—we had around twenty this season. It’s a community effort: supporters, families, and local businesses pulling in the same direction.
People often ask what keeps us coming back after
all these years. For me, it’s simple: the friendships, the belonging, and the way this club looks after its own. Belgrave has given our family so much—from James’s early rugby days to Mark’s second rugby life and the countless weekends spent with familiar faces on the touchline. Winning a league title is
wonderful, but it’s the people who make it possible— coaches, volunteers, players, and supporters.
Now we’re excited for the step up. We’ve recruited, we’re better prepared than before, and we’re ready to test ourselves. Whatever the season brings, we’ll face it together— that’s the Belgrave way.
DAVE
TOWL “BELGRAVE MADE ME WHO I AM— PLAYER, COACH, DOR AND NOW A SPONSOR.”
I’m Leicester born and bred, and Belgrave has been my club since I was about 15 or 16. I’d played a bit at school and briefly at a club nearer home, but my dad—Barry Towl—lived down the road from Belgrave, played there himself, and took me to watch on Saturdays. I started in the U15s, 16s and 17s. We didn’t have a Colts side at the time, so I spent a spell elsewhere to get my Colts rugby, then came back at 20—and the rest of my playing days were in black and white.
I was a hooker—which means living on trust. You bare your arms and put your head where it hurts, and you rely on the two beside you and the two behind you. I was lucky. I packed down with some proper props, especially our tighthead Ivan Wright—a terrific scrummager who went on to play county for Leicestershire. When Ivan wasn’t there, you knew about it. In the front row there’s always someone bigger and better; the lesson is to trust your mates and do your job.
Dad came to the game late—he was a prop too—and managed five or six seasons before a bad knee finished him. We never got to play together, but those afternoons standing with him on the rope at Belgrave set my compass. Rugby gave me values I still lean on: hard work, loyalty, showing up for people
When I finally hung the boots up, I drifted into coaching. I’ve done most jobs at the club: coach, head coach, Director of Rugby. These days I handle sponsorship—collecting it, keeping relationships warm, and being a sounding board for the coaching group when they want a second pair of eyes. Away from the club I run a roofing contracting business, so the sponsorship hat fits; you learn quickly that community support keeps a club alive.
Last season was outstanding. Consistency of selection helped, but it wasn’t
luck—we’ve invested in player welfare: a proper physio room, a private space where lads can talk if something’s on their mind, and a culture that keeps people fit and wanting to be available. Put that together and you get momentum: we went on a run of around 19 unbeaten playing some decent stuff.
This season we’ve started one win, one loss. We reshuffled the backs through injuries and had a poor opening half-hour away one Saturday, but there were real positives after that—three tries and character to spare. The challenge at Level 6 is depth across the whole year. When we’re healthy and near full strength, we’re very competitive; when injuries bite, you feel the league’s hardness. The aim is clear rather than fanciful: be strong at home, pinch a few away, and get to around 50 points— that usually keeps you up. Then build.
Belgrave’s style has evolved with the game. We were once known as a very combative city club. With cards and tackle-law changes, rugby’s tougher and fairer now—and better for it. You can still be physical without the nonsense. Players of a certain age are still adapting; eight tackles out of ten are perfect, two get a bit high. That’s part of the learning, and it’s right that player safety leads.
Why Belgrave? Family. Loyalty. Belonging. It’s welcoming for new faces, sticky for old ones—you develop an affinity that doesn’t wear off. It’s a proper social club too; plenty of places shut their bars early, ours is still buzzing until we’re turfed out. For players who aren’t chasing a wage but want the best balance of rugby and camaraderie, it’s near perfect.
I’ve been a player, a coach, a DoR and now a sponsor, but the constant is the same: Belgrave is a place where you’re looked after and expected to look after others. If we keep that heartbeat strong—on the field, in the physio room, and over a pint— we’ll be just fine in any league.
I’m Steve Daniels, managing director of SD Daniels Haulage, and I’m proud that our company is the main shirt sponsor at Belgrave RFC. Rugby has always been a big part of my family’s life, with my grandad Arthur Daniels having played for Northampton Saints, so the game and everything it stands for has been passed down through the generations. I played a bit myself at school, and now my two sons, Tom and Ben, are just as passionate about the sport as I am. We’re a proper rugby family who go to Belgrave’s events together like the sponsors’ dinner and president’s lunch, and we still make time to follow the Saints whenever we can.
What I love about Belgrave is that it truly embodies the values of rugby such as
respect, teamwork, discipline and friendship. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, you’re made to feel welcome the moment you walk through the door. It’s a place where people look out for each other and where you feel part of something genuine. There’s no pretence, just good, honest rugby people doing what they love and creating an environment that everyone can enjoy.
You can see those values reflected in the players too. They work hard for each other, play fair, and never give up. Rugby teaches you how to handle life’s ups and downs, how to respect others and how to be part of a team that’s bigger than yourself. Those lessons stay with you forever, and I see them in my lads when they’re around the club.
For me, sponsoring Belgrave isn’t about publicity or business. It’s about giving something back to a club that represents everything that’s good about grassroots sport. The camaraderie, the banter and the community spirit are all there in abundance. Belgrave is a proper family club, run by people who care deeply about the game and about each other. It’s the kind of place my grandad would have been proud of, and that’s why we’re proud to be involved.
STEVEN DANIELS – SD DANIELS HAULAGE –MAIN SHIRT SPONSOR
LENZIE
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
National Shield Winners 2024/2025!
MIKE SAINI
IMMEDIATE
PAST PRESIDENT
I’m Mike Saini, and Lenzie Rugby Club hasn’t just been part of my life—it’s shaped it. I joined way back in the late 1970s when Mini Rugby was new. I wasn’t born here, but Lenzie definitely made me.
I rose through the youth ranks until an injury ended my playing days around under20s. From there, I became a supporter, then a committee member, before serving as vice president—and finally
president for two wonderful years. It began by marking our 125th anniversary; I wrapped up by seeing the Men’s 1st XV lift the National Plate at Murrayfield. What a fitting close to my tenure.
Although the plate didnt mean promotion, promotion is still very much our aim as we would be delighted, and
ready, to play national league rugby! The plate win still meant everything—especially for a squad that put in work both physically and mentally, under coaches who didn’t shout but empowered. Steven brought empathy; Brian brought grit. Together they nurtured a group that knew itself and its purpose.
It wasn’t just the men’s side making history. We formed a senior Women’s team, and in their debut season, they secured second place in the West Division. To go from formation to near the top in a season—that speaks to determination and passion.
But rugby at Lenzie goes beyond results. Our club is woven into the fabric of the community. Older members find connection, kids become
ball boys and girls, families share the sidelines... and none of it feels transactional. That’s why we’re fundraising hard for a clubhouse some of us won’t live to see completed, but that will serve generations: a proper hall for our community to use; from toddlers to pensioners.
A functioning clubhouse isn’t just about bricks—it’s about purpose. A space to hug your neighbours, hear your children’s laughter, and say thanks to the people who keep this place alive.
At the end of the day, it’s not the trophies that define us, but reminding Lenzie and the wider world that rugby builds more than athletes— it builds communities, friendships, and futures. And few places do that better than Lenzie RFC.
WILLIE CHERRY PRESIDENT
This is my first year as president after two as vice president. My journey with Lenzie RFC started back at Lenzie Academy, where rugby was the only sport on offer. I played as a teenager, captained the club twice in the 1970s, then spent many years working abroad. But when I returned to Scotland five years ago, I came straight back to Lenzie—and picked up friendships like no time had passed.
That’s what makes Lenzie special: lifelong bonds. Guys you shared the pitch with 30 years ago are still there. Whether they were doctors, tradesmen, or students— rugby equalised us all. That spirit still runs through the club today.
We’re immensely proud of the Men’s 1st XV’s Shield win at Murrayfield, which was a massive lift after finishing second in the league. We only lost two matches last season, and while promotion didn’t come, the performance and progress were huge. On the women’s side, the story is just as powerful. The club fought hard to get our women’s team into a competitive league when initial access was blocked. Not only did they make it— they got promoted. We’ve gone from six or seven women playing socially to 25 or more now registered. It’s transformed the club atmosphere—now you’ve got women and men supporting each other’s games, and social events feel more inclusive and balanced.
We’ve also just appointed a development officer, working with the SRU, to bring rugby back into local schools after government funding cuts ended formal rugby programmes. That role will be vital in keeping the pathway strong—from minis and midis to seniors—especially as we lost some promising young players to Glasgow Hawks this year. We wish them well, but we hope they always know there’s a place for them back home.
And none of it happens without our volunteers—the parents who coach, former players who maintain the grounds, the ones who give up days off to get kids to school competitions. They’re the soul of this club. At Lenzie, we don’t just play rugby—we build character, pass on life skills, and give people a place to belong.
LAURA MANSON WOMEN’S CAPTAIN
I’m Laura, and becoming part of Lenzie RFC was never something I planned—it just turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I grew up in Tilicoultry and went to Alva academy, where rugby was always part of the background thanks to my dad’s work in the sport. But I didn’t actually play until high school, when my cousin, who ran the school girls’ team, roped me and a few pals in just to make up numbers. We fell in love with it. Our PE teacher, Mr. Stephen, was mad about rugby and encouraged us to take the next step, so two of us joined Stirling County. I played under-15s and under-18s there, and had the privilege of lining up
alongside girls who’ve gone on to represent Scotland. It was such a great place to fall in love with the game.
I then moved to Dundee for uni, played a bit up there, but COVID and then work meant I drifted away from the sport. I’m a primary school teacher by trade, and when I was out of work last summer, I took a job at Cameron House. One of the lads who played at Lenzie got talking to me, heard I used to play, and invited me along. It was a total “what have I got to lose?” moment—and honestly, I haven’t looked back since.
I joined just as the Lenzie women’s team was stepping into its own identity, no longer playing jointly with Uddingston. It was the first
to a final match against Marr again—which ended in a draw and handed them the title—but we’d already proven ourselves. What made it even more special was that there were imitial doubts about us joining the West 3 league, due to concerns over numbers. But our leadership team believed in us, fought for the opportunity, and we backed this up on the pitch.
Then came the cup run. Reaching the semi-final against Annan was a proud moment. We went to extra time—100 minutes of rugby—and lost in the final seconds. It was heartbreaking, sure, but to take an established team that far said everything about how far we’d come in just one season.
Off the pitch? The club is second to none. The support from the Lenzie community blew us away. That semi-final crowd was massive, and I remember stopping during the game just to soak it in. The older boys always check in and ask how we’re doing. The energy, the inclusion— it’s unlike anything I’ve experienced.
We’ve had a big push on recruitment this summer. Our coach, Steven McLouglin, ran a beginner’s camp and we made a conscious decision not to involve returning players. It was purely for new girls. And it worked— we’ve already had eight new players debut this preseason, which is phenomenal.
We’re heading into West 2 now, which is a step up. We played friendlies against teams from the higher leagues to test ourselves— won handsomely against Strathaven and Hamilton, then lost to Ayr, which was a tough but vital lesson. It reminded us we’ve still got plenty to learn and gave us a marker for what’s ahead.
season the girls got to pull on a Lenzie shirt and play as Lenzie RFC Women, and I walked straight into this brilliant group of women who were building something from the ground up.
We weren’t expecting to achieve much that first season—we were just happy to be playing. But that all changed with our first game against Marr. We scraped together a squad, hopped on the bus, and didn’t know what to expect. But we came away with the win, and suddenly everything shifted—we realised we had something special.
Yes, we lost our second game to East Kilbride, but we regrouped, stayed unbeaten for the rest of the league, and finished second in West 3. It all came down
Personally, I’m now stepping into the captain’s role, which is such an honour. In the short time i have been here the club has given me so much and this role feels like the perfect opportunity to give back to the club and help continue the growth of the women`s game.
What makes this club special is the graft, the togetherness, the “all in” attitude. Whether it’s selling tickets at fireworks night, volunteering at mini festivals, or just showing up for each other—we all do our bit. The women support the men, the men support the women, and we all wear that badge with real pride.
Lenzie has become home in the best possible way. And this season, we’re ready to go again—together.
ALASDAIR CURRIE
MINI RUGBY COACH & CLUB MARKETING LEAD
My name’s Alasdair Currie, and for the past seven or eight years, I’ve been coaching in the Minis at Lenzie RFC, most recently with the Primary 5s. I also help out with logistics for my son Finlay’s age group— he’s just moved into the first year of midis—as well as general club events and, more recently, the club’s website and digital marketing.
My journey with Lenzie started when my wife, Joslyn, gave me a gentle nudge to get the kids involved with rugby after we moved into the town. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made as a family. We’ve got two children—Finlay, who’s now 12, and Faith, who’s in Primary 5. Both play for the club, and that’s what initially got me involved. I started out just standing in the corner during training sessions, trying not to get run over by tiny boots—but I got the bug quickly and began coaching regularly. It’s become a huge part of our lives.
Before Lenzie, we lived in Kilmacolm and I’d tried to get involved with rugby at other clubs, but the kids were a bit too young, and there wasn’t much going on. But the moment we arrived here, it was different. I messaged the club to offer my help, and within 15 minutes, Duncan, the club’s safety officer, was literally at my door with the PVG forms. That really told me everything I needed to know—this was a community that welcomes people in and values what everyone can bring.
My background is in marketing, and through my company, I’ve been able to support the club by building a new website. But we didn’t want to just stop at functionality. We’re using the platform to train some of
our young players who are interested in careers in digital media and marketing—giving them real-world skills and experience. For example club member Victoria Shaw helps me manage the website on top of her magnificent work accross our social media channels. It’s those kinds of initiatives that really broaden the impact a rugby club can have—it’s not just about rugby; it’s about community development and employability too.
Speaking of the festival, getting our Mini Rugby Festival back up and running for the first time in over a decade was a huge achievement. The last one was pre-COVID, and it took an army of volunteers to pull off. That’s something I think Lenzie does exceptionally well—we might be a small town, but the volume of coaches and parents willing to muck in is incredible. Other clubs are often blown away by how many helpers we have. And it shows: Finlay’s group went up to the S1s with 28 boys still involved, and Faith’s Primary 5s are thriving with over 20 regular players.
What’s always stood out to me is the club’s ethos—it’s never been about scores. I often say, “it’s not the scores, it’s the skills.” And even more importantly, it’s about enjoyment. We want the kids to feel safe trying, failing, learning—and laughing. It’s about building confidence and friendships, not just players. We try to coach by consent, not command.
The women’s and girls’ rugby scene at Lenzie has also exploded in the best way. What Mike Saini did to champion the formation of our senior women’s team is remarkable. They’ve already reached a cup semi-final in their first full season and brought energy, colour, and noise to Murrayfield during the men’s National Plate final—many of them made placards and crafts for the day and lifted the entire experience. It’s not just about success on the field—it’s the spirit they’ve brought to the club. Honestly, I think the future of senior rugby growth at Lenzie will be hugely enhanced with the women. Their camaraderie and contribution are setting a brilliant example for the rest of us.
One thing I’m particularly proud of is how we’re now capturing meaningful data on volunteer engagement through our revamped membership process. We built our own system to allow people to register directly with the club rather than using a third-party service. But we went a step further—we’re asking people: Are you already a volunteer? Would you like to be involved? And we’re seeing that 10–20% of respondents who weren’t involved are now showing interest. It turns out that just asking the question is all it takes. People want to help. We just need to invite them in.
It’s easy to toss around the term “community club” as a strapline, but Lenzie RFC truly lives it. Whether you’re coaching, volunteering for one event, helping on the admin side, or simply cheering from the touchline— there’s space for everyone here. There’s no hierarchy or gatekeeping. You bring what you can, and you’re valued for it.
