Saracens manage to break their target
Bath Saracens kept themselves busy during the second lockdown, whilst trying to raise money for a worthy cause.
One of the club’s younger committee members came up with the idea to keep players engaged and training independently by planning to match the 450 points the club scored in the league last season by running the same distance in miles.
The club was able to promote the challenge through their social media outlets and also set up a Just Giving page with an initial target of reaching £500 to donate to the MIND charity. The challenge proved extremely popular with the squad and were able to meet their target whilst also currently raising just over £1,000. For more information, or to donate, visit justgiving. com/fundraising/matthew-tomessmith.
Following the premature end to last season, Bath Saracens were crowned champions of their league and were looking forward to the new season in a higher division. With hopes that the season could have began before the start of the year, the club was excited for the challenge on the pitch.
Unfortunately the excitement had to be put on hold when the RFU announced that domestic league rugby would be cancelled this season before the second lockdown, leaving clubs with potentially over a year without competitive rugby before the 2021 season begins. Although the RFU has been working on a spring league to try
and fill some of the void, subject to the national picture come the new year.
As well as their season, Saracens were forced to cancel their end of season tour to the south coast as well as their end of season awards night and virtually all over social activity, which has been reduced to their AGM and monthly committee meetings taking place via Zoom, with a few other virtual catch-ups.
After the first lockdown was lifted, players were able to meet in small groups - as allowed by the government and RFU guidelines - to work on fitness. As the staged return progressed, the players were able to begin training properly as a squad, under strict safety rules and using minimal contact.
The session were well-attended
by members and, before the second lockdown, the club was in the process of arranging some minimal contact fixtures with other clubs, using the RFU’S Ready4rugby rules. But unfortunately that was soon dashed for the second lockdown.
Fixture and match secretary Rob Lawrence said: “For all community rugby clubs up and down the country, this has been an extremely frustrating year. However needs must and the health and safety of everyone involved has to take priority.
“The RFU have communicated very effectively and have provided regular updates giving clear guidelines as to what we can and can’t do. Subsequently we look forward to returning to competitive rugby as soon as possible.”