Senior Player Welcome Pack

Leighton Buzzard Rugby Football Club

A club for the whole community

@buzzardrugby

Senior Player Welcome Pack 2019-20

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Welcome to The Buzzards Welcome to Leighton Buzzard Rugby Football Club a community club established in 1934 by people with a passion for rugby. The passion continues with The Buzzards one of the top 250 clubs in the country. Our 1st team plays in Midlands 2 East South with the second and third teams playing in the Midlands division league structure.

A large proportion of our senior players come up through the ranks. Feeding our senior teams, we have Senior and Junior Academy covering boys from under 13 to under 18. They play and train in a structured programme with RFU qualified coaches aiming to allow all the players to fulfil their potential and play at the highest level they can. These are our future first team players. Training is Tuesday and Thursday evenings with mens touch rugby on Wednesday evenings Buzzards offer rugby to girls aged 5-14, fielding a Women’s team and providing women’s touch rugby every Tuesday.

The Coaching Team & Key People The Buzzards are fortunate to have a RFU qualified coaching team for all age groups, from our Fledglings to our Senior men and Women’s teams. The coaching set up is managed and co-ordinated by the Club’s Head Coach Tom Mowbray, Director of Rugby Stuart Trotter and Coaches Co-ordinator Chris Beer. The Club takes the qualification of its coaches seriously and has established the Viking fund in memory of a club member to pay for coaching courses.

Stuart Trotter, Director of Rugby.

Stuart joined the club as a 12 year old as complete novice to the sport. He remained at the club through the junior section and into the Colts, under the guidance of Chris Pearson and captained the team in his final year. He continued to play for the club throughout his University years, playing for any team and eventually ended up as a regular 2nd Team player. As the years have caught up with him he has taken up different roles within the club.

Tom Mowbray, Head Coach and Player Tom is in his 3rd year as Head Coach of The Buzzzards. Tom works for the RFU and has played rugby semi-professionally.

Tom has two assistant coaches; Dave Chapman (Backs and Skills) and Paul Greenway (Forwards and Skills).

Jack Whitehouse, Club & 1st Team Captain. @buzzardrugby

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Jack started playing rugby at Aylesbury RFC at the age of 5. Having gone through the age groups there, he moved to Leighton Buzzard RFC when he was 16. He continued to play throughout colts and soon became a regular first team player.

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Dave Chapman, Backs and Skills Coach.

Dave is a long standing club man, starting with the club as a mini and coming through the ranks. He has coached the junior and senior academy and now coaches the senior players at the club he has been a member of for a long time.

Paul Greenway, Forwards and Skills Coach.

Paul has been with the Club for 10 years and was a regular first team player until injury curtailed his playing career.

Since retiring from playing he has coached the senior players.

Chris Beer, Coaches Co-ordinator.

Chris is responsible for ensuring that coaches throughout the club attend RFU courses. He is also a coach for the U11 and has played rugby for the club as both a junior and senior player.

Chris Bateman, Club Medic.

Chris is another ex-player who now focuses on providing Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation to club members. He is at the club on the main training nights and in attendance at club fixtures.

Dave and Ruth Pearson Club Stewards Dave and Ruth are the live in club stewards and have been with the club for 14 years.

They are here most of the time but like all other employees do have time off and defined working hours. Monday is a defined day off. @buzzardrugby

Dave Pearson Club Steward

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Ruth Pearson Club Steward

Club Activity Times by Day of Week Activity

Mon

Tue

Wed

7:30pm 9:00pm

Mens Training

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

7:30pm 9:00pm 1:00pm 4:30pm

Mens Games 7:00pm 8:00pm

Mens Touch 7:00pm 8:00pm 7:30pm 9:00pm

Ladies Touch Boys Academy

10am noon

Girls Academy Gym

6pm 10pm

6pm 10pm

6pm 10pm

6pm 10pm

6pm 10pm

8am 10pm

10am noon 8am 4pm

Membership of the Club Membership runs from 1st September for 1 year. You can pay by Direct Debit, cash, card or cheque Annual

Monthly

Casual: Includes full use of club facilities.

International ticket buying rights and voting rights.

£180

£15

Social playing: Includes full use of club facilities, no voting rights or international ticket buying rights.