On a personal level, I often say coaching feels like the most selfish few hours of my week—because I love it so much. The friendships I’ve made with fellow coaches and parents, the laughs, the shared efforts—it fills your cup. And when I see my son Finlay and his teammates sticking with it, growing through the knocks and challenges, I know it’s working. They earned their place in the midis through sheer persistence and love of the game—and that’s what it’s all about.
Ten years ago, I hoped my children would find a sense of belonging and friendship in rugby that I missed growing up. Thanks to Lenzie RFC, they’ve got that—and we’ve got it as a family too.
MARK FEENEY
SUPPORTER &
SPONSOR:
BANNERMAN’S
PHARMACY GROUP
I didn’t grow up in Lenzie, but I’ve called it home for about a decade now. We moved out from Glasgow when the family outgrew a flat in the city, and it quickly became clear how much the town revolves around its clubs and community spaces. I’m not a dyed-in-the-wool rugby player—beyond a bit of school sevens I was always more of a football lad—but I’ve become a real fan of what rugby does for people here. Before I owned Bannermans, the previous owners had a connection with Lenzie RFC. I love putting our shoulder behind local sport—the places where families gather, kids learn, and neighbours look out for each other. In recent years we’ve shifted our support towards things that knit a town together: rugby, children’s football, amateur football, bowls—the proper community heartbeat. I live about 200 metres from the club and one of our pharmacies sits roughly a mile away, so this isn’t abstract to me. On Sunday mornings I’m down there with my oldest boy, Ollie— he’s in P2 and just started his second season. Saturdays are
football, Sundays are rugby. He sees his pals outside school, runs around, learns a few skills in a playful setting, and then lines up for a hot dog like it’s the best thing in the world. There must be a hundred kids there some weeks, and the atmosphere is brilliant—parents catching up, coaches smiling through the drizzle, wee ones buzzing to put on a shirt. It’s so much more than the game: it’s a community ritual.
Our relationship with the club really grew when I took
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over Bannermans in April 2020—right at the beginning of COVID. Bannermans is one of the oldest pharmacy groups in Glasgow; I’d been the lead clinician and when the Bannerman family looked to retire, I asked for the chance to raise the money and keep it going. Through that period I got to know people at the club, and we talked about their vision— the charitable trust, the clubhouse, and how the place could keep serving the town. That resonated with me. I want my pharmacies to be a force for good, and the club is exactly that—a force for good with a rugby ball in its hands.
We’re now into our fourth season as sponsors, and we’re the name sponsor on the shirts. Seeing our logo on the kits means a lot, not because of branding, but because of what it stands for—health, activity, togetherness. I was gutted to be away when they had their Murrayfield day, and I was at the league decider when things didn’t quite fall our way, but the results only tell a fraction of the story. Week in, week out, the club brings people together and gives kids something positive to belong to. That’s the real win.
I’ve got four children—two girls (not hugely into rugby, though they’ll wander down on a Saturday) and two boys. The youngest is only two, so he’s not quite there yet. But I want all of them— and everyone else’s kids in Lenzie—to have what a good club gives: friends for life, a safe place to test yourself, adults who care and set the tone. The volunteers make that happen. Sponsors like me can write a cheque; the heroes are the people who give their time and energy. Coaches like Alasdair and
Mike, and my son’s coach “Garrett,” who somehow keeps the sessions full of fun while sneaking in real skill work—that’s magic. Presidents, past presidents, vice presidents—the whole crew. They’re the soul of the place.
From a pharmacist’s perspective, community health isn’t just medicine. Our main customer is the NHS, and our patients are our neighbours. There’s also the medicine of getting outdoors, moving, competing a bit, laughing a lot, and feeling you belong. That’s why a pharmacy sponsoring a rugby club makes perfect sense to me. It’s all one story: help people feel well and live well where they are.
Since 2020 we’ve grown Bannermans from three branches to five—partly because Lloyds Pharmacy left UK community trading and we were able to pick up a couple of their nearby sites, including in Possil Park and Maryhill. But growth only matters if it keeps us closer to the people we serve. We’re a local healthcare business; we should look and feel local. Supporting Lenzie RFC—and other local sports—is how we show that’s not a slogan. It’s who we are.
In the end, my support for the club is personal. It’s my boy grinning through the mud. It’s parents having a chat with a coffee while the minis zig-zag around cones. It’s volunteers turning up, rain or shine, because it matters. I want Bannermans Pharmacies to join those dots—between health, sport, and community—and to keep showing up for the people who make this town what it is. That’s why we’re proud to back Lenzie RFC, and that’s why we’ll keep doing it.
BRIAN SARAFILOVIC, SUPPORTER & SPONSOR: PIE SPORTS
“RUGBY’S ABOUT PEOPLE, NOT JUST POINTS ON THE BOARD.”
I’ve always had a soft spot for rugby. I played for Jordan Hill back in the day, and my boys have come through GHK and Glasgow Hawks, so I’ve spent plenty of weekends on touchlines, in clubhouses, and on muddy pitches. What’s stuck with me isn’t just the rugby—it’s the community around it. You see kids of every shape and size given a game, parents pitching in, and volunteers keeping things moving. That spirit is why I admire Lenzie RFC and why Pie Sports has been proud to support them.
My connection to Lenzie grew through friends—Mike being one of them—and through family ties to people who live and breathe the club. My PA, Lindsey Macpherson’s daughter Lily is coming through the age-grades, and her niece Megan is already playing in the women’s first team. Seeing that pathway— young girls starting out, growing into senior players— says a lot about where Lenzie are headed and how well the club looks after its own.
Women’s and girls’ rugby at Lenzie has real momentum. I’ve watched the effort that’s gone into building squads,
Fresh from The Bakery to your home, add some Bovril to enjoy with your family and friends and experience the true “taste” of Scottish Football. Going to a match or at watching at home, we hope to become part of your weekend match ritual and you enjoy our range of products.
getting players registered, and making sure fixtures happen. It hasn’t all been smooth, but there’s a determination there, from coaches to parents, to keep opening the door wider. That’s exactly the kind of environment Pie Sports wants to stand beside.
People sometimes ask how a pie company ends up in rugby. The short version is: we follow the fans. During the pandemic we launched Pie Sports as a home-delivery service so supporters—locked out of grounds—could still get a match-day experience in their living rooms. That took off, and since then it’s grown arms and legs. Today we’re in Aldi and Lidl, we run concessions, and we supply across Scotland. We’ve branched out from football into rugby—supporting Lenzie, sponsoring Man of the Match at Hawks, and supplying venues from clubhouses up to Murrayfield. We’re even developing a special product for Scottish rugby around the Autumn series—nothing I can reveal yet, but it’s in the works.
The family story matters to me too. Pars Foods goes back to my dad, who came to Scotland as a displaced person after the war and built a baking business from nothing. The “PARS” name came from the first letters of his three boys’ names rolling about
on the living-room carpet. Years later, when retail baking declined, my brother and I moved into pies. We started with four people; now we’re a team making pies by the hundred-thousand every week. It hasn’t been overnight, and it certainly hasn’t been easy, but it’s been honest graft—very much like what you see in a good rugby club.
What I appreciate about Lenzie is the attitude. They never take sponsorship for granted. You get a thank-you, you see the logo up because someone actually took the time to put it up, and you get photos of the minis beaming at half-time. On Sundays, kids come off the pitch soaked and muddy and head straight for a hot snack—it’s simple, but it brings the day together. That’s rugby culture at its best: respectful on the field, welcoming off it. I’ve been at big internationals where opposing fans shake hands after a tough game; you feel that same tone in local clubhouses like Lenzie’s.
From a business point of view, rugby supporters are loyal
and straightforward. If you do a job properly and treat people well, they’ll back you. When we run a promotion through rugby channels, you can see the response. But this isn’t just commercial—we choose clubs like Lenzie because the values line up. Family, effort, generosity with time—that’s what I grew up with in rugby, and it’s what I still see there now.
So, when people ask why Pie Sports supports Lenzie RFC, my answer is plain: they’re good people doing things the right way. They give youngsters a place to learn the game and they help push on in the women’s side, and they keep the doors open to anyone who wants to belong. If we can play a small part— supplying the pies, backing a player award, lending our name on a board—then we’re happy to do it.
Rugby’s not complicated. Work hard, look after each other, respect the contest, and share the food afterwards. That’s Lenzie to me. And that’s why we’re proud to be alongside them.
CHELTENHAM NORTH
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“Counties
2 South Plate Winners 2024/2025!”
DANNY THOMAS
RDO
I’ve called Cheltenham North home since the late ’90s. I moved up here after A-levels—1998—and started playing for the North in the 1999/2000 season. That first year we reached a cup final at Kingsholm, which hooked me for life. I’ve been here ever since: player, firstteam captain, coach, and now the club’s first Rugby Development Officer.
Rugby started for me in primary school down in South Wales. I played through comprehensive school, trialled for Cardiff Schools, and picked up my first battle scar in Year 7—a boot to the chin that needed fixing and a gumshield fitted at the dentist
straight after. Before that and after that I moved around a fair bit—Somerset, Devon, South Wales, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire—six schools in total. I was born in Yeovil, lived with my grandparents in Devon for a spell, cut my teeth in my Colts years with Colerne Rugby Club in Wiltshire and eventually found my feet and my club at Cheltenham North.
I officially retired from playing in my mid-to-late thirties, but I still lace up for the seconds or thirds when needed. I’m an openside flanker—best position on the field if you ask me—and I’ll admit I enjoy a bit of the dark arts (only the legal ones, of course). The truth is, I love being on the grass with the lads.
These days my main job is as RDO, and it’s a brand-new role for the club. The North is thriving across the board: a mixed minis section up to U12, boys through to colts, a girls’ section, plus first and second women’s teams. The guys running our girls’ and women’s sections have already built a proper pathway, and they’re helping me mirror that across the men’s side so we dilute the old “silos” and everyone can see where they’re heading next. We’ve just added a first for the club—Fleur Roberts joining the men’s seconds management team—and I’m proud we’re pushing inclusivity in ways that actually mean something on a Saturday. Our girls are flying— genuine national contenders—
and the women are ambitious, targeting further promotions over the next couple of seasons. On the lads’ side we’re intent on keeping second-team rugby alive and healthy. That means building relationships with other local clubs and, when necessary, clustering so everyone who wants a game gets one. We’ve fulfilled every men’s second-team fixture for two seasons and we’re aiming to make it three. We even ran a thirds last year who reached a Combination Cup final. People can get precious and territorial in community rugby; our approach is simple— create an environment players want to stay in, help neighbouring clubs when we can, and get more people
playing rugby. It pays off for everyone.
The pathway is working. We brought a couple of colts up last season and they landed with a bang. This year we`re running U13s, U15s & Colts teams to build a stream of boys coming through into the 3rds, 2nds and 1`s. bringing boys through the seconds and thirds, and into the ones. Our new first-team captain, Owen Quigley, is a North product through and through—from a little lad in the junior section right up to skippering the side. That’s exactly the journey I want every youngster here to be able to see clearly.
Last season the first team finished second in the league. With the RFU restructure, the top six from our league and the top six from the Southern part of the league formed the new Counties 2, while the bottom halves filtered down; It’s made this season a tougher league—no question—but we only lost 4 games last season. Our goal now is a top-four finish. We were the league’s top points scorers by a distance, but we shipped too many at the other end. We’re addressing that without killing our identity.
And our identity is fun to watch. We play with flair, we run from deep, and we scored from our own 22 nearly every week. Opponents called us unpredictable; I’ll take that.
I tell the boys, “I don’t mind you running it—just get it right.” The trick this season is to harden our defensive habits while keeping that freedom. If we add a tighter points-against column to the firepower we’ve got, we’ll be a very hard team to live with.
Why is the North special?
The people. From the day I walked in, the rugby was hard and honest, and the older heads made sure you were looked after—on the pitch, out in town, and when life got messy. I’ve made friends here who’ll be friends for life. It’s a straight-talking club, sometimes brutally frank, but it’s open-armed and salt-of-the-earth. When you come up to the North you’re welcomed, you get a decent pint, and you’ll see proper
rugby played by people who care about the shirt.
Rugby’s also been our outlet when times were tough. Team sport can yank you out of your own head in the best possible way. The changing-room banter is merciless, but it saves you more than you realise. I remember visiting a mate on the ward after a horrendous knee injury—surgeon thought he’d been in a motorbike crash from the damage. We rinsed him with the usual lines—“Bit of Deep Heat and you’ll be fine”—and the poor bloke opposite thought we were awful. My mate just grinned: “They’re my friends.”
That’s rugby. I’ve seen lads square up at training, then buy each other a pint half an hour later. You clear the air, shake hands, move on
together. It’s a pressure valve and a glue at the same time.
So that’s me: brought up on Welsh and Dorset & Wilts schools and county rugby, school rugby, forged by a lot of moving around, and rooted for good at Cheltenham North. I’ve captained here, coached here, and now I’m tasked with stitching our whole pathway together. We’ll keep backing our women and girls, keep giving the lads a clear route through, keep sharing players with neighbours when it helps, and keep the second team thriving. On Saturdays we’ll play our rugby with ambition and a bit of mischief—just how I like it—while getting meaner without the ball.
I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else. This is my club.
WHY I SUPPORT GIRLS’ RUGBY AT CHELTENHAM NORTH
BY LINNET MOSFORTH, OWNER OF HAUS MAIDS CHELTENHAM & COTSWOLDS
I’m originally from Germany, where I met my husband before we moved to the UK for his work. After a few stops, we finally put down roots in Cheltenham. When my children were older, I decided it was time to build something of my own. In 2019, I launched Haus Maids here in Cheltenham, taking on the local franchise and starting small. Within months, COVID hit. Like so many local businesses, we faced uncertainty, but with determination (and a lot of hard work from my team of mostly women) we pulled through. Today, we have nearly four dedicated cleaning teams on the road and I’m so proud of what we’ve built together.
My connection with Cheltenham North RFC began quite early on. A simple email exchange with the club secretary turned into a conversation about sponsorship. It was the girls’ side that immediately caught my attention. That choice wasn’t by chance—I have two daughters, Evelyn (21) and Abigail (16) and I’ve seen first-hand how easily girls’ sporting opportunities can fade away as they grow older. My youngest loved football in infants and Junior school, but when she moved up, the options quietly disappeared. Too often it’s dance, handball or ballet, but not rugby or
football for our teenage girls. I wanted to help keep those doors open for other girls.
That’s why I committed to supporting Cheltenham North’s girls’ teams. For the past three years, Haus Maids has provided shirts for two age groups, as well as other support when needed. But sponsorship, to me, isn’t just about logos on kits—it’s about showing up. A few times each season, we’ll bring cupcakes, cheer from the sidelines and chat with the girls. They often greet me with a hug before heading out to play. That small, genuine moment reflects what this club is all about: community, connection and heart.
Cheltenham North has never made me feel like “just a sponsor.” My husband Andrew and I have always been welcomed—not as outsiders, but as part of the rugby North family. This is what makes the club different. It isn’t about putting names on billboards; it’s about people who see you, value you and share their passion
for the sport in a way that draws everyone in.
I truly believe in the power of girls’ rugby. It gives so much more than fitness: it builds self-confidence, resilience, friendship and the kind of trust that only comes from being part of a team. Women’s rugby may not always get the spotlight it deserves, but that’s why support matters. By showing up, by speaking about it and by backing these teams, we help raise the profile together.
At Haus Maids, we’ve grown carefully and consistently and that’s exactly how I view sponsorship too:
it’s not about big gestures, but about steady, hands-on support. I don’t play rugby myself, but I can cheer, contribute and encourage these girls to keep chasing their goals.
