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Bromyard Rugby Club
February Newsletter
Welcome to the latest issue of the monthly newsletter.
The idea of this is to keep everyone in the Club up-to-date with what is happening in the various
teams. This is very much a work-in-progress, and as the months go by, I imagine the content of
this newsletter will change.
Thanks to all of the contributors, and if anyone has any ideas on how it could be improved,
other information which should be included and/or any constructive criticism, let me know. The
next issue will be after the completion of games at the end of March, so I will be chasing people
for news/updates in early April…
Team News
1st XV
The last few games have been a bit of a mix of emotions for the team. Valentine's Day took us to Bishops Castle
and their interesting pitch which has a hint of ridge ‘n’ furrow, a few divots and plenty of evidence of sheep... A 15:6
loss was actually closer than many of the 15 guys that went there expected. Bishops Castle did make quite a few
errors in the first half, which kept us in the game, however, despite many people playing out of position, including
two regular front rows as centres, a hugely committed defence and a willingness to 'have a go' meant many of us
felt we could of sneaked an unexpected win in what was actually an enjoyable match. Credit to Rob Legge for an
'unstoppable force' (with a hint of sidestep) run which was 2 metres short of a special try.
Next, it’s hard to take positives from an 80:0 loss to Cleobury Mortimer away, however this is really a reflection on
the level the home side are competing at this year in all competitions. Despite the result more than one person has
commented that the boys actually played ok.
The weekend just gone saw local-derby side Greyhound come to Bromyard and a good 27:5 result. It felt closer,
Greyhound were useful and had powerful runners, however a huge defence effort, led by Doug and especially
Henry Roper, led to tries for Tom Morris after a period of pressure, Robert Legge and an intercept try for Joe
Williams of which Jean de Villiers would have been proud. A man of the match performance by Chris 'Rocky'
Rowberry who managed the game well, kicked 5/5 and tackled hard.
Player award goes to Rob Legge for being able to play at a high level seemingly anywhere and also at the heart of
everything we do
2nd XV
We have played one game this month due to the other games being giving to us, as other sides could not get a
team out. The game we played was against Kidderminster which was a good game. Bromyard were asleep in first
two minutes allowing Kidderminster to go over the line first but we woke up to play some of the best rugby so far
this season to win 33-5, so well done lads. That win now puts us up in the running for promotion so I believe with
Kings Norton as well, who we play at home on the 7 March so if you are free pop down and give us your support.
Well done lads, let’s keep this up
Ladies Touch Rugby
Our first tournament is at Greyhound on the 8th March and we are all excited to start the season, and let's hope it
goes well. We are now training on Tuesday's and Thursday's to ensure we have the fitness to keep us going.
Girls (U15) Touch Rugby
Due to half term and availability 6 girls travelled to
Stourbridge for a joint training session and played a
few games with Stourbridge's newly formed team.
As always we are working hard to find more teams to
play, there is a tag festival in March at Kenilworth.
We now have a good core group of players but
please spread the word we would love to see more
girls come along and join in.
Under 7’s
Under 8’s
It was unfortunate that the Ledbury game was cancelled at the beginning of the month so that we could see the
benefits of the 4 weeks training in January and because Ledbury are a good club which always give us a good
game, as does Hereford who we played away in a 3 way with Ross on Wye, where the intensity of our tagging had
them on the back foot in all 6 games that we played and coupled with some great running and passing our 2
teams were able to win 5 out six games.
A freezing day greeted us at Stourbridge and 12 players braved the conditions and our 2 teams well, losing only
one of our games and drawing or winning the others. Thanks to all the players and parents that made the trip.
On the 1st of March we were visited by Lucs, who have the biggest squad of any of the teams that we play so
their strength in depth always ensures that we have a hard match, that gives us a very good idea how well our
players are doing so it was really good to have 18 players to make 3 teams that all performed brilliantly in the 3
matches that each played meaning that honours were probably even at the end of the day.
