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7th September 2024 Kick Off 3.00pm — 2024/25 Season Regional 1 South Central
Photograph Courtesty of Das
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President’s Welcome to Maidenhead
Firstly, welcome all to the new 2024-25 season. I hope we all had a great summer. It’s great to be back at the club once again. And welcome too for Maidenhead RFC to the club. Having survived the rather high standard of our opponents last year, we’re now in a league where we’re re-meeting teams. This will be a third encounter with Maidenhead, having faced them twice last season. We both won our home ties against each other last season.
Our opponents today were formed as a club in 1922 and continued under the name of the traditional Thames Valley Rugby Club until being renamed as Maidenhead in 1965.
Like Horsham in recent years they have bounced around the leagues but in and around level 4 to level 6, largely at Level 5. This means a challenge for us as they are that much more experienced at this level.
Similarly to Horsham, Maidenhead are very competitive, because we both have the backing and support of successful Junior Sides, which has constantly proved to be the breeding ground for new players in the senior XVs. Exceptional players at Maidenhead, such as James Haskell, Thom Evans, and Tom Guest have moved on. Similarly for Joe Launchbury and Billy Twelvetrees at Horsham. But we really benefit from the loyalty and talents of so many other excellent young players coming through our youth sides, both male and female. Who can forget the final day of last season when Havant came here to play. They confirmed that they came with the best team they had available on the day, ready to celebrate their league championship. Our lads just weren’t having it. It was a very tight match and we clipped them right at the end with a penalty.
If we had lost it was, for sure, relegation time. In fact even if we won the outcome would still be relegation. But there was a small loophole. With Jersey leaving league 2 there was another space in the senior divisions, and naturally the effects dropped down to each level. The game had only just finished when everyone was looking for the results from Darlington…. Darlington??
Suddenly there was a strange feeling. Both Bournemouth and Darlington lost. We’re gonna survive the drop and stay at this league/level. Congratulations from all across the league coming our way.
And finally, can I put in a plug for our Walking Rugby team. We meet and train on Monday nights at 6:00 pm at present. Most of us are 60+ with some even a little older. If you’d like to try it out, come along about 5.45 pm when we currently start our warmup. You’ll be most welcome. Alternatively drop me a line on alanfisher.ajf@gmail.com
Here’s to a very competitive encounter and an enjoyable afternoon!
Best Wishes
Alan Fisher President, Horsham RUFC
HORSHAM RUFC Men’s Fixtures 2024/25
Notes from the Head Coach
It is good to be back! We welcome Maidenhead to Horsham for the opening fixture of the 24/25 campaign and with the learning from last season’s ultimately successful outcome, we look forward with positivity to another season in Regional 1.
It seems a long time since the excellent victory over Havant in the final match of last season to secure league status but the confidence that result in particular inspired in the young team has prompted a real wave of energy that has seen a very good preseason and the squad in good shape for the challenges ahead. Maidenhead, like Horsham, play on an artificial pitch and like Horsham aspire to play an attractive brand of rugby. The fact that two such teams meet in the opening fixture of the season will hopefully make for an entertaining afternoon!
Last season’s results between the two saw honours even with both teams securing home victories. In fact for Horsham, it proved to be our first victory of the campaign after 6 weeks, and for Maidenhead, their victory at home was instrumental in avoiding relegation - a battle that like Horsham they had been fighting all year. Although both teams will have gained some recruits, the stalwarts of the teams remain and as such, keep an eye out for Maidenhead’s dangerous left winger and strong carrying number 8 to highlight just 2 of their many threats.
For Horsham, Josh Earle’s excellent leadership at the back end of last season has seen him assume the mantle of skipper this season and no doubt his particular brand of energy will keep the boys focussed throughout. On the bench we welcome new player Aaron Boczek and earning his 1st XV league debut is the precocious talent that is Tom Sanders having graduated from the Colts over the summer. With Tom Whitaker - our new recruit from New Zealand in attendance this afternoon having landed on Wednesday, and with some big players still to return from injury, the opportunity to start the season with a bang and build momentum from the start is very real.
Nick Stocker
Hopefully, with the weather set fair and the VPs lunch suitably vocal, aided no doubt by our new pitchside bar, the result proves positive. Regardless, it promises to be an afternoon that demonstrates the very best of community rugby and what we have been missing in the break.
We hope you enjoy the afternoon.