Cheltenham North is a true community club—boys, girls, women, men—and I’m proud that Haus Maids plays a small part in that. Supporting the girls’ teams is about more than sport; it’s about giving young women the chance to belong, to compete, to believe in themselves and to chase their dreams. That, to me, is worth every bit of support we can give.
GORDON RICE CLUB MEMBER
I was born in Millbrook, and Millbrook Rugby Club has been part of my life since school. The club started as a closed side in 1971— unusual in that you had to be an old boy of the local comprehensive that served the council estate. It was led by the religious education teacher, who doubled up with some sports mastering. We’re an open club now, but back then it really was one school, one community.
I knew about the club from the start because I was at the school when it began. There was no age restriction in those days. A neighbour got my brother-in-law—six-foot-five and about 18 stone—into a local Southampton club over in Totton, and for two years, between 13 and 15, I played there. When he moved to Trojans for business reasons, I decided to go back to my old schoolmates. I started playing for Millbrook at 15 in 1976 and carried on competitively until around 40. Along the way I pulled pints behind the bar, did the accounts, sorted the food, and for about a dozen years now I’ve been chairman. I was a 13—outside centre—quick enough, and lucky with injuries. One knee’s “dicky” and I’ve had two
MILLBROOK
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“Champions of Counties 2 Hampshire 2024/2024 season!”
arthroscopies, but compared to what some lads suffer, I’ve got off lightly.
I stopped when it felt right. I was doing more social rugby for other clubs and pubs, I was into business, and we adopted two boys around that time. It didn’t seem sensible to keep taking risks. One of my ambitions was to play alongside my lads, and we managed it in our Boxing Day overs-versus-unders match—that tradition means a lot to me. Dan played quite a bit; Jordan had inherited physical issues and two knee reconstructions, so he didn’t
play for long. We still got to pull on the same shirt together, which was special.
Growing up on a council estate, rugby did a lot for people who might have gone off the rails. The game channels aggression and teaches you to rely on others in a pressurised, physical environment. You’re exposed out there—think of a hooker with both arms splayed in a scrum—so you learn discipline and trust fast. Those habits spill over into life beyond rugby, and they serve you well.
I’m not at every match— I’ve other parts of life that
need my energy, and I’ve occasionally taken criticism for that—but I go when I can and try to put my shoulder to the wheel where it counts. This past season was exceptional. I can’t remember the firsts ever going unbeaten before; they found ways to win even when not at their best, which is the mark of a proper side. The seconds started badly and still topped their league. Next year will be a real test: Hampshire 1 is a big step up, and staying up can be tougher than getting up. It wasn’t a soft league we came from—there were no “rubbish” sides—but when I looked at the new fixtures I thought, yes, that’s formidable.
I played in an era when promotion could send you up into the London leagues. We did that twice. We’re very much an artisan club—builders, brickies, carpenters—and getting a full-strength side up to London on a Saturday morning was hard. We often travelled depleted. That’s part of our identity and part of our pride.
Our club runs in rhythms— feast and famine. Sometimes the dependable old first-team core starts to retire and the young lads are still raw; you scrap to survive. Right now
we’re in a feast. Talented individuals have come through together, volunteers are committed, and the timing has been kind. One thing I pushed through as chairman was paying a person behind the bar on Saturdays so the players could come off, have a beer and something to eat, and enjoy a couple of hours together before the volunteer rota kicks in. We’re not Harlequins. It’s all hands to the pump at Millbrook, but it matters to me that the lads (and lasses) get that shared time. The women’s section has been a revelation. I wondered how integration would feel in today’s culture; it’s been wholly positive. They’ve brought energy, skills some of my old hairy-arsed playing mates didn’t have, and a brilliant vibe. Rugby’s unique in fitting all shapes, sizes and ages; there’s a place on a rugby pitch for everyone. Sponsorship is a constant struggle. The economy isn’t exactly flying and businesses are cautious. So we built a model around affordability and community. Members pay £30 a year—no match fees. We keep the bar super-competitive and run a card system so members drink cheaper than guests. We supply the kit, physio and medical support free to members. We don’t pay players, we don’t pay coaches beyond expenses, and we have one paid member of bar staff on Saturdays, as I mentioned. If we reach £10,000 a year across all teams in sponsorship, we think we’ve done well. During COVID, with a lot of new housing going up nearby, I did a big leaflet drop. Oddly enough, a lot of response was social—people hadn’t realised there was a bar over the road with a decent
upstairs room and balconies. That sort of local awareness helps the club breathe.
What really sets Millbrook apart is our family ethos. We look after each other. A recent example: our club captain’s wife has a son from a previous relationship who was trying to get home from Australia on a visa. They couldn’t afford the flight. We put the word out and within days the couple of grand needed appeared from around the club. That’s typical. Babysitting, decorating, a shoulder to lean on—whatever’s needed. We keep the club open late, volunteers jump behind the bar, and people linger. I worry about “car-park golfers” creeping into rugby—the turn up, play, leave culture. That’s not us. At Millbrook, the family often comes up to the player, not the other way round, and the club stays the heart of it all.
We’re proud of where we’ve come from, honest about the challenges ahead, and determined to keep Millbrook the kind of club where everyone belongs and everyone looks after everyone. That’s who we are.
CHAD MARSHALL CLUB CAPTAIN
I’m Millbrook through and through these days, even if I didn’t start here. I’m a local lad—one of the closest to the club, really—and I joined about ten years ago after playing elsewhere. Even back then, if my other side didn’t have a game, I’d come over and fill a spot because I loved the atmosphere and had mates here. For the past five years I’ve sat on the committee helping build things, and with one club captain emigrating to Australia and the other stepping up
as president, I’ve taken on the club captain role for the coming season. I’m getting my arms around it all now.
Rugby came to me a bit later than most of my friends. I started at 14. Before that I was into Octopush— underwater hockey—but after ear surgery I couldn’t get back in the pool for a year, so I picked up an oval ball. I began as a second row, moved into the backs when I hit seniors, and then drifted back to the pack where I’ve been happiest at eight. I still play—missed only two of our eighteen wins last season through injury. (We finished 18 from 18; a side dropped out but we played them twice before that.)
Last season, everything clicked. We went from two men’s senior teams to three,
and on some weekends we even had four out. We launched a women’s team and it’s already grown to two sides in the league this year. We started a minis section that’s now at about 40–50 kids. Our first team won Hampshire 2 outright—unbeaten—and the seconds won their league and earned promotion as well. For a little community club that doesn’t charge monthly subs, that’s not bad going.
Our model is simple: free-to-play rugby. Members pay £30 for the year, that’s it. We feed our minis after every training session, and on Tuesdays we feed the seniors after training as well. We’ve got a clubhouse we predominantly use—function room, bar, ten changing rooms. It’s not exclusively ours (cricket share it at times), but it feels like home.
The buzz this year has been brilliant, especially with the women joining—about fifty new female members, fresh ideas, and a new dimension to the place. We’ve had to adapt how we do things, but it’s been nothing but positive. Even beyond our own walls, our previous club captains were recognised—Hampshire RFU honours—and invited to the national awards at Twickenham, which says a lot about the work that’s gone in.
Pathway-wise, the end goal is a conveyor belt. We started with the youngest minis—six, seven, eights—to test the water. Now we’re looking to add the next two age groups as interest comes in, making sure we have the coaches, the training and the
qualifications in place. Until that’s fully built, recruitment for the seniors is always an active job.
I’m 36 now (37 in August) and I’ve basically played 23 years straight—three summers of rugby league as well, so not much time off. We’re already planning for next season in Counties 1 Hampshire—pre-season fixtures, availability, the lot. We’ve just had the fixtures out and we’re plugging everything into our systems. We’re keeping the community side strong too: last year we hosted a charity day for the men’s mental health group Tough Enough To Care and raised over a thousand pounds. This season we’re putting the Wooden Spoon logo on our shirts and Tough Enough To Care on our shorts.
Sponsors keep the wheels turning. We’ve got a behindthe-scenes sponsor who
prefers not to be named, and that support lets us keep seniors rugby free to play. We’re always looking for more. A new sponsor has come in to cover first and second team kit—shirts, shorts, socks—and one of our women has taken on the sponsorship manager role to lighten my load. We’re grateful for every bit of help. As club captain, the job is… well, everything. I work on sponsorship, sit on the selection board, handle piles of admin, oversee and post on social media with our brilliant comms team, and keep recruiting. One day it’s pre-match lunches and bums on seats, the next it’s hanging dartboards or extra hooks in the women’s changing room, or just mucking in with the cleaning. It never ends—but I wouldn’t have it any other way. What makes Millbrook special is that we’re a family,
not just a rugby club. The stuff on the pitch is great, but it’s what we do off it that really defines us. When a member’s daughter passed away and the family didn’t have the funds for a funeral, we came together and covered it. When another member’s son was in Australia and wanted to move to be with family here, we got the flights sorted. People wander up for a pint, become social members, and suddenly they’re part of the weekend furniture. That’s Millbrook. Rugby’s like that more broadly—I can travel the country and walk into any rugby club on a Saturday and I know I’ll be welcomed. But this place is home. We’ve earned our shot at Counties 1; now it’s time to be bold, stay together, and keep building—teams, pathways, and community.
JOHN ROBINSON CHAIRMAN
I was born and bred just south of town. We’re a club that started humbly and grew with our community. Garstang RUFC was founded in the Royal Oak Hotel back in 1995; today our home is Hudson Park, and the whole “from acorns to Oaks” thing isn’t just a slogan—it’s how we’ve built the place, one volunteer, one junior, one family at a time.
Last season was the payoff for years of graft from a lot of good people. Our 1st XV did the double—champions of Counties 3 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire and winners of the Lancashire Junior Bowl—and earned promotion to Counties 2 for 2025/26. That Bowl final was a proper rollercoaster: Garstang 43, De La Salle 36. To see our name on both trophies meant everything to the volunteers, the players, the parents on the touchline—everyone. What I love is how we did it. Under head coach Oli Vinny and with our DOR, Simon Whittingham, we’ve tried to move the ball, attack with ambition, and fight fire with fire- which has worked well for us thus far. Our relationship with Sale Sharks has helped—hometown lad (and Shark) Sam Dugdale has been brilliant around the place, sharing ideas and giving our lads a window into the pro game. You can feel
GARSTANG
RUGBY CLUB
2024/2025- Champions of Counties 3
ADM Lancashire & Cheshire and Winners of the Lancashire Junior Bowl.
that influence in the patterns we run and in the confidence the boys have to play.
The biggest step forward, though, has been stitching the pathway together. A decade ago, we were an aspiring junior section; now the juniors are flowing into the seniors. The people here built that conveyor belt with patience and care. On the women and girls’ side, we’ve grown two women’s touch teams and we’re working hard to turn that momentum into full contact teams as numbers and ages line up. And we’re mindful that rugby in schools’ matters—when our nearest high school needed help to keep rugby alive, we stepped in and then linked up with the Fylde Rugby Community Foundation so there’s now structured rugby at Garstang Community Academy with a clear route into club rugby.
That’s how you make it stick for the next generation. Community is everything here. The club sits inside the Garstang Community Sports Club hub, and you can’t walk far in town without bumping into someone tied to the Oaks—players, parents, sponsors, coaches, the lot. The best part is how people show up for each other when it really counts.
I know that personally. Our middle son, Charlie, was diagnosed with an anaplastic ependymoma in 2018 and passed away in April 2021, aged five. In those three years we rode the highs and lows together, and the club wrapped its arms around us. Out of that, we set up Thumbs Up For Charlie—and the first big fundraiser was 13 of us from the club cycling Land’s End to John o’ Groats to help families living with
childhood brain tumours. It wasn’t about being cyclists—it was about being teammates.
Rugby’s wider family was there too. Sale Sharks called Charlie one of their own when he died and paid tribute; their players kept in touch and lifted him more than they’ll ever know. Moments like that show you what this sport is under the surface.
We’ve also learned how to stand together when life throws something else at your friends. Two of our long-serving club legends— Allan Whitaker and Mark “Wal” Walton—are facing motor neurone disease, and as a club we’ve rallied with fundraising and support around them and their families. It’s another reminder that the badge on the shirt is a promise to be there for each other, on and off the field.
So, when people ask what makes Garstang special, I don’t point to a league table. I point to the people—the selflessness, the willingness to do the unseen jobs, to coach, to drive, to wash kit, to cheer, to care. That’s why the double last season mattered: it wasn’t a finish line; it was a thank-you to a community that keeps giving. And now we go again in Counties 2, still playing our brand, still growing the pathway, still opening our doors to anyone who wants to belong. That’s Garstang Rugby Club. Always will be.
OLIVER VINEY HEAD COACH
I’m fairly local to Lancashire by family—Mum’s side is from Preston—but I really settled in the area when I went to Lancaster Royal Grammar School as a boarder. Dad worked overseas, so school rooted me here, and then I met my partner and that was that—I stayed.
Rugby started even earlier. Mum dragged me to a club when I was five or six, out in the Middle East. I played at Doha Rugby Club before Doha was shiny—back then it was basically a sandpit. When I came to Lancaster Grammar you didn’t get a choice: it was rugby or nothing. I loved it. On the field I’ve played across the backline, but outside centre and fullback are where I’ve felt most at home. From fullback you get that space and the whole picture; you can see the game breathe.
Senior rugby for me kicked off around 2001 with Preston Grasshoppers. I spent time in the Sale academy, played at Orrell when they were in what was National One then, had a spell at Fylde and a four-year stint in Australia. I’ve been lucky to see a lot of different clubs and cultures, but the common thread I’ve always
first and foremost I’m trying to help young men become better people. If we create a safe, enjoyable, demanding environment where they can be themselves, take risks, and fail without fear, the rugby looks after itself. Success is a by-product, not the target.
Last season’s league and cup double was special. Personally, despite playing senior rugby for years, I’d never been part of a promotion or a title-winning side before, so to experience that was brilliant. But it didn’t happen overnight. The journey really began three seasons ago when I took on the seniors with Sam Dugdale—yes, the Sam who’s tearing it up at Sale. We were joined by Alex Key and Mark Sutcliffe, and together we focused on freeing the lads up: play with a smile, back your instincts, and believe you belong. A lot of them had never been told they were good rugby players, or they’d not had the “right” school or pathway. Once the shackles came off, some of the tries they scored— playing from anywhere— were unbelievable. We hit a wobble with back-to-back losses, but we trusted the process, stayed positive, and kept going. The journey’s only just beginning.
loved is the community and the values the game holds dear.
Garstang came into my life through my kids about six or seven years ago. My eldest was football-mad and not remotely interested in rugby at first. What struck me in junior football was how early they creamed off the “talent”—at five and six years old!—and parked the rest. As a coach, I don’t believe in that. Kids develop physically and mentally at different rates. Your job isn’t just to polish the obvious stars; it’s to raise the floor. If you lift the ones who aren’t there yet—with skills, confidence and care—the whole team improves and your best players shine even brighter because of the platform around them.
That philosophy sits at the heart of what we do at Garstang. No one gets paid to play. There’s no financial edge, just people who love rugby and want to belong to something. Pre-season we’ve been getting 50–60 players down every week, which is huge for a club founded only about thirty years ago. My role as head coach is as much about people as it is about rugby. I coach the men’s team, but
A big part of our coaching is normalising mistakes. You and I could probably count on one hand the number of perfect games we’ve ever had—because they don’t exist. Drop a ball, miss a tackle, shank a kick: it happens. The key is not letting the inner critic spiral. A mistake is a data point; reset and go again. We never lambast lads for trying things.
