Grass-roots news

MASONIC TONIC

It’s welcome to Warwickshire Masonic, a new club based at Spartans RFC, north of Birmingham. Secretary Rab Cooper said: “It’s designed primarily for existing Freemasons to play charity games against local clubs and similar masonic teams. But we’re fully inclusive and many non-Freemasons have joined us. We’re aiming to have six to eight matches each year and are recruiting adult male players. Anyone who comes to us with a positive have-a-go attitude will be guaranteed game time.”

Broader plans are afoot. Other masonic clubs in existence are West Lancashire, Buckinghamshire, London Mark, Wales and Leicestershire & Rutland. Cooper said: “We’ll be playing one-off fixtures but hope to set up a friendly county championship next year with an England-Wales match as the finale.”

GRAND DESIGN

It’s also onwards and upwards for ground-breaking Kenilworth, who will relocate from Glasshouse Lane, their home for 74 years, to purpose-built headquarters for the 2022-23 season. With planning approval granted, the Midlands One West club will acquire four full-size grass pitches, two junior ones, a 3G pitch, physio suite, gym, bars, cafés and function rooms at the new site.

Dave Ellis, the former France defence coach, made a big impact as Kenilworth’s head honcho in recent times before departing last summer. The Blue and Golds won the Two West (South) title and the RFU Intermediate Cup in 2019, and narrowly missed a second successive promotion last April.

Looking ahead, Kerry Kirwan, chairman of a mini-junior section that has 350-plus members, said: “Our youngsters will have some of the best facilities in the region to continue their rugby journey.”

TAKE A SEAT

Hartlepool Rovers have come a long way in their 142-year history and 59 of the 75 available seats in their latest innovation, the ‘New Oakes Stand’, have already been sold. A third of them are in memory of loved ones and the rest have been purchased by people in their own name. Chester and Joshua Sainty are the youngest. Joshua, five, is already a life member while Chester was born three months ago.

Poignantly, Rovers’ players not only paid for a seat dedicated to Andrew Arnell, a much-loved coach and scrum-half who died in January aged

42, but funded another for his son Daniel, a current U16 player.

Secretary Ian Smith, 48 years with Rovers, said: “The stand has been on our ‘to do’ list for four years. It was provided mainly by the generosity of our new chief executive Alby Pattison, with technical support from Kevin Byrne, of sponsors Seymour Civil Engineering.”

FOND MEMORIES

Rubbing shoulders with the elite evokes nostalgic times and Basingstoke are fondly looking back 30 years to when the England World Cup squad trained at their Down Grange ground.

Chair of clubhouse Steve Appleby said: “Famous names such as Will Carling, Brian Moore, Jason Leonard, Rory Underwood, Jeremy Guscott and Rob Andrew were here. Our junior players benefited greatly when the squad joined the youngsters’ Sunday morning session.

“Before they left, we hired a marquee for a dinner that attracted 200 people. England manager Geoff Cooke and the whole squad mingled with club members to say thank you and good luck.”

HOME RUN

Maidstone were relegated to London Three South-East last spring after losing all 17 matches but brighter times lie ahead at the picturesque Mote Ground.

Founded in 1880, the club has finalised a new lease with the Mote Trustees that will enable them to play there for at least the next 15 years. It has been their home since 1957 and staged many memorable matches, including national cup games against London Scottish,

Irish and Welsh in the 1970s and 1980s.

RAISING THEIR GAME

Members of National Two North club

Wharfedale have been busy fundraising, with former first-team captain Richard Rhodes and his wife Megan to the fore.

They have raised more than £14,000 for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund that supports the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit. They want to show their appreciation to the cardiology team that has supported their daughter Bella, who was born last July and has been battling congenital heart disease.

Another Wharfedale pair, Duncan Bullough and Robin Hargreaves, received a personal ‘thank you’ from former Scotland flanker John Jeffrey

after contributing £8,390 to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation following a gruelling 35-day rowing and running challenge. Their endeavours were in memory of former ’Dale fly-half Chris Davies, who died from motor neurone disease at the age of 40 in 2003.

WALKING ON SUNSHINE

Manor Park, a Midlands Three West (South) club based in Nuneaton, have relished their ‘walking rugby’ sessions. Spokesman Neil Wilson said: “Just the thought of throwing a rugby ball around lifted our spirits. Reconnecting with old team-mates and making new friends helped us mentally.”

Darren Joyce launched the initiative in October 2019 to encourage retired players to get moving and Park quickly had

28 regular participants. Wilson added: “When we resume, we’d like to invite a few members from other clubs. Hopefully they would then start their own section.”

THE EXTRA MILES

Once Covid restrictions are lifted, Bradford Grammar School will hatch an ambitious plan to play in South Africa. Five teams from the renowned rugby nursery aim to trek a combined total of 7,999 miles, the distance from the school to their intended tour base. Any physical exertion counts, including skiing, kayaking and horse riding. The money raised will go to the Rugby Parents Association that funds many things that benefit the school’s overall rugby experience.

TOKYO TARGET

Old Redcliffians, of South-West Premier, are targeting a cash boost for critical upgrades at the club as well as Bristol Mind, a mental health charity. To accrue the money, Reds are enlisting the help of anyone connected to the club to contribute to the 8,218-mile distance from their ground at Scotland Lane to Tokyo, the scheduled host city for the Olympic Games this summer. People can walk, run, cycle, swim…

HOWE’S WAY

Pete Howe is the new head of strength and conditioning at National One club Plymouth Albion. He served in the Royal Marine Commandos and has owned his own gym for ten years.

Howe said: “Initially we’ve created a performance assessment platform at Albion to give an insight into each player’s fitness and personal bio. We are going to set really high levels.”

ROBSON’S RISE

There’s a major opportunity for Andre Robson, 20, a product of Durham

School and the Yorkshire Carnegie Academy who is joining Championship club Bedford Blues. Robson, a centre/ wing from Easingwold near York, has impressed Blues DoR Mike Rayer, who said: “He’s very athletic with a great attitude and a thirst to learn and grow.”

NEW RECRUITS

DMP Durham Sharks, struggling at the foot of the Allianz Premier 15s table, have added Rob Vickers and Jake Rodgers to their coaching team.

Vickers, a former Newcastle and England Saxons prop, has become performance manager. Rodgers, 22, is now assistant coach, alongside his duties with the Northumbria women’s squad and playing fly-half for Tynedale in National Two North.

BLISS FOR DISS

Diss were delighted with the selection of Wasps prop Tom West in England’s

Six Nations squad. Radley-educated West, 25, a member of the London Two North-East club’s mini-junior section up to the age of 15, was in England’s U20 World Championship-winning squad five years ago. He said: “Diss is the first place I picked up a ball. People behind the scenes run the club amazingly well.”

HAPPY MEALS

National Two South club Hinckley and Chinnor, of National One, are both showing their community spirit by supplying free meals to local residents.

Hinckley donated 500 a day for a week from Monday to Friday to children and families needing help. Chairman John Tilley said: “We couldn’t sit idly by while large numbers of people were under the pump.” All Hinckley’s sponsors contributed to the cost, with DPD, their main one, providing an extra £1,000.

Chinnor’s food delivery project from their Kingsey Road kitchen is intended to extend beyond the pandemic.

SAD LOSS

Newark were saddened by the death of John Coles, 74, the Midlands Two East (North) club’s president in 2018-19, their centenary season. His involvement spanned 50-plus years as a flanker, club captain and official, and his business acumen helped to finance the recent clubhouse rebuild. When completed, the main room was named ‘The Coles Bar’ to acknowledge his contribution.