After a stunningly hot Summer in London we kick off the 2014/15 season with a fresh spring in our step after we played our get-out-of-jail-free card at the end of last season to stay in the league, winning five out of the last six games, and avoiding the ignominy of relegation from National 3, which we have never been below since the 1990’s. Not that we have a god-given right to be in this league at all, but the commitment, blood, sweat and tears shown by shown by all of the players in the 1st and 2nd XV, the coaches and a small band of loyal supporters, totally deserved a positive result, and by winning those five vital games at the death we did stay up, and we got the result we absolutely deserved.

It was a nerve-racking, heart palpitating, emotional coaster of a ride, but the camaraderie and gallows humour that adversity often creates was there in bucket loads in all of the players, and it was brilliant to see how bloody-minded they were, refusing to lay down and accept relegation, and winning against all odds.

Those last six games at the end of last season have left Barnes RFC with a legacy of pride, and a renewed belief which we hope will carry on all the way through this new season, raising our playing standard as we go with results to match we hope!

This season gives our coaching team combo - Director of Rugby, Jamie Turner and last year’s London Wasps Captain, Chris Bell - the chance to build on their first season in charge last year. We saw enough last time to know that they will have a further positive and exciting influence on our open playing style.

This season we again welcome our old friends Hertford, Tonbridge Juddanians, Tring and Westcombe Park back to Barn Elms, and not forgetting of course the closest geographical club to Barnes just over Chiswick Bridge, CS Rugby, who did the double on us last season, beating us home and away, a wound that is still open and is felt deeply!

We also welcome back several clubs who were new visitor Barnes last season, Suffolk’s finest, Bury St Edmunds, league favourites East Grinstead with their star packed side and channel islanders Guernsey. All were very tough opponents last year, and will no doubt be up for the fight again this year.

As ever there are some new sides to National 3 for us to play this time as well as some clubs like Gravesend and Westcliff, whom we haven’t played for several years, and we look forward to locking horns with them once more this season.

We also look forward to seeing three completely new clubs to National League 3 rugby and Barn Elms for the first time.

Amersham and Chlitern, Chichester and last, but by no means least, London Irish Amateurs all join in the party. We will give them all a very cordial welcome to Barnes Rugby Club on and off the pitch!

All fourteen teams make up a very tough league and I very much look forward see you down at Barn Elms some time this season.

Rhino

Michael “Rhino" Whitfield

Chairman - Barnes RFC