We reward intent and learning. Rugby also gives you a place to put life’s tension. It’s a physical game—controlled aggression, not chaos—and after eighty minutes it’s done. What must remain, always, are respect and the game’s core values. The sad truth is the kids who most need rugby are often the ones who struggle to get there—transport, money, life. If we can keep those doors wide open, the confidence and direction they gain can change the trajectory of their lives. What makes Garstang special is the sense of belonging. A decade or so ago there wasn’t a junior setup; now you’ll see five or six blokes who played firsts or seconds on Saturday down on Sunday coaching their kids. Wives are playing touch, daughters are down, families are around—people contributing to something bigger than themselves. Good people like John, and Simon Whit, put in hours you don’t see because they care, not because anyone’s demanding promotions on a timeline. The growth here is organic: do the right things, keep standards high, enjoy the journey. If trophies come, great. If they don’t, we’ve still built something that matters. If I had to sum up my coaching philosophy, it’s simple: rugby is the vehicle; people are the purpose. Help the individual grow—character, confidence, connection—and you’ll get a better player and a better teammate. Do it across a squad and you get a better club. That’s what we’re building at Garstang, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it.
NICK KENYON FORMER PLAYER, COACH & LONG-STANDING HISTORIC SPONSOR: DEWLAY CHEESEMAKERS
I’m Garstang born and bred, and rugby has been a thread running through my life for as long as I can remember. I picked up a ball at ten, fell for the sport hard, and never really put it down—at least not in spirit. My brother Richard and I both played locally—he had a strong spell at Fylde and I managed a couple of seasons alongside him—before we each pulled on the Garstang shirt. These days I coach the U15s, and my lad, George, is in that group. Seeing him lace up for the club I love is a proper tugat-the-heartstrings moment.
Our family firm, Dewlay Cheesemakers, has been tied to Garstang RFC since the club’s early days, and we’re proud to be a long-standing shirt sponsor. It’s never just been about a logo on a jersey for us—it’s about backing a community club that has grown from a standing start in the mid-90s into something that genuinely lifts the town. Dewlay was founded by my grandad, George Kenyon, and the family’s commitment to this place runs deep; supporting the rugby club is a natural extension of that.
I’ve always believed rugby makes better people, not just better players. You learn respect, discipline, and how to graft for your mate—values you carry into work, family life, everything. I’ve felt that even more since stepping into coaching. It’s rewarding and challenging in equal measure, but when you see a quiet kid find their voice in a huddle, or a team execute something
you’ve built together on a cold Sunday morning, it makes every hour worth it.
George keeps me honest too—he loves the collision and the camaraderie. Our age group had a mixed bag last season, as happens at 14–15, but they stuck at it. Numbers can ebb and flow with GCSEs and life starting to get loud, so we’re working hard to keep the pathway welcoming and vibrant. Some lads get plenty of school rugby; for others, the club is their one sanctuary in the week. Either way, that jersey binds them.
I try to turn up for the first team whenever family sport logistics allow, and I’ve loved what I’ve seen. Last season felt like the best I can remember—great energy, a clear identity, and buy-in across the squad.
“Vinny” (head coach Oli Viney) has been immense for us—formidable player in his own right and a proper people-person coach who sets standards and lifts the room. He’s complemented brilliantly by Sale Sharks backrower Sam Dugdale, whose professionalism and detail rub off on everyone. That blend— Vinny’s leadership with Sam’s top-flight sharpness—has given our lads a serious edge and a belief that shows on Saturdays.
Garstang has always punched above its weight, especially when you consider how young the club is. Founded in 1995, we sit in a hotbed of historic rugby names—Preston Grasshoppers and Vale of Lune are on the doorstep— yet our lot turn up, compete, and often beat teams with decades more history behind them. That speaks to the
volunteers, coaches, and sponsors who graft behind the scenes, and to a junior section that packs our pitches every Sunday.
Some of my fondest rugby memories are the truly local ones. Years back, Richard and I also turned out for the
Bay Horse social side—born from farming folk who could play Sundays better than Saturdays. That fixture with Garstang around Christmas became a little legend of its own, drawing half the town down to blow the cobwebs away. It’s the kind of thing that reminds you rugby isn’t just a game; it’s a gathering point.
I’m sentimental about all this because I’ve felt, first-hand, how a club can change lives. Garstang RFC takes kids in, gives them role models, and sends them out with friends for life. As a sponsor and a coach—and a dad—that’s everything. We’re not the biggest or the flashiest, but we’re authentic, ambitious, and on the up. With Vinny steering, Sam adding that elite polish, and a conveyor belt of youngsters coming through, the direction of travel is clear.
Long may it continue. We’ll keep making the cheese; the lads will keep making us proud. And if you’ve never wandered down to Hudson Park on a Saturday or a bustling Sunday morning, come and see what I mean. This club is Garstang at its best.
DAVID CARR
SUPPORTER & SPONSOR:
CARRS JEWELLERS
I’m Garstang born and bred, and I’ll be the first to admit I’m more a rugby convert than an old hand. I played it once at school—one of those short “trimesters”—and that was that. There wasn’t even a rugby club in town when I was growing up. Garstang RUFC only arrived in 1995, and what a difference it’s made. From nothing, a proper community club has been built by people giving their time and their hearts. I find that humbling.
My link to the club is mainly as a sponsor and supporter. Over the last few years—certainly since before COVID—I’ve backed the club, including the women’s side, through our family business, Carrs Jewellers. I still pop down when I can to watch a game or two. I’m no expert,
but even I can see how the standard has leapt forward in the last three years. I’ll shake my head at a whistle now and again, then feel better when two far wiser heads disagree about the same decision— proof, if any were needed, that sport is rarely black and white. What I can say with certainty is the quality on the field and the togetherness around it has grown and grown.
Carrs has been part of this town since 1820. My family came south with the Duke of Hamilton; the name “Carr,” I’m told, is a Scottish word to do with boggy land—hardly glamorous, but it’s ours. I’ve worked in the shop 43 years and steered it for the last couple of decades. We’re on the High Street, with our own workshops, serving the whole North West. We do wedding fairs, trophies and engraving, and, yes, the traditional jewellery you really want to see and feel in your hands before you buy. The world’s changed—online this, online that—but we’ve always believed people matter more than pixels. That’s why backing the club makes sense to me. It’s local people, face to face, looking out for each other.
What Garstang RUFC does for the community is priceless. Come down on a Sunday morning and try
counting the kids—there are so many bright shirts tearing about you’ll lose track. Some of those youngsters are already pushing through the ranks and doing very well. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s hours of coaching sessions, lifts in the rain, volunteers running touchlines and tea urns. It’s also responsibility. A friend of mine got involved on the medical side when his lads played; it’s no small thing to take that duty on, and I’ve a lot of respect for the people who do.
You feel the club’s presence in town, too. A home game brings folk together; a Saturday evening after a win has a different hum about it—laughter, chat, familiar faces in the pubs and restaurants. It’s good for business, good for morale, and good for the soul. And if you’ve not been, you won’t find a better place to watch a match than our ground.
I’ve known and admired many of the people involved—great servants of the club who’ve made it what it is. And there’s a quiet pride in standing alongside other local stalwarts—Dewlay, Robinsons and the rest— who’ve put their names and their shoulders behind the same cause.
Why do I support Garstang
RUFC? Because it represents the best of this town. It gives youngsters purpose, families a meeting place, and adults a reason to reconnect. It’s built on effort freely given— coaches, medics, committee members, sponsors— people who could be doing something easier but choose to do something better. From my little corner on the High Street, that feels worth investing in, year after year. I may be a novice with the finer points of the breakdown, and I’m not much for the hours of TV chatter that pass for punditry. But I know what I’m looking at when I see a community come together around a team in blue and red. Garstang RUFC is one of the best things to happen here in my lifetime. Long may it thrive—and long may we all keep playing our part.
MARK ROBINSON SUPPORTER & SPONSOR:
J
ROBINSON BUILDING
CONTRACTOR’S
I’m a director at J Robinson Building Contractor’s, and a Garstang lad from Inglewhite. I’ll be straight with you: I’m more of a football man than a rugby die-hard. But Garstang RFC is my local club, full of people I know and respect, and over the last five or six years it’s become something I’m genuinely proud to support.
We were first asked a few years back if we’d help out. I run the business with my dad—also John Robinson (no relation to Garstang’s chairman, John Robinson)— and we said yes. Since then we’ve been one of the club’s main sponsors. I keep up with results and news on Facebook, and I never miss Sponsors’ Day. We take a table, bring a few from work and some friends, watch the game, catch up with everyone…and, yes, it’s usually a taxi home job. It’s a great day.
What’s kept us involved isn’t a love of lineouts—it’s the people and the purpose. The enthusiasm of that core group around the club, many of them around my age, is infectious. John Robinson (the chairman) and Paul Brown, in particular, are the heartbeat. They’ve poured time and energy into the place, building from the bottom up. The minis and juniors are now into the hundreds; I’ve got plenty of mates with kids in those age groups, boys and girls, and the opportunities they’ve created are phenomenal. That grassroots work is why the first team’s thriving and why the whole club feels alive.
This year we were able to do something tangible
to match our long-term support: we built the club’s new extension. J Robinson Builders handed it over in April—a three-quarters-ofa-million pound addition to the existing clubhouse, thirty years in the waiting. It only happened because people went the extra mile: securing major grant funding (around half a million from the borough) and then grinding away with local sponsorships and countless fundraising ideas. The rugby folk pushed it relentlessly; we just made sure the building matched their ambition. The result will push the club on again—more space, better facilities, a home that fits the size of the membership and the scale of what’s going on there.
Why do we keep backing Garstang RFC? Because the club matters to the community. It gives young people a place to belong, grows confidence, and brings families together. You
can see how much work goes in behind the scenes, and you can see the return on that effort every weekend—on the field, in the junior section, and now in a clubhouse that does the whole operation justice. I may not be shouting for every scrum, but I’m absolutely in their corner. As a local business and a local family, we’re proud to have played our part—and we’ll keep doing so while that passion and purpose burns as brightly as it does today.
EDDIE POLLOCK PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR
I’m Stirling born and bred, but I didn’t pick up a rugby ball until I was 17. I was a PE student at Jordanhill College, which was a real rugby hotbed, and that’s where the game grabbed me. I moved into the front row and never left it. Before long I was at Stirling County, and over 13 seasons I played more than 350 first-team games, captained the side, and helped the club climb the leagues. Those years forged me as a player and as a person.
I hung the boots up in the early ’90s and went straight into coaching. I started with our 2nd XV and then into the first-team set-up. I’ve never been afraid to stretch myself, so I took opportunities elsewhere too: six successful seasons as head coach at Grangemouth (’93–’99), a spell in the States with OMBAC in San Diego where we won the national title in 2006, then back home to Haddington where we took the Premier 3 title in 2007. I returned to Bridgehaugh to lead County back to the top flight in 2010, before moving full-time into the national agegrade programme. All of that was part of the same mission: use rugby to improve people.
With Scottish Rugby, I spent more than a decade focused on young players— four seasons as Scotland U18
STIRLING COUNTY
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“Use Rugby to improve people!”
head coach, work with the U20s, and a specialist skills role across age-grade and the women’s game. That period deepened a belief I still hold: if you develop good people first—work ethic, empathy, accountability—you end up with better rugby players anyway. The character work and the performance work are two sides of the same coin.
Back at County, I was asked to steady the Super Series (then Super6) side in 2023 and later took the head coach role permanently. That group had been through ups and downs, but they found a way to win the moments that mattered. On 18 November 2023 we beat Ayrshire Bulls 29–19 at Hive to lift the FOSROC Super Series Championship—Stirling Wolves’ first title and a special night for everyone who wears the wolf.
With the Super Series ending, I moved upstairs
from July into a club-wide role as Performance Director. My job now is to look across the pathway—minis to senior men and women—and make sure players and coaches have the environment to thrive. County’s always been about community as much as competition, and that’s what I’m here to protect and grow.
Community isn’t a slogan for us; it’s practical. On Saturday mornings we’ll have hundreds of minis on the pitches—and thanks to our partnership with Graham’s Family Dairy those primaryage kids get a free, proteinpacked breakfast as part of the programme. It brings parents back into the club after the Covid years, and it starts the day the right way: together.
We’re equally proud of the girls’ and women’s pathway. Our women play in the topflight, and the whole female programme has grown exponentially over the
last decade. County should look like our city looks— opportunity for everyone who wants to be part of it.
Schools matter too. Through our modernapprentice coaches we’re in local secondaries and their feeder primaries every week, supporting teachers, running sessions, and opening the door for kids who might never have tried rugby. That’s talent ID, yes—but it’s also citizenship.
Pathway-wise, I’m excited by the new Open Competition that finally puts the best club youth programmes up against the best schools. Stirling County are in with the likes of Dollar, Watson’s, Merchiston, Strathallan and Stew-Mel, alongside Ayr and Boroughmuir. That’s exactly the kind of meaningful competition our U16s and U18s need, and it’s good for Scottish rugby.
The destination still matters. County rose from the old seventh division all the way to Scottish champions in 1995— that history is our standard. We want our men back in the Premiership competing at the top, and we want every part of the club to reflect the best of this place. When people walk into Bridgehaugh, I want them to feel two things: pride in where we’ve come from, and excitement about where we’re going. That’s rugby’s power—it shapes human beings, and if we do that well,
GILLIAN DUNCAN WOMEN`S TEAM MANAGER & PLAYER
I’m Stirling born and bred, and rugby has always been part of our family life. My brother, Graeme, came through Stirling County Juniors and into county sides before work took him elsewhere. My dad and I watched Scotland games together from when I was wee, so the sport was always around us. I played a little bit at high school, but back then there really wasn’t much girls’ rugby.
Everything changed when my daughter, Jenna, started playing at 11–12 after she went to high school. I got involved with the girls’ section, did my coaching qualifications, and when I changed jobs in 2018, I decided to stop saying “one day” and actually play. I joined the women and I’m still going—loosehead prop, frontrow through and through. Jenna’s a tighthead, so yes, mum and daughter in the same front row is as unusual— and as brilliant—as it sounds. She tore ankle ligaments earlier this year, so she’s been sidelined for a bit, but sharing the pitch with her has been something I’ll never forget.
Alongside playing, I’m the women’s Team Manager. That means dealing with the SRU, making sure team sheets are right, sorting officials, and generally keeping the day running smoothly. On match days it can be a juggle if I’m also on the pitch, but it lets the coaches focus on the rugby while I take care of the rest.
Post-COVID we had a brief dip—students went home, university programmes were slower to restart—but our close link with Stirling Uni helped us rebuild quickly. A previous coach really pushed the connection between youth and women, so the girls could see there was somewhere to go after school. In the last few seasons that pathway has been obvious, with more and more making the jump up.
On the field we’ve had some special years: back-toback Premiership titles after never having even made a final before, and then last season’s final which we lost by two points. We were gutted, of course, but we’d played our hearts out. One of our coaches said something that hit home: better to lose there, playing the way we did, than win anywhere else. It felt like two evenly matched teams giving the neutrals a fantastic game of rugby.
This season the early league is structured differently, with a split that should make things more
even for the bottom four and tougher at the top. We put a big score on at the weekend, but we’ve been on the receiving end of 100-point beatings in years gone by, so I’m genuinely interested to see how this format works out. Our approach is simple: one game at a time. If you take care of what’s in front of you, the table takes care of itself.
The camaraderie in this squad is real. The girls socialise, look out for each other, and there are no individuals—it’s all of us, together. In the scrum, that trust is everything. People joke that front-rowers are a bit different; maybe we are—but I love a good scrum.
