Newbold on Avon 14th January 2023

Photo: Gordon Fletcher

Leighton Buzzard RFC v Newbold on Avon RFC

Welcome and Happy New Year to you all, thank you so much for coming along to support your club!

A big welcome to our guests, players, and supporters from Newbold on Avon rugby club. I hope you all had an enjoyable festive period and are now looking forward to the second half of the season.

There have been a few changes to the fixtures list considering cancelled matches earlier in the year, which Steve has included in the updated fixture list elsewhere in this programme. The weather in December and a lack of a referee for the away fixture against Kettering is the reason for the new schedule.

Next month sees the resumption of our monthly Quiz on Friday 2nd February and the following month a bingo evening to raise funds toward the redevelopment project, so if you fancy getting the grey matter working again after the festive break, please let me know. On 27th January, we have our Burns Night Supper so please book in with Jody if you want to join us at that.

The academy is beginning to bear fruit with a lot of players coming through and playing senior rugby, there are now about twelve playing regular senior rugby.

Enjoy the match and once again, thank you for supporting.

Lee Beaumont Chairman LBRFC

Round-Up - Regional 2 East Midlands

Saturday 17th December, 2022

Kettering P - P Market Harborough

Leighton Buzzard 3 - 7 Lutterworth

Olney P - P Old Laurentians

Peterborough P - P Northampton Old Scouts Peterborough Lions P - P Newbold on Avon Towcesterians P - P Old Northamptonians

Saturday 7th January, 2023

Lutterworth 36 - 11 Towcesterians

Market Harborough 35 - 12 Leighton Buzzard Newbold on Avon 17 - 14 Kettering

Northampton Old Scouts 52 - 12 Peterborough Lions Old Laurentians 12 - 24 Peterborough Old Northamptonians 43 - 7 Olney

Market Harborough 35 – 12 Leighton Buzzard

In what is becoming a recurring theme, Buzzards showed they can compete against the top sides, but once again fell short. After a tight first half, with Leighton gaining a narrow lead, a very impressive second half performance from the home side was too much for the committed Buzzard side. The heavy midday showers had abated, leaving damp conditions with a strong cross wind as Buzzards kicked off. Leighton started with confidence retaining possession in the Market Harborough half. This brought an early penalty which James Brett kicked to give Buzzards a 0 – 3 lead after only two minutes. This bright start continued with

Buzzard’s Half-Time Lead Overwelmed By Hosts Power Show

James Brett

an excellent run by Tom Winch resulting in another penalty. Once again, James Brett, who kicked well in very windy conditions, successfully converted to give Buzzards a 0 – 6 lead.

It was halfway through the half before the home side threatened the Buzzard line, but the final tackle thwarted an overlap opportunity. However, Market Harborough were now beginning to control territory and after twenty six minutes, scored a fine try in the corner. The successful touchline conversion gave the home side a 7 – 6 lead. With five minutes of the half left, Brett kicked his third penalty to restore the Buzzard lead at 7 – 9 and with the home side missing a penalty with the last kick of the half, this remained the score at half-time.

After an even first half, there were warning signs for Buzzards early in the second period. The home side’s set piece became more dominant, securing good ball for their backs to display an attacking threat rarely seen in the first half. After a period of excellent goal-line defence by the committed Buzzard team, the ball was passed wide for an unopposed score in the corner, leaving the home side 14 – 9 ahead. Buzzards responded with a break from Tom Winch, who was Leighton’s best attacking threat all afternoon.

Callum Creber

Will Bennett

Whilst the line wasn’t threatened, it gave James Brett the opportunity to add his fourth penalty to reduce the deficit to 14 –12. Halfway through the half, a brilliant try-saving tackle by Jacob Dove prevented what appeared to be a certain try. However, with the home side now dominant, Dove’s valiant efforts only delayed the inevitable. Controlling possession and territory allowed the home side to show why they are one of the League’s strongest sides, securing fine tries in the 23rd, 33rd and 38th minutes. With all these converted, this gave the home side a 35 – 12 victory. Towards the end of the game, there was evidence of the success of the Buzzards’ youth policy, with an excellent break from Ben Cullen and an encouraging debut for Tom Maynard.

James Brett

All Photos by Chris Bateman

Man of the Match Award

Both visiting and home supporters will be able to vote for their “Man of the Match” in all Leighton Buzzard 1st XV home Games this season.

