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Weekend Preview 15th November Flipbook PDF
Weekend Preview 15th November
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SHELFORD
RUGBY
CLUB
WEEKEND PREVIEW
Friday 15th November Number 82
WELCOME
By Rory Finlayson, Club President
Welcome to the 82nd edition of Weekend Preview. This week sees the first visit to The Davey Field of Old Priorians. Let’s give the visitors from Perivale a warm Peacock welcome but not too welcoming and send them away with a defeat. Whilst the fortunes of the Men’s 1st XV might not be where we want them, many other aspects on the playing side are in rude health. Friday night sees the 3rd XV taking on Cantabs 2nds, Saturday, the Men’s 1st XV, Nomads and 4th XV are all playing and then on Sunday The Women’s 1st XV take on Lutterworth. Intersperce this with a curtain-raiser game(Nat West Vase Round 4) between Hills Road and Langley School. The Hills Road team includes many exciting local young players, so please come along early and get a glimpse of tomorrow’s 1st XV players. You will have another opportunity to see the areas burgeoning talent when Cotterill’s Shelford Academy (U23) take on Cambridge University Colleges on Wednesday on The AGP (K.O:7.30). So we have all this rugby going on and we have not mentioned our youth section (over 450) who are either training or playing every Sunday. Let’s continue to put in all the hard work that makes the club we love successful on all fronts. Rory Finlayson Club President Shelford Rugby Club
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES MEN WOMEN 1st XV Home v Old Priorians
1st XV Away v Lutterworth
Nomads Away v Rochford II
Nomads No Game
3rd XV Home v Cantabs II 4th XV Home v Ely II 5th XV No Game
GIRLS Under 18s Away v Bishops Stortford Under 15s Training
MINI
Under 13s Training
Under 12s Home v Wendens Ambo
BOYS
Under 11s Away v Huntingdon
Colts Training
Under 10s Home v Wendens Ambo
Under 16s Home v St Ives
Under 9s Home v Wendens Ambo
Under 15s Away v Peterborough/Luton
Under 8s Home v Wendens Ambo
Under 14s Away v Letchworth
Under 7s Home v Wendens Ambo
Under 13s Home v Cambs County Festival
Under 6s Training
MENS RUGBY 1ST XV
SOUTHEND REVIEW A very promising second half performance by Shelford could and should be a springboard to give them some confidence heading into the most important period of their season. On the back of 4 straight losses, even the most optimistic of Peacock supporters could have been forgiven for not holding out much hope against a top 3 side in the shape of Southend, and ultimately that’s what came about in a 4521 loss, but a spirited second half performance saw them almost get something out of the game as they searched for the elusive 4th try late on in the game. Southend’s big pack laid a solid platform for their impressive back line in the first half, and they were a threat from the kick-off immediately putting Shelford’s defence under pressure. Shelford were penalised for being offside, which was missed by fly half Ben Lloyd, but he made amends a few minutes later, as a late hit on him after his nudge through put Southend ahead 3-0 after 10 minutes of play. Lloyd then put in a fine cross field kick for centre Chris Vaughan to gather on the full and charge over for an 8-0 lead after 15 minutes. Shelford then managed to a get a foothold in the game, as Southend were penalised firstly for holding on and then secondly for being offside, but both long range efforts by Lewis Cracknell went agonisingly just wide. After 25 minutes, Shelford were very much in the game at 8 points down.
Things started to unravel for Shelford though in the final 15 minutes of the half, as firstly Harry Rogerson was yellow carded for being in at the side of a ruck, which considering the offence was on the halfway line, looked a bit harsh on Rogerson. The resultant penalty was kicked to the corner and a neat lineout routine saw Southend hooker Danny Knight score in the corner, 13-0. Soon after, another Southend penalty went into the opposite corner, but this time a catch and drive by their heavyweight pack resulted in their big loose head Collen Smith going over the line, 18-0. Shelford’s miserable end to the half was completed by a slick Southend backs move, which saw their winger Tom Day dive over in the corner, for their 4th & BP try on the stroke of half-time, and with a 23-0 lead, things were potentially looking a bit bleak for the Peacocks. Shelford to their credit, came out for the second half really positively, and after good phases and continuity, Southend were penalised for being offside. The penalty was kicked to the corner, Shelford’s lineout drive was stopped short before the ball was zipped wide for impressive teenager Jack Biard to go over the line, converted by Cracknell, 23-7.
MENS RUGBY Shelford continued to have the confidence to attack with ball in hand, and a superb chip over and regather an onrushing Southend defence by Tukzz Naulusalasaw saw him break away for what would have been a fine solo try, but his generosity got the better of him as he passed onto the supporting Mike Gillick to dot down a superb try, converted by Cracknell, 35-21.