It’s been brilliant to watch Scotland’s women and to see former County players out on the world stage—names like Evie Gallagher, Eva Donaldson, Rachel McLaughlin and others who came through here. Games like Canada are a big ask, but you hope they keep the form going.
County feels like home. My dad—more of a golfer than a rugby player—still comes along to watch, and from the moment Jenna started, everyone at the club made us welcome. The women encouraged me to come to training, and now I honestly feel “in with the bricks.” We’ve got a mix of club sponsors and player sponsors—I’ve got one again this year—and quite a few of our girls have been sponsored already, which is a great boost.
At Stirling County, everybody’s out for each other. That’s what makes this place special, and why I’m proud to pull on the jersey, tape up, and get back in the front row—alongside my daughter when she’s fit— week after week.
ELLIE GALLACHER
IAN GALLACHER
JEWELLERS &
PROUD
SUPPORTER OF STIRLING COUNTY RFC
Sport has always been woven into the fabric of our family. My dad, Andrew Gallacher, actually swam for Scotland, and I think that set the tone early on — commitment, discipline, and pride in representing your community. He’s the owner of Ian Gallacher Jewellers in Stirling, and much like sport, the business is built on dedication, precision, and trust.
I grew up surrounded by sport in one form or another. I went to Beaconhurst School in Bridge of Allan — it’s called Fairview now — and most of the boys in my year played at Stirling County RFC, so I’ve known about the club for as long as I can remember. I was always more of a hockey girl myself, and I’ve had my fair share of bruises to prove it! No matter how much protection you wear, when the ball catches you on the kneecap you certainly know
about it.
My family’s ties to rugby stretch far and wide. My uncle Robert Leishman has been deeply involved in the sport for years — he even coached the Swedish women’s national team. While he was there, he met my aunt Ulrika, and the two of them have been living happily in southern Sweden near Malmö for more than twenty years now. We still visit every November; it’s a lovely tradition that keeps the family close despite the distance.
Back home, my sister Olivia actually played at County when she was younger, so our connection to the club feels very natural. These days I live in Causewayhead, and the ground is literally at the bottom of my street, so it’s easy to pop down. My partner John and I try to make it along whenever we can — Friday-night fixtures are perfect since I’m usually working Saturdays. The atmosphere is always fantastic: friendly, welcoming, and full of familiar faces.
We became official sponsors of Stirling County RFC about two years ago through the family business, Ian Gallacher Jewellers. We wanted to give something back to the community that’s supported us for so many years. County is such an integral part of Stirling — it brings people together,
encourages young talent, and creates opportunities for everyone to belong.
Our sponsorship includes advertising around the pitch and invitations to club events, which are always great fun. I especially enjoyed attending Ladies Day last year, and we’ve also been lucky enough to receive invites to Six Nations matches — those experiences are really special.
Beyond County, we also support Stirling Albion FC and several other local teams. Whether it’s rugby, football, or hockey, we see it all as part of the same goal: building a stronger, happier community.
What makes County stand out for me is how inclusive it is. In rugby, everyone has a place — it doesn’t matter your size, shape, or background. You can walk into a rugby club anywhere in the world and feel welcome, and County captures that spirit perfectly. It’s relaxed, it’s sociable, and it brings people together in a way that few other sports can.
At Ian Gallacher Jewellers, those same values of teamwork, respect, and trust are at the heart of everything we do. Supporting County isn’t just about visibility for the business — it’s about being part of something bigger. Stirling County RFC represents the best of what a local club can be: proud of its heritage, connected to its people, and committed to the future.
ETON MANOR
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“Use Rugby to improve people!”
MARTIN PEARL
PRESIDENT ”THE GOAL NEVER CHANGES: INCLUSIVITY.”
I’ve always said Eton Manor was built on two simple things: humility and opportunity. Our roots go right back to the Eton Manor Boys’ Club, founded by a group of Old Etonians to give East End kids somewhere safe to wash, eat and play sport. Rugby arrived in 1928, and even though the Boys’ Club itself finally closed in the 1960s, that spirit of service never left us. Today, at The New Wilderness in Wanstead, we still try to raise standards quietly—one welcome, one training night, one match at a time.
I came through a good
rugby school, got spotted at a local competition, and before long I’d joined Eton Manor Colts. The coach who brought me in—Terry Burton—is still involved, and years later the two of us set about building something we felt the club needed: a proper youth section. We started with five kids and a bag of balls; now, on a Sunday morning, you’ll see hundreds of boys and girls in blue-and-blue, learning the game and the values that go with it. Seeing that growth—watching shy youngsters find confidence and friends—has been the most rewarding part of my rugby life.
There’s one story I never
forget. A dad shook my hand at a season barbecue and said his son had come to us struggling—bullied, behind in class, no mates. By the end of the year, he was bang in the middle of the class, with friends everywhere and a smile on his face. The biggest change? Rugby. That’s what this club does when it’s at its best.
We’ve worked hard to make the women’s and girls’ pathway every bit as strong. Years back, a few mums picked up a ball alongside their daughters; today we’ve got a thriving girls’ section and senior women who play with real pride. Much of that is down to Jackie Clune—actor, writer, and
our director of women’s rugby—who’s pushed the programme forward with energy and care. She was recognised with a Redbridge Mayor’s Community Award, and our women’s setup has drawn genuine outside backing, including Kingsley Napley’s sponsorship. It’s proof that when you treat women’s rugby as equal, the community responds. Heritage still matters here. We do still have metal goal posts and hopefully they will be used again on one of our other pitches that once stood at the original Wilderness and now rise over our 1st XV pitch—little reminders that we’re custodians as much as competitors. We’ve hosted everyone from minis to internationals for breakfasts and lunches, and we’ve kept the place open and welcoming—fireworks nights, fundraisers, school links—because a rugby club should feel like home to its neighbours.
On the pitch, we’ve been close—runners-up two seasons running—and, yes, that stokes ambition. But we try to hold our nerve and take it one game at a time. Off the pitch, the goal never changes: inclusivity. Treat people with respect, give them fair chances, and keep the atmosphere family-first. If the three-, four- and five-year-olds who start with us feel they belong from day one, we’ll have done our job—and the future will take care of itself.
MARK`FAZ`
“WE NEED TO BE THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN.”
Director of RugbyI grew up in the East End and found rugby the way lots of us did: a good PE teacher pointed me to the local club. I was fourteen, I’d Walk the two miles to Eton Manor for training, and I never really left. I played here through my twenties into my early thirties, then refereed for six years when the body started to complain. Work and family took me out to Essex, but rugby had a way of pulling me back. My eldest started seeing a lad from a local side; I watched a game, couldn’t help asking questions, got dragged into a training night, and before long I was Director of Rugby there. With old mates coaching alongside me we won the league, and in 2019 Ian Edwards rang: “Fancy coming home?” I did—on one condition: I’d sit on the exec so I could push a simple agenda—make Eton Manor the best show in town for players.
For me everything starts with player experience. If you’ve got great people, proper standards and a place players want to be, the rugby looks after itself. We’re an East End club in a tough part of London; not everyone arrives with spare cash or easy lives. So, we invest in things that matter. The AGP went in back in 2018. We added a 150-seat stand and, when COVID hit, our volunteers didn’t hibernate—they rebuilt. Out went the old bar, in came an open-plan clubhouse, an extended commercial kitchen and a 35-metre covered outdoor bar with lighting, heating and screens. We had hundreds here to watch the Euros; it felt like a little town square that happened to be a rugby club.
On the rugby side we keep raising the ceiling. We built a scrum factory—a hydraulic sled in its own shed—so we can drill safely, film in session and review
on a screen there and then. We tidy the small stuff too: comms are clear, groups are organised, travel is thought about. And because cost can be a barrier, I went to a local firm, Macai Ltd, who stumped up £3.5k two seasons running so we could supply shorts and socks across the men’s section. But we make the lads earn them—turn up, train, play, contribute—then you’re kitted properly.
Culturally, I talk a lot about sanctuary. Life’s not simple for a lot of the young men and women who walk through our gate. Here, none of that noise matters. You’re not judged; you’re part of something. And when I look across a pitch, I don’t see race or background—I see players in blue shirts who are prepared to put their bodies on the line for one another. Rugby bonds people in a way few sports can.
We coach to suit our home surface: fast, expansive rugby that demands fitness and connection. Pre-season this year started 24 June; even on strike days we’ve had near fifty at training, plus another dozen messaging to say why they couldn’t make it. We test with Broncos (they hate it, naturally) and we flog the tape before every session—15–20 minutes of
video so we’re honest about what was good and what needs changing.
Our coaches are playerhead coaches by design. Jesse Liston and Michael Sargeant wear two hats: they play and they coach, which keeps standards grounded in reality. Michael brings his professional experience from School of Hard Knocks into our environment; together they’ve given us structure from 1st XV through 2s and 3s. We’ve been third, then runners-up twice; we know what competing looks like. With play-offs back the league will stay alive longer, which is good for everyone. Ambition? Of course. But not at the cost of who we are.
Recruitment has been healthy because the environment is healthy. Thirty-seven new players this season—six back from uni, six returning former Manor lads, the rest new to us and to London. Connection takes work, so our language and calls are the same across teams; our Colts and U18 Girls coaches are in the room with the seniors, so the pathway is real. We also re-branded the 3rd XV as our Development 15—merit-league rugby with a few old heads steering the ship—so 18-year-olds can step into adult rugby with support, not sink-or-swim. Reports flow up weekly; if a young player needs attention in a specific area, we adjust the coaching plan. Discipline sits with the players’ group—late? fined.
needless yellow? fined. That accountability builds culture faster than any poster on a wall.
We don’t stand still. The next build is a proper players’ gym, dedicated women’s changing rooms, a rehab suite and officials’ facilities—drawn up by one of our architect members with a narrated fly-through that Jackie Clune kindly voiced. A gym isn’t just for our 1st XV; it’s a safe place for young people to be on weeknights, off the streets, doing something positive. That’s rugby as community, not just rugby as results.
I’m 60 now, and I still learn something about this game every week. One lesson I won’t forget: don’t chase fairy tales with someone else’s chequebook. We’ve all seen clubs rocket up on mercenary money and fall through the trapdoor when the tap turns off. That’s not us. We’ll invest in people, facilities and pathways, not in quick fixes. It says Rugby Club on our gate for a reason: we come here to play rugby, and we socialise because of that.
Eton Manor has been a home for me since I was fourteen. It’s still a sanctuary for kids who need direction, for students new to the city, for families who want somewhere they’re welcomed by name. If we keep giving players the best experience we can—standards, care, and a place they’re proud to call theirs—the rest will take care of itself.
JACKIE CLUNE
CHAIR OF WOMEN’S RUGBY “FROM COLD TOUCHLINES TO TWO SENIOR SQUADS” MY ROUTE INTO RUGBY — AND WHY ETON MANOR’S WOMEN & GIRLS ARE SOARING
I was born in Harlow to Irish parents. My dad played rugby as a young man and, after a neck injury, became a grassroots referee at Harlow RFC. As a kid I associated rugby with standing on the touchline—freezing and slightly bored—while Mum took the chance to get the ironing done. Then Dad passed away, my own children grew, and the Irish families in our area said, “Come down to Eton Manor.” I’ve got four kids—an eldest daughter, then triplets: two boys and a girl—so we took the whole circus along and got stuck in.
Six years later the girls hit an invisible wall: there was no team for them to join. So, a friend and I started one. That decision changed my life. Over the next seven or eight years the section grew
and grew; today we have well over 120 girls playing at Eton Manor. When the first of those girls turned 18 there was still nowhere locally for them to play senior rugby—so I started the women’s team too. Our first season we weren’t even in a league; most of the players were brilliant, brave mums holding the fort while we built. The average age was forty-three.
Fast-forward to now and the average age is twentytwo, and we’re fielding two women’s squads in different leagues with around fifty registered players. That progress wasn’t automatic; it came from countless volunteers and coaches giving time, and from older players making space for younger ones to come through. It also came from the visibility and momentum of the women’s game—this year’s World Cup reminded the wider public of what we already knew: it’s a great sport, empowering and addictive, and it belongs to women and girls every bit as much as it does to men.
At home I joke that I gave birth to a front row in one go. My triplet daughter is a hooker and plays at Bristol University; the boys were props and now mostly flankers—one at Cardiff studying sport science, the other at home turning out for the Eton Manor 2s and 3s. My eldest daughter played at Manchester Met and has now rejoined our women’s team. Watching what rugby has given them is why I fight for this pathway. The values are not a slogan; they’re a
toolkit for life: Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, Sportsmanship. If you’ve ever crouched in a scrum you understand trust; if you’ve ever hit the floor at a breakdown you understand resilience, if you’ve ever worn a shirt with your mates you understand belonging.
I’ve never pretended to be a technical guru. My job has been to make sure the door is open, the welcome is warm, and the ladder is sturdy. That means pairing ambition with inclusion. Our 1st XV aims high—we want out of NC1 and into the Championship— and that takes investment, standards and consistency. Our 2nd XV exists so rugby remains accessible and joyful for players who are newer, returning, or simply want a competitive environment that flexes with real life. Both things can be true: serious about performance and serious about people.
We couldn’t do any of this without support. Kingsley Napley, our long-standing women’s sponsor, has backed us for years—covering memberships for students who can’t afford them, helping with kit so everyone looks and feels part of the same team. That practical help changes outcomes. So does the day-in, day-out graft from our coaching team, who are knowledgeable, humble and brilliant with the girls; many of our players still call me their “rugby mum,” but they’d walk through walls for those coaches.
What makes Eton Manor special? For me it’s our
roots and our reality. The club’s history is tied to social purpose in the East End, and you can still feel that today. We are proudly workingclass, diverse and welcoming: taxi drivers and teachers, plumbers and civil servants, and everything in between; minis parents juggling shifts; women who’ve fallen in love with a game that finally speaks their language. We’re not the cliché of the stripedblazer old boys’ club— though, for the record, there’s nothing wrong with being an old boy in a blazer if you share the pitch and the pie with everyone else.
Progress is never “done.” The second you think you’ve won the argument for inclusion; you start losing ground. Rights get rolled back—especially for women— unless you hold them. So, we keep doing the work: building squads, mentoring teenagers into adults, ensuring costs don’t shut people out, and standing up—politely but firmly—for the kind of rugby culture we want our kids to inherit.
If there’s a headline on my route into the game, it’s this: I came for my children; I stayed for everyone else’s. Eton Manor gave my family community, confidence and joy. My contribution has been to help make sure that gift keeps scaling—from six-yearolds in Cubs to students, to women finding their first team in their thirties. Two squads, one pathway, and a club that looks like the place it serves. We’re not finished; we’re just getting started.
I’m a Sydney boy from the Northern Beaches, where weekends were a blur of school rugby and club rugby, with strong links into the Rats and the New South Wales pathway. Fifteen years ago work brought my family to the UK. Not long after we landed, we wandered into Eton
Manor on a summer’s day, asked at the bar what age a child could start, and the bar manager literally took us by the hand to meet the under-6 coaches. That’s Eton Manor in a nutshell: if you show up, you’re welcomed, and pretty soon you’re part of the family. My eldest, Lucas, was four when he first pulled on a shirt. Someone needed to take the younger group when the under-7s moved up, and because I’d played
back home, I was handed a whistle. Thirteen seasons later, I’d coached that same cohort all the way from under-7s to Colts. Lucas is eighteen now and off to uni; he and his mates are already organising friendly fixtures for the holidays so they can keep playing together. My younger son, William, is in the under16s and loving it.
