stow on the wold & district rf -...
TRANSCRIPT
Stow on the Wold & District RFC
Main Club Sponsor
Welcome To The New Season
2016- 2017
From The Club Chairman’s Desk
Good day to you all, I have been lucky enough to be elected as chairman this season and I hope to be able to continue to steer the club in the right direction along with the very experienced committee, the club is in a great place and we hope to push it on a little further. Firstly I would like to thank Stretch for his great efforts over the past few years and whilst he is having a break from the committee he is still very much in the background. For those of you that don't know me, I joined the club as an U9 back in 1989 and played through the age groups until reaching the senior sides and continue to turn out for the first team if I’m lucky enough to be selected (one more season I keep saying). I understand from Stuart that I might be the first player/chairman for some time! I have lived and worked locally since returning from travelling and university, an estate agent by trade, working for Knight Frank in Stow and I live just down the road in Naunton with my family.
I have some big shoes to fill but the committee and I have two main goals in mind, the first is to continue producing a great standard of rugby from the minis right up to the seniors and to draw more players to the club. The second goal is to continue where Stretch has left his mark. We now have great facilities with solar energy and a biomass boiler which makes the clubhouse a comfortable place to be even in the depths of winter. We want to generate more business and use the clubhouse to its full potential for events including birthdays, weddings and anything else that anyone suggests. We also have fantastic grounds with won-derful countryside views so we want everyone to know that Stow Rugby Club is available as a venue for all occasions. That brings me on to Hannah Close, our newly appointed steward who has been at the club for the past 4 years and has taken over the role from Amanda. Hannah is the person to contact if you have any questions and she can always be contacted on 07562121448 or at [email protected] And finally, here's to a great season ahead, I'd like to welcome Andrew Cartilidge back who is joining Nick Runciman to help manage the team whilst Nick concentrates on coaching. Carty and Nick have masses of experience and have already started to create a real buzz around the club. Leigh Glazebrook Club Chairman
Leigh Glazebrook
07776 857828
General Management Committee
President Alan Holdsworth 07989 056795 [email protected]
Vice Chairman & Seniors Fixture Secretary James Cox 07818 592997 [email protected]
Honourary Secretary Stuart Cherry 07594 656804 [email protected]
Treasurer Paul Horrocks 07970 439447 [email protected]
Club Captain & Social & Fundraising James Holmes 0771 376635 [email protected]
Club Steward Hannah Close 07562 121448 [email protected]
Director of Rugby Andy Cartlidge Mob: 07725 244601 [email protected]
Team Secretary & Facilities Robin Finch 01242 820442 [email protected]
Sponsorship Barry Mustoe 07800 537530
Minis & Juniors Committee
Secretary
Debra Parker
07855 520901
Treasurer
Caroline Bell
07801 472528
Fixture Secretary
Clive Slatter
07710 783683
Coach Development Officer
Andy Bayliss
07802 861743
Registrations
Dani Slatter 07734 706366 [email protected] Child Welfare Officers
Sarah Orton
07921 269619
Referee Co-Ordinator
Mike Gibson
07920 886121
The committee is also made up of coaches from each age
group.
Welcome to the New of Season
Welcome to the new season ! Within these pages you will find all the contact information for the different age groups at the club from the U6s all the way up to the 1st XV. There are also the contact details of the members of both the General Management and the Minis & Juniors Committees. Aside from providing a resource of contacts at the club this document is also a celebration of the previous season. Each team has its own page accompanied with photos taken of that age group. We had a number of successes in the Minis & Juniors section for you to read about and our Under 8s and 10s of last season won the GRFU County Cup. With the change in format this year to the Minis competitions, it was the last season to see the outright winners presented with a trophy. The Girls team also make their first appearance in this document and this is an area of the club that we are seeking to develop with the help of The Cotswold School and the RFU. The GB Ladies at the Olympics showed how the game is taking off and how exciting it can be. So, if you know of any girls who are too old to play in the Minis, point them in our direction. They’ll be welcomed. Although the main focus of this PDF is quite rightly on the players, you will also see some photos of the parents and members of the club. This is because to my mind, they are all part of Stow on the Wold & District RFC and, as one of the page headings notes, are many of the ‘faces that make Stow such a great club to be a member of.’ You may just think of Stow as a place where your child plays rugby but its not. Its your club as well and its facilities are there for you to make use of. Alec Jones has taken on the job of the club’s Volunteer Coordinator and you will also see that he has a page on his new role. The lifeblood of any club is its volunteers and although we are blessed by a good number of people who do both the big and the small jobs, we are always looking for more to help. Alec is very approachable and I’m sure will be glad to chat with you as to what being a volunteer entails. At the beginning of last season we decided that it might be fun to pass an oversized rugby ball around to gear up to the Rugby World Cup. We took it on a step by deciding to raise money for Kates’ Home Nursing not knowing initially how we might convert rugby passes into pounds. The idea was embraced by the community and wider public and we ended up raising a record amount for the chari-ty. The challenge to pass the ball in an unusual manner and film it for a video grabbed people’s imagi-nation and before we knew it the ball was being passed over Pulhams Double Decker buses, to the Doorman at the Ritz, by Primary Schools, Care Homes and complete strangers who just happened up-on us and instinctively asked for a pass. Wouldn’t you hold your hands out for a pass if you saw a giant rugby ball ? You can see some of the people who got involved on the #CarryMeHomeKate pages and there is also a link to the videos which are great fun. Its events like these that sum up our club to me - lots of fun, reaching out to the whole community and with an eye on the bigger picture.
Enjoy this PDF and enjoy the upcoming season at your club.
