HORSHAM v OLD ALLEYNIANS
Proud first XV sponsors
14th December 2024 Kick Off 3.00pm — 2024/25 Season Regional 1 South Central
Photograph
Courtesty of Das
Sport Photography
President’s Welcome to Old Alleynians
A big welcome to Old Alleynians. It’s been a few years since our paths have crossed.
Also, a huge welcome to all at HRUFC. Here we are again at another Christmas VP lunch. What happened to 2024?
Old Alleynians were formed as a club in 1898. Despite moving around quite a bit they have spent most of their rugby time at the Dulwich playing fields. One sad item of note is that the club lost almost 130 members during the 1st and 2nd World Wars. This led to them merging with Old Whitgiftians for a year in 1945.
They currently run 4 Men’s teams and are developing a Women’s Team. Plus, they have a large M&J section.
Big news at Horsham this week as Hayley Secomb and Amy Graham take over jointly the chairperson role for the M&J’s. We wish you both well in your new roles. Also, many thanks to Kate Leyshon for her tenure in the role.
We are actively recruiting players for Walking Rugby. Please either drop me a line or just turn up at 17.45 on a Monday night. You will be very welcome.
Please note also the Mini & Juniors Christmas Mash Up this Sunday Morning commencing at 9.30am and running to 1.30. Everyone Welcome.
Have a wonderful afternoon.
Alan Fisher President, Horsham RUFC
HORSHAM RUFC Men’s Fixtures 2024/25
Notes from the Head Coach
We welcome Old Alleynians for round 12 of the league and with it the first of the return fixtures in this years’ competition. The match is also the last home game before the Christmas break and along with it, the opportunity for a festive VP’s lunch which is sure to be well attended.
OAs were promoted last season and in their first season at this level have settled very well indeed sitting in 7th at the midway point with 4 wins in the bank and 23 points in the league. One of these victories was in the reverse fixture when Horsham fell to a disappointing 18-0 loss as a function of a malfunctioning lineout and not converting any of the numerous points scoring opportunities. Conversely OA’s played with spirit and skill and alongside an excellent lineout and willingness to move the ball took a well-deserved win. We will have to be much better today if we are to get the result we both want and need. OA’s were unable to play last weekend as their game v Jersey fell victim to the weather and as such will arrive fresh and rested and no doubt keen to secure a double to add to their strong victories over Brighton and Bracknell in recent weeks. Watch out for a well drilled lineout and scrum together with a set of ambitious backs which will no doubt relish the AGP this afternoon.
Nick Stocker
For our part, we have come through a tough November where we played two teams in the top 4 away and the league leaders at home and are now facing teams in and around us that have a similar stance towards amateur community rugby. With OA’s 8 points ahead of Horsham in the league, this is an opportunity to close that gap and secure a further win to go alongside the previous 2 wins and draw that we have secured to date. Performances have been much better with Wimbledon away a notable highlight that saw defeat grasped from the jaws of victory in the last 2 minutes. We will need to replicate the same degrees of execution and precision that we saw then again, this afternoon. In terms of personnel, we welcome back skipper Josh Earle who has just returned from injury suffered on match day 1 and his energy and drive will be very welcome indeed. With our backs playing with confidence and an increasingly stubborn defence, this fixture has the hallmarks of a very entertaining afternoon. One that we hope you will enjoy capping off a fun festive lunch. As we will not be seeing you before 2025, I just wanted to thank you all for your ongoing support both home and away and wish you all a Merry and Healthy Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Based in Kirdford, West Sussex, our business has grown by working with a large range of businesses and local authorities within the private and public sectors. In the private sector we typically work with many small and large businesses and in the public sector with many local and district councils, educational establishments and the emergency services.
We offer design, supply, installation and maintenance of the following:
Suspended Ceilings
False Ceilings
Acoustic Ceilings
Office Partitioning
Interior Glazing
Commercial Carpet Tiles
KARNDEAN SPECIALIST
Commercial Vinyl Safety Flooring, including cap and cove
Contract LVT
Traditional Carpet, underlay and gripper rod
Smoothing Compound and Screeds
Maintenance and Repairs
Entrance Matting, Nosing’s and Stringers
Our impressive list of clients includes: Large business and commercial customers, Property maintenance consultants, Local Building contractors and Local businesses.
For more details and a FREE no obligation quotation please do not hesitate to contact us on
We also work and support a number of charities including: Jigsaw, Samaritans and The Butterfly Project, Home Farm Community Project as well as Schools that work within the SEND sector.