These days I’m no longer on the touchline with a coaching bag; I’m the Junior Section Chair. The job is mostly orchestration: pitch allocations, fixtures, catering, kit, safeguarding, volunteers—the invisible work that makes Sunday feel effortless. We’ve grown massively. We recently took our first ever whole-youth photo—by rough count around 450 people, coaches included—and we’re nudging 400 paid junior members. I also help beyond the club, coordinating Essex U16 League and Cup fixtures, because the stronger the county game, the stronger our pathway.
That pathway is the heart of what we’re building. On the club’s exec (with people like Martin, Jackie and Mark Farrell), we talk about “the bridge”—how we move players seamlessly from minis and juniors into Colts, under-18 girls, and then senior rugby. Last season, several U18 girls stepped up and played women’s rugby; on the boys’ side our senior Colts were heavily involved in county fixtures, which was a brilliant
step for them even if it meant fewer club-to-senior debuts. This year we’re tightening the join: senior coaches are working directly with our Colts and U18 girls coaches so that faces, language and standards are consistent. And with the women now running two senior teams for the first time, the girls can see a clear route they can touch, not just dream about.
People ask what makes Eton Manor special. The short answer is: the people. From the committee to the person who puts out corner flags, it’s a club where “please” and “thank you” still matter. Kids absorb what they see: a warm welcome, shared work, respect in how we speak to each other, and a habit of looking out for the person next to you. That’s why I often say, “It’s your club— because you’re the member.” Ownership builds care. Care builds culture. Culture builds players—and, more importantly, good adults. Rugby gave my family a community on the other side of the world. It’s done the same for hundreds of others at Eton Manor. My job now is to keep the door open, the pathway clear, and the Sunday chaos well organised so children can thrive and families feel at home. If we do that—week after week— everything else follows: fuller pitches, stronger teams, and young people who leave us ready for university, work and life, still connected to each other and to the game.
POCKLINGTON
RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB
Promoted 2024/2025 Season!
MARK FLETCHER
CHAIR – “IT’S NOT JUST WHERE YOU PLAY—IT GETS IN YOUR BLOOD!”
I grew up with this club: my dad, Bill, played here; I turned out for Pocklington’s first ever Colts side back in the late 1970s; then life took me away for work. I never really left, though—I stayed involved from afar and moved back a couple of years ago. Percy Road still feels like home.
We run the place the old-fashioned way. We don’t pay people to play—haven’t needed to. Our model is a conveyor belt: minis to juniors to Colts to senior men and women, plus a proper second and third XV playing in the Yorkshire merit/eastern leagues. One quirk up here is that Yorkshire voted against letting lower XVs enter the RFU league structure, so our extra sides stay in merit tables even though other counties now run 2nd XVs in the pyramid. Personally, I think the game’s moving that way nationally and we’ll have to follow.
Last season the men’s 1st XV were outstanding. In Counties 1 Yorkshire we won 20 of 22, finished runners-up, and earned promotion back to Regional 2 North East. We did it with the league’s best defence— just 302 points conceded— and with a group largely built from our own pathway.
A couple of days stick in the mind. Winning away at Keighley in a tight, brutal game was season-defining— we edged it by a single score. And while North Ribblesdale deserved the title, we showed we belong at the next level.
What made us good wasn’t a cheque book—it was coaching, clarity and togetherness. We keep a consistent way of playing across the senior sides so when lads move up or across, nothing’s a surprise; they just slot in and do their job. It’s been a young group maturing together, and by the run-in they were purring.
The women have been a brilliant story too—relatively new but flying, finishing
second in their league last season and growing quickly. They’re a big part of who we are now.
We’re also rebuilding the Colts with a three-year plan. After COVID we could all see what happened when rugby disappeared from a lot of state schools, so we put our money where our mouth is and hired a Youth Development Officer to get back into classrooms and bring kids through the gate. It’s working dozens of new youngsters found their way to Percy Road last year.
Community is our oxygen. Every Good Friday we host the 7s—Yorkshire’s oldest and biggest amateur oneday sevens. It pulls in a few thousand, fills the bars, and acts like a giant homecoming for anyone who’s ever worn our shirt.
And right alongside the rugby sits “Pocklington Rugby
in the Community,” the charity based at the club that looks after vulnerable and older folk locally. They were recognised with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service— well deserved and a point of pride for everyone here.
We’re a rural club on the edge of the Wolds, with deep farming roots and sponsors who genuinely believe in what a club like ours does for the area. People come back for the 7s, they drop in on a Saturday, they keep an eye on the results from wherever life took them. That’s the hold Pocklington RUFC has on you. It’s not just where you play—it gets in your blood.
Now it’s Regional 2 North East again. We know the standard; we know the travel; we know the work. But if we stay true to who we are— homegrown, well-coached, hard to score against—we’ll be just fine.
YVONNE REAY COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Since coming to live in Pocklington in the late 80’s I’ve been a regular at the local rugby club, making friends for life and loving the special vibe of Percy Road.
Pock’s been around since 1879 and we’re properly rooted in the town—Percy Road is home, and every Good Friday we throw open the gates for the Pock 7s, a massive community day that fills the place with rugby, noise and smiles.
Women’s rugby has now also flourished at the club over the last couple of years. In November 2022 a handful of us sat down and said, “Right, let’s do it.” Fourteen women pitched up to the first training session; now we’ve got roughly forty on the books and 25-plus training twice a week. We train Mondays and Thursdays at 6.45pm. We entered the league after the first year (NC3 North – South East), and we keep the doors wide open for complete beginners as well as old hands. I love that our squad spans teenagers to mums in their 50s; some live for match day, others just love the training and the camaraderie—but everyone belongs.
We’re very lucky with coaching. Our women’s coaching group includes Laurie—our New Zealand (“Kiwi”) coach—whose rugby brain and empathy have been game-changing for the group, alongside our male coaches and our first home-grown coach, Annabel Anscomb, who recently completed her England Rugby Coaching Award. That blend of female leadership and “we’ll-growour-own” is exactly the culture we want.
Match days are only half the story. We put on an International Women’s Day dinner each year and bring inspiring voices into the room—this past season we welcomed USA/Sale backrow Georgie Perris-Redding; the year before, England lock (and proud Yorkshire lass) Morwenna Talling joined us. Those nights make the women feel seen—and they help the town see us too.
The club has backed us brilliantly off the field as well. We secured a £3,000 Honda x Telegraph Legacy Fund grant for women’s rugby, which helped us push on with female-friendly spaces and kit the place out, so families want to stick around. We also invested in new big screens— so when the Women’s Rugby World Cup was on, the clubhouse was rammed with women and men alike –babies too!. The atmosphere was great and that felt like a true turning point for the club.
Partnerships matter: SweetMove estate agents came on as the dedicated women’s sponsor and really understood what we’re all about—values first, community always. That sort of backing lets us keep saying yes to newcomers, yes to extra sessions, yes to tours.
We’re honest about what still needs doing. The girls’ pathway (U12s-U18s) is the next big piece; it takes
numbers and patience, especially when many of our players are also coaches, referees, and volunteers. We’ve got great people— Melanie McKee is our Women & Girls contact, and the wider club leadership is all-in—so we’ll get there. And because we’re in Yorkshire, I’ll say this out loud: we need more top-tier women’s rugby up North. Right now, Sale Sharks are the standard-bearers in Premiership Women’s Rugby; if we had more northern PWR clubs, our talented girls wouldn’t have to look south to chase the dream.
That’s the future I want Pock to feed—local girls, local heroes, national stage. Why do I care so much? Because I’ve watched this sport change how women see themselves. I’ve seen a teammate look in the mirror and swap “I’m not built for this” for “I’m strong.” I’ve seen players return after having babies, teenagers grow into leaders, and a club once seen as “for the lads” become a genuinely shared space. That’s Pocklington to me: humble beginnings, a big community heart, and the courage to keep evolving—together.
SWEETMOVE
When Sweetmove Estate Agent’s Simon Mackin, watched Pocklington Women’s rugby first play, he said he was “blown away by the energy and sheer excitement of the team”. That was two-years-ago and the Pocklington-based Estate Agents are now the main sponsor of the women’s team.
“The women’s team was just so refreshing, it was such a different atmosphere,” said Simon. “There was a passion from the players and it was just so different from the rugby I’ve seen before – a different energy, you could sense it. They were playing like they were playing for their country! It was all just so new
and Sweetmove wanted to be part of that.”
So, when the team entered the league, it was Sweetmove who jumped at the chance to be their main sponsor, proudly putting their logo on the playing strip and training kit.
“There was so much buzz to this new team, we wanted to support them. We’ve seen them grow from strength to strength these last few seasons, it’s just great to see,” said Simon.
As the leading estate agents for Pocklington and the surrounding villages, Sweetmove is embedded in the community. As well as the women’s team, they also support Pocklington Cricket Club and Tennis
Club. Alongside their ‘Unique Homes’ brand they are considered the local experts, having won a host of regional customer services awards.
Based in the centre of town, Sweetmove focuses on selling and renting property in Pocklington and the surrounding villages. “All our staff live in and around Pocklington and are all excited to be supporting the
women’s team,” explained Simon. As well as sponsorship, Sweetmove attend the club events, such as the International Women’s Day dinner last March with guest speaker Georgie PerrisRedding. They will also be having a table at the club’s Raise the Bar Ball in November which promises to be a fantastic event to raise money for the club’s new gym.
The leading independent estate agents for Pocklington and surrounding areas
Specialising in the sale and rental of residential properties in Pocklington, Market Weighton and the surrounding areas.
THE SWEETMOVE SPONSORED SWEETEST MOVE AWARD: For every match played, the coach decides the best move of the game with the chosen player receiving: a bottle of champagne & a jelly cat rugby ball!
RUMNEY
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
RUMNEY RFC AN ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY
Founded in 1949 by WRU referee Bill Breeze and friends, Rumney grew out of East Cardiff backrooms and borrowed baths. After early friendlies, a first full fixture list arrived for 1950–51 and the club’s debut game was against British Electrical Repairs of Penarth Road. Meetings were hosted by Viv
“75th Anniversary!”
and Doris Irons, who even supplied a garage with hot water and a galvanised bath for post-match “facilities,” while the Carpenter’s Arms landlord, Trevor Jenks, gave the team a room that doubled as changing space and a clubhouse. Early stalwarts included Tony Gentile, Tom Jones, Graham Gerrard, Vernon Sheryn, Ken Gooding and John “Squeak”
from new housing estates. Local schools began feeding players to the club—names like schoolboy internationals John Carey and John Dommett, WJRU cap Adrian Hill, and Ian Robinson (who would go on to represent Wales). Rumney lifted the Mallett and Ninian Stuart Cups in this era and set their sights on WRU membership.
The 1970s were transformative. Eddie Hunt took over as coach— beginning a 20-year stint— while the club opened its clubhouse and changing rooms at Riverside Park on 13 March 1972. On the field Rumney mixed it with the best: Neath in the WRU Cup (1977) and Bridgend in the Schweppes Cup (1979). The decade also brought silverware at national level with back-to-back Welsh Districts Cup wins at the National Stadium in 1978 and 1979. The 1st XV’s 1970s ledger: 358 games, 267 wins, 77 losses, 14 draws.
In the 1980s Rumney faced Neath at The Gnoll in the Schweppes Cup (1981), and in June 1986 finally achieved full WRU member-club status. Three successful tours across America’s Midwest forged ties that still endure. By 1989–90 Rumney had won the East District Championship and, alongside Llanharan, qualified to represent the district in the incoming national leagues. Across the decade the 1st XV went 247–62–7.
Wheeler—Wheeler would rack up an extraordinary 593 appearances. Through the 1960s Rumney trained at Rumney Recreation Ground and, with Cardiff’s post-war expansion, found more permanent digs behind the Royal British Legion thanks to a resourceful committee who converted outhouses into changing rooms using cast-off materials
League rugby arrived in the 1990s with bumps and bounce-backs. After consecutive relegations, Rumney regrouped (1994–95) and earned three straight promotions, establishing themselves in Division One under coaches Roger Powell, Spike Watkins and Les Brown with mid-table finishes in 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000. The youth setup—rooted since the 1960s and guided by Shaun Lee— produced a stream of 1st XV players (including Michael Peard, Wayne O’Connor,
Grant Harrington, Simon Greedy and Neil Coles), while Colin O’Donoghue and Dean Simons earned Wales Youth caps. A landmark came in 1999–2000 when Rumney hosted Cardiff RFC at Riverside Park in the WRU Challenge Cup. The decade’s overall record: 150–118–12.
The 2000s began with a flourish: in the club’s 50th year (2000–01) Rumney finished a best-ever fifth in Division One under coaches Shaun Lee and Nigel Bezani, with captain Michael Peard leading the side out against a full-strength Swansea in the Principality Challenge Cup (Gavin Henson and Garin Jenkins included). Relegation followed in 2003–04, but coaches Gavin Cooper and Danny Wilson steadied the ship, and Steve Ford (with forwards coach Mike Peard) engineered promotion back to Division One in 2007–08.
Into the 2010s, Rumney finished eighth in Division 1 East in 2010–11 and rekindled their US connections with a successful Mid-West tour in 2011, beating Kansas City Blues and Kansas City RFC and setting up a West Coast trip for 2013.
Recent years have seen Rumney consolidate as a Championship club. The senior side currently competes in the Admiral National Championship (East). In 2023/24 they finished eighth in a rugged section featuring Bargoed, Cardiff Met and Cross Keys.
The 75th-anniversary season, 2024/25, underlined the club’s upward arc. Rumney claimed third in Championship East—15 wins, 1 draw and 8 defeats across 24 matches, level on points with Glamorgan Wanderers and behind only champions Beddau and runners-up Bedwas. Along the way there were statement results at Riverside Park and on the road—beating St Peters away in late April, turning over Penallta and Brynmawr earlier in the year, and edging Mountain Ash 38–30 on the final day.
Off the field, the club marked 75 years with a celebratory event and continues to invest in the pathway that has always defined Rumney—minis to youth to seniors—with Riverside Park still the heart of the community.
From a tin bath behind a dance club to a Championship contender, Rumney RFC’s story has been one of graft, community and player development—proof that a club built from the bottom up can keep punching at the top end of Welsh community rugby.
JACK HEDGES CHAIRMAN
I’m not a Cardiff boy by birth—I’m from over the bridge, Weston-super-Mare. I studied at the University of Glamorgan and, after a spell back home, I gravitated to Cardiff about seven years ago. I married Jess—she’s local— and her family are Rumney through and through. Her dad, Michael “Spike” Brown, is a life member; her brother Joe came right through minis and youth. When I turned up, it was: “Come on then, down the club,” and I’ve been involved ever since. The welcome was instant, even for an Englishman walking into a Welsh rugby club.
I played my junior rugby at Hornets RFC in Weston and a bit socially as a senior, but university life pulled me away from playing. When I moved to Cardiff, I wanted my eldest, Owen, to feel part of life in Wales, so we headed for Rumney RFC. I started coaching, then took on the Mini & Junior chair for two seasons. This year I’ve stepped up again and taken on the club chair—succeeding Andy Jones, who gave 25 years of service in the role and still helps on the committee. That kind of commitment is what makes a rugby club tick.
Our place is Riverside Park, Hartland Road, in Llanrumney—very much a community club for the east of the city. The club’s roots go back to 1949–50: a few friendlies at first, then our first full fixture list in 1950–51. Seventy-five years on we’re celebrating that journey
with a black-tie dinner at the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel on Saturday 27 September 2025—a chance to tip our hats to the past and lay out the future.
Rugby here is about people first. Llanrumney includes areas ranked among the more deprived in Wales, and that makes the club even more important—a safe, welcoming hub where everyone looks out for each other. That old “family” feel is real: the kind of place where the old boys are looked after and new faces are brought into the fold. My job is to protect that and open the doors wider.