It is really pleasing to see the players that have only been playing for this season really getting to grips with the
skills and game and making big contributions to their teams. The final weeks of the season can be looked forward
to with enthusiasm.
Under 9’s
Well it has been a rather frantic month with the weather getting in the way a little with the game at Ledbury
cancelled and the game at Hereford that should really have been cancelled turning into a frantic game of touch on
frozen ground! So in reality we have had a training weekend and a very tough pair of matches against Stourbridge
and Luctonians. There is no player of the week trophy as it was unfortunately not returned in time and the match
against Lucs was so tough we took a slightly unorthodox approach to match awards. David I hope you enjoyed
your £5, Thomas scored a try in the final minutes of the game and was player of the match (see more below) and
Angus I still have big bag of sweets with your name on!
A few key messages:
If you cannot make it please inform me and Derek with as much notice as possible. It’s very frustrating for all if we
expect a decent turn out but then don’t get enough players to make a full team. It’s demoralising for the children
who are there as we often have to resort to using opposing team players so please let us know as soon as
possible.
As I have mentioned before I took my eldest lad Sam’s team at Malvern from tag into contact so understand that
it’s entirely normal to see a few people drop out completely and a few children dip in and out of the team as the
season progresses. Just to reinforce the message we are very happy for any child to attend at any time. If you are
completely new to us then you can train but the paperwork needs to be completed before you can play in matches.
We are a very inclusive club and team and offer a very warm welcome to all comers at all times.
Let’s take a quick look at the team composition.
All of the children who attend are tackling well with good solid technique and commitment. They show enthusiasm
for the sport and finally we are starting to break bad habits such as not stepping in and not using space. The kids
resort to type when under significant pressure but have shown huge progress in the last few weeks. For young
children there are a lot of rules and regulations but all are showing good awareness of the rules and are very aware
of the offside rule in particular and recycle well when the ball goes to ground.
Consistent areas for improvement that cost us points
1) The team still do not go up as a line and open up gaps in the defence which are exploited.
2) Players hang back and wait for the opposition to come to us so we lose lots of ground.
3) When the ball does go to ground we don’t recycle quickly enough so lose advantage.
4) When the ball goes to ground the children bunch up to touching distance.
5) We are still not running onto the ball as much as we could and should.
What can parents do?
Grab a rugby ball and play with them. We will lend you one if needed so please ask. Practice simple passing drills,
getting them to run towards you and pass the ball while they are at speed encouraging them to keep their head up
and hands in the W position, practice getting them to go to ground and present the ball with their feet pointing
towards an imaginary opposition line, increase distances for passing with both hands on the ball. Get them to turn
their back on you and then call them and pass very quickly to increase their responsiveness. There is lots of very
simple stuff on the web or come and talk to us.
Stourbridge the Magnificent 7 of Nathan, Ellis, Isaac, Josh, George and Thomas
I have never played a game at Stourbridge when it hasn’t been freezing and raining and this was no exception!
With a decent breeze and on the open
fields it was a very cold day indeed. We
played 3 games and lost the first (we all
know it takes the team a while to wake
up!) won the next with a hefty winning
margin and then drew the last game.
Stourbridge had sufficient players to
bring on an almost completely new team
for the second game so the kids did very
well indeed. However we didn’t allow the
conditions to get us down as you can see
from the below. I did however see a few
teary eyed parents! They look pretty
happy and as you can see the
Stourbridge Bigfoot put in an
appearance!
Luctonians the Magnificent 7 of, Isaac, Daisy, Duncan, Thomas, Freddy, David and Angus
Lucs are probably the best team that we play
against. We had low turnout in numbers and
some of our harder tacklers and pace players
weren’t in attendance so it was a very tough day
for the team. We played two games and lost both
by a wide margin. We did have tries from Angus,
Thomas and a stunning run from Isaac but we
were severely outclassed. Lucs tackling, use of
space, team work and overall team cohesion was
outstanding. It was a fairly tetchy session with
me refereeing both games and I had to
remonstrate with Lucs for high tackling. Our kids
were superb and never gave up.
