Barnes Rugby

Wow! Didn't that go quickly! The 2012/13 season has now finished and we have the Summer off to train, rest our weary bodies and plan ahead for the 2013/14 season when the 1st XV will be playing again in National 3 London and South East after finishing 4th in the league this time. The 2's finished off their wonderful season with a rousing 22-14 away victory to Canterbury, and their is much confusion as to whether we have won the 2nd XV league over Worthing who appear to have one game left!

We recently had the players annual awards party at the Barnes RFC clubhouse, organised by Camilla Campbell-Stanway,with all teams well represented.

The 1st XV player of the year was scrum half Hamish Reeves and 2nd XV player of the season was Tom Malaney (who had his very own catchy tune to accompany his walk to the stage when he received his prize!) and the Occies made their fly half, Huw Davies, their player of the year. In the Vets it was try machine Kris Pini who was their best player and in the Ladies, for the second year running, it was their inspirational skipper Fran Blackwell who stole the plaudits and the best player award. Andy Pickering, the Club's Playing Director, described Fran as "pound for pound the best tackler he has ever seen". Those of us who played with Andy would find this hard to believe on the basis that Andy never tackled at all so would not be a particularly reliable judge of this core skill!

Thanks to all of my fellow committee members and all of those who make what we do at Barnes RFC possible by giving so freely of your time.

Barnes remains community based, social and family focused and a true old fashioned rugby club that has existed for 100 years for the players and those that love the club . We have always attracted talented rugby players with great coaching delivered and a high standard of attractive rugby played in the top three sides. With two svery social and capable sides, in the Occies and the Vets, and a resurgent Ladies XV, as well as a flourishing Minis section, we continue to attract players of all ages, sexes and abilities to Barn Elms. I know that our new Director of Rugby, Jamie Turner, fully supports the “one club” vision that we all share at Barnes RFC and we feel sure that in his hands the club will go from strength to strength over many years to come.

So next season we will do it all again, have a great break and see you all soon.

Michael “Rhino” Whitfield

Chairman - Barnes RFC