Shelford had now got their tails up and went on the attack again with a fine break from another youngster Luca Martinelli, which set up a great field position for the Peacocks. Southend were penalised with a yellow card for their captain and ex-Peacock Ian Morrison for a blatant and obvious ‘in at the side’ at the resultant ruck, but this was also a culmination of offences of the pressure built by Shelford. Shelford continued to attack with ball in hand and putting Southend on the back foot, but an attempted kick through to go behind the Southend defence ended up ricocheting off one of their backs for them to go the length of the field and score under the posts, 30-7. This was a game changer, as from the kick-off the ball went through Southend hands for their winger Tom Richards to go over in the corner, 35-7. This was a cruel couple of minutes for Shelford, who could quite easily have been back in the game at 23-14 if things had gone differently… Heads could have easily dropped at that point, but Shelford rallied themselves again, and from an attacking lineout that didn’t go exactly to plan, the ball looped over the intended catcher to thankfully fall into the arms of Louis Mann to crash over the line, converted by Cracknell, 35-14.
Shelford were now in shouting distance of 2 potential bonus points, but from a scrum on their 10 metre line, they were penalised for wheeling the scrum, and with Southend realising Shelford were starting to breathe down their necks, took the pragmatic option of going for the posts, which Ben Lloyd slotted, 38-21. Southend finished the scoring from a fine break by their impressive 2nd rower Will Cooper, who offloaded out of the tackle to no. 8 Matt Wagstaff to cross the line under the posts, converted by Lloyd, 45-21. Shelford pushed hard for a BP try, but a forward pass ended their attempt and with it the game. Shelford should take huge encouragement from this game, pushing Southend’s weighty pack all the way. The Peacock forwards held their own in the set piece all afternoon, and the second half performance of Shelford’s back line should give them the confidence that they’re capable of worrying any team in this league, given a platform to work from as they did have in that second half. Cut out the small errors, and Shelford could have easily taken something from this game. Submitted by Steve Cracknell
MENS RUGBY OLD PRIORIANS PREVIEW
Collective endeavour : Let’s be frank , it’s not gone well to date . Is it the coaching message , is it bad luck, is it individual poor performances or is it the much shared issue across clubs of key injuries? The answer is it’s a combination of all those things. So what I have done to address the things I can, control the controllable. As a coaching team we have focussed on certain facets of our play rather than the bigger picture, individuals have been talked to and challenged to work on the parts of their game that is not quite functioning and whilst it’s not controllable the injury misery is slowly resolving itself. The really positive part of
recent weeks has been the response of the players. They have worked hard as a group to set standards, focus on the messages and collectively fight for their mates and club to improve results. A major factor for the lads this Saturday will be the voice of our friends on the side line. We all know how disappointed many of you must be but with your continued support and the points mentioned above the Peacock cab strut again.
MEN’S RUGBY MENS RUGBY SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER
SHELFORD v OLD PRIORIANS | KICK OFF 3:00 PM
1
Scott Jackowski (189)
2
Will Corrigan (4)
3
Mobashar Mahmood (9) Sponsored by Scuse Me
4
Doug Finlayson (48)
5
Brad Baker (6)
6
Luca Martinelli (18)
7
Jack Elston (7)
8
Aki Lea (192)
Sponsored by Cambridge Lakes Golf Course
9
James Mepham (20)
Sponsored by Cambridge Cider Company
10
Jack Biard (13)
Sponsored by Pringle Farm
11
Alex Long (18)
Sponsored by HR Millen Ltd
12
Vilive Koroibanuve (8)
13
Tukzz Naulusala (5)
14
Shingai Chiwanga (182) Sponsored by Cantab Asset Management
15
Lewis Cracknell (62)
16
Owen Miller (8)
17
Jordan Freer (3)
18
Charlie Baker (217)
()
Denotes number of appearances
Sponsored by Anroe Electrical
Sponsored by John Penny Woodworking Machinery
Sponsored by Cambridge Environmental Services
STAT CORNER All season, thanks to research being conducted at Anglia Ruskin University, the 1st XV have played with GPS trackers in their shirts. Here’s a look at some of the stats from last week’s game against Southend
DISTANCE RUN (m) 1. James Mepham 2. Lewis Cracknell 3. Jack Elston 4. Will Corrigan 5. Luca Martinelli
6,775 5,855 5,627 5,583 5,480
MAXIMUM SPEED (m/s) 1. Lewis Cracknell 2. Shingai Chiwanga 3. Jack Biard 4. Tukkz Naulusala 5. Vilive Koroibanuve
8.6 8.6 8.6 8.2 8.1
UPCOMING EVENTS SHELFORD
RUGBY
CLUB‘S
C MEDY NIGHT FRIDAY 22ND NOVEMBER Compèred by JULIET MEYERS BAR OPENS 7PM ACTS START 8:30PM | TICKETS £12 tinyurl.com/yyhhl7lh Tickets Come and enjoy an evening of fun at our Comedy Night, hosted by a professional compere and featuring performances from 3 fantastic comedians. Bar open before/after acts and during intervals Why not order a sharing platter with your tickets for £10 Or Camembert and Fresh Bread for £5
HEADLINER
EL BALDINIHO
HANNAH SILVESTER
MARKUS BIRDMAN
Contact Suzanne for more information | [email protected] | 07534267526
MENS RUGBY 3RD XV
The Mighty threes against Bury St Edmunds Saturday can only mean one thing, game day with the team having a break from playing it was important to get back to winning ways. We travel in the minibus with a small team but morale high, when we arrived we spoke to the captain of Bury about using some players so we could play a fair game. We were given three players. We knew this game would be hard match due to recent encounters. We were missing a front row so a few players stepped up to play in the row with Damien Thomson playing hooker which is a new role for this man, winning all of our scrum with put us on the front foot, we found it hard to get the front foot in the game with Bury St Edmunds playing very well and a man advantage for the whole game. In the first 10 minutes we made it difficult for them to score but we could only hold then for too long, with then scoring on the overlap. During the first half we spent some time in the opponent’s 22 but nothing came for it. Having some very big carried from Scotty Brand and Tomas Franklin help the team gain some key ground but could not get on the score sheet. Until some really team play and down the middle and finished off with some good play by the back with some simple hand giving Frank Lewis a ran for the line and beaten the opposite winger and score in the corner, well finished try.