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REGIONAL 1 SOUTH CENTRAL LEAGUE TABLE
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THIS WEEK’S LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday, 07 September 2024
Bracknell vs London Welsh
Wimbledon vs Camberley
Horsham vs Maidenhead
CS Stags 1863 vs Old Alleynians
Tunbridge Wells vs Jersey Brighton vs Hammersmith & Fulham
Luke Standing
Freddie Kilfeather
Josh Earle (capt)
Jacob Denhart
Taylor Morris
Jack Thompson
Owain McLoughlin
George Howard
Aaron Linfieldl
Oli Chennell
Tom Sanders
Tom Johnson
George Jeavons
Max Greatwood
Henry
Regional 1 South Central
Referee: Matt Blackett
Barry Wright
Kim Platfoot
Barry Quantrill
Neil Dodd
Tony Smith
Dave Green
The Price Family In memory of Puff
Dennis Emson
Bob & Marcella Gates
Barry Johnson
Alan Fisher
Alan Lord
The Bell Family In memory of Simon
Ian Paku
Aaron Boczek
Joe Blake
Mark Sillett
Ascot Care
Dave Vincent
Barry & Jess Hillicks
Ascot Care
Brothers
Jay Koen
Jake Leach
Josh Nicol
Harry Jeavons
Ed Atkins
Olly Garratty
Shaun Ingle
Alex French Iwan Hughes
Smith
Turton
Collins
Wells
Prince
Thomas
Max Keller
Phil Wells
Archie Dunnill
Dave Mobbs-Smith
Will Greenwood
Brad Pennington
Sharlene Bertie
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TODAY’S VISITORS
A HISTORY OF MAIDENHEAD
Thames Valley Rugby Club was founded by R. A. ‘Roy’ Bonberry, in February 1922, who guided its development for the next 60 years. The first opponents were Berkshire Wanderers, who eventually became Reading, followed in turn by Thames Valley becoming Maidenhead in 1965. For the record, the Wanderers won the first game and the next two, before Thames Valley emerged triumphant February 1923, winning 6-3.
That first game was played on the Cookham Football Club ground, but soon afterwards Valley’s home pitch was based on the Bray Show Ground, which lay on the flat ground adjacent to the Bray Road, across the fields and The Cut from the current pitches, and this remained the Club’s home until 1926, when they moved to a permanent ground in Kidwells Park. Kidwells remained home for nearly 40 years.
Roy Bonberry proved to be an influential figure. Over Christmas 1921, he had organised a game in aid of the Lord Mayor’s Poor Box, on Cookham Moor, this proved so popular that a meeting followed in the Royal Exchange (now Malik’s) in Cookham. Jobs were apportioned to volunteers, and off they set to get things established. Bolstered by the popularity of Maidenhead’s weekend night club scene (there were a number of them between the Bridge and Boulter’s lock) many players found it easy to combine a game in the afternoon with debauchery down by the river. The Club blossomed, started an ‘A ‘ XV and everything went smoothly until Hitler brought things to a standstill in 1939. Bonberry got things going again in 1948, and are currently playing in our 95th year.
We face this milestone with a superb clubhouse and a thriving membership, three senior sides and a vast host of youth members and their families. Bonberry himself would have been delighted, for he was still the President in 1983, when he passed away after some 60 years in office, his contribution to the Club will always be remembered through our Bonberry Bar.
He had watched over a club that had moved to Braywick in 1966/67, built a proper clubhouse, and was running six and sometimes eight senior XVs every Saturday, together with a Colts XV.
Knock-out County cup matches started, Maidenhead won several, and these various competitions led in turn to the formation of a National KO Cup. Called the John Player Cup for some time, its first ever game was played at Braywick, when Wakefield turned up to bring us down to earth with a bang. Undaunted we turned out in following years against Saracens and Harlequins, before things calmed down a little.
The Southern Merit Table was formed and won, and then in 1987 the RFU took heed of the overall demand and shoehorned the whole country into a league structure. Maidenhead were placed firmly in SW1 (South West Division 1), where broadly speaking we have spent most of our time ever since. Promotion to National League 4 in 1989/90 was to last for one season, and we remained in SW1 throughout the next decade, before relegation to SW2 came in 2001/02. Spurred on by this Head-coach Simon Edwards rebuilt the side and their efforts brought success in 2003/04 with a return to SW1.
At the time SW1 was oft regarded as the most difficult league in England to win, and in 2004/05, following the promotion, Allan Greene led his men to a creditable 5th place. Then in 2007/08 we dropped into SW2 once again, Simon stepped down to concentrate on his RFU duties, Ricky Khan took over as coach, and with Mark Mueller as skipper, the team bounced straight back into SW1 with some outstanding displays of running rugby. Then a much changed team found this league tough going and we dropped back into SW2E for the 2010-11 season, but with Richie Craig as skipper, we bounced back in style, coming second behind Amersham & Chiltern.