Sean Clarke Minis & Youth Chairman Sean Clarke
07971 287733
M & Y Subscriptions Under 6: £20.00
Minis (U7-12): £65.00 per season Youth (U13-Colts): £70.00 per season
Family (3 or more players): £130 per season
From The Past Club Chairman In 2015-16 the club had another good season, although the seniors did struggle at times. The scheduling of the World Cup messed around with the start of the season and some players disappeared to the round ball game due to the lack of regular rugby fixtures. A lot of the second team opposition wouldn’t travel to Stow and although we fully support the merit table, it is in need of a revamp for next season. For various reasons the 1st XV blooded a lot of young players this season who came through with flying colours. A credit to the M&Y section who have again had a fantastic season although struggled with numbers at the older age groups. Full credit to Simon Atkinson and James Collett for holding the Colts together ready to move to Senior rugby next season. The new floodlights have been a great success and now the Club needs to con-solidate its position financially. The next major expenditure is to resurface the drive which has been quoted at £15,000. This will be my fundraising effort next season. I would like to thank everyone for their support during my chairmanship, both the named people and the ones that do the jobs that just get done, and feel that the Club is in a good place to move forward. I have full confidence in Leigh Glazebrook to replace me as Chairman and the team he will bring with him. I shall not be standing for committee but will be in the background to help where needed. A big thank-you to Amanda who has stood down from the steward’s job after 15 years and we welcome Hannah who has taken on the job and is full of ideas and enthusiasm. Please give Hannah, Leigh and everyone the support you have given me. Finally I would like to thank our secretary Stuart Cherry, who I refer to as my ‘scribe’. Without the hours of unseen work that he does, the Club would be in a far poorer state. I have found his wisdom and guidance to be invaluable. Should anyone hear him muttering about retirement at any time, I strongly advise you not to let it happen! Thank you all again Stretch
Some Dates For Your Diary
September Sunday 4th M & Y Open Day and Registration
Saturday 10th Vice Presidents Lunch Sunday 18th Whole Club Day
October Saturday 1st Mini & Youth Parents Lunch
Saturday 22nd President’s Beaujolais & Roast Partridge Lunch
November Saturday 5th Informal Lunch Wrighty’s Bar
Saturday 19th Informal Lunch Wrighty’s Bar January
Saturday 14th Informal Lunch Wrighty’s Bar Saturday 28th Chairman’s Lunch for Sponsors
February Saturday 18th Informal Lunch Wrighty’s Bar
March Saturday 25th Vice-Presidents’ Ladies Day Lunch
April Saturday 1st Informal Lunch Wrighty’s Bar Saturday 8th Informal Lunch Wrighty’s Bar
Friday 27th Gentlemens’ Annual Dinner Sunday 30th Minis Awards & Presentations
June Thursday 8th Annual General Meeting
Thanks to all the parents, coaches and team admins
etc. who took the photos used in this document
with special thanks to Stewart Hemley and Neil
Piercy. Please get snapping for next year !
Main Club Sponsors
A few of the many faces that make Stow such a great club to be a member of.
Under 6’s The U6s had a bit of a weird one this year, with Coach Dave being in and out for the season. Enter Andy the Great, Matt the Magnificent and Carl the 'I've got no kit but I'll help anyway'.
We certainly needed the extra hands on deck to keep the numbers under control.
We had nearly 60 at the beginning of the season, with plenty of girls aiming to provide the next generation of World Cup winners.
We had lots of ‘Kamikazi’ and ‘Breadbasket’, with some new crazy elements of our warm up added to keep things fresh. New parents were greeted with the sight of their little ones doing the ‘Dying Fly ‘and ‘Roadkill’, whilst Coach Andy made good use of his coaching course to inject some variety into the sessions.
We keep hearing brilliant news from the groups above us as our U6s move on from strength to strength. A big thanks must go to everyone who has supported us this season.
All the best,
Coaches Dave, Andy, Matt and Carl.
All new players under the age of 6 are welcome to join in with our fun
sessions that teach Hand / Eye Coordination, Movement and Passing &
Catching Skills. The Under 6 are not only a great introduction to rugby but
also teach a number of skills that can be transferred to a variety of sports.