During the second half Bury St Edmunds added some fresh legs to the game given then a stronger hold in the game, but playing the Peacock rugby that supports like to see we held then off for sometime but fitness and fresh leg can in play and Bury St Edmunds keep adding to the score with some really well team play. Shelford would have the last say in the game with is always positive with Scooty Brand again making some ground before Nico Dvllrs scoring in the corner. Given a third team debut to Ted Phillips at scrum half, who played a very good match and making a statement on why he should play regularly. Aslo having Will Woodgate at fly half with his show and go leaving Bury clueless about how to deal with him. The game finished 65-10 to a Bury St Edmunds but overall the game was a good match for both supports and players. Man of the Match: Scotty Brand
MENS RUGBY 4TH XV
The 4th team now have to be cunning linguists with our new to rugby recruits from the language colleges. Nico, Romain and Kevin Wu all got on and all stepped up! Kevin got volunteered for a drinking competition and did us proud. With a team and our students on the bench we travelled to Mildenhall. We expected a wet miserable day but the sun was out making it a perfect day for rugby. Due to Remembrance Sunday this weekend we started with a minutes silence to remember the fallen. This was a somber affair only disturbed by two muppets that came to spectate but didn’t realise what was going on! First time as Captain of the 4ths and we won the toss! We picked ends so they kicked to us and Mildenhall showed they were nervous by not kicking 5 scrum to Shelford. With two new props who only trained with us we stepped up and scared the living shit out of the opposition by driving them back 3m. The ball went into the centres and as we got up from the scrum there was a thunder clap as our very own Captain America Kyle smashed into their back line! They had a full bench with 23 this contact meant the first substitution of the game after 2mins! Mildenhall are a one team club, which means they are well drilled and train twice a week so this was always going to be a hard fought contest. They scored a try and our excellent fly half George Dean stepped up and slotted a penalty. They managed another try before Shelford had sustained pressure on their line with serval powerful scrums powered by Tom Houghton and Richard Dabreo. These ended in several penalties which disappointedly the ref did not give the penalty try we deserved! We did come away with a try scored by one our handsome backs....
With sustained pressure at the scrums they ended up with a player in the bin and we piled on the pressure! Half Lee A Coney who swears he scored the try but the ref was just to far away to give it! Another tap penalty saw Chris Emberson crash over. They scored 2 tries from 5 out in the next 10mins and this would of been more unless our tackling machine Will McGarry hadn’t stopped them cold! Captain America Kyle scored another for Shelford and would of had another with a clean break from a tap but the ref called us back for a head injury 20m from the play! It was great to see Half George Pettit leaping like a salmon just a pity the hooker could hit the mark, there were also some great carries from the stalwart! Tom Jury had a torrid time at the line out and ruck one because of the hookers poor arm the other due to pressure from the opposition but he stood firm and worked hard! The final result was 38-27 loss but I actually came off the pitch with a smile on my face everyone did the shirt proud. Please make yourselves available for our game next weekend at home against Ely! Very happy and humble John Clements.
WOMENS RUGBY
1ST XV LUTTERWORTH PREVIEW Shelford women travel to Lutterworth this weekend knowing a win will see them leapfrog their opponents into second place. After a strong start to the season built upon a 100% home record, the Peacocks will be looking to improve their away form on Sunday. The same fixture last season saw shelford narrowly edge the opposition 7-5 with the crucial try coming from Chloe Drew, who has since departed for uganda.
