Berwick
Rugby
Football
Club
11 Derwentwater Terrace, Scremerston, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 2QY
Tel: 01289 302141
Email: admin@berwickrugbyclub.co.uk
Email: admin@berwickrugbyclub.co.uk
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This site is still under construction. Any comments, suggestions or aditional information please contact graham.brown@northumberland.gov.uk
Sponsored by
Berwick Holiday Park
Berwick Holiday Park
Click Above to see 1st XV Squad and Tries
Click to vist Active Berwick
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“Rugby Life” - A blog by the VP
The aim of this blog is to give a day to day view of what goes on at Berwick Rugby Club. I don’t mean it to cover everything that goes on at the Club otherwise I’d spend all day writing it. It will hopefully inform the members and players about events in the pipeline and the things that are going on. The views and comments on this blog are my own personal views and should in no way be taken as representing the Executive of the club.
18th March 2009
Wednesday’s tend to be quieter day rugby wise. However looking on the SRU website I noticed that Guy Skivington-Jones has been selected for the Scotland under 17 development squad. Guy has played for our colts and has been involved at youth level with Berwick. I also noticed 4 of the Berwick lads have got into the Reivers under 16 squad as part of the pathway programme. We’ve also had a few players playing for Northumberland as well at youth level. Fingers crossed all of these lads play some senior rugby at Berwick in the future. It would be good for the club to benefit from all of the time and effort coaches and clubs have put into these young lads. There was a really good article in Saturday’s Times from Austin Healy who reckons part of England’s recent “discipline” problems comes from too many players going through the academy system without getting the chance to play with “grizzled streetwise” rugby players in 2nd and 3rd team rugby. We’ve plenty of “grizzlies” in our 2nds and 3rds! In that environment Austin thinks they toughen up, learn the tricks of the trade and also have a lot of fun into the bargain. Its not often I agree with Austin Healy but this really makes sense to me. Are you listening lads!
17th March 2009
Tuesday night is a busy club night with the seniors and colts training. It’s also the time set aside by most of the club officials to come to the club and to discuss the things to be done that week. The rugby always takes precedence over most things but occasionally the discussion moves onto the facilities. Money is tight at the moment with fewer table lunches and sponsors paying a little bit more slowly but we have past reserves to help us out so it’s not a great worry. Caught up with Weather and he confirmed that Ben McCreath would be interested in taking some coaching courses with a view to helping out a bit. Ben’s a real club man and has been (when he gets back from injury will still be) a great asset to the club. I don’t know of anyone that has a bad word to say about him. He’s speaking at the Annual Dinner on 9th April so that might change if his jokes are bad. The first XV play Preston Lodge away on Saturday with a 1pm kick off but the seconds are at home to Morpeth and we have asked them for an earlier kick off but they haven’t confirmed to us yet.
Youngy (Colin Young the club captain) was testing our rugby knowledge when he asked us who was the first player to play for the Lions as an uncapped player. It stumped most of us but Weather came up with the answer - Will Greenwood. Youngy is off to South Africa with a small Berwick contingent to follow some of the Lions tour and you tell he can’t wait, even though he had to buy his own Lion’s top despite dropping lots of hints to his mum at Christmas!
16th March 2009
Harry F reminds me that I was to do the match report on Saturday’s game for the local press. I use my deepest imagination to describe the poor game and get it off to Harry before the deadline.
