Before talking about rugby, I want to share some very sad news, it is about the passing of James Lancaster, a stalwart Barnes rugby player. He was diagnosed with cancer late last year and came down to Barnes with old teammates Alex Davey and Phil Clapp, and he watched Barnes beat Guernsey. The next day he died. There is a tribute to James for Alex here: James Lancaster RIP

Jerry Halse, another teammate of James’s has pulled together some pictures of James here:
James pictures

Barnes had a mixed weekend on the pitch last weekend, the Outriders lost in a feisty encounter against Hammersmith and Fulham 43-22, whilst the Men’s 2nd XV got schooled by Richmond Vikings 60-5 and the Colts lost against Weybridge 34-22.
The good rugby news though is that Barnes Men’s 1st XV delivered a dominating performance against Guernsey 36-14, the Women’s 2nd XV brushed aside Wimbledon’s 2nd XV 54-0 and the Under 16s completed an unbeaten season, winning at Chobham 16-31.

The match reports are below.

This weekend sees 300 minis rampaging on tour and three final games of the season.
The Women’s 2nd XV look to round off the season on a high, playing on Saturday against Kilburn Cosmos, whilst on Sunday the Women’s 1st XV travels to Westcliff to end their season.

The Men’s 1st XV has a tough away fixture against fierce rivals Canterbury. Barnes in 4th spot in National League 2 East play Canterbury 5th. The City side are 2points behind us, they are strong at home too, having lost only twice there all season, against two the of top three sides OA’s and Bury, but they have beaten every one else, including 2nd placed Oundle, they are not to be trifled with, and coming off the back of a 34-33 win against the resurgent Esher last week they are going to be on fire. At our place on the first game of the season, we won 26-14 in a scrappy encounter, but this one will be full bodied and full on, of that there is absolutely no doubt, I can’t wait.

Here’s to a brilliant last weekend of the season, and please do take a moment to remember James, a son of Barnes Rugby, raise a glass or two to him, he would appreciate that.

Onwards and Upwards Barnow.

For Rugby! For Friendship! For Life!

Michael “Rhino” Whitfield - President Barnes Rugby Club

Details of this weekend’s games are below:
Saturday 25th April Fixtures
• Canterbury 1st XV vs Barnes Men’s 1st XV - 3pm KO
• Kilburn Cosmos vs Barnes Women’s 2nd XV - 2pm KO
Sunday 26th April Fixture
• Westcliff Ladies 1st XV vs Barnes Women’s 1st XV - 2pm KO

Barnes Men’s 1st XV 36 - 14 Guernsey Raiders - words by Rhino
Barnes comfortably won an entertaining romp against Guernsey 36-14, in a contest where Barnes were never behind.

In a match that was highly contested and physical, there were two yellow cards for each side as both went at it hammer and tongs. Will Nicholson opened the scoring for Barnes and converted his own try after ten minutes before Guernsey bounced straight back to equalise through Martinas Dromontas, converted by Ciaran McGann.

On the half hour, the excellent Joe Henry ran a delicious line to score, and Barnes took a12-7 lead. As the game opened up, Mark McDermott made a searing break before offloading to Matt Branfield, making amends for his earlier yellow card. That score made it 19-7 to Barnes at half time.

Barnes started the brighter side in the second half and were rewarded for their slick play in the 47th minute with the muscular Jacques Birch sprinting down the touch line to score, despite a heavy tackle, Barnes now led 24-7.

The next score for Barnes was 20 mins later, Nicholson delivering a subline chip which Branfield regathered to jink through several defenders to score.

Guernsey never gave up and Matt Armstrong muscled over for McGann to convert to reduce the deficit to 29-14 but it was Barnes who had the last word, second row Pat Walton booting the ball out of defence for the pacey hooker Adam Musa to claim and outsprint the defence. Nicholson converted from the touchline

Under 16s remain unbeaten and Dehlson family win Clubman of the Year! - words by Youth Supremo Boris Pomroy and Under 16s Coach Peter Thomas
Another great weekend of youth rugby. The Minis bowed out in their normal raucous form, with their final training session of the season and a great festival hosted by our friends at Dorking. However, it’s not over for our youngest athletes yet, with 300 players and parents heading to Norfolk this weekend on tour.

Cobham Under 16s 16 - 31 Barnes Under 16s
A 31 -19 away win at Chobham for the Under 16s saw them complete their 2026 Surrey Cup campaign unbeaten, with maximum points, finishing top of the Twickenham Cup group (Surrey Tier 2). This time the boys had to dig deep, initially going two scores behind, playing into the wind and facing a physical pack who were quick and aggressive at the breakdown.

The team adapted well, kept their structure, and good ball retention eventually earned the opportunity to get the ball moving among our pacy backs, with Gethin and Perry both touching down to leave us narrowly trailing at the break.

The second half was closely contested. Barnes scored to lead, Chobham came back with the next try, but super-strong commitment and shape in defence, along with brilliant discipline, saw off the challenge.

A strong run from Henry M took us upfield and Barnes began to look the stronger team, playing mature rugby to take the next score and the lead, manage the closing moments and, finally, a flourish as player of the match Gethin broke free to score again at the end. A tense, competitive, high-quality match, played in an excellent spirit by both teams. Great to see the boys showing belief in each other and their defence, real leadership on the field, and ultimately finding ways to deploy their strengths to win the game.