A handful of experienced players kept Lutterworth in the game by disrupting the shelford attack and launching counterattacks at key times. This time the peacocks come into the game more savvy, looking to move the ball around but also knowing when to tighten up and play the percentages. Elsewhere, the Peacocks have continued to represent, with vice-captain Leanne robinson playing for the Major Stanley’s XV, an invitational side who play an annual fixture against oxford university ahead of Varsoty selection. Playing second row, she scored a try in a narrow 14-10 defeat. As coaches, it is fantastic to see members of the team improving week on week and earning the opportunity to be a part of representational sides such as the Major Stanley’s.
WOMENS RUGBY SUNDAY 17TH NOVEMBER
LUTTERWORTH v SHELFORD | KICK OFF 3:00 PM
1
Nat Jones
2
Georgie Harris
3
Molly Wells
4
Abby Skinner
5
Roks Dutkiewicz
6
Helen Lambert
7
Berts Gleize (VC)
8
Rose Bradshaw
9
Amy Rice
10
Jess Norris
11
Aimee Blair
12
Zoe Woodhams (C)
13
Rachel Myers
14
Danni Busby
15
Chloe Houston
16
Verena Zyka
17
Charlie Mclaughlin
18
Lesley Sonnen
19
Harriet Scott-Mufitt
20
Emma Pope
21
Niamh Finlayson
CLUB NEWS
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Peacocks are a naturally passionate creature, but something must be in the air as it seems many peacocks and former peacocks are getting engaged at the moment. Congratulations to:
MEET OLI WATTS
Wes & Rhiannan
Oli Watts has been travelling for the last year and is currently loving living out in Whistler, Canada. He’s been playing for a rugby team out there called the Squamish Axemen, which in his words has been class as he can ski and play rugby in the same day... not many places in the world you can do that. Oli even got to represent the Vancouver Rugby regional team at the end of the season! When did you first join the peacock ranks? I first came to the club at 16, so that takes it back to 2011?
Tom & Leah
What’s your best memory as a peacock? My best memory would probably be getting asked to play my first 1st XV game for the club. Of all the colours in a peacock’s tail, which one is your favourite? Blue because it’s my favourite colour and brings out my eyes - lol! If you could draft any player past or present into the current peacocks team, who would it be? It would be Tom Curry in the back row after his World Cup performances. Do you know any feather-themed jokes? Unfortunately I don’t have a feather home for you haha!Oli Watts has been travelling for the last year
Harry & Kelly
PRIVATE ACCOUNTING
Time and care in building client relationships. Providing bespoke accountancy and tax services to private clients and their businesses for 40 years. Wishing Shelford Rugby Club another strong and successful season.
Tackling your tax and accounting requirements Please call, email or drop into the office to see if we can help. 5 High Green, Great Shelford, Cambridge CB22 5EG [email protected]
01223 843324
www.tayabali-white.co.uk
WHAT‘S ON A T S H E L F O R D R U G B Y C L U B 2019/20 12 OCT
2 NOV
27 DEC
OKTOBERFEST
FIREWORKS DISPLAY
CHRISTMAS MATCH UP
Starting at 6PM Get your lederhosen on. full stein of beer on arrival, traditional music and German food available. Tickets cost £15
Starting at 7PM Let’s light it up with a fantastic fireworks display, featuring food vans, raffles and more fun and games. Tickets cost £3
Starting at 6PM Get your rugby fix during the festive season as Shelford’s uni leavers and old faces pull their boots back on. FREE
15 FEB
21 MAR
16 MAY
VALENTINE’S DINNER
LADIES DAY
SHELFORD 7s
Starting at 7PM One for the single ladies, find love at our 3 course meal served by butlers in the buff. Tickets cost £25
Starting at 12PM Get the fascinators ready and enjoy a glamorous day of style and rugby with a 3 course meal. Tickets cost £25
Starting at 10AM The 7s season returns to The Davey Field, featuring Men’s Open, Women’s Open and Men’s Social categories. Team entry costs £50
11 JUN
11 JUL
2 AUG
1 NOV
7 FEB
1 MAY
GIN TASTING Throughout the year, we’ll put on 4 Gin Tasting masterclasses. Each one brought to you by a different distillery.