Women’s NC 1 South East (South)
Independent and family-run since 1855
• Professional and caring service
• Prepaid funeral plan available
• Beautiful and calm Chapel of Rest
• Award-winning premises with private car parking
• Monumental masonry services available
• Fleet of modern vehicles
• Full disabled access
Branches also at: 31 High Street, Billingshurst, 25 & 27 Brighton Road, Southgate, Crawley and 126 High Street, Hurstpierpoint
New Street Butchers & Deli
Your local, friendly, traditional butchers & deli specialising in quality, locally sourced produce, freshly baked in-house pies & excellent customer service.
Give us a call for more info or pay us a visit!
HORSHAM RUFC - REGIONAL 1 SOUTH CENTRAL
RESULTS & SCORERS 2024/25 SEASON
Horsham 10–16 Maidenhead
Tries: Johnson
Pen: Chennell
Conv: Chennell
Old Alleynians 18-0 Horsham
Horsham 27-41 Tunbridge Wells
Tries: Greatwood, Howard, Warwick
Pen: Chennell 2
Conv: Chennell 2, Warwick
Hammersmith & Fulham 25-27
Horsham
Tries: Sanders 2, Johnson, Viol
Pen: Johnson
Conv: Johnson 2
Horsham 20-7 Brighton
Tries: Thompson
Pen: Chennell 5
Jersey 69-17 Horsham
Tries: Jeavons, Johnson
Pen: Chennell
Conv: Chennell 2
Horsham 3-24 CS Stags 1863
Pen: Chennell
Horsham 26-26 Bracknell
Tries: Whittaker 2, Chennell, Greatwood
Conv: Chennell 3
Wimbledon 31-29 Horsham
Tries: Whittaker 2, Greatwood, Thompson
Pen: Chennell
Conv: Chennell 2, Whittaker
Horsham 7-54 London Welsh
Tries: Standing
Conv: Chennell
Camberley 44-7 Horsham
Tries: Sanders
Conv: Chennell
HORSHAM RUFC - REGIONAL 1 SOUTH CENTRAL APPEARANCES 2024/25 SEASON
11 Denhart
11 Greatwood
11 Howard
11 Kilfeather
10 Standing
10 Johnson T
10 Linfield
10 Chennell
9 Whittaker
9 Sanders
9 Warwick
8 Smith
8 Thompson
7 Boczek
7 Morris
7 Blake
7 Osgood
6 Powell L
6 Viol
5 McLoughlin
5 Johnson J
4 Jeavons
4 Maunder
3 Bell N
2 Beynon
2 Coy
2 Paku
1 Earle
1 Grogan
1 Drauniniu
1 Tredgett
REGIONAL 1 SOUTH CENTRAL LEAGUE TABLE
THIS WEEK’S LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday, 14 December 2024
Bracknell vs Brighton
CS Stags 1863 vs Tunbridge Wells
Horsham vs Old Alleynians
Jersey vs Hammersmith & Fulham
London Welsh vs Camberley
Wimbledon vs Maidenhead
LAST WEEK’S LEAGUE RESULTS
Saturday, 07 December 2024
Bracknell 15-19 Hammersmith & Fulham
Brighton 23-13 Tunbridge Wells
Camberley 44-7 Horsham
London Welsh 41-5 Wimbledon
Maidenhead 15-25
CS Stags 1863
Old Alleynians P Jersey
Luke Standing
Josh Earle
Freddie Kilfeather
Jacob Denhart
Jack Osgood
Joe Johnson
Jordan Smith
George Howard
Aaron Linfield
Tom Johnson
Max Greatwood
Oli Chennell
Tom Whittaker
Seb Maunder
Joe Blake
Regional 1 South Central
Referee: Chris Scott
Rooster Engineering
Barry Wright
Kim Platfoot
Barry Quantrill
DoddsiePhoto.ch
George Dodd Sax
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
Nick Bell
Jack Thompson
Henry Warwick
Nick Stocker
Adam Halsey
Josh Drauninui
Richard Tredgett
Tim Margrett
Billy Morton
Mark Sillett
Ascot Care
Dave Vincent
Barry & Jess Hillicks
Ascot Care
Freeman Brothers Funeral Directors
Prop
Hooker
Prop Lock Lock
Flanker
Flanker
Number 8 Scrum Half
Luke Bliss
Harry Redwood
Tom Weightman
Benjamin Osuntokun
Will Hinchcliffe
Gillam Crouch
Hadley Eames
Thomas Grahamslaw
Reuben Shrestha
Christopher Crowley
Thomas Vogel
Max Bobath
Matthew O’Flaherty
Max Bliss
Hobman
Tolulope Johnson
Will Palombo
Francis Plummer
Ned Barker
Laurence Boyle
Charlie Thompson
Steve Jeal and James
Mair
LONDON COUNTIES & SOUTH COAST PREMIERSHIP
Horsham
Local Material Support
Smiths Horsham is a local stockholder of engineering raw materials, including high-quality alloys and engineering plastics.