Promotion, this time to NL3SW came at the end of the 2011-12 season, but once again the opposition proved too strong for us and we dropped back, this time into SW1E for the 2013-14 season. Russell Bolton took over at the start of the 2015-16 season and carried on the good work, leading the club to be promoted as league champions in 2016/17 to enter the National leagues at level 5.
Our first season back at level 5 (South West Premier) saw the squad strengthened both internally from Maidenhead youth players coming through and also with some key positions strengthened to ensure that our see saw relationship at this level was halted. In a league that proved as hard as we had imagined, the coaching staff, back room staff and all the players throughout the senior side stepped up and the squad finished a very credible third in the league.
Throughout the very testing times, Maidenhead remained competitive, because we have the backing and support of our hugely successful Youth Division, which has constantly proved to be the breeding ground for new players in the senior XVs. Exceptional men, such as James Haskell, Thom Evans, and Tom Guest move on, but we benefit from the loyalty and talents of so many other excellent young players. But whether they honed their craft at Braywick or elsewhere, all the players turning out for Maidenhead today will be aware that they are part of a great rugby club, and all should doff their scrum caps to honour Roy Bonberry and his friends, who kicked it all off, just 95 years ago.
Phillip Allen
David Ashby
Giles Atkinson
Nigel Ayre
Donald Balfour
Giles Barber
Dave Batchelor
John Baulch
Chris Bayley
Derrick Belcher
Richard Bell
Nick Bell
Paul Birch
Norman Blower
Richard Bond
Craig Boswell
Graham Boswell
Richard Brock
Matt Brown
Janet Callaghan
Otto Carlisle
Horsham Rugby Club
Vice Presidents
Simon Chennell
Rob Clegg
John Clery
Deborah Collins
Alan Croucher
Elaine Croucher
Sandra Curtis
Michael Davis
John Dent
Helen Denton
Clive Dolan
Kate Dold
Stephen Driver
Damian Earley
Mark Elliot
Dennis Emson
Bob Essex
Peter Everitt
Kyle Fairs
Kevin Faulkner
Alan Fisher
Jonny Goode
Nigel Goward
Matt Carter
Andy Carvell
Roy Cass
Gareth Chamberlain
Michael Fisher
Darren Francis
Robert Gates
Emmy Goode
Dave Green
Nick Greenwood
Ashley Grimsey
Alan Hallowes
Paul Halsey
Richard Hamley
Guy Hannell
Paul Harding
Carl Harman
Rick Harman
John Hasson
Phil Hawley
Andy Hepworth
Barry Hillicks
Neal Holden
Pete Howard
Barry Johnson
Susan Johnson
Alan Jones
Andy Jones
Karen Jones
Maurice Jones
Derek Jones
Terry Jones
Tony Jones
Howard King
Trish LeFevre
Tony Lewis
Brian Lewis
Kate Leyshon
Alan Lord
Tony Lowe
John Macfarlane
Sara MacFarlane
Kevin McKale
Chris Mallows
John Masters
Tom Mathias
Simon Matterface
Tyrone Matthews
Steve McCall
Moira Merry
Billy Morton
Les Nash
Rob Newton
Ian Nightingale
Richard Ordidge
Jonny Ordidge
Jacquie Patterson
Gary Pearce
James Penny
Roger & Maggi Pitts
Kim Platfoot
Robert Plinston
Bruce Porter
Mike Power
Jonathan Pratt
Chris Pratt
John Price
Barry Quantrill
Steve Rice
Jim Richards
John Riley
Michael Roberts
Andrew Robison
Fiona Robinson
Keith Russell
Daniel Senneck
Gordon Sharp
Tim Smith
Tony Smith
Graham Stapley
Brian Stickley
Nick Stocker
Matthew Stone
Mike Stone
Chris Tagg
Frank Talbot
Martin Taylor
Mike Thair
Paul Thurston
Richard Tredgett
Steve Underwood
David Vincent
John Watson
Nick White
William Morton
Chris Wilson
Barry Wright
Doug Wright
Chris Wright
Rob Wright
Angus Norbury
Cathy Norbury
Marcella O’Reardon
Jane O’Rahilly
Wendy Shepherd
Mark Sillett
Angela Siva Dias
Graham Sinclair
David York
Steve Lewis
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