NETWORKING DAY
FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL
Starting at 6PM Broaden your local business contacts and meet lots of like-minded people at our business networking event. Tickets cost £15
Starting at 6PM Our popular Food and Drink Festival returns for its 3rd year, with great local vendors and music. Tickets cost £3
Buy tickets for individual sessions or become a member of our Gin Club and get access to all 4. Tickets cost £25 Membership costs £75
YOUTH RUGBY UNDER 15s
The game commenced after the Remembrance Day duties had been completed, the majority of the game was closely fought, with territory losses and gains on both sides. Shelford were the first to score with Kyal Edmonds driving over from a close quarters after a teammate had been tackled just short of the try line. Fraser Christie converting. Shelford continued to battle on, met with near equal resistance from the Bury team. Once more Shelford had marched on, reaching the 5 metre line where the Bury defence then infringed at the breakdown and the ref awarded a penalty. Berty Dmetriev picked up the ball, quick tap, and took his opportunity to surprise Bury. Christie converted once more. Just before the break Bury too made gains all the way up to the 5 metre line. Once again a penalty went against the defending team and Bury made
off with a ‘quick tap and go’. Tackled just short of the Shelford line, Bury recycled swiftly to drive over on the second phase close to the posts. Bury converted and half time was blown. Half time score 147. Second half began and the rest of the game was played with Shelford, only fleetingly, getting out of their own half, and a great deal of that inside their ‘22’. But Bury were unable to capitalise on this. Frustratingly, neither side scored, so the game finished at Shelford 14, Bury St Edmonds 7.
YOUTH RUGBY again some excellent counter-attacking rugby from the home side and some good pace in the midfield punctured the Shelford defence and Bury extended their lead through an unconverted score out wide just before half-time.
Shelford always knew they would have a real challenge on their hands playing Bury at their home after having narrowly lost to them at The Davey Field last month. It was a glorious autumn day and after a minute’s silence to mark Remembrance Sunday the game got off to a very fast paced start. The visitors were under pressure from the off and spent most of the opening few minutes camped in their own 22. They didn’t help themselves by conceding a number of penatlies at the breakdown, and after about the fourth offence Bury opted to kick for goal. Despite falling behind Shelford’s defence was holding strong but in a flash missed tackles cost them dear as they quickly conceded two converted scores. Staring down the wrong of a 17-0 scoreline Shelford did start to put some decent phases of play together but all too often they coughed up possesion, most notably from a powerful rolling maul in the opposition 22. Once
The second half got off to a familiar start with Bury scoring quickly yet again from turnover ball in midfield to extend their lead to 29-0. To their credit Shelford kept at it albeit they were coming second in most facets of the game. A rare Shelford turnover was awarded with a penalty and Harvey Taylor made good ground with the kick deep into the opposition 22. From the line out Shelford again put together another powerful driving maul and Ned Westbrook was on hand at the back to drop down over the try line, Harvey Taylor narrowly missing with the conversion. The score certainly gave the visitors a shot of confidence that they badly needed and the forwards started to exert some real influence, with Will Edwards putting in an outstanding shift around the park. And Shelford’s patient play was rewarded again through a powerful run by Kyle Harris to score, Harvey Taylor adding the extras. Just when the visitors could have got on a role, careless penalties gave Bury the space to use their electric pace to score two further breakaway tries to complete a deserved 43-12 victory.
COTTERILL’S
COACHING
CLINIC
RDO: Will Cotterill
Block Skills Training in Practice Following on from last weeks article on using block practice for skill development I have chosen this video as a good example to highlight the key points mentioned. 1. Players working in 2’s or 3’s gives them plenty of opportunity to get a lot of skill repetitions in during the session. 2. Starting with this basic drill focusing on body shape, foot placement and shoulder contact allows for easy progression of skill into full tackle as the players develop.
Always keep these key points in mind when training skills during block practice session and remember to balance out your block practice sessions with game-based training too. To compliment the skill’s drill above, a game that encouraged lots of tracking and tackling would be a natural choice. I hope everybody enjoys the weekends rugby!
CLUB INFORMATION Membership Information about how to renew memberships is available on the Club’s website or by contacting ShelfordRC@ gmail.com. Membership fees for the new season are: Playing member £150 Playing member with concession £75 Non-playing/Social member £150 Non-playing/Social member with concession £75 Mini/Youth player (1st Child) £150 Mini/Youth player (2nd/3rd Child) £50 VP member £150 VP member with concession £75 Life membership £900 Concessionary membership is available to members of the armed forces, to those older than 65 and to students. All current members should be able to renew their membership through the GMS website and every email you receive from GMS will include a link to the GMS website and the member’s username. Contact [email protected] if you have any problems. This season, no-one will be able to play for the Club after September if they don’t have a fully paid-up membership. This will apply to all teams at the Club.
development of the Club. For just £100 you will get two pre-match lunches and a unique Club tie. For more information contact Andrew Locke (Andrew.locke@ native-land.com). Sponsorship The Club values the support of all our sponsors and some of our sponsors are highlighted in this Preview. Each sponsor’s logo or advertisement is also a hyperlink so if you want more information about the sponsor please click on the link and visit their website. There are multiple sponsorship opportunities available, including matchday sponsorship, pitch side boards, inclusion in the weekend preview, advertising screens, pre-match lunches and much more. For more
Shelford Peacock 100 Club
If you would like more information about sponsorship, or an opportunity to discuss possible options, please contact Duncan Rhead at [email protected].