The emphasis is firmly on enjoyment whilst putting the basics of the game
in place,
Head Coach Coach
Dave Laughlin
01451 824060
[email protected] Matt McMinn
Under 6’s
Andy Bayliss 07802 861743
Please Contact Andy For Any
Questions On The U7s. Players Need To Be Aged 6 at Midnight On 31/08/16
Introducing The New
Under 7’s Coaches For
2016-17 Head Coach
Andy Bayliss
Dinos Andreou Simon Beeston Chris Bishop
Carl Campbell Alistair Graham Matt McMinn
Under 8s (7’s in 2015-16) Considering this was our first season of competitive fixtures, the prospects for our team could hardly be brighter. We won every head-to-head fixture and topped the tables in several of the end of season festivals. We have a nicely bonded group of boys with high levels of skill noticeably rising across the group. We have no girls in the group but girls would most definitely be welcomed. We have a great group of committed coaches who next season will be supported by Kristina Stanica who has kindly volunteered to manage the admin for the team. And we are brilliantly and critically supported by an excellent set of parents who pitched up throughout the year to serve when asked and cheer us along. It was a great season and we are looking forward to the next with real confidence. Robin Smith
Player of the Season
James Sutherland Most Improved Player of the Season
Otto Maynard
Player’s Player of the Season
Oli Hicks
Admin
Kristina Stanica 07729759323 [email protected]
Head Coach U9s
Robin Smith 07767664678 [email protected]
Coaches
Stephen Bragg
Mark Chappell
Martyn Dare
James Duckett
Michael Fearn
Mark Fremantle
Under 8s (7’s in 2015-16)
Glos Country Cup Winners
Chippenham Festival Winners
Player of the Season
Orlando Maynard
Most Improved Player of the Season Oscar Williams Player’s Player of the Season Ebony Dean-Brown
Admin
Barry Mustoe 07800 537530
Head Coach U8s
David Hanson
07769 936607
Also Coached by Dinos Andreou now of the U7s
As we started our 2nd season of Tag and now 6 a side, the squad showed plenty of enthusiasm. We had 3 main objectives: to have plenty of FUN, help the whole squad improve their rugby skills and to have plenty of success on the pitch. Numbers at one point in the autumn swelled to 40+ on a Sunday morning which was fantastic and testament to the terrific coaches who regularly gave their time to the cause. Thanks to Barry, Dinos, Lee, Dale, and Nick, as well as Wayne and Richard who joined us at the start of the season. The comms to the parents was excellent with Barry taking a positive lead in this regard and letting all know what was going on. As it got colder and wetter the children after Xmas were split into smaller squads to enable better teamwork to develop and for coaches to work more consistently with the players. The outcome was an improved rate of skill development at all levels. On the pitch we had players scoring their first tries ever (what amazing smiles!) as well as others managing to discover that a try saving tag also felt rather good. To this end we were indebted to some excellent work from Thomas Bolam who scored one of the squads on tagging and helped us to develop their overall play. Success on the pitch for all concerned was a natural result from all the hard work. 2 squads were unbeaten at the Chippenham Festival returning with silverware, while our other 2 teams only lost one match. One squad narrowly failed by one try to progress to the Glos County Cup Finals while another actually did go on to win the Cup Final vs Cleeve (Bristol). This reward came as a result of hard work right across the whole squad and the trophy now resides at Stow RFC. Our 3 end of season awards were: Ebony, Orlando Maynard, and Oscar Williams. All 3 showed great progression this year and they were worthy winners for all their commitment and enthusiasm. Bring on contact in September! David Hanson
Under 9s (8’s in 2015-16)
Coaches
Richard Arnell
Lee Bolam
Nick Clarke
Wayne Martin
Barry Mustoe
Dale Packer
Under 9s (8’s in 2015-16)
Our Core Values : Teamwork Respect
Enjoyment Discipline Sportsmanship
Stow RFC ‘Role of Honour’
... or to give it another name - ‘Look at what the 1st XV have missed out on’! Over the last 10 years, Stow has produced some exceptional young rugby players, who thanks to the RFU’s England Rugby Academy pro-gramme have progressed from club and county rugby, through to profes-sional and national representation. Alex Dancer professional player with the Cornish Pirates Joe Dancer played for England Students and is currently with Hartpury RFC (National Division 1) Will Goodrick-Clark played for England U18’s and is currently playing for Cinderford RFC (National Division 1) Elliott Stooke played for England U18 and England Saxons. Has made 70 appearances with Gloucester and has just transferred to Bath. Ollie Thorley played for England U17’s at 16, U18 and most recently was a member of the England U20 World Championship winning squad. In 2013 at 17, he was the youngest player to appear for Gloucester, since the start of professional rugby. Martha Farnworth has played her rugby at Worcester Warriors since leaving Stow at junior level. She has trained at National level playing up for her age as there is no Ladies team at U18s. She has returned to Stow to help train our fledgling Junior Ladies and next year will be studying at Loughborough.
Volunteers - The Backbone Of The Club
Volunteers - the power of that simple ten-letter word is quite staggering. It can clear a parade ground of able-bodied soldiers in a nanosecond, and the mere mention of it normally has people sinking lower in their seats or scurrying for the anonymity of dark corners. Fortunately for us, Stow RFC has been built, and continues to grow, on the efforts and input of willing volunteers who are happy to put something back into the game, in the form of time, expertise and knowledge. One has only to look through the pages of this document to appreciate how many members make a contribution. The most frequently heard reason for avoiding becoming a volunteer at the Club is “I’m not a Committee person”, which is understandable, but also very sad. It demonstrates a failure on our part to properly inform those members who might want to put something back into the game as to the nature of “Stowstyle” volunteers. Only a small proportion of our volunteers are Committee members – if they all turned up we’d be faced with what is commonly called “Riotous Assembly”! That’s all very well, but what are the rewards? In a nutshell, there are no rewards. Our volunteers tend to work quietly, almost anonymously, giving the Club the benefit of their expertise without any fanfare, happy in the knowledge that the rest of the club will benefit over a given period. Unless, of course, the end of season “Knees Up” is seen as a reward!
We need volunteers to help with a vast array of tasks or activities, from shaking a collection box to occasionally helping with the wine tasting. If there is anything in your bag of tricks that you think could be of use to the Club, please don’t hesitate to have a chat with Alec Jones, our Volunteer Co-coordinator or with any Committee member who may be lurking within earshot!
You may be surprised by just how much fun you’re missing!
