Other than the 1st XV game against Esher on Friday, we had an excellent Barnes weekend, and this weekend, as we welcome Taunton as our 1st XV’s opposition, let’s hope we can get a clean sweep across all the sides playing.
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So, what happened last week at Barnes?

Esher 1st XV 34 – Barnes 1st 10
Well, it is all started on Friday night, and frankly, we came up short and lost 34-10 in the game rearranged from just before Christmas. We played the game at their place on Friday night and Esher took all of their chances, and we didn’t, simple as that. We gave them far too much respect and paid the price accordingly, and we simply can’t afford to do that in any of the games we have left this season, which starts this Saturday as we welcome Taunton Titans to Barn Elms for our rematch after our first game in November last year, which our cider-making friends won at a canter, 48-19.

We didn’t not acquit ourselves particularly well that day either, and since then the Titans have gone from strength to strength, and now are flying high in 3rd place in National League 2, whilst we languish in 12th. There is no doubt that this year the Titans can go all the way and win promotion to National 1 when in many seasons they have flattered to deceive. This season they look like the real deal. They have not played since they thumped Clifton 10-36 on 7th February, so we hope today we catch them cold after a few weeks of not playing.

This week, know the boys will bounce back big time, we have this thing where we just love being the underdog, so we can stick two fingers up to the world, and prove that in adversity we can play like the team we know we can be.

Let’s hope we come out the blocks hot on Saturday and deliver a result few but the Barnow faithful expect.

Other games last weekend

There were three brilliant games on Saturday and Sunday last weekend.

The 2nd X V fantastic in their win over Canterbury 2nd XV 29-19, whilst the Occies bounced back after a couple of recent defeats to crush London Media 57-12.

On Sunday, probably the result of the weekend, when Barnes Ladies 1st XV won a thrilling nail biter against Reading by a single point, 19-20, incredible scenes after that one!

Barnes RFC’s own modern-day Robin Hood
I asked our Ladies Head Coach, Kirsty Openshaw to tell me all about a wonderful human, Zainab Alema, known by us all as Zee, who plays in the Ladies section, and this is what she told me:
Zee is our own, modern day, female Robin Hood of the rugby world. Identifying the inequalities in sport and working towards making rugby a sport for all. Specifically, females from ethnic minorities.

Zee Joined Barnes Ladies for preseason training in 2019, when she was 3 months pregnant. She then had to hang up her boots when she was 5 months pregnant, until she gave birth to her third child. Zee is now back training and playing with the team after only a couple of months! Wonder woman and Robin Hood rolled into one!

When Zee is not being a mother to her three young children, she is working tirelessly to get more females, who look like her, into the game. She runs her own project called ‘Studs in the Mud’ working with Ghana Rugby, which supports the growth of women and girl’s rugby at grass roots level.

She is also involved with A.M.A.R Club in Marrakech to help achieve the same.
Because of the amazing work she is doing within rugby, Zee has attracted much media attention, with The Islam Channel dedicating an entire episode of “Behind the scenes” to her, which is going to be filmed at our home game this Sunday at Barn Elms.
Zee is a Black, hijab wearing, Muslim woman, a Neonatal nurse, mother, rugby player and is part of the Barnes RFC family!

We are incredibly proud, and honoured, to have her as part of our Barnes family.

All the games this weekend at Barnes RFC
Here are all of the games this weekend. Please get down and support the 1st and 2nd XV at Barn Elms on Saturday, and the Ladies 1st XV on Sunday.

They love your support!

Saturday 29th February

• Barnes 1st XV vs Taunton 1st XV - 2.30pm KO

• Barnes 2nd XV vs Cambridge 2nd XV - 2.00pm KO

• Reeds Weybridge vs Mayfair Occasionals - 2.00pm KO

Sunday 1st March

• Barnes Ladies 1st XV - Windsor Ladies - 2.30pm KO

• Medway Ladies - Barnes Ladies 2nd XV - 2.30pm KO

Let’s hope all this weekend’s game are played in the original spirit that we all embrace at Barnes RFC, and may it be a cracking game of rugby against Taunton that Barnow win!

Onwards and Upwards Barnow

Michael Whitfield - Chairman - Barnes RFC