15th March 2009
Sunday morning 8:00 a.m. and the alarm goes off. Out to the club for 9 with Tanya (my wife) and the 2 youngest kids. Tanya and I help out the mini section on a Sunday morning. Mandy and Darren (Mini Convenor and Coach) arrive at the same time and we catch up with things that are going on. Kids number around 40 every week and we have to make sure everything runs smoothly as for many parents this will be the first time they will have had an experience of the rugby club and first impressions count. It’s a busy morning with new arrivals coming through following Doug Hall’s work in the schools. We serve up the teas and coffees and I do some of the book work on the Club’s accounts. I’m Treasurer as well you see. I’ve struggled to keep on top of the routine things this year with my other duties. I’ve lined up a new Treasurer for next year and Lesley (Club Administrator - I’ll call her Admin from now on) is taking on the SAGE accounts package. She hasn’t used it before but is enthusiastic to help out and to learn new things. Andy Martin (Chairman of Youth Rugby) helps out this morning as we have been short of a few volunteers for the last few weeks with work commitments, holidays and coaching courses. Andy’s helping out as we were let down by a couple of senior players who said they would help out the previous week but didn’t turn up. It meant that I had to get the boots on and help out and I also dragged along Coops (2nd Team Manager) to help out. It was great fun and the kids are really fun and it is a great way to blow the cobwebs away.
14th March 2009
Match day and I am “on duty” today. El Presidenti is going to Murrayfield to watch the pro’s show us how it is done. With a pre-match lunch I am responsible for making sure our Match sponsor and his guests are well looked after. Steven Monks, Electrical Contractors is the sponsor and as he is a neighbour we share a car out so we are at the club for noon. I hope El Presidenti enjoys the day off he’s been an ever present throughout the season and hasn’t missed many games despite being really busy with other things. The game is poor but Berwick scrape a win. I do the scoreboard as Stu our regular scoreboard attendant is also at Murrayfield. It really is a cold job and we must do something to give Stu a bit more shelter! After the game its back to the clubhouse and we don’t leave until after 9pm. In true rugby tradition I share a few pints and watch the international. Weather (First Team Manager) and I put the world to rights later in the evening and I mention the fact that the SRU want to have qualified coaches in place at every level of the club game and how this will mean Berwick (and other clubs) are going to ask volunteers to attend these courses and give up a bit more of their time. I can understand the thinking behind it. It makes sure people are instructed how to coach safely and make it enjoyable for youngsters and seniors. It should help the coaches hearing about the latest thinking and to swap drills and experiences. On the downside it is a hard story to sell to people who have probably played rugby longer than most of the players have been born. Weather thinks of somebody who might be interested and tells me he’ll give him a phone. I remind him that the club will support anyone who wants to go on these courses and who in return is willing to help out with coaching at the club.
The aim of this blog is to give a day to day view of what goes on at Berwick Rugby Club. I don’t mean it to cover everything that goes on at the Club otherwise I’d spend all day writing it. It will hopefully inform the members and players about events in the pipeline and the things that are going on. The views and comments on this blog are my own personal views and should in no way be taken as representing the Executive of the club.
18th March 2009
Wednesday’s tend to be quieter day rugby wise. However looking on the SRU website I noticed that Guy Skivington-Jones has been selected for the Scotland under 17 development squad. Guy has played for our colts and has been involved at youth level with Berwick. I also noticed 4 of the Berwick lads have got into the Reivers under 16 squad as part of the pathway programme. We’ve also had a few players playing for Northumberland as well at youth level. Fingers crossed all of these lads play some senior rugby at Berwick in the future. It would be good for the club to benefit from all of the time and effort coaches and clubs have put into these young lads. There was a really good article in Saturday’s Times from Austin Healy who reckons part of England’s recent “discipline” problems comes from too many players going through the academy system without getting the chance to play with “grizzled streetwise” rugby players in 2nd and 3rd team rugby. We’ve plenty of “grizzlies” in our 2nds and 3rds! In that environment Austin thinks they toughen up, learn the tricks of the trade and also have a lot of fun into the bargain. Its not often I agree with Austin Healy but this really makes sense to me. Are you listening lads!
