Well, there I was thinking that last weekend would be a low-key weekend, one adult game, a few junior matches, everyone relaxing and preparing for the touring weekend ahead, how wrong I was.

The Originals kicked off matters on Saturday, playing the third leg of the Bosch-Crabtree, already 2-0 up this season, so in an unassailable lead, and the old ‘uns finished with a flourish. In Rich Mayson’s last match as skipper as he gets set to move to Spain, he was very much still the bull fighter as he swept the Originals to a resounding 29-7 victory and a clean sweep for this season. Rich is travelling this week but watch out for his final match report ever next week!

On Sunday the Colts kicked off proceedings, a poignant fixture against Old Cranleighans with 7 players who have played since they started as Under 5’s in 2010m and, for the supermen trio of Chris Williams, Ed Rodney-Smith and Francis Keeling, it was their last game in the youth sections. They have been amazing leaders and now set their sights firmly on the older adult age groups, and we look forward to embracing their silky club leadership qualities in the senior section very soon.

Later on Sunday the Under 15’s won the Twickenham Cup, winning comfortably 43-12 against Hampstead, a brilliant result.

There are match reports below on both games.

This weekend sees one last game, and hordes of minis and juniors go on tour. We have set a new record with over 360 young ones touring the Isle of Wight, what a weekend that promises to be!

There is. Of course, one last game to be played.

And what a game it promises to be….our Men’s 1st XV take on Esher. Barnes are 2nd place in National League 2 East, and Esher have already been crowned league champions, so there is nothing in it right? No-one cares, the players are all demob happy, looking forward to a great British sunny summer.

I think not! This one really matters on many levels. Esher will be keen to make amends for losing out to us at their place on the first game of the season, by one point, 38-39 – that hurt a lot. And for Barnes there is a lot at stake too. We want to finish second in the league and beat Esher of course, but the most important of all things is for us to send off some key players who are retiring this season, and in particular our very own Captain Fantastic Josh Davies, and those old war horses Len Ashcroft-Leigh and Alex Woody. We will also want to make outgoing coaches Mark Matzopolous and Chris Browne of the team they have helped so much.

So, it will most certainly mean a lot to all of the players from Barnes this weekend. They will not go quietly into the night, and it is set to be a crackerjack of a humdinger of an amazing encounter.

Do not miss this one. It’s a 3pm kick off at Barnes Elms, and I just can’t wait!

Onwards and Upwards Barnow!

Michael “Rhino” Whitfield - President Barnes RFC

Barnes Colts 46 - 17 Old Cranleighans Colts - words by Chris Williams
It was a magnificent end to season for the Colts winning the final 46-17 vs Old Cranleighans.

Arguably the strongest squad we've fielded all season was irresistible against a bogey team who we have often lost out to.

It was, perhaps, a glimpse of what might have been, if these players had been able to play together week-in-week out. The big players all put in big performances for the final.
Thankfully, Colts rugby is a squad game and the 50+ Colts have all played their part in a hugely successful season that included a brilliant tour to Biella in Northern Italy at the end of March.

Seven of the team started at Barnes in 2010 as U5s, and a further six have been with Barnes since U7’s.

It's also an end of an era for some of the super-human dynamos of the Youth Division's management team. Chris Williams, Ed Rodney-Smith and Francis Keeling will be setting their sights for new challenges in the transition to U22’s and the Senior rugby set up.

Under 15’s dismantles Hampstead in Twickenham Cup Final - words by Coach Paul Spencer
In April 2023, this Barnes team lost a 3rd place play off in the 3rd Surrey League to a spirited Whitgift.

In hindsight, that moment proved pivotal.

The boys returned last September determined to turn things around. We won all our games in League 3, and the final in December. On came 2024, and we asked the question: “could we survive in the 2nd Surrey League?”.

The answer emphatically was yes (including victory v Richmond) and yesterday the boys took the final step and won the final v Hampstead 43-12. A special bunch of lads.