On the field, last season was a proud one. Our 1st XV finished third in Championship East after a big away win at Mountain Ash on the final day. We rolled straight into cup season with finals in the East District Mallett Cup for the 1sts and the Ninian Stuart Cup for our 3rds—who are our “social” team in name only; they’re fiercely competitive and had a cracking run to the Arms Park.
We’ve reshuffled behind the scenes—coaches and committee—so this year might feel like a rebuild in places, but it’s a positive reset. The pipeline matters. We’re restarting a Youth side and we run a full Minis & Juniors from our Rumbles (U6) right through to U16s. On the girls’ side we’re linked in with the Cardiff Storm hub, who train at Rumney and provide a brilliant pathway for U12s–U16s across the east of the city. It’s simple: if we look after the person and the pathway, the rugby looks after itself.
Culturally, I’m values-first. If three-quarters of a team leave us as good men and women—reliable, respectful, hard-working—then we’ve done our job. Elite players are a bonus. Win or lose, it’s 80 minutes of work together, then a handshake and a drink. That’s the legacy I want to protect in our 75th season and beyond: a club that’s open, un-cliquey, and genuinely for everyone—new families and old faces alike.
ANDY JONES
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
I’m Rumney through and through. I started with schoolboy rugby, had a season of youth at CIAC— Cardiff International Athletic Club—and came home to Rumney at sixteen because it was on my doorstep. I never really left. I racked up around 550 games, played vets when the legs started to go, and finally hung the boots up at 46. Two great club men have gone past 600 appearances— we made them life members.
You won’t see that kind of tally much these days.
When I stopped playing, I moved straight onto the committee and later served as chairman—I was in the chair for our 50th. These days I’m still down the club twice a week with a little work party of retired hands. It started during COVID and we’ve kept it going: a bit of graft, a lot of chat, and keeping the place ticking over for the next generation.
Last season was a good one. We’d come up into
Championship East and thought we might struggle, but we held our own and, truth be told, could easily have finished second. It’s not always a level playing field. Years ago, when semi-amateur money flooded in, it got silly—cars, wages, the lot. We made a conscious decision to return to true amateur values, lost a few along the way, and rebuilt. Now we’ve got a thriving minis and juniors, and an enthusiastic new chair in Jack who’s brilliant on the modern stuff like social media (not my forte).
The pathway’s had its bumps. About seven years back we won the Welsh Youth Cup; since COVID it’s been harder to keep a youth side going and we’re working to resurrect it. On the positive side, the girls’ game is growing fast. We host Cardiff Storm’s U14s and U16s— players from a few clubs but based with us because we’ve got the facilities and four pitches. It’s a cracking addition to the place.
Rugby’s always been about more than the game for me. You make friends for life in a rugby club. There’s a clubhouse to share a pint afterward, a welcome for everyone, and a habit of pulling people in rather than
pushing them away. We get kids off the streets and give them a place to belong. It’s not perfect—but the net good it does for this community is enormous. I met my wife at Rumney; forty-six years married tells you what the place means to us.
I’m proud of the stories on our walls—literally. Thanks to Jamie Roberts and Principality Building Society, we’ve got a new mural on the clubhouse. It features Jamie and Steve Ford—both Welsh internationals—our “600 club” stalwarts, and the Mallett Cup, which we’ve won more than any other side. Jamie came down for the unveiling and said that if it weren’t for starting out at Rumney, he wouldn’t have achieved what he did. That meant a lot to everyone here.
This September we celebrate our 75th with a ticketed night at the Holland House hotel in town. We’ll have a band, a DJ, a few words from me and Jack, and a proper Rumney night. That’s who we are: a club built on volunteers, graft, and a shared love of rugby. I turned up at sixteen and found a family. I’m still here, helping keep the lights on for the next boy or girl who walks through the door and makes Rumney their home.
ANTHONY WILLIAMS
MINI & JUNIOR CHAIR
I’m a Valleys boy from the Rhondda. Rugby’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember—minis through to seniors, at a few different clubs as work moved me around. I met my wife, who’s from Cardiff, we settled here about 15 years ago, and as soon as our son Gabriel was old enough I couldn’t wait to plug him into that rugby community I grew up with. He started in Rumbles around five, pulled on a proper shirt by seven, and I slid from helping out to coaching before I knew it.
These days I coach the U14s and serve as Minis & Juniors Chair at Rumney, overseeing everything from U6s through to U16s. Our age group has a tight little story: a bunch of us parents started when the kids were tiny, became mates on the touchline, and have stayed with them season after season. You don’t just coach rugby in that scenario—you become a familiar adult they trust. They talk to us about all sorts, not just sport, and that’s exactly how it should be.
On the pitch the boys have been brilliant. Last season there weren’t many around Cardiff who could live with us; we won the district Plate and, more importantly, kept developing as people. We’ve
now got coaches at every step of the ladder—Rumbles to youth—and a clear pathway into senior rugby. When this group reaches youth, I’ll follow them up a while, but long-term I’ll always gravitate back to minis and juniors. That’s where my heart is. I’ll keep building
my coaching badges, help wherever there’s a gap, and do my bit to bring more kids into the game.
Why am I so committed to junior rugby? Because it gives skills that spill far beyond the white lines: teamwork, communication, confidence, the ability to work for the group and still take responsibility as an individual. Where we are, life can be complicated. Some kids come from broken homes; some don’t see both parents; some need role models outside the front door. Our job is to be there—steadily, kindly, consistently. We’re a family set-up. The lads go to different schools but come together as one team, and the parents look out for each other’s children. If someone spots my Gabe in town and he looks a bit down, I’ll get a call: “Do you want me to bring him home?” That’s Rumney. They’re all our boys.
My day job touches a lot on mental health, and I bring that to the club. I want the lads—and dads—to talk. There’s still too much stigma, especially when boys hit secondary school and pressures ramp up. We try to make conversation normal: coaches share, kids share, and nobody bottles things up. Rugby helps because it’s inclusive by nature. Big or small, quick or not, there’s room for you. We knock lumps out of each other for 70 minutes and then buy a pint together; you can stand in any ground in the UK amid the banter and feel you belong.
I’ll never pretend coaching replaces the buzz of playing, but giving back is the next best thing. I’ve got a daft dream to keep myself fit enough for one game alongside Gabriel when he’s 18 or 19. I managed it once with my uncle—played with him and against him—and those memories are gold. My wife’s all-in too; she went from being someone who’d stick the internationals on the telly to becoming team manager for the boys. Rumney’s a full family affair for us.
What makes Rumney special? Simple: it welcomed me. Moving from the Valleys to a city club could have felt odd, but the door swung open. The boys rib my accent and call me “Taf,” and I love it. I’ve done first aid, coached, and now chair Minis & Juniors because people kept encouraging me to muck in. Fresh eyes help: ask the daft questions, challenge the “we’ve always done it this way,” and you often land on something better. That’s how clubs evolve from the bottom up.
If I had one message for anyone reading, it’s this: keep the kids first. Retain them, make it fun, and protect the pathway. Senior teams get the headlines, but without the conveyor belt, there’s no future. Rugby gave me belonging as a kid and direction as a man. Now I want to hand that on— one Sunday morning, one training night, one honest conversation at a time. That’s what Rumney means to me.
and detail it needed.
CLEVE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“2024/2025 Champions of Counties 1 Tribute Western North!”
PAUL VINICOMBE HEAD COACH
I first came to Cleve as a seven-year-old, dragged down to the Hayfields by a mate from school. Twenty-five years on, I’ve played in every age group, worn the 1st XV jersey 125 times, coached minis, colts and seniors — and today I’m proud to lead the club as Head Coach of the first team.
This club’s given me so much. My best friends, a thousand Saturdays and a reason to keep showing up when it would’ve been easier to walk away. We’ve known tough days.
A decade ago, we went up to Level 5, and it wasn’t sustainable for us as a club, players moved on and we took back-to-back relegations. Coming out of Covid it was survival mode: keep the lights on, keep a team on the field, and trying to keep the badge relevant in the community. That’s when a few of us doubled down. We rebuilt the colts as a proper pathway, kept faith with a young group—average age 23–24 and forged a plan on and off pitch to sustain and
grow our future as a club. We wanted to make Cleve a place somewhere people wanted to be again.
Last season that faith paid off. We won 20 of 22, scored tries for fun and finished with the best defensive record in the league, along with scoring the highest points. Our first loss came at the hands of Old Bristolians; on the day they were the better team. The second came from one of those “only in rugby” moments away at Bridgwater. Pinged for time on a kick, we’d taken in well under a minute. It was the final play which stung at the time but honestly lit a fire under the boys.
Week after week we went toe-to-toe with the big local National League Clubs: Clifton, Old Reds, Cinderford and Taunton and beat them all home and away. That’s when we knew we’d turned a corner. Bringing in experience around this young core was huge. Matt Jarvis came in to steer our attack. Joining with great pedigree: Ospreys and Connacht as a pro, plus stints back in Wales with Neath, and Pontypool. He gave our quick, heads-up style the direction
We also bought Harry Casson back home to lead our forwards and defence. He’s a Cleve mini & junior who went and played rugby at the highest level. With stints at Bath, Worcester Warriors, Hartpury and Ealing Trailfinders, before coming back to pour that experience into our pack.
Another massive driver in our resurgence has been our Club Captain, Cam Bull. He sets the standards every day and completely embodies what this club is about.
Cam came to Cleve straight out of college, followed a path not too dissimilar to mine—riding the highs of National 3 rugby, then enduring the pain of back-to-back relegations.
Since then, he’s gone on to serve in the Royal Navy, earning his green beret as a Royal Marine. That tells you everything you need to know. Disciplined, resilient, dependable.
On and off the field, Cam is a serious operator—calm under pressure, ferociously competitive, and one of the key leaders in our rebuild. He doesn’t just wear the armband; he lives the values. We’re lucky to have him driving the standards and leading from the front.
This place is about pathways and role models. We’re pushing hard to grow girls’ and women’s rugby alongside our minis, juniors and colts, and it matters when the next generation can see where the game can take them. Bristol Bears & England U18 Hooker Heidi
Pashaei Tarighoun has real roots around us—she used to come down and watch her brother play at Cleve before her own journey through the club and then into the Premiership—and that story lands with our girls because it feels local and possible.
Now we’re moving onwards and upwards again. Promoted to Regional Two Severn (Level 6) and we’re leaning into who we are: fast, fearless, skilful, with a bit more steel in the tight. The step up will be quicker, more physical and more accurate but that’s exactly the kind of challenge this group craves.
Personally, I’m just grateful. Grateful to the lads who stayed when it was grim. Grateful to coaches like Jarv and Cass for raising the bar and mentoring our young guns. Grateful to the committee, volunteers and sponsors who keep the place ticking and to the families who spend their Saturdays at the Hayfields. I’ve got a oneyear-old at home; one day I want him to walk into the clubhouse, see my name on the caps board and be proud that, “My dad played a part in this great club’s legacy.”
More than anything, I want him and every kid who pulls on a Cleve shirt—to have the same opportunities I had: the friendships, experiences, the pride. We’re not getting carried away, but we are ambitious.
The ship’s pointing the right way, the badge means something again, and the rugby is worth paying to watch. Onwards and Upwards. UTC.
BOWDON
RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB
“2024/2025 Champions of Regional 2 North West!”
BY TOM FLEMING CHAIRMAN
I’m a South Manchester lad—Sale born, St Ambrose schooled. Like most kids it was football first, right up until I passed the 11-plus and landed at a rugby school. That’s where everything changed. I kept the speed I’d had in football, but I grew into a back-row frame and discovered I loved the physicality. One coach told me, “Fleming, eat more meat pies and drink more Guinness.” That was the easiest instruction I’ve ever followed.
Rugby grabbed me because it matched the kind of culture I wanted to be part of. As a teenager a chap walked into a pub where I was almost certainly drinking too young and said, “I hear you’re decent at St Ambrose—come and trial for Bowdon Colts and bring a few lads.” We did. Compared to Sunday league football—turn up, play on a rented pitch, jump back in your dad’s car covered in mud—Bowdon was a revelation: changing rooms, hot baths, a clubhouse, postmatch songs, and proper camaraderie. It felt congruent with who I was.
I played school on a Saturday morning, seniors on Saturday afternoon, and Colts on Sunday—sometimes three games a weekend. I broke into Bowdon’s first team before university, then headed to Leeds and played at Carnegie. The standard and coaching there showed
me what higher-level rugby looks like. After uni, a trainee-chartered accountant job brought me back to Manchester. I wandered down to Bowdon one Saturday “just to watch,” the lads got me more than a few pints, and— predictably—I was back in.
From there I did most jobs going: third team, first team, then first-team captain back when the captain also took training and sat at the centre of the management group. We made a key decision to separate playing from coaching and brought in a proper coach. I became treasurer, and as the club grew—bigger crowds, more ambition—we set our sights on facilities. I moved into the chairman’s role and we raised £1 million to build a new clubhouse. Around the same time our minis and juniors were taking shape, and suddenly we had the three pillars starting to align: structure, facilities, and coaching. Add momentum on the pitch and we began to climb.
I’ve come to believe club success rests on four ingredients: players,
coaching, facilities, and finance. We push in all four.
On players, our philosophy is simple: grow your own through minis and juniors, then accept the reality that many kids head to university. If we can retain one to three per age group each year— and tempt a few back—you build a homegrown spine. Success also attracts players through the gate. When you’re going well, people want in; when you’re sliding, they drift away. That’s human nature, so we work hard on culture—tours, a shared pathway, clarity about the basics. Ryan’s done a superb job helping our M&J coaches align what and how we teach.
On coaching, we invest as heavily as we can—head coach, assistants, physios, the whole support team. Good people make players better. And we don’t forget the mums and dads in the junior section: they need courses and guidance too. That’s part of building something sustainable.
On facilities, we keep moving forward. The new clubhouse gave us a magnificent base; it needs TLC, but it’s a proper home. We’ve put serious money into the first-team pitch—one of the best in the North West— and we treat it royally every summer. The quality was recognised this year when we hosted Australia and Fiji women during the World Cup. Next up is an all-weather surface; we’re working on planning and aiming to raise another £1 million. Kids today have endless options— football centres, basketball courts, you name it—so we
either invest or we fall behind.
On finance, we built sustainability into the model. No sugar daddy, no single point of failure. The clubhouse includes a 250-capability function space—the Marquee Room— which hosts weddings, wakes, christenings, and big birthdays. That drives bar revenues (we’ve grown from roughly £60k a year to £500k+) and gives us dependable income. Sponsorship is diversified across four lanes: kit sponsors, pitch boards, player sponsors, and matchday sponsors— and we work to fill every home game lunch. It’s a lot to manage, but when you
I need to call out my mate and our club president, Nick Buckley. I’ve known Nick since our Colts days—we played senior rugby together and we’ve been drinking pals for years. When he became president, he sat me down for a coffee and convinced me to come back and, ultimately, to take on the chairman’s job. He’s one of those characters who sets the tone for a whole club. Before and after a game he’s unbelievable—gets the clubhouse singing and cheering—and over the last eight years his personality and graft have helped mould the culture at Bowdon.
If there’s a photo of the heartbeat of this place, Nick’s in it. I wanted to make sure he’s properly mentioned, because friends like him are a big reason I’m here.
“WHY BOWDON KEEPS ME COMING BACK”
spread the load, you build resilience.
Underpinning all of this are volunteers. People give up time because of how the place makes them feel. If your culture is wrong, they disappear. If your culture is right, they lean in—and they keep coming back long after the boots are hung up. We’ve a WhatsApp group of former players that’s half comedy club, half family chat; the characters in there would fill a book. One of my favourite Bowdon stories is of an older member who bought pints for a skint colts player for years. Decades later, that “skint colt” had done well and quietly repaid the favour— every time the old boy walked into the bar, his beer was waiting. That’s rugby culture in a nutshell.