To vote please complete and detach the voting slip below and place it in the box on the bar after the final whistle.

Once voting has closed, the votes will be totted up by an almost independent adjudicator and the winner will receive their award in a short presentation.

This award is open to both Buzzards and their opposition so please vote fairly and only vote once. We are very thankful to M&M Properties for sponsoring this seasons man of the match awards.

Dickie Drivels

Health & Safety ain’t actually Mad

The above may be the most surprising of titles but please bear with, nay even indulge me. I’ve not gone totally mad - yet!

If, as Albert Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”, then I hope it’s not madness, or my being even more maddening than usual, by starting this in exactly the same manner in which I did the ‘Drivel’ written at the same time last year. So, …

… a happy New Year to one and all.

Unfortunately, my New Year’s resolution, of revamping the garden, has already not been achieved, with me having been thrown out of and barred from Homebase last weekend. Upon a typical ‘Saturday job’ pimply adolescent shop assistant having sidled up to me in the local store and asked “Do you want decking?’, I thought it best to get my punch in first!

Boom, boom! An old ’un but a good ’un. Unless I fall asleep in some dark, forgotten corner of the Clubhouse later, I won’t be here all week!

Anyway, a while back I wrote - “I’ve always said that, if I was ever asked to host an orgy, I’d make sure it’s well-organised, orderly and, in the words of the late Kenny Everett’s character Cupid Stunt, “in the best possible taste”.

As an aside, I’m pleased to report that, in finding the original Drivel it was written in and searched my entire PC for the word ‘orgy’, this proved to be the only instance of it!

But, getting to the point, I’ve subsequently added the following health & safety-based criteria to the above.

• A risk assessment must be undertaken before start of ‘play’.

• An RFU-qualified Safeguarder must be in attendance at all times.

• The attendance of a First Aider is only required if play is likely to be ‘vigorous’.

• The presence of an Assessor is advised but not obligatory.

• Similarly, if an Assessor is present, the presence of an Assessor’s Assessor is advised but also not obligatory.

• It is recommended that ‘Non-Participants’ (i.e. Safeguarders, First Aiders, Assessors and Assessors’ Assessors) wear high visibility bibs but they are required to keep their clothes on at all times.

• Non-Participants and any spectators are not allowed on the playing area at any time.

• Non-Participants are not allowed to touch players - or themselves - during play.

However, hence their job description, Touch Judges are allowed to.

• ‘Players’ must have activity-appropriate protection during play.

• Players should be on a register before play starts but, if not, be put on it afterwards.

• It is forbidden for players to blow the Referee’s whistle.

• It is also prohibited for players to enter the tackle area from behind.

• Whilst there is no formal guidance regarding substitutes, players can be pulled off at any time.

• No hookers.

Believe it or not, I was once volunteered to be a health & safety representative within a company I worked for, though this was on the grounds that I was the person least likely to take it seriously. I lived up to this by doing my assessments on a Friday afternoon after I’d been to the pub at lunchtime. Indeed, there was one occasion that I did an entire department’s appraisals with them in the pub during not only ‘lunch’ but also the remainder of that Friday afternoon.

Of course, to be able to do so, I had to go on a course, run by my company’s insurance broker, which took three days and cost £450. I won’t go into the details of the trade-off but a few years later I ended up working for a subsidiary of the same insurance broker and in the same building as the original course was held. Upon joining, I was required to attend a course with the same name and, as it turned out, in the same room and with the same teacher. Funny old thing, with it being an internal cost rather than an external revenue earner, it took 45 minutes and with diddly squat cost!

I’m not sure what was actually achieved but I will admit that, since doing the original course’s Working at Height module, I’ve not fallen off a bar stool.

So, yes, health & safety can at times seem to have ‘gone mad” and can obviously be not only sometimes maddening but also constantly irksome administratively.

However, whilst the above is an obviously cheap, and, to be fair, unjustified but hopefully humorous, shot at the RFU, it is actually intended to be a respectful and appreciative salute to all those within LBRFC and, indeed, other clubs, who have voluntarily taken the time to attend the courses that allow us to not just enjoy this afternoon’s matches but also creates a safer and more welfare-conscious environment for the Mini & Juniors, Ladies and now Mixed-Ability sections of the Club than would otherwise be the case.

Whilst there remain the twin debates over contested scrums and tackle safety (no reference intended to the above), Rugby Union is, in my view, the better for it.

