Caldy RFC Vs Jersey Reds

President’s Welcome Graham Armitage

A very warm welcome to you all today including our visitors from Jersey Reds in this the inaugural meeting between our two clubs at any level of rugby.

As suspected it is taking a little time for us to adjust to the full rigours of Championship rugby, having recently beaten Richmond away but losing out to Nottingham at home in a game that was there for the taking. Last weeks outing was a salutary lesson at Bedford Blues who put on a superb show of running rugby particularly in the first half before Caldy bounced back in the last quarter with 19 unanswered points to take a losing bonus point. Bedford’s speed and movement of the ball from scrum and lineout, and throughout the back line was something we struggled to cope with initially and is something that Matt and his coaching team will no doubt be working on in particular. Today’s game is a step further against a Jersey Reds team that is unbeaten this season and will almost certainly be challenging for top honours and possibly promotion come April. We welcome in particular their Director Matt Morgan, Kate and Tom Innes

from their committee and senior representatives from their main sponsor Santander International who will be joining us for lunch today.

Rugby has been played in Jersey continuously since 1879 with two breaks for the First World War and uniquely for 5 years of Nazi occupation during the Second. In 1961 they acquired a permanent home next to the airport and subsequently a clubhouse, whilst playing most of their rugby at junior level but also hosting multiple visiting touring teams during this period. At the start of league rugby in the early 90’s Jersey were playing at Levels 7/8, only making progress through the leagues from 2008 onwards with 3 successive promotions to Championship level by 2013. We thought that our own record of 2 successive promotions was remarkable but 3 is fairly incredible. Since then they have gradually improved their status in the Championship resulting in their current position near the top of the league.

This will undoubtedly be our stiffest test to date and whilst a win may prove beyond us, a good performance

Caldy Rugby Business Club

Rugby Club, Paton Field, Telegraph Road, Wirral, CH48 1NX

What is the Business Club?

Caldy Rugby Business Club has built a membership of 25+ businesses; a number that is always growing as we have new members join. This has provided a solid foundation for commercial activities at the club.

have had some fantastic speakers join us – Ian Ayre, Simon Halliday, Kenny Logan, Lawrence Dallagio, and most recently, former England and International Rugby Player Charlie Hodgson.

will have access to a programme of quarterly breakfast events, with speakers from a wide range of commercial, business and sporting backgrounds.

to a range of partners, to whom Business Club members will have exclusive access to help develop their own business interests.

membership fee of £500 +VAT plus £250 joining fee.

you are interested in

Kemp

Pitchside advertising board at Caldy RFC for your business

Two Caldy RFC season tickets –enabling you and a guest to attend Caldy RFC home games at Paton Field

Two breakfast invites for the guest speaker events per quarter

Company logo in the Caldy RFC matchday programme – 15 per season

Entry into the International ticket ballot

Logo and write up on the Caldy RFC

booking for the hire of the Club house for events, parties, meetings

Free entry to Caldy 7’s

Rugby Business Club,

will provide further indication of our progress towards achieving our ambition of maintaining rugby at Championship level. We hope that, whatever the result, Jersey also enjoy the Caldy experience today in this their first ever visit to Paton Field.

Off the pitch we have continued to upgrade our facilities with further improvements now virtually complete to the bank and floodlighting. Other improvements have been carried out to satisfy Championship requirements both on and off the field and within the clubhouse areas. Our thanks go to all those responsible for putting in so much effort in such a limited timescale to ensure that we can all enjoy the level of rugby that is now on offer, and to our sponsors who have made this financially possible. Our thanks must also go to our team of ground staff, the Last of the Summer Wine (LOSW for short), who freely give enormous amounts of their time to produce and maintain the standard of pitches that we all possibly take a little too much for granted. You only had to be here for the pre -season game against Sale Sharks and the recent home games to appreciate the wonderful aspect and playing facilities that the club now has to offer. I also need to mention the contribution of all those involved in the day to day operation and management of the club including our bar, catering and other members

of staff without whom the club could not effectively function.

Thanks also to all of our members, supporters and spectators for your incredible support particularly towards the culmination of last season and hopefully going forward as we continue to face the mounting challenges ahead. Your contribution cannot be underestimated and is an essential part of our effort to maintain our status with our centenary season just around the corner. We have certainly benefitted from larger crowds so far this season, so let’s all get fully behind our team in the weeks and months ahead come wind, rain or shine and give them the positive support and encouragement they deserve. We have increased the capacity for our pre-match lunches which are becoming increasingly popular and are available to book on line. If you wish to do this or become a member/purchase a season ticket or help us in any way please refer to our website for further details.

Finally, I sincerely hope that you enjoy your visit to Caldy today, particularly the rugby on offer. I also hope that come win lose or draw, we can all celebrate this fantastic sport of ours in a spirit of bonhomie, and analyse the result over a few drinks in the traditional way after the game.

Graham Armitage

Caldy Coach’s Report Matt Cairns

Another week and what

seems like another huge challenge. It’s been a tough start to the year and it will only get tougher with Jersey this week at home. After the disappointment of the Nottingham game we travelled to Bedford an although fully aware of Bedfords strength we found it difficult to stop in the first half. We adapted well at half time and in the end we’re pleased to get a Bonus point to bring home. We changed a few things at half time and as coaches we were delighted with some of the second half play.

Matt Cairns - Head Coach

In reality we should’ve have got all the points the week before against Nottingham but unlike us, we didn’t close the game out and made far too many errors in the second half to come out as winners. This week we know will be an enormous challenge form a ‘full time’ team and we know that to get anything from the game we are going to have to show discipline in our performance. Jersey have lots of strengths in all positions and parts of the game, it will be a great chance for the team to grow and show what we are capable of.