Volunteer Co-Ordinator Alec Jones
07855 297721 [email protected]
Under 10’s The season started on a real high with the U9’s being invited to give a Rugby tag demonstration against Tewkesbury on registration day. This was a very exciting day with the match ball been delivered by the RAF parachute team, it proved a great success and was enjoyed by everyone. This gave us the ideal opportunity to say good bye to the tag belts and move into the contact area of Rugby. The step into contact rugby is one of the biggest in a rugby players career and has to be handled with great care. The coaches, players and parents were concerned about this progression but the transi-tion went very well and sometimes too well. The key to contact rugby is teaching the correct technique which allows the players to gain confidence and express themselves. We witnessed vast improvement throughout the season, the players not only matured physically but also mentally. We have grown on last year’s performances and can match most teams we play against, with both physicality and skill. We received many compliments from opposing team coaches and parents on the high skill levels of our group. We have played a number of festivals this year and only losing out in the final stages, the festivals that stand out are— Gloucester County Cup. We entered two squads and were very competitive in both groups. One squad getting through unbeaten to the quarter final play offs, unfortunately we drew 2-2 but did not go through to finals day losing out on the try count back rule. Chippenham Festival. We entered two squads and a great day was enjoyed by all, again one squad going unbeaten, but narrowly losing out on winning the group. The Oxford County Cup. We had two Squads in the semi-finals, one getting through to the main final competition, we lost out to a very strong Henley team in a very exciting and hard fought final. The festival performances were very encouraging considering we took the decision to move away from streaming the players into A and B squads, this proved a great success and there is now a much stronger squad feel amongst the group. We now move into the dark art of scrumming, rucking and mauling, which I have a feeling we will master quite quickly! The M and J ‘s tour to Boreatton Park turned out to be a great success, with lots of fun and some great onesie’s. Well done Mouse and Kitty, over to next year’s U9’s.Big Thank you to all the Players/Coaches and a fantastic set of parents for all their support.
Team Achievements
2nd Oxfordshire County Cup
Player of the Season
Max Maxwell
Most Improved Player of the Season
Peter Fletcher
Player’s Player of the Season
Ben Richards Admin Dani Slatter 07734 706366 [email protected]
Head Coach
Gareth Adams 07741 037182 [email protected]
Coaches
Matt Bell
James Cox
Rob Harrison
Izzy Lane
James Luney
Dani Slatter
Under 10s (9’s in 2015-16)
Under 10s (9’s in 2015-16)
Coaches
Tony Franklin
Nick Allport
Gerry Beirne
Henry Harrison
Robert Miller
Arran O’Dell
Under 10s We kicked off the season in September with a handful of new players, and a handful of new rules. The transition from a rugby league style game to having to contest for the ball at the breakdown was a big step for such young boys, but many took to the new format like a duck to water. After several weeks of training our first test was at the Clifton Festival where we en-tered two teams, with one winning the Cup and the other winning the Plate. A good start. The following week we played a traditionally very strong Ledbury side, and they pushed us hard, but despite our A teams winning all contests, the fixture exposed gaps in your game that needed to be worked on and we did just that. In mid November we entered an A and a B team into the Gloucestershire County Cup Pool stages. Our B team did not contest consistently at the breakdown and were denied possession in there pool games. Whilst they lost every game, it was only by a narrow margin, and we knew what we had to do to improve that squad. Our A team won all their pool matches comfortably, and went on to win their Quarter Final. The mixed success at the County Cup meant that we needed to close the gap between our strong-est and developing players. We mixed our teams in every fixture from then until into mid Feb-ruary, and the change in tactic worked a treat, as we now had 20 strong players in the squad, all knowing what there jobs were on the field. In March our County Cup A team contested the Semi Finals and the Finals. We won our Semi against Chosen Hill by a comfortable 9-1 margin, and went on to meet Dursley in the final. We had played Dursley in every County Cup final since U8, and they were always fast moving, physical and ultimately close games, and we ex-pected that this contest would be no different. Our boys stuck to the game they knew well, running wide, supporting the player and contesting the breakdown, but it was that latter fea-ture that I believe separated the two teams on the day, with Stow finishing the game 5-1 win-ners and County Champions for the third year in a row. We then finished the season at the Oxfordshire County Cup, where we entered 2 evens teams, to really test the degree to which we had increased the depth in the squad. I was delighted when both teams topped their pools undefeated, but horrified when they had to play each other in the semi final. The semi was a gruelling game of attrition with the Stow Pelicans, just nudging out the Stow Sandcrabs, after a last minute, Harry Piercy drive for the line. Our Pelicans went into the final against Henley, who played a game of extreme speed and wide passing. To our credit, we held them to 1 try to nil, and came runners up to end a very successful season. Our Player Player this year was Har-ry Piercy, who demonstrated fantastic team spirit all season, and in tough games led from the front with his trade mark solo push over tries. The most improved player this season was Liam “the dozer” Langsbury, who improved with every game, and scored many tries from his strong mid field running and breakdown contests. The Coaches Player this year was shared for the first time between Ollie Allport and Christian Perry. Both players led mid field, used their sheer strength to win turnover ball at the breakdown, and had a number of blinding runs through the centre, offloading to our speedy wingers and setting up tries, if they couldn’t get there themselves. The coaches this year were Paul Cronin, Tony Franklin, Arran O’Dell, Henry Harri-son, Nick Allport, Robert Millar and Gerry Beirne. Next year we will increase the technical skill level in the coaching squad with Glen Moule coming in as a specialist kicking coach, and Andy Piercy assisting me with the Scrum and Breakdown.
Glos County Cup Champions
Player of the Season
Ollie Allport & Christian Perry Most Improved Player of the Season
Liam Langsbury
Player’s Player of the Season
Harry Piercy
Head Coach Paul Cronin 07912 351031 [email protected]
Under 11s (10’s in 2015-16)
Under 11s (10’s in 2015-16)
The club shop is run by Wreal Sports and they will be in situ
throughout the season on the dominant home Sundays offering
all that you need to kit yourself out.
WREAL SPORTS is your local provider for all your sporting needs
and club members are entitled to 10% Off products in store
(excluding licenced products and uniforms), so you can also see
them away from the club. Support local business as it supports
you and pop down to see Will for all your sporting needs.