As advised by Herr Einstein, I don’t intend to repeat myself, so to quote Officer Crabtree in ‘Allo Allo’, “I shall say this only once”, and I hope you’ve read this “very carefully” accordingly. There’ll be a compulsory 20 question multiple-choice test on the RFU’s Spectator Code of Conduct after the match.

(Suffice it to say, the usual ‘no names, no pack drill’ protocol will apply with the results being subject to GDPR regulations and other ‘arse-covering’ terms and conditions.)

Man of the Match Award

Both visiting and home supporters will be able to vote for their “Man of the Match” in all Leighton Buzzard 1st XV home Games this season.

To vote please complete and detach the voting slip below and place it in the box on the bar after the final whistle.

Once voting has closed, the votes will be totted up by an almost independent adjudicator and the winner will receive their award in a short presentation.

This award is open to both Buzzards and their opposition so please vote fairly and only vote once. We are very thankful to M&M Properties for sponsoring this seasons man of the match awards.

John McDougal 1st XV Manager

Bateman

2nd XV Match Report - Farnham

Royal 1st XV

Having searched from Bishop’s Stortford to Banbury and Coventry to Slough for a replacement fixture the 2nd XV ended up playing Farnham Royal 1st XV (L10 side).

The game had everything; sun and rain (mostly rain), a flypast of parakeets, 5 yellow cards, a whistle that definitely had a pea and a watch that was running slow as the second half lasted 55 minutes plus stoppages.

It took Buzzards 20 minutes to settle into this game but hardly surprising as most of the team had not played together on a regular basis. It featured 5 colts all of whom acquitted themselves well. Once settled there was a 7 minute period of intense waves of attack, deft positional kicking from Ollie Hagger kept Royal’s camped in their 22, George Rabbit and Sam Beer in the centre combined well in the centre breaking Royal’s defence. The young forwards; Todd Reeves, Liam Beer and Dan Coleman roughed up anyone that got in their way. Any attempt by Royal’s to break out of their 22m was snuffed out. Taia Bisgrove making his senior debut felled men twice his size with his fearless tackling. On the 27th minute, Liam Beer blasted his way through Royal’s defence to score. Hagger’s conversion attempt brushed the outside of the posts. At the restart, Buzzards were back in

Liam Beer, Photo Grace Carter

George Rabbit, Photo Mike Gallie

the opposition’s 22m and not surprisingly Buzzard’s scored their 2nd try through George Rabbit. As half time approached Buzzard’s were conceding penalties and once within range, Royal’s took a shot at goal; halftime score 3 – 10. The second half started as the first ended with Buzzard’s conceding penalties and again once within range Royal’s opted to kick for points; score 6 – 10. Still conceding penalties Buzzards were having difficulty getting out of their half and not surprisingly letting Royal’s back into the game with another converted penalty, score 9 – 10. A yellow card for Royal’s seemed to cost them any composure and Buzzard’s were back on top. Uncontested scrums due to a head injury gave Buzzards a further boost. Rabbit and Hagger commanding the play through the backs and the young forwards now with Sam Beer in the back row roughed up Royal’s forwards. Dan Coleman, Sam Beer, and Liam Beer all came close to scoring but it was Taia Bisgrove that danced through Royal’s defence to score on the 36th minute of play time. Nineteen minutes later and with Buzzards down to 12 men after a flurry of yellow cards the referee blew his whistle to end the match. Final score 9 - 15

2nd XV Point Scorers Record 2022 - 2023 - 7th January 2023

Player Try Conv Pen DG Points

Terry Wessels

% of all Points

10 0 0 0 50 13%

Sam Beaumont 7 3 0 0 41 11%

Ollie Hagger 2 9 0 0 28 7%

Ben Cullen 3 5 0 0 25 7%

Joe Baker 5 0 0 0 25 7%

Leigh Draper 5 0 0 0 25 7%

James Pleass 4 0 0 0 20 5%

Jack Cullen 1 6 0 0 17 5%

Tom Maynard 1 5 0 0 15 4%

Joe Beaumont 1 3 0 0 11 3%

Jack Hupton 2 0 0 0 10 3%

Alan Harbour 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Archie Morgans 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Ben Dumpleton 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Charlie Beaumont 1 0 0 0 5 1%