Professionally, I’m a chartered accountant who spent 15 years turning around distressed businesses— from owner-managed firms to PLCs—in the UK, Italy, Germany and the US. In 2008, a couple of partners and I started investing and operating businesses ourselves. The crossover with rugby is obvious. A club, like a company, is a matrix of very different people and functions—props and wingers; finance and sales. You don’t manage them the same way. Some lads respond to a rocket, others to an arm around the shoulder. The trick is knowing which is which, and building a culture where everyone pulls in the same direction. An old Bowdon captain once told me, “If you can get bricklayers, barristers and accountants pulling together, you’ll learn leadership.” He was right.
Why Bowdon? The people. Always the people. The atmosphere on a Saturday, the noise in the bar, the willingness to help—there’s nothing like it. I’ve taken dyed-in-the-wool football friends to big rugby occasions and watched them be stunned by the lack of segregation, the warmth, the welcome, the shared pint after the final whistle. That same spirit lives at our level every weekend.
We’re ambitious, but we’re patient. Keep the four ingredients healthy— players, coaching, facilities, finance—keep investing in culture, and the league table tends to follow. I’ll be at the game this weekend, hosting sponsors and welcoming the opposition, and I’ll feel exactly what hooked me all those years ago: a proper rugby club, built by good people, moving forward together.
RYAN KIRBY DIRECTOR OF RUGBY
I’m a Flint lad who learned his rugby at Mold and was lucky enough to sign for London Wasps at sixteen before coming back home to play for RGC and then returning to Mold. Coaching became my craft—ten years full-time in schools—so when life pulled me back north after COVID, the pull to build something at a senior club was irresistible. Bowdon felt right from the first conversation. Big minis and juniors, proper tradition, and a hunger to play the game the way I believe it should be played.
When I came in as head coach, we stripped everything back: catch, pass, kick, play the space. We told the boys to express themselves and remember why their parents first took them to a rugby club—because it was fun with your mates. We matched our game to who we are: athletic, fit, creative. We’re not a lumbering pack that mauls and picks all day. We love to offload, move defenders, kick to grass, and go again. The leaders in the group doubled down on the social glue—ties on heads, a pint together, actually enjoying each other’s company—because that’s where trust is built.
It clicked. We played a brand that suits Bowdon
and the group we’ve got, and the results followed. We scored freely, defended with intent, and won the league. A few days after my little one arrived, we sealed the title— one of those months you never forget.
Now I’ve stepped into the Director of Rugby role, and the job widens out from the first team to the whole pathway. Two senior sides, a vet’s team, and—if we get the numbers just right—a new social XV that plays monthly, because there’s room at our place for serious rugby and for the pure joy of a run-out. I’m especially proud of the Bowdon Bears, our mixedability team. The connection between the Bears and the senior section is real; we learn from each other, and it says something important about the kind of club we are.
The conveyor belt matters. We’ve got junior and senior Colts this year and great rugby schools locally, but the transition is everything. We run “coaches’ coffees,” align how we teach the game, and try to build one Bowdon identity so that moving from U16s to Colts to seniors feels natural, not daunting. Long term, I want our students playing BUCS and Super BUCS to come back because the standard here excites them. If we keep doing the right things, National 2 becomes a sensible ambition in time—not hype, just a direction of travel.
We’ve earned promotion to Level 5 (Regional 1 North West), and we’re realistic. We won’t win as many as last year; the league is full of hardened clubs who’ve lived at this level for years. Our aim, first and foremost, is to feel like a Level 5 club—habits, standards, preparation—every single week. We’ll keep feet on the ground and ambition in our hearts. Judge me on more than the table: if a
year from now we’ve grown stronger players, stronger people and a stronger club, that’s success. Avoiding the drop matters, of course— but culture under pressure matters even more.
People make Bowdon special. From mini and junior coaches to the Bears’ volunteers, bar and ground staff, sponsors, old boys and families—this place hums because of them. They create an environment where lads hang around long after training, where Sundays feel like a festival, where everyone—whatever their ability—gets welcomed through the door. If every town had a rugby club like this, the world would be a kinder, tighter community.
I loved playing; I love coaching even more. My job now is to protect what’s best about Bowdon, sharpen what needs sharpening, and keep opening doors so the next generation can run through. We’re moving onwards and upwards—with a clear identity, a connected pathway, and a club full of people who care. That’s Bowdon rugby.
AFTAB HAMID CHAIRMAN
I’m Bristol born and bred, and rugby found me at QEH in the 80’s when it was compulsory. I’d played football at junior school and tried to duck out— “Mum, write me a note.” By 13 I’d joined Clifton and, truth be told, I’ve never really left. I
CLIFTON
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
“2024/2025 Champions of National 2 West!”
captained sides all the way to Colts and played 1st XV, before knee and back trouble nudged me into Nomads’ social rugby and then into club leadership. Today I’m proud to serve as Chairman of the Lavender and Blacks— still the same inner-city lad who walked through our doors as a teenager.
This season was a journey. We opened away in a storm at Exeter University and nicked a 15–15 draw with the last kick—gutsy, but not pretty. We then took some early lumps, including a heavy one at Luctonians and a grim day away at Hinckley. We were honest with each other: new faces, not quite
gelling, set-piece creaking. From there, we tightened the nuts and bolts, had a proper night together, and the team’s chemistry clicked.
There were real markers along the way. Winning at Hornets—always a derby with edge—took steel. And the big swing came at Station Road on 5 April: we beat Camborne 41–26 to seize control of the title race after chasing them for much of the year. On the final Saturday we finished the job, beating Exeter University 48–22 at home to be crowned National 2 West champions. After nearly three decades, Clifton were back in National One. You can imagine the scenes: minis and juniors flooding the pitch, families everywhere, a club that felt utterly together.
Putting numbers on it matters because it shows the arc. We started with that draw at Exeter, lost early at Luctonians and Hinckley, then built momentum, including that derby win at Hornets, the statement win over Camborne, and finally the title-clincher against Exeter. It wasn’t an accident; it was culture, depth, and clarity.
Personally, seeing our own come through is everything.
My eldest, Zak, started here at five and is now a first-team regular; he and AJ Kilbane both featured heavily this campaign, with Zak among the league’s top try scorers. That’s what I want Clifton to be—a place where the pathway is real and the badge means something.
We’re not just a 1st XV. We run three senior sides—the 1’s, the Wanderers and the Misfits—and I’m proud that our thirds fronted up every week. The second team plays at a proper standard because they have to if we’re going to keep pushing the 1’s. It’s about giving people rugby to play, week in, week out, and keeping the door wide open—
today’s social player might be tomorrow’s committee member, coach or sponsor.
We’ve always been a welcoming club. For years we shared Station Road with the Bristol Bisons, and while they’ve now moved to Cleve, I wish them nothing but success—they’re a great part of the wider Bristol rugby family. Our job is to keep building a club where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.
Facilities matter if you want to do that properly. Our changing rooms are tired and not ideal for mixed-age and women’s provision. Members have backed the plan to sell a small piece of land and fund
a new clubhouse and grounds upgrade—the next big step in our long-term development alongside the LIFT performance centre. When that lands, it’ll transform what we can offer for girls’ and women’s rugby as well as for the whole community. Promotion changes the horizon. National One brings trips to big, proud clubs— Rosslyn Park, Plymouth Albion, Rams, Blackheath— and we open at Station Road against Blackheath in September. It’s a step up: bigger squads, longer travel, greater costs. My gripe is simple—we’ll fund it ourselves, as we always do—so we’re pushing harder
than ever on sponsorship and community support. If you want to help, speak to Alison Harvey, our commercial lead; she’s brilliant. Through it all, we keep our feet on the ground. We take ourselves seriously, but not too seriously. We play with ambition, and we party hard together. Winning is sweet, but the point is belonging— minis on the pitch after full-time, old faces back at the bar, new families finding a home. After 30 years away, we’re back in National One. Now we want to stay there, grow the club, and make Station Road a place everyone in Bristol knows and loves.
I’m Scottish by birth and raised in a family where sport is simply part of who we are— any sport was always watched and played by all members of the family. Rugby has always been in the picture, and it only grew stronger when I moved to Bristol as a student in the mid-80’s. That’s where I met my husband, Simon, and where Clifton Rugby Club first became part of our lives. Simon played for Clifton for about ten years, and latterly his company continues to sponsor the club. In one way or another, we’ve been connected to Clifton since 1986.
Last season I went to every game. We had a slow start—lots of new faces bedding in and combinations to figure out—but once the side settled, it was onwards and upwards. The backs were exciting to watch, the pack more than held its own, and there was a real togetherness about the group. The home win over Camborne was the turning point: a huge crowd, an outstanding performance from all twenty players involved, and credit to Camborne’s support for being so gracious in defeat. I believe we had the best defensive record in the league, and you could feel the belief building week by week. In the end it became a two-horse race, and securing promotion to National One—our first time at that level in around thirty
years—was a very special moment for everyone who loves this club. Many of our regulars are former players; they understood exactly how big it was. I was particularly pleased that a much-loved past president, John Raine, was still with us to see the team go up before he sadly passed away.
Looking ahead to National One, I’m excited and realistic in equal measure. Team spirit will take you a long way, and we’ve recruited well, but it’s a genuine step up. We’ll find out quickly—early September will tell us plenty about the gap and how fast we need to close it. Dings showed last year that even very good sides can find it tough at this level. Our job is to enjoy the challenge, take each game as it comes, and keep doing the things that made us strong: defend with pride, play with ambition, and back the coaches and players to grow into it.
Speaking of coaches, they deserve a special mention. Last season could have gone another way after that early wobble, but the coaching group of Matt Salter, Luke Cozens, Paul Fincken and Will Owen—people who’ve been at Clifton a long time and work brilliantly together—turned it around. Their relationship with the players is excellent, and they work as hard as the squad does. “Unity” isn’t a buzzword here; it’s visible in training, on matchdays, and in the way the club pulls together off the field.
I joined Clifton in March last year. After fifteen years in a completely different job, I’d resigned with the intention of retiring—famous last words. Aftab Hamid had a quiet word. I said no at first, then agreed to “try the role for three months.” Eighteen months later, I’m still here as Commercial & Sponsorship Manager, and I love it. We’re entirely self-funded—we receive nothing from the RFU—so raising sponsorship in this climate is hard work. But the executive committee is a very good, hardworking group, and the wider club makes it worth every hour. I can’t thank our sponsors enough, many of whom have backed Clifton for years. Their generosity keeps the lights on, the shirts on backs, and the pathway thriving—from minis to the first team. Our principal sponsor, Wickwar Wessex Pub Co, has been especially supportive, but we are deeply grateful to each of our sponsors.
Above all, I want to acknowledge Aftab, our Chairman, and his wife, Sarah. They give an unbelievable amount of time and energy to Clifton—quietly, consistently, and for no personal reward. They set a standard for service that lifts the rest of us. Alongside the Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Executive Committee members and the many people who run minis and juniors, they’re the heartbeat of this club. Last season’s promotion felt, in part, like the fruits of their labour finally
blooming in full view. Seeing that meant a great deal to me.
Clifton is one of the oldest clubs in the country—founded in 1872—and it still has that traditional, welcoming family feel. You walk into the ground and there are loads of kids, plenty of adults, and everyone mingling. It’s friendly, it’s familiar, and it’s familyshaped. That’s why Simon and I have stayed so close to the place for all these years.
Promotion is wonderful, but the real story is the club itself: good people, strong values, team spirit, and a sense of belonging that stretches from the touchline to the changing room and back again. I’m proud of what the players and coaches achieved. I’m proud of our sponsors and volunteers. And I’m especially grateful to Aftab and Sarah for the example they set. National One will test us—and that’s fine. Clifton is ready, together, and exactly where it belongs.
PAUL BRYAN
MINI & JUNIOR RUGBY
I’m Bristol-based now—have been for the best part of twenty years, after moving down from London—but rugby’s been in and around my life for as long as I can remember. I started playing at a local club with extended family; it was social to begin with and then it just stuck. Both my extended family and my wife’s side are very rugbyminded, so it felt natural to stay close to the game even when I had to retire from playing through injury. I was
an outside centre back in the day; these days I get my fix on the touchline and at training.
My connection with Clifton came through my son. We had friends at the club who said, “Come up, it’s a great place,” so we did—and we never left. Carter started in the minis at five years old and he’s now twelve, Clifton through and through. Rugby is his first sport—he plays a bit of cricket as well—but rugby is the one that really lights him up. He’s almost certainly a back. He’s got a sharper rugby brain than I had, and I can see him moving into a decision-making role.
Following Carter’s age group has shaped my role at the club. I’ve worn a few hats—most recently minis chairman—and as the boys have moved into juniors, I’ve handed the reins over on that front. From this September I’m head coach of the under-thirteens. I’ve essentially grown with the group, learning as they’ve learned, and somewhere along the way I’ve developed a real knack for it. We’ve got forty-one players registered in our age group and even a waiting list from kids who’ve watched us play and want in. That’s absolutely not down to me alone; we’ve got a brilliant coaching team and a fantastic set of parents, many with rugby backgrounds of their own, who throw themselves into helping the boys. The best part is that around 70–80% of these lads have been with us since they were five. It gives the whole thing a proper family feel.
My philosophy is simple: make it fun and live the rugby values. It’s more than just a game. I coach other sports too, but rugby is number one because of what it gives back—respect, teamwork, resilience, friendship. If
sessions are enjoyable, the players come back. If the values are real, not just words on a poster, they carry those lessons into school, home, and eventually their working lives. That’s what we talk about and that’s how we try to coach—yes, teach skills and game understanding, but never lose sight of why they love turning up.
Moving from minis into juniors is a brilliant moment. The understanding kicks on. It stops being twenty kids chasing the same ball and starts to look like a team, with each player recognising their part in something bigger. Not everyone wants to be a ten—and that’s a good thing. Some lads discover they love the graft of the front row; others find themselves as a five or six; some lean into back-three freedom. Watching them choose their path and then gel it all together is incredibly rewarding. It’s why I spend so much of my spare time doing this. I’ve got two girls as well
who would quite like me at home more often, but they understand why it matters and they’re part of our Sunday mornings too.
What makes Clifton’s minis and juniors special is the people. In our age group we’ve got a wonderful parent group—some lifelong rugby folk, some brand new to it—who’ve all embraced the same vision: give the kids the best experience we can and let them fall in love with the game. That spirit runs right through the club. If I’m unsure about how to teach something, I can lean on senior coaches or even first-team players; over the last year we’ve had firstteamers come in to support sessions and help the boys sharpen specific skills. You only have to ask and hands go up. There’s a core of longstanding club people quietly leading the way, and newer volunteers like me are better for their example.
Seven or eight years on from Carter’s first session, I
can see how much the club has shaped him—and me. He’s got mates he’ll keep for life and a set of values he can stand on. I’ve gone from a dad on the sideline to someone who helps build the thing I care about. That’s the magic of a good minis and junior’s section: it grows players, it grows families, and it grows coaches too.
I didn’t play for Clifton myself, but it feels like home. On a Sunday morning you’ll find us all there—parents chatting, coaches organising chaos into a session, kids belting around with muddy knees and big smiles. It’s the best advert for rugby I know. And as we step into the junior years, I’m excited to see where the boys take it next. My job is to keep the fun high, keep the standards honest, and keep the door open for every child who wants to belong to something bigger than themselves. That’s Clifton for us—and I’m proud to be part of it.
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