Our season started with a sponsored walk around the Yorkshire 3 Peaks, 15 lads & dads endured the 27-mile walk raising well over £3,500 for our South Africa Tour in a couple of seasons’ time. A massive well done to all those involved.

The lads have been training & playing very well this season, they have embraced the dedication and more importantly the fitness required to play competitive rugby at this age, something that is fantastic to see. A hard-fought game away at Sale FC brought us a well-deserved victory in the first round of the Cheshire Cup - the whole team putting a huge shift in. We eagerly await the next round v Winnington Park which promises to be a tough test for us.

Several of the boys have been selected for the Sale Sharks DPP (Developmental Player Programme) which is a fantastic achievement and can only help them in their ongoing Rugby Pathway. We are looking forward to the rest of the season with this awesome group of lads with all of them making friends for life and learning the benefits from being involved in such a fantastic game.

It is interesting to learn how other clubs manage player numbers in our year group, which isn’t always the same as our approach. We proudly manage and encourage a mixed ability squad who all enjoy playing the game and with it the massive benefits of being part of that team. We are fortunate that we have some like-minded coaches from other local clubs who are keen to maximise game time for all; something that helps to develop the player and confidence in a less pressured game situation. We appreciate how important it is to keep our numbers up and include as many lads involved as we can as we start to approach colts’ rugby, as we know the drop out at that age is notoriously high due to other pressures and interests.

As mentioned above, we are planning on taking the squad to South Africa in a couple of years’ time. We are fundraising to make this trip as affordable as possible so as many boys as possible can experience this wonderful opportunity. If anyone can help with sponsorship or fundraising, please get in touch.