Yes despite my warnings to parents it just had to
be my son who dropped it…typical. So I shall glue it together for a new award of most bruised and battered player
and call it the Wounded Warrior award!
Under 10’s
Under 11’s
With quite a few players missing, a small squad played some heroic rugby at Stourbridge in lousy conditions. In the
first game Bromyard had a great result winning 3-0, with some brilliant passing making the tries, try scorers Fred
Hewitt, Fin and Henry. The second game was much tougher with Stourbridge bringing on a fresh team and a great
display of rugby, Bromyard dug deep but couldn't match this new side, Henry was player of the day.
We had a enjoyable morning at Bromyard playing Luctonians, all closely fought games, excellent tackling and a
few good interceptions, try scorers Ptolomy and Will Pollard. Players of the day were Toby and Ptolomy, another
fantastic team performance. The U11 festival is on 19th April at Bromyard, any volunteers would be most welcome
to help make this a great event again, thank you.
Under 12’s
Played: 11, Won: 3, Lost: 8, Points for: 315, Points against: 391
Spirits were high as on a very cold morning we travelled to Hereford. On arrival, concerned parents (Mums) and
coaches walked across the pitches and tried to dig their heels into the frozen ground, wondering if they would be
playable. Fortunately our journeys had not been in vain, and, at the stroke of 11am, the U12’s were finally refereed
by a completely impartial hosting coach.
Tries from Ben Gifford and Harry Birch and a conversion from Alex Perrin did little to reduce the deficit built by a
physically larger opposition. The ‘Player of the Week’ trophy, or what was left of it, was awarded to Charlie Riddell.
Sophie Edmonds, (Freddie’s Mum) accepted, with head bowed, the ‘Lemon’ and promised to replace the broken
premier award.
With no match on the 15th of February, a training session at the club turned into an impromptu game of
League/touch with the boys from the U15’s mixing in with the U12’s to form two teams. The U12’s Coaches and
the Manager, believing themselves up to the challenge, joined in. A painful week followed for the three silly old
fools who should have known better, but it was GREAT FUN!
The coldest weather conditions this season and an extremely optimistic Ice Cream salesman, welcomed us at
Stourbridge at the end of half term. The end of the game couldn’t come quickly enough and as the final whistle
blew, frozen players and their parents beat a hasty retreat to the clubhouse for ‘prize giving’. Having returned the
unwanted ‘Lemon’ and true to her word, Sophie’s new ‘Player of the Week’ trophy was awarded to Tom Wall.
Hat tricks from Harry Birch and Will Morris, a brace for Charlie Riddell and Connor Ankers and one a piece for
Conor Burton, Alex Perrin, Casper Mulcahy, Freddie Edmonds and Tom Wall would have put three figures on the
scoreboard if the weather had allowed for conversions!
On St. David’s Day, Bromyard played host for the return Luctonians fixture. A promising start was short lived, and
the same score, though this time with the help of conversions, was handed to us by our guests. Playing Hooker,
Jackson Ridgeway’s first lineout throw was judged ‘not straight’, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles would have
agreed as Casper Mulcahy, playing Scrum Half, caught the ball. So for a change the ‘Lemon’ was awarded to a
player not a parent. After extensive reconstructive surgery, the former ‘Player of the Week’ trophy has been redesignated the ‘Glass Man’ trophy, awarded to the player adjudged to have suffered the ‘worst’ injury. Having had
to carry a player from the pitch who appeared to have been shot by a sniper, an embarrassed team manager
watched his son Marc limp forward to claim his prize. Ben Gifford beat Alex Perrin and Conor Burton by a ‘short
head’ to claim the ‘Player of the Week’ trophy.
To add insult to injury, England played Ireland, enough said! As this makes it way down the wire to the website, we
prepare to host Malvern and look forward to the North Midlands U12 Tournament, formally the Land Rover Cup, at
Bromsgrove on Mother’s Day.
Under 13/14’s
All has gone well this month. We had a fixture at Stourbridge, on a bitterly cold day where the pitches did not help.