George Rabbit 1 0 0 0 5 1%

George Vincent 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Harry Cootes 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Harry Nossiter 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Jack Kempster 1 0 0 0 5 1%

James Allred 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Jamie Whyte 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Jullian Gallie 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Lee Tyas 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Lewis Morgan 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Liam Beer 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Matt Seston 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Owen Forsythe 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Rhys Betley 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Robert Sexton 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Ross Bevan 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Ryan Peacock 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Taia Bisgrove 1 0 0 0 5 1%

Total 63 31 0 0 377 100%

Total Points 315 62 0 0 377 100%

Previously in the Midlands

Earlier this season the summary report read; Buzzards can realistically feel that the final score does not reflect the competitiveness of their performance. Indeed with 30 minutes left, the score was tied at 1717.However an injury to winger Tom Attwell, meant that Buzzards had to play the rest of the game with fourteen men. Newbold took full advantage of this numerical superiority scoring four tries in the last twenty-five minutes. The season of 2016/17 saw an aggregate score of 13 - 78. The score on the 17th December 2016 resulted in a 45 - 13 defeat for Buzzards with a half time score of 19 - 3 to the home side. Buzzard’s scores came from Geoff Branwhite (penalty), Ryan Fraser and Ben Beaumont (a try each).

Earlier in the season Buzzards suffered a 0 - 33 defeat. Wills Messum has recently re-registered with Leighton Buzzard having spent a couple of seasons with Newbold on Avon.

The Girls combined Aylesbury, Tring & Leighton Buzzard U16s defeated Brackley convincingly with a 41 - 0 win. The team is at the top of their league. A great performance by all of the players and coaches and a big thank you to all the supporters that turned out to watch on a cold and wet Sunday afternoon.

Wills Messum, 10th September 2016

Girls (ATL) U16s v Brackley

John McDougal Points of Law Unusual Events

The nature of rugby means that from time-to-time unusual things happen. In my refereeing career, I did one game where the crossbar fell down mid-match and another when a spectator ran fully 20 metres onto the pitch to punch a player. More mundane but unusual things happen; I used to like these as I was generally the only person who knew the law.

One of these more unusual events happened in the recent Harlequins V Bristol match. The Bristol fullback called (and was awarded) a Mark. However, in catching the ball he fell and injured himself to the extent that he could not continue. So how is the game restarted? Well, the answer is that the Mark must be taken by the player who called it and if he can’t (as in this case) a scrum is awarded to the defending side. I have always thought this rather unfair on the side that called the mark, disadvantaged through no fault of their own. I suppose the logic is that if it was known that someone else could take the kick you might feign injury. As one would hope at this level, the referee made the correct decision.

A different point of law arose at last week’s match at Market Harborough. We were awarded a penalty for a late tackle after the ball had been kicked. Correctly the ref gave the option of the place of the offence or where the ball landed (30 metres upfield). Except he forgot the slight exception, that is, the penalty where the ball lands is a minimum of 15 metres from touch, even, as in this case, it lands 5 metres from touch. The logic with this law is that if the kick had gone directly into touch (including possibly from outside your twenty-two), the penalty would be 15 metres in. Therefore, a better kick would result in a less favourable penalty position, so it is always a minimum of 15 metres in.

And in case you are wondering about the first paragraph, we did play on with only one crossbar and you can send a spectator off!

Colts XV Fixtures & Results 2022 - 2023

Herts Middlesex Junior Leagues

Colts Division 5

Fri/Sat/ Sun Lge WK Opposition V R Kick Off Times

03-Sep 1 11-Sep 2 Luton A 11:00am 18-Sep 3 Cheshunt A 24-Sep 4 02-Oct 5 Luton A 5-38 11:00am 09-Oct Chesham A 21-19 16-Oct 6 Old Verulamians H 22-27 12:30pm 23-Oct 7 30-Oct 8 Grasshoppers A 19-38 11:00am 05-Nov 9 11-Nov 10 Bugbrooke (Friday, Kick-off 7:30 pm) H 17-21 7:30pm 20-Nov London Scottish Withdrew from the league 12 Noon 25-Nov 11 Milton Keynes (Friday, Kick-off 7:30 pm) H 19-18 7:30pm 04-Dec 12 Kilburn Cosmo H 43-21 11:30am 11-Dec 13 Enfield Ignatians A P 11:00am 18-Dec 14 Beaconsfield A CNX 12 Noon 24-Dec Christmas/New Year 31-Dec Christmas/New Year 07-Jan 15 14-Jan 16 22-Jan 17 Grasshoppers H 12:30pm 29-Jan 18 Hampstead H 11:00am 05-Feb 12-Feb 19 Cup Game 18-Feb 20 London Scottish Withdrew from the league 11:00am 25-Feb 05-Mar 21 Ampthill A 11:00am 11-Mar 22 19-Mar Beaconsfield H 12:30pm 26-Mar Welwyn A 11:00am 01-Apr 8-Apr Easter 16-Apr Biggleswade H 11:00am 22-Apr Bugbrooke A 2:30pm