Visit Wreal Sports At:
Unit 4c Hawthorne Court
Bourton Business Park. GL54 2HQ
Tel: 01451 822823
Or At Our Brand New Store In Caterton
(Formerly Giles Sports)
1A Alvescote Road
Carterton
Oxon. OX18 3JL
Tel. 01993 842342
Both Stores
Monday - Saturday 9am - 5.30pm
www.wrealsports.co.uk
Are You Having A Party
Or A Function ? Looking For A Great Venue That Can
Take Over 100 People ?
Why Not Use Stow Rugby Club?
There’s lots of space in the club house with a full
length bar, kitchen, heating & plenty of parking.
The club can be used for a variety of events
from Weddings & Parties
to Hay Sales & Motorbike Rallies.
Contact Hannah, for more
information on
07562 121448
Team Achievements
County Cup Finalists, 3rd Place
Player of the Season
Alfie Griffin
Most Improved Player of the Season
Jamie Fallon
Player’s Player of the Season
Harry Williams
Joint Head Coaches
Clive Slatter
07710 783683
Will Watts
07595 483723
Under 12s (11’s in 2015-16) The Sharks Sponsored by Countrywide The U11 at Stow had a very successful year, in spite of some fairly strong headwinds outside of our control. The County Festival was a victim of a very wet and gloomy spell of weather with numerous postponements making many dis-ruptions to planning the winter. It finally got played in a fair-ly frantic period of rugby at the end of the season. Stow got to the semi-finals and were undone by Old Pats 2-1 in a very tight game, before they went on to win the tournament. All the boys who turned up during the season, including some great new additions (almost all of whom appeared to be called Max), rose to the multiple challenges we faced. They performed with great resilience at Chippenham when we had to field two teams of 9 for the final stages of the tourna-ment, despite attrition and injury meaning we were only left with 15 1/2 fit players to fill the 18 spots. The experiences at Chippenham were representative of the season, a talented group of kids, trying hard for each other and mucking in, with a supportive group of parents, just too small a group to fill 2 teams, but maybe too big for everyone to be incorpo-rated in 1. The coaches have already been discussing next year and we are very much looking forward to a bit if struc-ture on the pitch with 5 dedicated forwards and 7 backs, with a squad size of 18, which will give us a great chance to ensure everyone gets the chances they deserve and can all play together as the one team.
We are always looking to recruit new players, so please encourage others to join our merry band.
Coaches
Steve
Davies
Tony
Whittaker
Under 12s (11’s in 2015-16) The Sharks Sponsored by Countrywide
The Minis ‘Onesie’ Tour to Boreatton Park, Shropshire
Under 13’s (12’s in 2015-16) We were warned that this year as the boys move into secondary school we might lose some of our players to girls (no longer yuk apparently) and other sports, but perhaps saved by the world cup, we were very fortunate to have increased our numbers this year. Our squad swelled to 26 with a few new lads dragged along from secondary school, and even some old friends who had pre-viously given up rugby before “seeing the light” and returning to the club. Not only was that great to see, but it has secured the future for the squad who will surely need the extra players as we head towards 15 a side and longer, more physical games. After that bright start, the season went from strength to strength with great competitive games on Sundays and good turnouts for our Friday night training. We won a plate trophy early on and then later in the season qualified for the county plate finals. The highlight of the season was surely however our tour to Wales. It was our first “age group” tour (as opposed to a com-bined mini’s tour) and with great commitment and enthusiasm from the parents was brilliantly organised and a fantastic experi-ence for the boys – especially playing on the super-fast artificial surface at Cardiff Arms Park. Not only did we play some great rugby we also bonded as a group. A few lucky boys from the u12’s also joined the u13’s on their tour to Holland – perhaps setting the bar for our tour next year. So, all in all, a great final year as mini’s – it’s hard to believe we will officially be Junior’s next season – thanks to all the boys and to the parents who have helped us get here in one piece !
Player of the Season
Noah Macer
Most Improved Player of the Season
Louis Dean-Brown
Player’s Player of the Season
Keelan Van Der Merwe Admin Sam Dean 07900 008771 [email protected]
Head Coach
Andy Ardron 07841 412076 [email protected]
Coaches
Lee Parker
Rob Bell
Shaun Kelly
Under 13’s (12’s in 2015-16)
#CarryMeHomeKate To celebrate the year of the Rugby World Cup, the Club
decided to pass an oversized rugby ball in as many
unusual ways as possible. A challenge was sent out to
the community and boy did they respond. As we passed
the ball we also raised money for our local charity Kate's
Home Nursing. We involved as much of the community
as possible from other sports clubs to the main towns
that Kate’s look after. The ball was passed by Sumos, Bar
Tenders, Radio Presenters, Gloucester Rugby Players,
Ballerinas, Hairdressers, Sandwich Makers, Football
World Cup Winners, Euphoric Japanese Fans, JCBs, TV
Stars, Shopkeepers and RAF pilots to name but a few. It
was even Skydived, as you can see from the cover photo.