We played for twenty mins, then decided enough was enough for the players safety and stopped so hopefully will
arrange this fixture. We then went for a training game at the Greyhound which is a new side, this was a very good
game with both teams learning a lot through the game which we won, but Greyhound put up a superb fight for their
first game well done to all.
But I would just like to say a thank you to Duncan our fly half who has been outstanding for us this season but
sadly he got hurt in this game breaking a bone in his foot which will put him out possibly for the rest of the season
so best wishes to him and a speedy recovery.
As per normal at this bit I would just like to say we are still short on numbers so any U13 out there that want to
come and have a game pop on down on a Sunday and join in and meet the team.
Under 15/16’s
Other information
RFU grand draw tickets available from Di Pinches.
£1 per ticket, £5 per book.
First prize £10k., other prizes detailed on poster in clubhouse.
Draw takes place in April
Quiz Night - Friday March 20th
We are holding a Quiz night on Friday March 20th starting at 7pm at the clubhouse to raise some well needed
funds.
Tickets are £5 per ticket which will include curry & rice.
The quiz night is open for both juniors & seniors and would be a great opportunity to get everyone together, and
raising some money for the club!!
Tickets will be on sale form the club, and will be sold at the next few junior home games. Contact Donna on
07967 706314 or [email protected] for more information and tickets
Sportsman’s Dinner
We have arranged a Sportsman’s Dinner on Saturday 28 March, guest speaker
John Bevan, tickets £35pp, to include a 3-course meal. Usual raffle, auction,
heads-and-tails, tables of 8 available.
John played Rugby Union for Cardiff, Wales, ’71 Lions, Barbarians, and then
moved to Rugby League, where he played for Warrington, Wales & Great Britain.
To book a place(s), contact Farmer Parker – contact details in Fixture Card.
Chairman’s Day
Following on from the successful Sponsor’s Day last Saturday, the Chairman’s Day promises to be as exciting,
when Bromyard take on our old friends Tenbury in the league.
Tenbury are currently at the bottom of the table but will be looking to avenge the 50-9 trouncing at the beginning of
the season. Either way it should be a try-fest, so come along and enjoy the fun.
There will be a luncheon before the game, £15pp, either individually or tables of 8, and VAT invoices can be
provided on request. More details nearer the time.
Floodlit Competition
The last two rounds have been cancelled due to the weather, but we hope to re-arrange these, possibly on other
days. Watch your inbox for details when we know them.
All matches are on a Tuesday night, kick-off 7.30pm. so please come and support the games.
25th Nov 2014 Bromyard v Tenbury Wells : result Bromyard 22, Tenbury 14
20th Jan 2015 Greyhound v Clee Hill : postponed
10th Feb 2015 Tenbury Wells v Clee Hill : postponed
10th Mar 2015 Bromyard v Greyhound
31st Mar 2015 Greyhound v Tenbury Wells
14th Apr 2015 Bromyard v Clee Hill
The Competition Trophy will be sponsored by Nick Champion (Auctioneer from Tenbury) hence the name for the
competition…
Hospitality and Site Boards
There are still a few places left. In addition, the Club is seeking match day sponsors. Anyone interested please
contact Andrew Jelley.
Site Care
Please remember:Dogs are not allowed on the Sports Ground. If you see anyone walking their dogs on the
pitches, please point out the notice on the front gate.
Glasses and bottles are not allowed outside the clubhouse. Broken glass could be
potentially fatal to players, spectators and children frequenting the ground.
Dumping of rubbish, of any kind, is not permitted. If you see this happening please make a
note of the registration number and pass it on to the committee for the necessary action to be
taken.
As a member of the club, it is up to you to keep it litter free. We are all responsible for
clearing up especially after matches and social functions.
Insurance
Playing members are reminded that The Club only takes out the compulsory insurance from the
RFU, which is a ‘permanent total disability’ policy, and covers members for death, loss of limb,
or total disablement from employment, and does not cover any loss of earnings following
accidents.