The Dehlson family collectively win 2026 Barnes Rugby Clubman of the Year
And finally, a special mention to the Dehlson family, who were jointly awarded Clubman of the Year. Tom, Lizzie, Archie and Wilf are absolute stalwarts of the youth section.
Tom has coached with us since Archie, now in the Under 14s, was in the Under 5s.

He has led that group throughout and still coaches their A team. He also regularly supports the Under 10s and is part brilliant coach, part butt of the children’s jokes. He always takes it with a grin, but underneath there is an utter commitment to delivering an amazing experience for them every single week.

Lizzie, far from just standing on the sidelines, is always there to champion, support and console our players, whether at training, festivals or cup matches as they’ve got older. On top of that, this year she has taken on the role of social media lead, spending countless hours chasing photographs and posting brilliant content on Instagram.

Archie and Bobby are two of the very best young people you could hope for in the youth section. Not only are they great players, they are great teammates, great leaders on and off the pitch, and always there to help both their fellow players and coaches.

On top of that, Archie, Bobby and Tom have taken it upon themselves this year to actively support the men’s first team, setting up pitches beforehand, acting as ball boys, and often being the last ones on the pitch clearing everything away afterwards.

We talk a lot about being “one club” at Barnes and we’re very proud to be that. The Dehlson family are the epitome of that, and I know everyone in the youth section will be delighted at their recognition.

Barnes Women 2nd XV 54 - 0 Wimbledon Women’s 2nd XV - words by Co-Captain Molly Taylor
Under clear blue skies, Barnes welcomed Wimbledon for a competitive but spirited friendly - perfect conditions for an afternoon of rugby.

Barnes delivered a stellar performance, leading to an impressive 52–0 scoreline. In keeping with friendly match regulations, however, Wimbledon were awarded the official walkover points.

The game itself was played in great spirit, with a focus on development and enjoyment. Players embraced the opportunity to step outside their usual role - backs tested themselves in the forwards, forwards took their turn in the wider channels - and the result was a deeper appreciation across the squad for the demands of each position.

A special mention goes to Alexis, who made her debut in green and gold.

Off the field, the day brought even more reason to celebrate, as the squad shared the wonderful news that Alex and Julia are expecting a baby boy!

Now we head into the final week of the 15s season - one last push. The 2s are in action this Saturday, followed by the 1s on Sunday. Let’s finish strong!

Hammersmith and Fulham 43 - 22 Barnes Outriders - words by Chris WIllims

The Outriders lost away to Hammersmith and Fulham 2nd XV in the Cup semi-final.

This was the third meeting of the local rivals this season, with Barnes not finding the right side of the results, but this performance was the best of the season.

Team bonding on tour to Lisbon and Porto was cited as a key reason for a valiant effort in the first half and 10 minutes into the second.

Sadly, the forwards were unable to cross the whitewash after two multi-phase efforts on the Hammers goal line – missing the chance to level up the scores at 17-17 at 50 minutes.

Then the tide turned and Hammers ran away with the match winning 43-22.

That match closed the first Outriders season – considered a major success, helping young men transition into Senior rugby alongside building their careers, undertaking placement years, or gap years, or keeping in touch on university breaks. Captain, Jake Shaw, was recognised as the Outriders Player of the Season at the Players Dinner back over the river at the Players’ Dinner. His commitment and drive has been a constant throughout the season, and we thank him for his phenomenal contribution to establishing this exciting new venture for Barnes RFC.

We also thank coach Tommy Burkett, team manager, Jason Betteley, and social secretary, Chris Williams.
Richmond Vikings 60 – 5 Barnes Men’s 2nd XV - words by Coach Tommy Burkett
The final run-out of the season saw Barnes 2s make the short trip to the First Team pitch at Richmond Athletic Ground, greeted by a blazing sun and a Richmond Vikings side that looked about as welcoming as a brick wall.

Captained by Rory Kassapian, Barnes knew they were in for a long afternoon against a seriously well-drilled outfit. And from the off, it was clear the Vikings hadn’t come for a social. They were sharp, organised, and hit like they meant it. The scoreboard started ticking over early, and, truth be told, rarely stopped.

At 9 and 10, JJ Paling and Jack Park kept things as composed as possible, steering the ship under some pretty relentless pressure. It wasn’t always pretty, but there was no lack of intent. Every carry was earned, every phase hard-fought.

Richmond, to their credit, were clinical. They punished mistakes, moved the ball well, and played like a side that had done their homework (and then some). The scoreline reflected that: 60–5 when all was said and done.

But Barnes had their moment – and it was a beauty.

After a period of sustained effort, the forwards decided enough was enough and set up a driving maul that rumbled forward with real menace. The kind of maul that makes opposition packs start asking uncomfortable questions. From there, the ball found its way out, and Jake Williams took over. What followed was part power, part magic – a finish that cut through the Vikings’ defence and gave Barnes a well-deserved score.

You’d think from the scoreboard it was one-way traffic, but that doesn’t quite tell the story. The boys grafted. Properly grafted. Against a strong, well-prepared Vikings side, they put in a massive shift and never let heads drop.

One of those days where the result stings, but the effort doesn’t go unnoticed. And if nothing else, a reminder that this group doesn’t go down quietly.