www.surreyrugby.com ISSUE 64 | SUMMER 2011 SURREY RUGBY SURREY WIN THROUGH TO THE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL AT TWICKENHAM IN THHISIS ISSSSUE...E... Whitgift School triumph at Twickers. Esher News... Richmond Ladies Crowned Champions again. Streatham/Croydon celebrate Whitgift School Page 5 their 140th Anniversary. plusplus mmuchuch mmore...ore... 2 A Message from the President Welcome to Surrey Rugby hat an immense privilege to become President of Surrey Rugby! WI can’t say that I’ve been waiting TakeTake PrPPrideridede ofof youryour long and hard for this because the honour came as a complete surprise to me. CClublub withwitith RBSRBS However, as the 1st Surrey President to serve from my club, Warlingham – I feel RugbyRugby ForceForce extremely proud and privileged. Mitcham RFC Win RBS SURREY RUGBY Rugby Force Award In Surrey, we have north of 25,000 rugby playing participants (Senior and Junior); RBS Rugby Force held an event at it’s nothing short of mammoth. With the Mitcham rugby club in June, after the AAnythingnythingything Interesting?Interestnterestining? recent growing addition of girls, women club were runners-up in the annual and 7’s, it’s becoming quite extraordinary. nationwide community volunteer Please send copy to So, if I have one particular message to programme that helps local rugby clubs Gary Ashburn exalt within the rugby ethos during my to improve their facilities. The £1250 Gary Ashburn, 90 Gravel Hill, term, it would be to support and uphold prize is one of four for runners-up Croydon, Surrey CR0 5BE the amateur game and have fun in doing around England supported by the Rugby so. We’ve undergone rehabilitation and tel: 0208 654 4771 Football Foundation and it will go reconstruction, and returned to core values e: [email protected] towards a much needed redecoration of over the past 2 years, but it’s now time to the clubhouse bar and lounge area, and enjoy the game once again. toilets. “The social area in the clubhouse needs Editor: Gary Ashburn Last season, the Senior County XV a huge spruce-up,” said Damien Contributors: Malcolm Caird, re-entered the County Championship Williams. “We last had a go at it about Paul Agate, Fred Batchelor, Shield competition for the first time in 5 four years ago when we brought in some years and progressed to the final at Andrew Titheridge, Huw Godwin, hand-me-down bits of furniture. Time Twickenham. What a great pleasure for Lee Crabb, John Douglas, has taken its toll and there are a few Nikki Dent, Keith Heal, players and supporting staff alike! Wouldn’t it be good to go one better this cracks here and there. It does look a bit Roger Underwood, Ben Gilby season and win that trophy? of a mess and to redecorate it will make and several others... a great difference for all the members and players who use it every weekend.” Players, coaches, administrators, sponsors, And now you can find a newly decorated supporters, parents, spectators, one and all Mitcham rugby club with the help of all IfIf youyou wwouldouldould likelilike toto bebe – enjoy your rugby. the volunteers at the club. So the next wwithitith time you visit this club just remember, if iinvolvednvolvolveded SSurrey'surrurreyey's your club needs a makeover don't marketingmarketing & communicationcommunication Paul A. Agate hesitate to check out RBS Rugby force tthenhenhen ppleaselease ccontact:ontact: President weekend. [email protected] IInPlaynPlPlay ActionActionction ShotsShots Please supply any article photo’s at the highest quality possible, preferably as jpeg and above 1mb (megabyte) in file size. 3 RugbyRugby atat WarWar Andrew Titheridge nglish Rugby is facing two major appointed key personnel, was criticised in battles, on the pitch and off the the Blackett report of July (which had been E pitch. Both are equally important to convened to advise on the problems), but the future of the game although with has been largely dismissed by the Manage- neither is victory guaranteed. ment Board leaving everything in limbo. The constant leaking of sensitive informa- The battle on the pitch appears to have the tion to the press has certainly not helped most chance of success and whilst England the situation at all. has blown hot and cold over the past year, they have built a settled squad and have The RFU needs to be totally restructured produced some thrilling rugby, most and a professional management board, notable the wins against Australia and who are up to date with the needs of the France. With a bunch of young players Premiership clubs, and who have experi- such as Ben Foden, Chris Ashton, Ben ence of their day to day running, should Youngs, Courtney Lawes and Tom Woods, run the professional arm of the game. The combined with a wealth of experience like Sixty-one members who make up the RFU Jonny Wilkinson, Lewis Moody, Mark Cueto, Council should be left to run the grass Mike Tindall, Steve Thompson and Simon roots of the game. Shaw the balance of the team is looking good. The key to their success is ensuring The battle off the pitch is going to be the Hopefully by the end of October England that the squad peak in late September/ more difficult to resolve and has caused will have won the World Cup, a new CEO early October. England’s pool matches such an outcry within the game, that one will be in place with a superb back up against Argentina, Georgia and Romania wonders whether there will ever be a team. should not present too big a problem but solution that will appease all factions it’s what happens after that that counts! within the RFU. The power struggle, which There it is, a whole article without mentioning has been going on for years, surfaces every Sir Clive Woodward! New Zealand is the favourite to win the cup so often, although this time it appears even on home soil, but England could pull a more fractious than ever. The sudden surprise and repeat the glories of 2003. departure of newly appointed CEO John Oh happy day! Steele, along with several of his newly Can’t find a facilities management provider who can rise to the challenge? At the recent retail forum, experts from different spheres At Incentive FM we believe we are ideally suited to meet made it clear that finding the right quality of integrated these challenges. Our retail division has unrivalled experi- facilities management supplier at the right price is proving ence of delivering integrated facilities management to a challenge. 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Some of what has been their all black away strip…..) head off written in the press should never have seen down under. the light of day, and would not even make the pages of a Jeffrey Archer novel. This is always an opportunity for local While all this may be seen as mere internal recruitment, even though the matches will navel contemplation in certain quarters, be televised early morning over here none of it directly impacts on what we all More importantly, it provides an excuse for need to do to get ready for the coming rugby fans to simply enjoy themselves. I season. In any democracy, which is what am still not certain whether a full English the RFU is, any disgruntled minority will breakfast is better accompanied by a pint always choose to put their side of the story of Guinness or a glass (or six) of a decent to an ever-willing press. But this should not claret. Perhaps proper research is called deflect any of us from getting on with the for…!! job in hand. I have to say that former luninaries in the game now making dire predictions for the RFU does them little RDOs and CRCs credit – in case anyone didn’t notice: Matt Kemp has now settled in very well; alongside Martin MacTaggart the two of • We won the Six Nations in 2010/11 Change them are making a real contribution to the • The Saxons won the Churchill Cup You may have heard that Surrey Rugby is development of rugby in our county. • The under 20s got to their World Cup final changing. We were also pleased to hear the recent • England Women won the Six Nations (again!) announcement that, after some doubt, • the supply chain of 16s, 18s and 20s Elsewhere, you will read an article entitled funding has been secured for all our CRCs talent (many from Surrey!) continues “A Rationale for Change” which was through to July 2012. After that, it is written last November by Fred Batchelor, proposed that CRCs will be funded entirely . My own, admittedly limited, contact with now our Immediate Past President by the RFU.