LBRFC Office Bearers & Officials

2022-2023

Honorary Life President Mark Hardy

DL President Gordon Fletcher GENERAL

COMMITTEE

Mr Lee Beaumont—Chairman

John McDougal, Marc Taylor, Jade Wheeler, Kev Street, Neil Rayner, Steve Draper, Malcolm Brooks, James Davis, Leigh Draper

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

M.Hardy DL, G. Fletcher, L. Beaumont, M Taylor, N Rayner, P. Arthur, R M Evans, J. Davis

LIFE MEMBERS

H Ansdell, P O’Reilly, D Currie, H Thomas, R Giltrow, T Tift, R Dillamore, A Hodey, Mrs M Reeves, N. Coles, G Blower, R. Robinson, E Banks, J Hall, A Micans, A Turney, E Cohen, P Cohen

Vice Presidents

Vice Presidents 2022 - 2023

Mr Richard G D Allen

Mr Peter Arthur

Mr Graham Aldridge

Mrs Linda Baroux

Mr Lee Beaumont

Mr Richard Beer

Mr Danny Bowell

Mrs Becky Bramham-Jones

Mr Steve Bramham-Jones

Mr Simon Brett

Miss Liz Briggs

Mr Neville Brown

Mr Keith Burchell

Mr Jon Chapman

Mr Henry Clark

Mr Russell Cohen

Mr Steve d’Sylva

Mr Hugh Davies

Mr Neal Davies

Mr Tony Dixon

Mr Martin Dwyer

Mr Richard Ellis

Mr Mike Evans

Mr Stuart Gore

Mr Ashley Grace

Mr Mel Gray

Mrs Myra Gray

Mr Keith Griffiths

Mr Tony Guerieria

Mrs Mary Hardy

Mr Darren Hayter

Mr Kelvin Healy

Mr Tom Henrick

Mr Ron Hill

Mr Andrew Hogg

Mr John Hooper

Mr Tony Horne

Mr Dave Hyde

Mr Ben Irvine

Mr Terry James

Mr Andy Jenkins

Mrs Elaine Jenkins

Mr Peter Keane

Mr Dave Lee

Mr Roy Lemon

Mr Jeff Lewis

Mr Adrian Linden

Mr Andy Long

Mr Steve Maddison

Mr Mario Marrone

Mr Andrew Mason

Mr John McDougal

Mr David Middleton

Mr Les Minney

Mr Keith Minor

Mr Gordon Moulds

Mr Darran Murtagh

Mrs Nicola Murtagh

Mr Maurice Parker

Mr Bill Pragnell

Mr Bryan Pratt

Mr John Pratt

Mr Steve Proctor

Mr Keith Prosser

Dr Ivan Pullen

Mr Andy Purr

Mr Richard Roff

Mr Steve Rogers

Mr Trevor Russell

Mr Martin Shayler

Mr David Siddon

Mr John Sirett

Mr Laurence Smith

Mr M J Smith

Mr Neil Smith

Mr Peter Smith

Leighton Buzzard Rugby Football Club Limited Wright’s Meadow, Leighton Road Stanbridge, Bedfordshire. LU7 9HR www.buzzardrugby.co.uk

Mr Rob Stirling

Mr John Surguy

Mr John Tarbox

Mr Malcolm Taylor

Mr Marc Taylor

Mr Jeremy Tobin

Mr Andy Tooley

Mr Chris Turner

Mr Mike Turner

Mr David Tysom

Mr Mark Vincent

Mr Andy Walton

Mr Cliff Ward

Mr Nobby Ward

Mr Barry Webb

Mrs Carol Williams

Mr Barry Wilson

Mr Alan Worrell

Mr Bill Yirrell