Richard Vasey - Coach

Sponsor: Heatons

Andrew Soutar - Coach

Gareth Davies - Director of Rugby

Sponsor: Caldy Under 16’S

Sponsor: Premier Guarantee

CAPABILITIES,

keep

That Friday Feeling John Lyon

Rugby in the Championship embraces a diversity of club goals, squad, and financial structures, and playing styles. Tomorrow at Paton Field Caldy which is at one end of the Championship spectrum will be facing Jersey Reds who are one of the Championship clubs at the other end of the spectrum. It should make for an intriguing matchup.

The fully professional Jersey Reds, with 4 wins out of 4, are presently in 2nd place behind leaders Ealing and they will be coming to the Wirral as extraordinarily strong favourites to make it 5 wins on the bounce. There are some vague similarities between Caldy and Jersey. Over a similar time period both have risen up through the leagues to arrive at the 2nd tier of English rugby.

In 1987 Jersey started their rise from level 7 with an ageing wooden club house and arrived in the Championship in 2012 with a home ground at the impressively

named Stade Santander International stadium adjacent to the Jersey international airport. In 2021 the British Lions and the England side both used Jersey Reds home as their preparatory base for a week or more, ahead of the South Africa v British Lions and the Autumn internationals campaign.

In 1997 Caldy started their ascent from level 9 with an ancient wooden clubhouse and arrived in the Championship in 2022 with the same prehistoric wooden club house at their home ground of Paton Field. In 2022 Ramsey from the Isle of Man played Caldy’s 3rdxv as part of their early season preparations.

Jersey Reds, who reputedly have the biggest pack of forwards in English rugby (and possibly one of the biggest in world rugby), are likely to pose different challenges for Caldy than last week’s opponents Bedford. The Blues attacked with quicksilver pace and movement which so bemused the

Wirral side they were 38-5 down at the break. It took a spirited fight back and tactical adjustments for the Ravers to come back to the prehistoric wooden hut with a valuable 4 try bonus point.

With little other local senior rugby being played tomorrow the Ravers will be spurred on by the support of their friends from Birkenhead Park, Anselmians, Hoylake, Wirral, and New Brighton, who will be supporting their former players who have helped elevate Caldy into the Championship.

Community Rugby – a message from Tim Kilpatrick

Calling all Caldy RFC Community members – Minis, Juniors, Girls, Colts, Women & Touch rugby – we need your support this Saturday for the vitally important Championship fixture against the high-flying Jersey Reds

Please purchase discounted tickets online in advance or use your complementary season ticket to boost our Caldy 1st XV Championship Rugby attendance. Everyone is welcome to come along to Paton Field on Saturday & help us make as much noise as possible in support of our senior side.

Thanks to our u9’s coaches, parents & players for volunteering

That Friday Feeling - Continued

this Saturday to help with the gate, parking, raffle & litter picking it is very much appreciated by everyone. Congratulations to our u16’s for their impressive home win last Sunday v Hoylake on the main pitch & thanks for everyone’s support from the Bank. Well done Caldy Senior Colts who also won 21-12 last Sunday. Next up this Sunday for the Senior Colts in the second round of the u18s National Cup round is a tough match against Blackburn with a 2pm kick off at Paton Field.

Good luck to everyone & have a great rugby weekend!

More Precision

David

Caldy

-

Match Report

This was a chastening experience for the Ravers but an altogether more effective second half together with their determination to play for the full 80 minutes did at least ensure they returned to the Wirral with a 4 try bonus point.

An immaculate pitch, a sunny day with a gentle breeze, and a decent crowd of 2,500, it was all perfectly set up for champagne rugby and the Bedford Blues provided it. Bedford just don’t do set piece arm wrestling. Quick throw ins, quick recycling, quick switches, quick everything! Their speed of thought and movement simply overwhelmed the Ravers in a first half blitzkrieg of six tries run in from all parts of the pitch. Engineering overlaps and space was

effortless for the home side but made that much easier by the numerous yellow cards which depleted Caldy’s numbers.

Caldy had responded to the 2nd minute score by Bedford with an early 8th minute try through the pack by Adam Aigbokhae. The Ravers should have had another moments later when the Caldy maul was pulled down illegally feet from the line. However, referee Simon Harding judged a yellow card against the Blues and a penalty for Caldy was sufficient punishment. Caldy’s line out drive was legally halted and eventually the attack fizzled out after an infringement. 15 minutes in and the momentum was now firmly with the pink shirted Blues.

A half time score of 38-5 was a fair reflection of the home side’s superiority. Caldy needed a change up in the second half if they were not to be on the receiving end of a cricket score. Fresh legs and a determination to take the game to Bedford enabled Caldy to gain some respectability in an altogether more even second half.

Sniping runs from Nye Thomas, a 40-metre breakout by Nick Royle and attacks from deep galvanised the Ravers. More invention from Dan Bibby and Ezra Hinchcliffe, repeatedly had the home side scrambling. The Ravers were starting to play some rugby. 4 second half tries from Ollie Hearn, JJ Dickinson, Martin Gerrard,

The Match Report

- Continued

and Nick Royle versus two further scores by the Blues fairly reflected the tactical changes implemented at the break. Caldy’s running game was just so much more effective than their kicking game and it was a joy to watch. When the bonus point came in the 73d minute with a try from Martin Gerrard there was applause all-round for a spirited fight back from the Championship newcomers.

A happy ending was achieved as Caldy’s backs and forwards combined in a flowing move that resulted in a try in the corner. Although scored by the evergreen Nick Royle, it was the sumptuous final offload by the giant Tom Sanders that even the partisan home crowd applauded.

Today’s Squad vs Jersey