We provide unrivalled material support for local businesses, including added-value services such as in-house processing and UKAS accredited testing services. We also offer bespoke material supply packages which will improve your business supply chain.
English Sparkling Wine made in Sussex WELCOMING VISITORS ALL YEAR ROUND
The Black Jug
“After an exhausting afternoon watching the game, you’ve earned it.”
You’ll find open fires, oak floors, rugs, books and good honest furniture, and an easy going, unpretentious atmosphere.
We serve fresh food throughout the day, seven days a week, have five cask ales on tap, some 250 whiskies on our back bar and are recommended in the Good Pub Guide and Good Beer Guide.
The Black Jug, 31 North Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1RJ Tel: 01403 253 526
www.blackjug-horsham.co.uk /blackjugpub
TODAY’S VISITORS
A HISTORY OF OLD ALLEYNIANS
Dulwich College had been playing football using Rugby School rules since 1858 and in October 1897 a former pupil of Dulwich College wrote to the school magazine (The Alleynian) bemoaning the fact that despite the school having an old boy representative “in almost all the first-class football clubs” it did not have an old schoolboy team. Within a few months William Leake, an Assistant Master at the school, formed the club. In September 1898, the club played its first match, drawing with Croydon 3rds (Croydon FC being the name by which Old Whitgiftians were known at the time).
In World War I the club lost 76 members but revived by Leake the club by 1919 (and therefore the school to which it was affiliated) produced the captains of both Oxford and Cambridge in the Varsity Match. This was the first and only time this had happened. The 1920s saw the club’s strength grow and it produced its first international cap in 1927 in the person of Kendrick Stark.
The Second World War took a heavy toll on the members, with 49 losing their lives. So weakened was the club that it merged with its oldest of rivals, Old Whitgiftians, for a year in 1945. By the late 1960s the OAs played strong local opposition rather than “1st class” clubs. In the 1980s the club was arguably the strongest of all Old Boys clubs in London, with the topping of the Combined London Old Boys Merit Table in 1988. In 1987 the league system introduction led to the club being placed in the Courage League London South 2. In 1989 the club were promoted to London One, won the Surrey Cup, topped the Combined London Old Boys Merit Table once again and qualified for the Middlesex Sevens Finals.
A second Surrey Cup win in 1992 was unfortunately followed by a slide seeing the club drop three divisions and in 1995 the Old Alleynians became the last of the Old Boys clubs to become fully open membership. The most recent success came in 2003, when the Old Alleynians beat Shipston upon Stour in the final of the Powergen Junior Vase, held at Twickenham.
The Youth Section of the Club was set up in 2000, in response to a growing demand for rugby facilities for younger players, and we also recently started a girl’s section. Although linked to Dulwich College (the Old Alleynians are ex-pupils of Dulwich College), we are a fully open club and children from any school are welcome to play here.
The club played in Norwood Park between 1899 and 1901. A semi-nomadic existence then ensued as the club moved on a yearly basis from Sydenham to Merton to Lee. Then in 1905 the Dulwich Estate allowed the club to settle at Dulwich Common where they play to this day. In 2003 a fire saw the club lose half of its clubhouse, which was rebuilt shortly afterwards.
Notable players and former players
Nick Easter, professional rugby union footballer for NEC Harlequins and England. Andrew Sheridan, rugby footballer for Sale Sharks and England.
David Flatman, prop for the England national rugby union team.
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 Elliott
Dennis Emson
Bob Essex
Peter Everitt
Martin 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
Brian Lewis
Steve Lewis
Tony 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
Jane O’Rahilly
Richard Ordidge
Jonny Ordidge
Jacquie Patterson
Gary Pearce
James Penny
Roger & Maggi Pitts
Kim Platfoot
Robert Plinston
Bruce Porter
Jonathan Pratt
Chris Pratt
John Price
Barry Quantrill
Steve Rice
Jim Richards
John Riley
Michael Roberts
Andrew Robison
Fiona Robison
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
Ian Nightingale
Angus Norbury
Cathy Norbury
Marcella O’Reardon
Wendy Shepherd
Mark Sillett
Angela Silva Dias
Graham Sinclair
David York
Leaflet and Brochure Litho Printing
We offer high and low volume print runs for both leaflets and brochures, so we can quickly and efficiently offer the best solution.
Bespoke Fulfilment and Hand Enclosing
Our fulfilment team are among the best in the business – whether it’s fully machinable solutions or cost-effective hand enclosing.
Postage Solution and Delivery
This is where we come into our own. Our mail solutions team will find a postal service that delivers on cost and timing.
Direct Mail and Data Processing
We’re a one-stop shop for all your direct mail solutions, big and small. Our data team can work with a multitude of variables, ensuring each is unique to the recipient.