This week you can read all about our Men’s 1st and 2nd XV’s victories away at Henley, the 1’s winning 22-32 in a pulsating match, whilst the 2’s won 12-24. On Sunday our Women’s 1st XV lost 12-54 to Trojans. The match reports are below.

This weekend there are two games, one big, one MASSIVE!

On Friday night under lights, our Under 22’s are playing in a triangular competition against Richmond and Camberley on the 4G pitch at Chiswick RFC (just over Barnes railway bridge.

The games kick off at 7pm, there are three matches of 40 minutes each, it should be a cracking evening if last year was anything to go by, followed by some beers in the Coach and Horses if you would like to join the fun!

On Saturday there is only one game in town as the 1st XV take on arch-rivals Dorking in a top of the table clash. Earlier this season we lost in the last play to the Surrey side 29-24 at The Big Field. Since Dorking won promotion back to Nat 2, we have played them 5 times, losing 4 of those encounters, often at the death.

Total points scored by each side in these 5 encounters is Dorking 136, Barnes 129, an average of 53 points a game, Dorking’s average in each game has been 27.2 and the Barnes average 25.8 - talk about close! Dorking are pretty damn good at playing every second until that final whistle, we have felt that pain, and last week they nearly pulled off an amazing Houdini act.

Finding themselves down at home 17-35 with 10 minutes to go. And they only nearly bleedin’ did it, but it was their turn to lose by 1 point, to a resurgent Canterbury. Meanwhile, not far away in Henley, our 1st XV overcame The Hawks in a full-on clash on a heavy pitch. Our first half performance blew Henley away, and in a dog fight of a 2nd half we emerged victorious 22-32.

So, this week we face Dorking again, this time at Barn Elms. Barnes in 2nd place, Dorking in 3rd, both on 52 points, but Dorking with a game in hand, it couldn’t be more beautifully poised.

It is going to be a cracker, one that no-one should miss, so if you can get down to Barn Elms for 2pm on Saturday you are in for a real Christmas treat!

Let me take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas, an a peaceful, happy and healthy 2025.

With my best wishes for the season.

For Rugby! For Friendship! For Life!

Michael “Rhino” Whitfield - President Barnes RFC

Henley Hawks 22 -32 Barnes Men’s 1st XV - words by Rhino
Barnes put in a convincing display at Dry Leas on Saturday to overcome a strong Henley Hawks side 22-32, who left themselves too much to do after a fabulous first half performance from the Green and Gold.

We were good value for our win, securing a try bonus point just after the half hour, despite a fired-up home team who came out of the blocks hard and fast, getting their just desserts after 12 minutes to go 5-0 up.

However, just as the Hawks thought they were onto something, the rest of the half belonged to Barnes. Sustained pressure in the Henley 22 was finally rewarded when second row Joe Murphy powered over from close range, full back Elliott Hayden adding the extras to give us a 5-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

This score opened the floodgates for a purple patch, and it became one way traffic for Barnes for the rest of the half, the next score coming from a slick training ground line out move allowing Captain Rory Kassapian to score, extending our lead to 5-12.

With Barnes backs really hitting their straps, and moving the ball at speed, the Henley defence struggled to contain is and try machine winger Jacques Birch did well to fight his way past a couple of tacklers to dot down in the corner for the visitors third try.
Hayden converted well from out wide, and Barnes now had a 5-19 lead on the half hour mark.

The home side were all at sea and the Londoners secured a try bonus point when Jacques Birch scored his 2nd try of the half, a near carbon copy of the first, with the kick missed, Barnes were nearly out of sight but a try right on half time gave Henley a foot in the door, making the score 24-10 at the break.

Henley came out after halftime a completely different side, their number 8 going over after some early pressure 5 minutes reducing the deficit to 15-24, but the Barnes defence held firm, ad against the run of play Kapitan Kasspian scored in the corner from a scrappy line out and maul, giving Barnes a 15-29 lead, only for The Hawks to scramble another concerted score to take the score to 22-29.

Barnes regained their shape, settled in and knuckled down for the last 10 minutes, and an Elliott Hayden penalty in the final play gave us a thoroughly earned 5 point win on the road, which sets us up for our final epic clash of the season against arch-rivals Dorking - can’t wait for that one!

Henley 2nd XV 12 Barnes Raiders (Men’s 2nd XV) - words by Dom Palacio
Our last “hurrah” before the Festive break was joining the 1st XV on an away game to Henley.

The recent challenges of available front-row players across the wider men's senior squad impacted selection with Under 22’s player Hector Price (until this season a back-row player) having to play 80 minutes at tight head prop and normal back rower Ben Christie back-row playing Hooker. This is what rugby is all about, Hector and Ben will enter into the Barnes legends book of honour such was this commitment.

Despite our square pegs in round holes in the front row, the rest of the squad was in good shape, winger Paul Webb was our Captain with Ryan Nixon as Vice Captain, so we had plenty of experience both in the forward and backs.

Having to play the match on Henley’s training pitch, which is close to the river, it is fair to say that the pitch was pretty heavy, sticky and wet. Not the best surface to play running rugby on!

The game started rather scrappily with multiple knock-ons, from both teams, and neither team got any early momentum.

Despite the challenges with our front row, the forwards held their own in the scrum and our line out was also functioning well. The first points of the day. 15 minutes in, came off of our line out, Malcolm Nimmo went over for our first try, 0-5 to Barnes Raiders.

Henley then scored just before the half-hour mark, making it 5-5. The poor condition of their pitch was hindering both teams' ability to attach through their backs, however, just before the end of the first half, we won a scrum just inside Henley’s half from which full-back Charlie Rawlings cut through after two slick passes from our centres allowed him to hit a superb line at pace and go through a gap in Henley’s defence to sprint 40 metres for our 2nd try, this tine under the posts, giving us a half time lead of 5-12.

In the second half, with the pitch deteriorating, it was a struggle to get any platform to play from. But with our forwards still being dominant, Ben Christie went over from close quarters, 5 minutes into the half. We would then score our last try of the day 25 minutes later, winger Finn Matthews, superbly read an intercept, on our 22 line, and with a 60-metre sprint he scored!

Fly-half Archie Heard, cooly slotted the extra 2 points again. Despite a final Henley consolation try, Barnes won in the end 12-24, an excellent win on the road, which sees us top the Raging Bull Merit Table for the first time ever, after four wins back-to-back. Bring on 2025!

Man-of-the-match was Malcolm Nimmo, who put in a superb shift all afternoon.