News From The Chair....Oct 25

“With A Little Help From My Friends”

The Beatles sum it up perfectly, that as a club, we get by helping each other to make this amazing club run. Thank you to all involved, from players, to parents, coaches, volunteers who ensure that the club is successful and thriving every week.

It has been another busy start to a new season, but its so good to be back!

After the euphoria of the Women’s Rugby World Cup win by England, and the great day organised by the Warrior Chairs, we have settled into the new season at all levels.

The seniors are now part of a new league and merit table system, and the Mini and Juniors section continues to increase in size.  As a club, we are also proud to announce the expansion of the Warriors division to now include girls only teams at U9-10, and U11-12s. Huge thanks to Andy Robertson, Helen Small and their dedicated team of coaches for driving the growth of the M&J Warriors as we look to build out the opportunities for women and girls who want to play rugby.

Thanks to recent rain, and the protection afforded to us through using the Harpenden AGP for midweek training, our pitches are in good condition. I am hopeful that the aerating and Verti draining will be completed by the end of November to further improve our grounds. The electric conduit for the flood lights has also now been buried. Thank you’ to Jim Russell, a former player and grandfather of one of our minis.

‘Thanks’ as well to Lindsay Digweed who has help set up the Sunday Tuck shop, which is a great success. She has also led our first aider team at the club for several seasons now and has recently recruited a good number of newly qualified First Aiders for the 25/26 season.  Lindsay is also leading the fundraising for the new club outdoor space and has put on several social events to both raise funds and bring people down to the club.

Unfortunately, we still do not have a replacement in the kitchen for Joe. Although I am covering the cooking at present I cannot do it long term. This needs to be addressed and will be discussed by committee members, as a matter of urgency, to try find a solution. Failure to find a more permanent solution may mean that the kitchen will have to close on a Sunday until a replacement is found. If you are interested, or if you know of anyone who may be willing to pick up this role, please contact me or anyone on the committee.

To that end, we have relied more on parents serving the post-match food, and those involved have done a great job and left the kitchen and clubhouse clean and spotless. Thankyou.

My Volunteer of the Month is Ellesha Webb for her hard work on Mini and Junior registration and subs payments. Congratulations. A reward is on its way.

Finally, as we look forward to the next few weeks, as of 1^st of November we have acquired TNT for the month to showcase the Autumn Internationals. The intention is the clubhouse will be open to show the Saturday games at the very least.

Please stay tuned to WA and club socials for confirmation of opening times.

I hope to see you there!

Regards,

Ian” Shanks” Graham

Club Chair