The Shelford Peacock 100 Club is an opportunity to support the future
The Club Shop The Club shop stocks a wide range of playing kit, off-pitch clothing and other items and is open every 1st XV match day and Sunday mornings from 09:30. The
shop might also be open at other times and information will be posted on the Club website and on Facebook. In addition to the items stocked in the shop, there is also a range of items available at the Club’s online store. If you have any questions about the shop, or ideas for new ranges that might be stocked, contact Anna Biard. Vice Presidents The Rev Nigel Abbot, Chris Atkin, Andrew Baron, Geoff Booth, Bridget Chambers, Tony Clarke, John Clements, Richard Cottam, Ian Coupe, Steve Cracknell, John Crilley, Dai Evans, Ray Fordham, Peter Foster, Stuart Gibson, Ian Giddings, Martin Green, William Hellyer, Rodney Herbert, Dr Ian Hodgkisson, Roger Howlett, Simon Kidney, William King, Mike Kenyon, Canon Michael Law, Geoff Maskell, Nigel Moore, Keith Noakes, Michael Norden, Paul O’Connor, Craig Peden, Richard Priestly, Peter Ramus, Duncan Rhead, Terence A Smith, John Stevens, Simon Taylor, David Thomas, Tim Thomson, Chris Timms, Barry Tiplady, Jeremy Tuck, Adrian Tucker, Alan Upex, Martin Walshe, Duncan Ward, Malcolm Watson.
Honorary Members
Diane Arnold, Mr and Mrs Colin Astin, Peter Baron, Len Baynes, David Beck, Robin Boatman, Sue Boatman, William Bradford, Gilly Bradford, Jackie Burgoyne, Tim Cadman, Chris Collins, Annaleaza Finlayson, Rory Finlayson, Jim Foreman, Christine Jakes, Nick Kotschy, Richard Longdon, Mike B Mills, Hugh Mumford, Gill Palmer, Julia Perry, David Pimblett, Phil Prior, John Ringer, Keith Thomas, Mr and Mrs Paul Wheeler. Life Members Lindsay Anderson, Damon Astin, Kane Astin, Dick Barker, Andy Barnes, Bob Barnes, Larry Bennett, Richard Bensen, Peter Brindle, Jon Brown, Tim Buttimore, Sandra Collins, Lee Coney, Peter Cutmore, Chis Day, Nick Denton, Dave Dunnett, Paul Foster, George Franklin, Stephen Franklin, Thomas Franklin, William Grain, Paul Gray, John Green, Steven Hartley, Dave Hatter, Roger Impey, Huw Jones, Eddie King, Stuart Lingard, Andrew Locke, David Martin, Rob Mauchlin, Jim McNicholas, David Morgan, Alec Motts, Mike Nettleton, David Pearce, Benjamin Rayner, David Reed, Nick Reynolds, Tony Roberts, William Russell, Dave Southby, Brian Stevens, Renate Stevens, Rob Stevens, Robert Todd, Chris Webber, Mike Whibley, Cecil Wilcocks, Mike Wilson.
CLUB HISTORY It is important to remember the Club’s history and to remember all those players, administrators and supporters who have played their part in making Shelford Rugby Club the Club it is today. So where did Shelford Rugby Club come from? The date was 6th October 1933 and the Cambridge Independent Press announced ‘A rugby section of Shelford Amateur Sports Association has been formed. Club colours will be claret vests with white collars’ and the story begins for Shelford Rugby Club. The first ground was loaned to the Club by Mrs Goldsmith-Martin and was close to Shelford Railway station with changing facilities at the nearby Railway Tavern. Captains and Vice-Captains at the time included R A Collard, R P Davey, whose father P L Davey became benefactor and long-standing President to the Club, and T A Arias, who went on to become President of Panama. Teams were put out for Thursday and Saturday games, and press comments reported good progress for the teams, although on one occasion the enthusiasm spilled over with a game between Shelford and Duxford RAF being abandoned after 15 minutes because of rough play. When World War II broke out Club members went their different ways – some never to return. Those who did come back soon got down to the task of rebuilding the Club. An Emergency Committee was formed comprising the following members: P L Davey (President) A A Seymour (Secretary) G Hawes (Match Secretary) L S L Brown (Team Secretary & 1st XV Captain) L Baynes D Webster A fixture list for the 1946-7 season was drawn up and the Recreation Ground in Great Shelford, which had been the Club’s ground before the war, was re-equipped for the coming season. Coinciding with the new era, the Club acquired a new headquarters at the Peacock Inn adjacent to the recreation ground. An advertisement in the Cambridge Daily News to announce that Shelford RUFC was ‘back in business’ and would warmly welcome new players. World news was preoccupied with the Nuremberg Trials and, on the day that the Paris Peace Talks were due to end, Shelford played their first game of the postwar period. They travelled to Norwich with very much an experimental side. Meanwhile, Norwich, with three games under their belt, were one of the strongest sides in the Eastern Counties. It is sad to report that the result reflected this difference in standard with Norwich easily winning 22-0. On the following Saturday the team travelled to Kettering and gave a better account of