Much of this was filmed , is hilarious and can be viewed
at :
www.facebook.com/CarryMeHomeKate/
Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and the
community we set the record for the most amount
raised for the charity by one event. In fact, we nearly
doubled it! So, on behalf of the club and
Kates’ Home Nursing,
Thank You for helping us to raise
£ 20,083.55
#CMHK’s Main Sponsors
#CarryMeHomeKate
#CarryMeHomeKate
For more info on the charity go to
www.kateshomenursing.org
Girls Rugby
Girls rugby at Stow is in its infancy but the 10 or so players who have turned up for training in both sun and rain have shown a real passion for the game and a willingness to learn. This dedication along with a good sense of fun amongst the girls has led to some great training sessions and real progress made in the player’s skills. However, the lack of numbers has meant that we have been unable to arrange any fixtures, which is really what the girls need to develop their game. So our challenge next season is to grow the squad. We need to encourage more girls from the local schools to take up the opportunity to play and make use of the club’s facilities. Well done to all those who trained last season and big thanks to Izzie Lane, Ben Smith of the RFU, Mike Clarke, Mike Gibson and Martha Farnworth for their coaching. Next season Mike Clarke will take over as Head Coach and we have great hopes for the progression of Girls Rugby at Stow. Sean Clarke
If you would like to play Girls Rugby or know anyone who would, we would be very pleased
to hear from you.
Player of the Season
Becky May
Most Improved Player of the Season
Alice Cannon
Player’s Player of the Season
Sally Cannon
Head Coach
Mike Clarke 07887 605633 [email protected]
Coaches
Sean Clarke
Martha Farnworth
Mike Gibson
Izzy Lane
Girls Rugby
The Scorpions have taken well to being Juniors and have shown the added responsibility that comes with the step up. It has been a season of mixed results with approximately half the fixtures won and half lost. The stand out matches were played against a strong Oxford Harlequins team when our depleted squad played some very strong, competitive rugby and the fixtures against Harpury and Cheltenham. In both matches we went into half time out played by the opposition but had the strength of character to come out strong and turn the match around. In the County Cup we were undone by a very strong group and very big, fast wingers but the players and coaches took a lot of experience from the competition for next season. This is a good squad of players and with a little more hard work on the training pitch and, a bit more belief in themselves they could do very well. The highlight of the season was the Flat Caps To A Flat Land Holland tour where both players and parents enjoyed the full experience of a rugby tour with two good matches, moustaches and flat caps, a court and plenty of amusing fines for any misbehaviour. Thanks need to go out to my fellow coaches Richard Emsley, Stuart Pike and Jonathan Taylor for their dedication and hard work. David Gee also helped with coaching on occasion and I am pleased to say he will be more involved next season. The parents also need thanking for not only helping with the kitchen and car parking duties but also organising the tour, taking the initiative to supply the players with oranges at half time and washing the match shirts. Finally, I would like to thank Bertie Taylor and Tom Durrell (the elected Captain & Pack Leader) along with the whole squad for being a credit to both the team and the club on and off the pitch. You have made the step upto Juniors seamlessly. Sean Clarke
BIG THANKS go out to all the parents who are, of course, also an important part of The Scorpions.
Player of the Season
Backs - Kenny Watts
Forwards - JJ Gee
Most Improved Player of the Season
Aidan Hughes
Player’s Player of the Season
Murray Hemley
Social Secretary / Tour Admin
Mark Barber & Paul Gunn, with help from many others.
Additional Coaches George Dale & David Gee
Head Coach
Sean Clarke
07971 287733 [email protected]
Under 14’s (13’s 2015-16) The Scorpions Sponsored by Daylesford Organic, Raw Power & Bovis Homes
Coaches
Richard Emsley
Stuart Pike
Jonathan Taylor
Under 14’s (13’s 2015-16) The Scorpions Sponsored by Daylesford Organic, Raw Power & Bovis Homes
The Scorpions Tour To Holland Sponsored By Raw Power
Another good season for this talented set of boys, once again reaching the quarter finals of the County Cup and extending our record of reaching the quarter finals or better in the cup every season since U10s, and then rounding off the season in style by winning the Cirencester 7's. Notable results include beating Banbury 51-7, Shipston 74-7, Chipping Norton 41-9, and probably our best result of the season, winning in the cup at North Bristol by 53-7. So we finished with a record of Played 20, won 15, lost 5, points for 601, points against 371. Total tries scored by the team was 98. Individually Freddie Roberts scored 239 points, which was 48 tries and 7 conversions; James Ingham scored 110 points, including 5 tries, 41 conversions and 1 penalty; Jordan Milligan scored 22 tries and 1 conversion; and Christopher Jefferies scored 8 tries. We are very proud to have eight players in the Gloucester RFC Developing player programme, Ed Hitchins, Sam Leighton, Arthur Clark, Ollie Sammons, James Ingham, Christopher Jefferies, Jordan Milligan, and Freddie Roberts. Sadly Ollie is leaving us to live in Hong Kong, we are going to really miss him, and the unstinting support of his parents, especially Julie shouting from the sideline and always putting a shift in in the kitchen. We hope you have a fantastic time, and you will always be welcome to have a game with us when you are back in the UK. We have a lot of thank you's as always; to the referees Mike Gibson and Gareth Lewis; to Jeremy Hitchins for sponsoring our shirts and to Margaret Clark for washing them; to Sean Clarke and all the people that do all the work behind the scenes here at the club; to all the parents for your brilliant support all season long, you help make this team as good as it is; and to Barry and Simon for helping to run this team.
