Progess with scope to improve

TERRANCE ROBSON NOT having a match last weekend Macclesfield fourth team captain Ryan Brown sat down and appraised the first half of the season.

He agreed with his vice captain Jeremy Bostock that there had been very good progress in team building, but there were many aspects to further improve.

They both liked the manner which allows the experience in the team to combine with the younger players and help them mature into what we all hope will eventually help the youngsters aspire into first team squad members.

Bostock, himself a senior players along with his former Kings School class mates Paul Smith and Simon Street and others of similar vintage include Jason Walker, Nick Smith, Andrew Foster and Geoff Chan are able to coach and guide Ben Higginbotham, Alfie Wright, Guillaume Janine and Matt Price who are all enjoying stepping up to senior status.

The fourth team is in many ways the second most important side within the club. They recruit and mature players to develop skills and provide a very important link between schoolboy/ colts levels into playing alongside men and also assimilate the importance of the social side of the game.

All rugby clubs are experiencing a shortage of players. Schools are not including the sport in their curriculum so the old feeder systems are now in the hands of clubs to maintain their Under 7s, Under 8s, under 10s right through to colts.

The game is very strong in the Gallagher Premiership, the recent injection of £200 million has shown.

Hopefully grass roots clubs like Macclesfield will benefit from a trickle down of finances to inspire future generations.