Shelford 1st XV 1949-50
themselves, losing by an unconverted try and a penalty goal to nil. The Cambridge Daily News reported that Shelford were desperately unlucky to lose this match as it was they who had most of the play, especially in the second half. Better news was soon at hand when, in their first home game of the season, Shelford drew with Letchworth with each side scoring an unconverted try. This was quickly followed-up by the Club’s first post-war victory against King’s College, winning 5-3. It was unfortunate that this first season was affected by one of the worst winters on record. Blizzards raged all over the country during early January and everywhere remained under a blanket of snow for virtually two months. The thaw that followed did nothing to improve the state of the pitch. After this long lay-off only four fixtures were left to play out for the remainder of the season. Considering the experimental nature of the team, the playing statistics were very credible; playing 19, winning 9, losing 8 and drawing 2, scoring 118 points and conceding 106. During the 1947-8 season the 1st XV, under the captaincy of Roy Davey, played 28 games, of which 11 were won, 14 were lost and 3 drawn, scoring 290 points and conceding 215. Although the side lost to the other two Cambridge Clubs (Cambridge Town and Old Cantabrigians) it made an excellent showing against such strong sides as Northampton ‘A’ and Norwich. This season to be the first one that the Club provided a really full fixture list for a 2nd XV. Of the 24 games they played, 13 were won, 6 were drawn and 5 were lost. The side was captained by George Hawes in their first season. One of the events of the season was an Easter Festival with three matches played on the recreation ground against Westminster Bank, Old Cytringanians and Gidea Park. In the Management Committee report for the 1947-8 season it states ‘our younger players rose notably to the occasion and it promises well for the future of the Club when we such players as Sherman, Binns, King, Haddon, Patterson and Hatten’. 1947-48 saw the formation of the Cambridgeshire Rugby Football Union. This came about through the imagination of Jules Malfroy, Shelford’s representative to the Eastern Counties and Rugby Union. Since its inception members from Shelford have been influential
The opening of the new changing rooms in 1950
on and off the pitch at Eastern Counties. 1949 heralded yet another stage in the in the development of the Club. For the first time in its history, Shelford fielded three sides. Life was beginning to settle down after the war and there was a sudden influx of members. With the increase in membership it soon became apparent that the Club was outgrowing its facilities at the Peacock and negotiations were started with the brewery – Fordham Brothers – with regard to expansion. The problem of where the 3rd XV would play home fixtures was resolved through the generosity of Doug Webster who offered one of his fields at Granhams Farm. A special sub-committee of the 3rd XV was formed who duty it was to clear the field of cows before each game. Another step forward was a proposal by Jules Malfroy that the 1st and 2nd XVs play each other at the end of each season. The winners of this fixture would be presented with the ‘Malfroy Mug’. This game soon became established in the Club’s fixture card. In later years the competition was widened to include all Club members, playing 7-a-side rather than 15-a-side games. In the 1982-83 season steps were taken to revert to the original format. In 1950 the 2nd XV was narrowly beaten by a single point but in 1953 the 2nd XV won the Mug for the first time. It was not until 1962, under the captaincy of H Parish, that the Nomads regained the coveted Mug, defeating a 1st XV captained by Colin Royston. When the Club was in a position to field four sides a new domestic competition was arranged – the Stearn Cup. This was played for annually by members of the 3rd and 4th XVs. The trophy was presented to the Club by Mr N Stearn in memory of those players who gave their lives during the war. Sadly, the Stearn Cup disappeared from the fixture list and it was not until Mike Mills was captaining the 4th XV that efforts were made to reintroduce the annual fixture.
