My Presidency is coming to an end as our season draws to a close. I have really enjoyed being your President for the past two years, it is both a privilege and a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! We have a brilliant rugby club at Chester and as I have been able to travel to all the clubs in our league over the last two years I have something to compare it to. I am probably biased but our facilities are by far the best in our league (actually I am biased!).

We host the officials of the visiting team each Saturday and one of the most pleasing comments we get is that they all look forward to coming to Chester. That’s not just because we buy them a few beers and feed them, it’s the whole experience of visiting our club. Our clubhouse is welcoming, usually pretty full and the atmosphere is that of a proper rugby club, win or lose. This doesn’t just happen as a lot of work goes on in the background to make sure that the club is running well and is busy. The VP lunches, the £10 lunches, Ladies lunch, Christmas parents and coach’s lunch and recently the fantastic Claire House charity day all contribute to making the club what it is - and they all need someone to organise them. I have been a member of the committee for many years and I can honestly say that our current Exec Committee is the best I have been involved in. The work achieved over the last two years has been brilliant. Sponsorship is at an all - time high, we have a new car park and soon a new digital scoreboard. Brilliant stuff and all done by volunteers!

I must also congratulate the guys running the playing side of the club of which there are many. Getting three senior men’s teams out every week is a huge achievement as not many clubs are managing to do this. We have a senior women’s team plus two girls’ teams which is an area of the club going from strength to strength. Our Mini’s & Junior’s section as always is the envy of most teams at our level and above, and again all achieved by volunteers.

I would like to thank you all for your support over the last two years it has made the job both easy and enjoyable. Thank you to the VP’s for supporting the lunches and helping with the dreaded car boot sales, the 1st XV for providing some brilliant games and allowing a bunch of old men on the bus for the away games. Next season my good mate Bill Evans will be taking on the Presidency so I know that the job is in safe hands.

I am not disappearing though, as Pete Craven and myself are pulling a small group of ‘Doer’s’ together to prepare for the season 2024/25 which is our Centenary year. Keep a look out next season for news of all the special events we will be organising to make sure we celebrate 100 years of Chester Rugby club in some style!

Thanks.
Steve