£120

£10

£120

£10

£120 £60

£10 £5

Membership Type

Student (Under 19 in full time education): Includes full use of club facilities and club playing insurance.

International ticket buying rights and voting rights. @buzzardrugby

Mini and Junior: Fledglings: (Includes Social playing membership for one parent) No voting or international ticket buying rights

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Membership of the Club Members Bar Discount – Use your membership card at the bar to access subsidized drink prices.

Note: Minimum spend is £10 on a card Venue for hire – Members are able to hire the facilities at discounted rates. Please speak to Dave (Steward) or Eric (Food & Beverage secretary) in the clubhouse for more information.

100/200 Club - This is your chance to win up to £2,500 and help the Buzzards at the same time. Better odds than the national lottery. Please see our website for an application form.

10% discount – Some of our sponsors offer 10% discount on their services.

Discounts are available from the following: • • • •

Lime Tree - Indian restaurant New Himalaya - Indian restaurant Shan Shui Cottage - Chinese restaurant The Pizza Plus

Please check our website for more details.

Anytime Fitness - Club members receive a discount on their membership.

Linslade Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic - Discounted rates for club members.

Club Opening Hours Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Closed 8 - Noon 8 - 11:45am Noon - 11:45pm 11am - 4pm

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6 - 10pm

How To Contact Us, How We Contact You Postal Address: Wright’s Meadow Leighton Road Stanbridge Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire LU7 9HR Phone: 01525 371322 Email: rugby@buzzardrugby.co.uk Web: www.buzzardrugby.co.uk Lee Beaumont Club Chairman Tel: 01525 371322 email: rugby@buzzardrugby.co.uk

Stuart Trotter Club Director of Rugby Tel: 01525 371322 email: dor@buzzardrugby.co.uk

Text message and Email Service It is very important that we have up to date details for you. Please ensure you put your most recent mobile telephone number and email address on your registration forms. Please remember to tell us if anything changes.

We will send general emails containing information about the club to the email address to keep you informed about the club and its work.

Communication All of the coaches use ‘app’ groups to contact players about fixtures and pass on last minute information for the groups they coach. Please ask the coach to add you to their group.

Facebook Please follow the club on Facebook. We regularly post updates about training times, pre match meals which members can attend, open times for watching matches at the club and fundraising events. Don’t forget to check in when you join us!

Twitter To tweet about Leighton Buzzard rugby club use #feelthebuzz To follow us use @buzzardrugby Instagram Please follow us @buzzardrugby

@buzzardrugby

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Volunteering Successful rugby clubs like Leighton Buzzard are more than just winning teams on the pitch. Players and coaches are vitally important, and so are the many other dedicated volunteers who work hard behind the scenes to help the club function.

You don’t have to be a rugby expert to get involved. Whether you’re a current player, someone who has hung up their boots or a person who has never picked up the oval ball, you could be a valued rugby volunteer at the club.

The club is always looking to increase its pool of volunteers; whether that is on a more enduring basis, or a more ad hoc when required occasional basis. If you feel you could contribute to the running and administration of the club, or have more practical hands on skills that the club could use then please speak with the club’s Volunteer Coordinator, or any other member of the committee.

LBRFC is part of Please visit www.buzzardrugby.co.uk and https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk for more information.

This will install a link so each time you purchase online a donation is made to LBRFC. There are over 3,600 retailers such as John Lewis, Sainsburys, Tesco, M&S, Clarks, eBay and ASOS available through the easy fundraising site. Every penny you spend can help LBRFC train another coach, buy more kit for players and provide better facilities.

@buzzardrugby

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Dogs No dogs allowed on the premises for the safety of all players and spectators, except for Guide Dogs.

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Rugby Club for the Community Leighton Buzzard Rugby Football Club is a community rugby club with over 100 regular senior players which allows us to field three senior sides and an occasional veterans team. The club was founded in 1934 by people with a passion to play rugby. Our strong membership of young, old and ex-players continue to play and support us with passion to this day.

Our First XV currently play in the very competitive Midlands 2 East South, one of the top 250 clubs in the country. The Second and Third XV also play in the RFU league structure in the Midlands division.