Cirencester 7s Winners
Player of the Season
Backs - Ollie Sammons
Forwards - Edward Hitchins
Most Improved Player - Tom Davies
Player’s Player of the Season - Jordan Milligan
Fox Hauxwell Cup for Supporter’s
Player of the Season - Jordan Milligan
Head Coach
Mark Ingham
07816 565351
Under 15s (14’s in 2015-16)
Sponsored by Robert Hitchins Ltd & Stratford Audi
Coaches
Barry Clark
Simon Leighton
Under 15s (14’s in 2015-16)
Sponsored by Robert Hitchins Ltd & Stratford Audi
This was by far our most challenging season with only 14 or 15 players available on a regular basis which meant we rarely could field a full side. However, despite this setback the side played some great rugby and won more games than they lost. Once again our County Cup pool was a challenging one with both Longlevens and Old Pats to content with along with Bredon and Pains-wick. Two excellent performances saw impresive wins against both Painswick and Bredon but we were put to the sword by Longlevens and Pats who eventually were to become the Cup finalists. By coming third in our pool we were drawn against Cheltenham in our ¼ final Plate which we won at a canter. Sadly for our semi final we couldn’t honour the fixture due to unavailability. Our fi-nal results were played 11, won 7 and lost 4 with a total points scored of 273 and 209 conceded. Looking for-ward we still have a very strong group of players but our focus must be on attracting mote numbers. Thanks to all for another enjoyable season. Robbo
Player of the Season
Backs - Will Marks
Forwards - Alec Jeffcock
Most Improved Player of the Season - Hari Hodson
Player’s Player of the Season - Alec Jeffcock
Roger Crouch Memorial Shield - Matt Watts
Head Coach
Ian Roberts
07775 998551
Under 16’s (15’s in 2015-16)
Ray Cooper
The club would like to express their thanks to Stow Town Council for providing the Roger Crouch Memorial Trophy and we congratulate Matt Watts on being a worthy winner.
Under 16’s (15’s in 2015-16)
Introducing Our Local RFU Officers Morgana Simpson - Rugby Development Officer Morgana has been a great help to the club in her role as our RDO. Her remit covers quite a wide range but in a nutshell she can perhaps best be described as the link between the club and Twickenham. Her job is to help the club in the process of applying for grants & loans, with club management & governance, development planning, safeguarding courses & support with the new RFU club database system (replacing RugbyFirst) and maintaining our Accredited Club status. She also advises on attracting and keeping volunteers and the ongoing education of those we already have. So, if we want to run a coaching or first aid course at the club, Morgana is there to help. Due to Morgana, and the diligent work of club volunteers, we received an RFU loan for the new changing rooms and biomass boiler which have already made a big difference to the club.
Ben Smith – Community Rugby Coach Ben is the RFU man on the ground for our area. That is to say he will provide direct coaching for the club when asked and has done so in the past season, especially with the development of the Girls Section. This has taken the form of a summer camp for the younger age groups as well coaching specific areas of the game to older teams. Along with helping to coach the players he also mentors and support the club’s coaches. He updates the club on rule changes such as the scrum and will back them up where necessary with seminars. Ben is also one of the RFU coaches who delivers courses on different areas of the game to our club coaches so we can also improve. He also advises us on subjects as diverse as player retention to growing our links with schools etc.
International Matches Autumn Internationals
November Saturday 5 Wales v Australia Principality Stadium 2.30 pm Barbarians v South Africa Wembly 3.00 Friday 11 Barbarians v Fiji Belfast 7.30 Saturday 12 England v South Africa Twickenham 2.30 Scotland v Australia Murrayfield 2.30 Ireland v Canada Aviva Stadium 5.00 Wales v Argentina Principality Stadium 5.30 Saturday 19 England v Fiji Twickenham 2.30 Wales v Japan Principality Stadium 2.30 Ireland v New Zealand Aviva Stadium 5.00 Scotland v Argentina Murrayfield 5.00 Saturday 26 England v Argentina Twickenham 2.30 Scotland v Georgia Kilmarnock 2.30 Ireland v Australia Aviva Stadium 5.00 Wales v Sth Africa Principlaity Stadium 5.30 December Saturday 3 England v Australia Twickenham 2.30
RBS 6 Nations Championship February Saturday 4 Scotland v Ireland Murrayfield 2.25 England v France Twickenham 4.50 Sunday 5 Italy v Wales Stadio Olimpico 2.00 Saturday 11 Italy V Ireland Stadio Olimpico 2.25 Wales v England Principality Stadium 4.50 Sunday 12 France v Scotland Stade de France 3.00 Saturday 25 Scotland v Wales Murrayfield 2.25 Ireland v France Aviva Stadium 4.50 Sunday 26 England v Italy Twickenham 3.00 March Friday 10 Wales v Ireland Principality Stadium 8.05 Saturday 11 Italy v Scotland Stadio Olimpico 1.30 England v Scotland Twickenham 4.00 Saturday 18 Scotland v Italy Murrayfield 12.30 France v Wales Stade de France 2.45 Ireland v England Aviva Stadium 5.00
The Colts This season has seen some great performances from the Colts. We have played 13 matches winning 6 losing 7. Points for 130 points against 181. We have struggled for numbers throughout the season competing with less than 15 players on more than one occasion. The commitment shown by the Colts under these difficult conditions has been fantastic. If we had only had a few more players our results would look a lot better. Sadly that is the “Name of the Game.” “When all is said and done” the Colts have played some excellent rugby. When “Under Attack” our defence has been immense conceding 10 points or less in half of our matches. The Colts are a team of players that really have worked together; they have supported each other, encour-aged when necessary and played some quality rugby along the way. This team have been playing at Under 18 despite being mostly under 17s and have easily held their own. One of our best performances has to be the Victory at Stow against Reading. In the first half we were against a strong wind and spent almost the entire half defending. We only crossed the half way line twice and were still 6-0 up at half time. With the wind in the second half we added 15 points finishing 21-0 winners.
Player of the Season
Backs - Max Burnside
Forwards - Elliott Lockey
Most Improved Player of the Season - Adam Smith
Player’s Player of the Season - Neil Atkinson
Admin
Teresa Oughton
Head Coach
Simon Atkinson James
[email protected] Collett
The Colts
Stow RFC And Knight Frank - A Winning Combination !