To round off the 1949-50 season the 1st and 2nd XVs were invited to play in Hendon RFC’s annual charity match, with proceeds in aid of the National Playing Fields Association Silver Jubilee Fund. Shelford were entertained in more ways than one when the Crazy Gang made a personal appearance. After shaking hands with the teams, as only the Crazy Gang could, ‘Knox’ went out to kick-off. Shelford went to Hendon knowing that the hosts had just completed their best season ever, having lost only three of their 26 matches. The 1st XV came away with a very credible draw after Reg Martin converted two penalty kicks. To complete a very enjoyable afternoon, the 2nd XV won their match against Hendon ‘A’ 8-0 with tries from Eldred and Bailey with Starte converting. The report on the match records ‘there is no doubt that this ‘A’ side of Shelford is too good for most ‘A’ teams it meets’. The 1950-51 season was the Club’s most successful season since the war. The 1st XV scored notable victories against Cambridge, Norwich, Peterborough (twice) and Guy’s Hospital ‘A’. The first of what was to become an annual Boxing Day fixture against Old Cantabrigians was won 11-0. At the same time, the 2nd XV maintained their record of being unbeaten at home, a record that stretched back to the 1948-49 season. In 1950 Shelford went posh with the opening of new changing rooms adjoining the Peacock Inn. This development was entirely due to the generosity of Mr Herbert Fordham and his brother Mr Russell Fordham, the owners of the Peacock. Up until this time, the changing rooms consisted of an old tin shed on a wooden framework. Mr Fordham opening the new changing rooms on 1950 Reg Martin recalled that the arrangement for the Club to remove the existing facilities while the Fordham brothers would finance the building and equipping of the new accommodation. To quote Reg, ‘we had a sort of demolition squad and we pulled all the tin and framework down, so we all stood in a line, got hold of the wall and shook it and it just collapsed on the ground in a pile of stones’. The new facilities now provided sufficient accommodation and bathing facilities for 60 people. The building work was carried out by Messrs Baynes (Snowy) and Rayment. In officially opening the changing rooms, Mr Herbert Fordham said ‘that it had been a pleasure for him and his brother to have the opportunity of doing something for Rugby Football in Shelford’. In congratulating the architect and builder for overcoming the very serious difficulties caused by the limited site on which they had to work. The spirit within the Club at this time was very high. With the opening of the new changing rooms and the pitch in excellent condition, thanks to the tireless work of Messrs Webster, Baynes and others. Shelford
facilities. Another pitch was added from land provided by Mr Davey in 1972 and floodlights were added in October 1973. There was continued progress in the 1980s and 1990s with Shelford seeing the start of its hugely successful youth section in 1989 which has now provided a large number of players who have gone on to play for the senior sides. The Ladies team in the early 1990s. With the help of Shelford Parish Council, a fourth pitch, the allotment pitch, was added in 1995.
Work began on our Artificial Grass Pitch in 2017
now boasted some of the best facilities in the Eastern Counties. Although the 1st XV had not had a good season, the 2nd XV was very successful. The selection committee came in for some abuse and questions were asked as to why they did not promote some of the 2nd XV players. Their reply was that it was a deliberate policy not to throw some of their most promising young players into the hurly burly of 1st XV rugby until a stage of greater maturity had been reached. That time was now and the Club looked forward to a new 1st XV to compare with the side that represented the Club in the vintage years just before the war. In this period of its history everything seemed rosy for Shelford Rugby Club, apart from one small matter that demanded immediate attention. This was the fact that a considerable time elapsed between the post-match tea and the pub opening at 6pm, sometimes causing the visitors to leave early. It was decided to approach the landlord with a view to an earlier opening time. At the same time a letter was sent to the brewery respectfully requesting a stronger beer! Under the captaincy of Roy Hollings, the 1952-53 season saw the 1st XV reach new heights. The period between November and March did not see a single defeat and undoubtedly the highlight was winning the Eastern Counties 7s at Ipswich. Contemporary reports of this achievement record that it was a ‘rousing performance’ against the best teams in the Eastern Counties. The Club continued to grow during the 1950s and 1960s and in 1965 the Club reached a major milestone when Mr P L Davey honoured the Club by donating the playing fields on Cambridge Road, the Club’s present home. The fields became known as the Davey Field and the official opening of the ground and new clubhouse took place on 19th September 1966. The day was marked with a game against Andy Hancock’s star-studded XV from Northampton. The Club continued to flourish through the 1960s and 1970s from their new home at the Davey Field. On the pitch there was a string of County Cup victories and off the pitch there was continued development of the
Into the new millennium and another milestone was reached with the opening of a new clubhouse with spectator seating. This development was only possible through the determination and hard work of members and with the support of sponsors. To cope with the growth of the Club, further land was bought to add another pitch. This pitch was called ‘Jakes Field’ after the Club’s longstanding Chairman who sadly died in 2002. In recent times, performances on the pitch have gathered pace. The philosophy of introducing key players to add support and experience to local players brought on through the Club’s youth policy has paid dividends. The Club has progressed through the leagues achieving national league rugby. Most notable recent developments include the installation of a 3G artificial grass pitch (AGP) with financial support from the RFU. The new pitch, combined with further developments in the clubhouse, has created an environment for playing and watching rugby at all levels. The facilities at Shelford Rugby Club are amongst the best in Eastern Counties and Shelford is the only side in the region to regularly field five men’s teams. At the end of the 2017-18 season the 3rd, 4th and 5th XVs all won their respective county cup finals in back-to-back games in front of a large crowd on the new 3G pitch. A day that will live long in the memory. This has been only a brief history of Shelford Rugby Club and there is much is missing. This is a work in progress so please send information about anything you think should be added to the history and it will be updated between Previews.
End note
Thanks to all those who contributed to this week’s Preview. Special thanks go to Steven Illingworth, Mike Harris and John Kirkpatrick for their fantastic photographs. If you have any news, reports and photographs you would like to see in a future Preview please send to [email protected].