17th March 2009
Tuesday night is a busy club night with the seniors and colts training. It’s also the time set aside by most of the club officials to come to the club and to discuss the things to be done that week. The rugby always takes precedence over most things but occasionally the discussion moves onto the facilities. Money is tight at the moment with fewer table lunches and sponsors paying a little bit more slowly but we have past reserves to help us out so it’s not a great worry. Caught up with Weather and he confirmed that Ben McCreath would be interested in taking some coaching courses with a view to helping out a bit. Ben’s a real club man and has been (when he gets back from injury will still be) a great asset to the club. I don’t know of anyone that has a bad word to say about him. He’s speaking at the Annual Dinner on 9th April so that might change if his jokes are bad. The first XV play Preston Lodge away on Saturday with a 1pm kick off but the seconds are at home to Morpeth and we have asked them for an earlier kick off but they haven’t confirmed to us yet.
Youngy (Colin Young the club captain) was testing our rugby knowledge when he asked us who was the first player to play for the Lions as an uncapped player. It stumped most of us but Weather came up with the answer - Will Greenwood. Youngy is off to South Africa with a small Berwick contingent to follow some of the Lions tour and you tell he can’t wait, even though he had to buy his own Lion’s top despite dropping lots of hints to his mum at Christmas!
16th March 2009
Harry F reminds me that I was to do the match report on Saturday’s game for the local press. I use my deepest imagination to describe the poor game and get it off to Harry before the deadline.
15th March 2009
Sunday morning 8:00 a.m. and the alarm goes off. Out to the club for 9 with Tanya (my wife) and the 2 youngest kids. Tanya and I help out the mini section on a Sunday morning. Mandy and Darren (Mini Convenor and Coach) arrive at the same time and we catch up with things that are going on. Kids number around 40 every week and we have to make sure everything runs smoothly as for many parents this will be the first time they will have had an experience of the rugby club and first impressions count. It’s a busy morning with new arrivals coming through following Doug Hall’s work in the schools. We serve up the teas and coffees and I do some of the book work on the Club’s accounts. I’m Treasurer as well you see. I’ve struggled to keep on top of the routine things this year with my other duties. I’ve lined up a new Treasurer for next year and Lesley (Club Administrator - I’ll call her Admin from now on) is taking on the SAGE accounts package. She hasn’t used it before but is enthusiastic to help out and to learn new things. Andy Martin (Chairman of Youth Rugby) helps out this morning as we have been short of a few volunteers for the last few weeks with work commitments, holidays and coaching courses. Andy’s helping out as we were let down by a couple of senior players who said they would help out the previous week but didn’t turn up. It meant that I had to get the boots on and help out and I also dragged along Coops (2nd Team Manager) to help out. It was great fun and the kids are really fun and it is a great way to blow the cobwebs away.
14th March 2009
Match day and I am “on duty” today. El Presidenti is going to Murrayfield to watch the pro’s show us how it is done. With a pre-match lunch I am responsible for making sure our Match sponsor and his guests are well looked after. Steven Monks, Electrical Contractors is the sponsor and as he is a neighbour we share a car out so we are at the club for noon. I hope El Presidenti enjoys the day off he’s been an ever present throughout the season and hasn’t missed many games despite being really busy with other things. The game is poor but Berwick scrape a win. I do the scoreboard as Stu our regular scoreboard attendant is also at Murrayfield. It really is a cold job and we must do something to give Stu a bit more shelter! After the game its back to the clubhouse and we don’t leave until after 9pm. In true rugby tradition I share a few pints and watch the international. Weather (First Team Manager) and I put the world to rights later in the evening and I mention the fact that the SRU want to have qualified coaches in place at every level of the club game and how this will mean Berwick (and other clubs) are going to ask volunteers to attend these courses and give up a bit more of their time. I can understand the thinking behind it. It makes sure people are instructed how to coach safely and make it enjoyable for youngsters and seniors. It should help the coaches hearing about the latest thinking and to swap drills and experiences. On the downside it is a hard story to sell to people who have probably played rugby longer than most of the players have been born. Weather thinks of somebody who might be interested and tells me he’ll give him a phone. I remind him that the club will support anyone who wants to go on these courses and who in return is willing to help out with coaching at the club.