We have a Senior and Junior Academy covering boys from under 13 to under 18. They play and train in a structured programme with RFU qualified coaches aiming to allow all the players to fulfill their potential and play at the highest level they can. These are our future first team players.

Our mini section is one of the biggest in the East Midlands with over 200 players enjoying the game and learning the core rugby values every Sunday morning.

From September 2019 we will be offering rugby to girls aged 5-14, fielding a Women’s team and providing women’s touch rugby every Tuesday.

Sponsoring Leighton Buzzard RFC is a great way to promote your company within Leighton Buzzard and surrounding areas. During the season we host 20 fixtures plus tours, training and venue hire year round so our sponsors logos and businesses are seen by on average 10,000 people.

We are pleased to offer a variety of cost effective sponsorship opportunities for local businesses to promote their business and increase their market share. We are happy to discuss tailoring a package to suit your company’s specific requirements.

On behalf of the players and the club, I would like to thank you for taking the time to consider working with us to support your local rugby club promoting rugby for the whole community.

Kind Regards Lee Beaumont Club Chairman Leighton Buzzard RFC

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Club History

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Leighton Buzzard Rugby Football Club was formed on Wednesday 27th June 1934, at a meeting held at the Unionist (Conservative) Club. The thirty-three ‘Foundation Members’ included Freddy Fairbrother the Headmaster of Cedars School. This school, and its ‘Old Cedarians’, was to play a major part in the development of LBRFC, and it provided the backbone of the Club’s playing strength for the rest of the century. The first fixture was an 11-6 home win over Aylesbury ‘A’, on a field near the old railway crossing on 1934/35 Team Billington Road. The following year the Club moved to Bell Close, the home of Leighton Buzzard Cricket Club, where it remained until the outbreak of WW2 when the Club was disbanded. The Club was not reformed until the 1948-49 season. Reg Missenden, the last pre-war captain, was a major contributor to this first revival, and it was Reg that persuaded farmer Charlie Kiteley to let the Club have a pitch on a field adjacent to Clipstone Brook, on the Hockliffe Road, later to be known as Capshill Bridge Meadow. Early success was followed by a gradual decline in playing fortunes and the Club folded again in the middle of the 1954-55 season. A second revival occurred thanks to the enthusiasm of 19-year-old Howard Ansdell, who called a meeting at the Cross Keys Hotel on June 1958. A man who attended that evening was Geoff Wright. Under this man’s 12-year tenure as Chairman then President, his drive and expertise guided the Club from having a rented field with no clubhouse, to a home ground which it owned and purpose-built facilities; what we now call “Wright’s Meadow”.

A clubhouse was erected on Capsill Bridge Meadow in 1962, in July 1965 the field was bought from the Kiteley family, then in June 1972 that was sold and our current ground bought. The Club moved into its new home in September 1974. Playing numbers increased rapidly from 1974, peaking between the 1981-82 and 1997-98 seasons when the Club fielded regularly six senior sides. The first Bedfordshire Cup was won in 1976, but probably the most successful period in the club’s history was 1986-89. Beds Cup and a first East Midlands Cup success saw the team into the first round of the 1986 John Player Cup, and a visit to much-fancied Birmingham RFC. The game was won in fine style and the after-match celebrations are legendary.

Entry into the National Cup Competition was also earned for both the following seasons. Leighton Buzzard entered the new National Leagues in 1987-88 in Midlands Division 2 (East), and were promoted to Midlands 1 for the 1989-90 season, the highest level they have achieved and stayed there for four years. Various relegations and promotions, and highs and lows, have occurred since the mid-90’s, and there has been a noticeable decline in playing numbers, but the Club has remained strictly amateur and endeavoured to keep it’s ‘family club” feel. Ever since the days at Hockliffe Road, the Club has relied heavily on developing players from within its own ranks, and is very proud of its long-established Mini/Junior section, and the more recent Senior and Junior Academies. They currently boast a total membership of approximately 200 players aged between 5 and 17. From humble beginnings in 1934 LBRFC now provides a sporting centre with which the town has every right to be proud. However, we are not standing still, the committee is always looking at ways of improving the facilities for the playing and enjoyment of sport.

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@buzzardrugby

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