Knight Frank have agreed to continue as the club’s main sponsor and it’s an ongoing relationship that both parties are enjoying. We look forward to working them in the upcomming season.
Knight Frank Stow-On-The-Wold Brett House, Park Street, Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire GL54 1AG T: +44 1451 600 610 F: +44 1451 833 750 [email protected]
The 1st XV Last season was a lot more difficult for us than we anticipated. We had aimed to finish in the top four, but sadly we were plagued by injuries and we had a problem with availabilities. However, when you look at the league table and the points differences, we came so close to being further up the table than we are. We lost by very small margins against teams we should have beaten and we beat several teams that, on paper, should have cleaned us out. But that’s rugby for you!! That is all water under the bridge - the new season brings with it new challenges, not least of which is absorbing a growing number of players who have grown up in the Club from their Mini & Youth days. Several of the 2nd XV players are pushing hard to move into the 1st XV which means that competition for 1st squad places will be fierce. We know what we are up against in the new season and we have the spirit and the enthusiasm to meet the challenges head on. We’ve played against all four clubs that have joined the league (relegated from above and promoted from below) and for us to succeed is simply a matter of harnessing the enthusiasm that is there and not stopping until the final whistle goes. Coaching will be as intense this season as it was last - perhaps more so - as we have Nick Runciman with us again. Working alongside him will be Andy Cartlidge we have pressganged back into the coaching arena. He, like Runcie, commands enormous respect among the players, which bodes well for our fitness levels. Something that has not been mentioned previously, and which you, reading this, can help with is the lift that our players get from our touchline supporters. Be as rude as you like, we have broad shoulders and we can take it. Stand on the balcony and be abusive, but come and support us - we need you!!!
League Team Achievements
Southern Counties North 9th Place in the League
Player of the Season - Dan Salvage
Player’s Player of the Season - Chris Powlesland
Old Fart’s Player of the Season - Bradley Wrench
Adam Beston Trophy for the Clubman of the Year - James Holmes
Team Captain (last season) - David Lane
Head Coach - Nick Runciman
Physio - Laura Piercy
Team Captain Vice Captains
James Holmes
Mark Whitney
07717 376635 & Dan Salvidge
The 1st XV
The 2nd XV We owe the dynamic duo, Harry King and Scott Buckley, an enormous thank you for the way they kept the “Two’s” together during the season. Against seemingly insurmountable odds they kept the spirits up and en-thusiasm high when it would have been easy to throw in the towel. Geo-graphically, the Two’s are at a serous disadvantage. Most of their oppo-sition teams seem to be under the impression that they need visas to get into the North Cotswolds, and for teams as far away as Cheltenham it’s such a tiresome journey. Hence, the usual problem with last minute cancellations! Added to the problem is the way the Merit League is structured. A further complication for Harry and Scott was the 1st XV’s need for players when injuries took their toll. But, in the face of all this, they held it together!! In the new season Chris Close and Scott will be working together at the helm, and we really do owe it to the Two’s to show them more touchline support. Perhaps not quite as abusive as the 1st XV enjoy, but vocal support really does work!
2nd XV Fixtures The Reserve Merit League flexible fixtures ‘explained’.
The North Glos Leagues levels 3 & 4 are pooled and each team is asked to inform the fixture organiser by 18.00hrs on Tuesday, if they have a team and want a fixture for the Saturday. The organiser then ‘pairs off’ teams using the available rankings and emails the clubs and puts the fixtures on the GRFU website. Results are sent in as usual. Rankings are adjusted each week, which helps the organiser match-up teams of similar standards, ready for the following week’s fixtures. Hopefully this means less travel and we play against teams closer to our own playing strengths. Every effort is made to avoid repeat fixtures and give even distribution of homes and aways. After the initial round of 8 fixtures, the teams that can play regularly are be organised into two normal leagues - according to their rankings- for the rest of the season.
Mikey Wood Award For Player of the Season - Harry King
Physio - Laura Piercy
Captain (2015-16) Harry King
Joint Team Captains (2016-17)
Chris Close 07584 414403
Scott Buckley 07502 372013
The Colts Sponsored by No4 at Stow
Club Sponsorship Knight Frank are the current Main Club Sponsor
However, we also have available further sponsorship at a number of
different levels. If you are interested in taking up any of these opportunities
or have other ideas by which you can benefit from association with the
club, please contact Barry Mustoe.
Large banners on club house
Advertising board pitch side or Advertising board car park
First team shirt sponsor
Sponsorship board on Clubhouse (Internal and external )
Post Pads and / or Touch Flags
Senior Match balls for the Season
M&Ys Match balls for the Season
Mini and Juniors - Shirts or Training Tops per Age Group
Advert in Fixture programme
Here's to a fantastic new season for the club. I look
forward to hearing from you if you are interested in
any form of sponsorship.
Barry Mustoe - 07800 537530
Catch up on Club news in the
Stow, Bourton, Moreton & Chipping Norton Times
If you have any news or good photos
through the season please send them to
me at the below email address. We have
a page to fill every month in the above
free magazines, which are eagerly read !
Please send your stories and photos to
Sean at :
Defribillator At The Club
The Club would like to express its thanks to Stow Town Council and the businesses of the town that made donations to buy the Defribillator you see on the right. Although we hope to never have to use it, if we need it for players, supporters, caravanners, ramblers, or other visitors it is reassuring for all to know that it might save a life.
U14s Head Coach
Ian Roberts
U14s Coach
Ray Cooper
You can follow the club online at:
www.pitchero.com/clubs/stowrfc/