Essex's Highest Ranked Rugby Club - NATIONAL 2

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WRFC Senior Fixtures

If you are interested in attending a Home Lunch, please email Hayley Pacey for more details.

 

In the well-founded tradition of blooding young talent in our youth set up in to senior rugby, this past weekend saw two such youngsters earn their first seniors caps for Westcliff Rugby Club. JJ Hodgkinson and Michael Harris both represent our U’17 academy team under the direction and influence of club legend and stalwart of the First XV (in ages past!), Nicholas Sigwart. Nicholas is keen to build and maintain a strong link between the youth system and the seniors teams and regards the playing of seniors rugby as a key development in a player’s progression.
Starting with the Rhinos is the perfect introduction to seniors rugby. The pace will be a little slower than perhaps they are used to, with a dynamic that includes players ranging in age from early 20s to early 50s, however, nothing they’ve experienced so far will match the physicality that they will face when playing against seasoned men. The standard of our First and Lions XVs this season has sky-rocketed, making it an inappropriate level for most youngsters to be fast-tracked in to. If they show enough skill in their matches within the Rhinos, however, the seniors structure allows for quick progression. Testament to this can be found in the current First XV, with National 2 regulars like Joe Vandermolen and Billy Morrant having starting their seniors rugby in the Rhinos, before making their way up to the Lions and eventually the First XV. Let’s hope that JJ and Michael can follow in these esteemed footsteps.
A brace of tries was scored by the Rhinos in this home league victory against Burnham 1st XV (63-12) and JJ and Michael made sure they were involved, scoring one try a piece. They both played in the second half, making an impact to the game with their ferocious tackling and keen ball-carrying. They were tenacious off the back of line-outs – harrying the opposition fly half and inside centre in to making a costly mistake in their own 22. In open play they were equally effective and even though they got rocked a couple of times by big hits, they managed to spring up with the exuberance of youth and get stuck back in to the game. A successful introduction to seniors rugby by any standards and the boys were keen after the game to take hold of any further opportunities to play this year and even keener to partake in the “energy” drinks available in the changing room after the game!
Things are looking up for seniors rugby at Westcliff, with the First XV putting in impressive performances in their first year of National 2 level rugby, the Lions benefiting from a competitive mix of ex-first team players alongside current hopefuls, and the Rhinos combining veteran experience with enthusiastic youth. Respective Lions and Rhinos captains, Ben Dane and Chris Whiston, believe that if this upward trend continues, we may well see the Lions back competing in the Zoo leagues in the near future and potentially the re-introduction of a fourth team back at the Gables. Nicholas Sigwart is keen to get as many of his youth players through in to seniors rugby this year as possible and with JJ and Michael’s endorsements from last weekend, we should have no trouble finding eager volunteers to get their first taste.

ALF 10s is taking place on the 4th of July and is set to be another fantastic day of rugby, charity and family fun. Please click here for more details and email ALF to enter a team.

If you have still not paid your membership fees, please click on the link below. We continue to push for donations to our Legacy Fund, which has the sole purpose of securing an extended lease to provide security for future rugby player generations to 2075. Click HERE to find out more. 

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Please inquire with Sianne about hiring the NEW GABLES for your event, catering for every occasion.  We look forward to welcoming you to The NEW Gables.