Walcot sign Truespeed as sponsor
Walcot RFC has announced Bath-based Truespeed as the club’s new headline sponsor.
The collaboration unites the club’s and local company’s community-led values which aims to amplify the invaluable support Walcot provides to its players and the wider Bath community.
The partnership aims to promote inclusivity in rugby whilst helping Walcot RFC continue its key role in successfully enabling amateur rugby activities to many of Bath’s local residents. Walcot RFC is a strong advocate of sporting inclusivity and teamwork, and promoting the physical and mental health benefits of sports.
The partnership with local, community focused company Truespeed will help Walcot RFC achieve its aim of enabling players of all ages, genders and abilities to thrive in a supportive and fun sporting environment.
Neil Meade, chair of Walcot RFC, saidl “We are delighted to be working with Truespeed, whose support will be invaluable in helping us to sustain and grow our community focused rugby activities.
“We really value their focus and commitment, and it will help us to expand and grow our inclusive approach to sport for the local community.”
Neil Rogers, Truespeed head of residential sales, added: “Supporting people and local communities has always been at the forefont of Truespeed’s ethos. Seeing the integral role Walcot RFC plays in the community, we wanted to help the much loved club continue providing the sporting and social opportunities it gives to so many of Bath’s younger generation.”
The partnership involves providing new playing kit for Walcot senior, youth and mixed ability teams; support in the regeneration of the clubhouse; new signage throughout the pitches, grounds and clubhouse; and practical support for teams like the mixed ability Walcot Warriors.
■ AVONVALE welcomed Combe Down to the Crown Field on a very wet day and credit must go to both teams for trying to play entertaining rugby.
First points went to Down as Josh Ridewood sprinted onto a short pass to score under the posts. Five minutes later, Down were 10-0 up with a penalty. Vale came back at Down and fly-half Sam Fellowes charged down an attempted clearance and touched down under the posts. He also converted.
Down then started to cut loose
and scored a well-worked try from a scrum and then their winger danced round a few tackles near the touchline and dotted down to give Down a 22-10 half-time lead. Down started the second half and scored another try to make it 27-10.
The Vale supporters were fearing a 40-point drubbing, but the team rose magnificently to the challenge and started to pressurise the Down defence. Winger Carter cut through two tackles to score, with Fellowes adding the extras.
Now, with their tails up, Vale strung together some great play and eventually got a penalty which they put into the corner. From the lineout, Vale drove over the line
with hooker Johnny Keepen getting the touchdown, the conversion from wide out was just missed to bring the scores to 27-22.
However hard they tried, Vale could not get the vital score to draw level and it was a much relieved Down side that greeted the final whistle.
After the game, Vale coach Dave Gearge said: “We could have gone down by a lot of points early in the second half but the lads showed great determination to take the fight back to the opposition”
Vale are away at Corsham next Saturday. Vale are also trying to get their second team up and running and are looking to play one game a month so are asking old and new players to get themselves available to get these matches on.
■ AVON For the second week running, killer blows either side of halftime left Avon chasing the game and had to eventually settle for another losing bonus point in a 19-14 loss away to Imperial.
It had all started with so well as Avon burst out of the blocks with an outstanding try in the first two minutes. A well-rehearsed backs move split Imps’ defence and prolific winger Iain Parris showed a clean pair of heels as he scorched through to touch down under the posts. Jonny Batchelor added the extras.
Imperial grew into the game, playing down the slope, and started to exert pressure which resulted in an unconverted try after ten minutes.
In the rainy conditions, Avon were guilty of trying to play too much pretty rugby which didn’t really get anywhere with the greasy ball.
Third-placed Imperial meanwhile adopted a more effective, pragmatic style in an attempt to cut down their mistakes and force Avon errors. With prop Chris Mutlow forced to leave the field and Ben Hurd filling in admirably in the front row, only determined defence
with Escher Le Duq and Will Hayward to the fore kept Imps out.
Then, in first half injury time, two close quarter scrums tied in the defence, allowing Imperial to take the lead with a converted try. Avon’s nemesis struck immediately after half-time as they failed to deal cleanly with the restart and Imperial capitalised with another converted try. This 14 point swing ultimately proved decisive.
With Avon having five first choice backs unavailable, it wasn’t surprising that their focus in the worsening conditions was on the pack, although special credit was due to versatile 41-year-old stalwart Damo Sawyer who stepped in with aplomb at scrum-half.
Forward charges from Dan Cousineau, Josh Hiscott and Ben May suddenly put Avon on the front foot as they camped inside the home 22 and pounded the line. Eventually the pressure told and the ball was switched to the blind-side from another dominant scrum for Parris to saunter over for his second try.
Avon launched all out attacks inside the last five minutes but were denied by a determined home defence which saw Imperial clinch their fourth win from five games. Next week Avon host Westonsuper-mare 2nd at Hicks Field.
■ BATH SARACENS had a difficult afternoon when they travelled to Amesbury for their first away league game of the season.
Having arrived with only the bare 15 players due to injuries and unavailability, the situation worsened when they found themselves down to 14 before half-time. Two more second half injuries saw them finish the match with only 12 players on the pitch.
Whilst they conceded six tries, their diminished numbers put up a valiant defensive effort and didn’t concede a single point in the final quarter. Sarries now need to regroup ready for this weekend when Wheatsheaf Cabin Crew RFC from Salisbury visit the Sulis Club.