That’s right you can help reduce the cost of YOUR place on the 2006 Junior tour to Disney Paris just by walking.

The money raised will help reduce the cost of the tour in 2 ways, firstly by putting money in to the tour fund and secondly by actually reducing the amount YOU have to pay. That’s right for every £1 you raise over £50 then YOUR tour price will be reduced by 50p. Raise £100 and not only will the total tour cost be less, but what ever the final player cost is yours will be reduced by a further £25. Raise £200 and this discount is £75

So the more you raise the more you save

The sponsored walk will be along the Cuckoo trail on Sunday the 29th of January and is open to players, supporters and even Dogs.

Click here to download a sponsor form

Posted by: Brady Burdett

12/21/2005 11:28:05 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

Ok roll up roll up, its Race Night time...

The Rugby Club Race Night is Saturday 28th January 2006.

These are great fun especially when everyone gets involved, you have to buy at least one horse and give it a name, then if you horse wins its race you win a prize. The races are old films, which you watch and bet on, your horse being given the number of one the horses in the film so that you can cheer it on.

You can also sponsor one of the nine races, for example the 'Repex Under 14's Winter Classic', not only do you get the prestige of having your own race [wow!!] but also get put into a special Race Sponsors super prize draw.

Entrance to the event is £10, this includes a your horse and some food, extra horses are £5 each and you can sponsor a race for £25, with all proceeds going to the club.

You will need to email your ticket requirements to Braddley Bundett and of course your horses name[s], which consists of three parts; Its Name... By... Out of... for example 'The under 14's are great, BY being coached well OUT OF Brady' dont blame me it was Brady's example! Im sure you will be able to make up better ones than that.

Posted by: Julian Wates

12/20/2005 12:51:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

The season has been a difficult one so far for all Senior teams. Plagued by injuries to key players, the loss of a few others to university etc and a general shortage of front rows has provided a testing time for all concerned. Add to that yet another change in coaching structure and personnel and you get a fairly healthy recipe for some poor results!

That said, I know all teams have adapted well to the difficulties, shown great commitment on match days, rallied to the call and achieved a mixed bag of results. We have found one or two new 'pearls' among our playing staff both from new arrivals and from a few of last years Colts coming through which is fantastic.

Senior training is every Monday night from 7pm and alternate Thursdays by arrangement. The sessions are busy and reasonably hard but equally fun and informative. The drills are varied and effective and players are not left standing around in the cold twiddling their thumbs. Why then I ask are the numbers turning up so poor?

Between the 1st and Development squads, we should be getting at least 20 players every week but preferably 30 plus. We need backs and forwards from all teams. I need to be able to coach those players who will be taking the field on a Saturday. Everyone needs to practice and improve the areas of weakness highlighted in the previous weeks match. It’s not rocket science, if we want to improve as a club and individuals, then we need to make the commitment to train at least once a week… We are not in a position to issue the old ultimatum “No train No play” but its only fair that those players making the effort should get the opportunities. If, as I believe, most people want to get in the 1st XV, then what better way to get noticed than at training!

We are in a rebuilding stage. Many of the old stalwarts for various reasons are no longer available for selection. Opportunities exist and positions are up for grabs. It is an exciting time, time to introduce younger players who are keen, fit and willing to learn but I want players to train. I want to see Development players pushing for 1st XV recognition. I want the team selected for the match on Saturday to turn up prepared and familiar with their team mates, the style of play and the moves and strategies practiced. I want every player to reach a level of skill and understanding beyond where they are now, a level of fitness higher than they’ve reached before and a level of want, desire and pride in playing for Heathfield beyond anything experienced previously.

Up and coming players should be mad keen to get out and train to improve and impress. To carve a niche for themselves within the Club and to benefit from mixing and playing with die-hard Heathfield favourites like 1st team Captain Rob Streeter (Rollo) who continues to train and play today harder than anyone in the Club.

There is a great deal of potential within the playing ranks of H&W RFC. Loads of talent waiting to develop and take us forward as a Club but it doesn’t happen without commitment. It will not happen if players do not train together and push each other for selection. ONE NIGHT A WEEK – TWO HOURS OF YOUR TIME. Nag each other to train. Look at your team mates on match day and if you see someone that wasn’t at training on Monday ask them why. Coerce them, guilt trip them, bully or bribe them but get them to train!

Each and every player should be nagging to be selected not the other way round where Captains, Managers and coaches are having to nag players to train and play. If you want it, show it and that starts at training.

In the Ist XV over the last few weeks, I have seen a definite improvement. Training has been good, the spirit has improved and playing performances, though not necessarily the results, have improved too. We need to keep building on that and keep going forward.

My thanks to all those players who have trained regularly but please help me to get more to turn up.

I’m committed to improving our playing standards and to increase the level of competition for places and pride within the Club. Please help us to achieve that and start by training every week.

There is training on Monday 19th December at 7pm. BE THERE and then you can have two weeks off for Christmas and New Year.

May I take this opportunity to wish everybody at Heathfield and Waldron RFC a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Thanks to everyone for your support.

Posted by: Dave Jones [Head Coach]

12/20/2005 11:41:28 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

Cup matches offer the hope of glory and it was in this spirit that the Second team set off from one of the most Easterly clubs in Sussex to play one of the most Westerly. The journey there was uneventful and relaxing for most players which turned out to be a critical factor as Heathfield arrived later than expected and were given 15 minutes to get changed and ready to play. The warm up was short and inadequate and minds were clearly not focused enough when the whistle blew.

This inadequacy was laid bare and exploited by early aggression from Bognor. Their line up included a large and quick back row and a big centre all with a liking for direct running at the defence. For the first 15 minutes of the game Heathfield did not get to grips with this modest ploy and the forwards in particular were guilty of missing tackles. Two tries were conceded during this period (one out wide and one under the posts) without any threat being posed to the opposition. The Heathfield forwards struggled to win any clean ball for a potent looking Heathfield back line with a misfiring lineout and a scrum looking under pressure. When scraps were won Moss looked lively in his last game for the club before returning home to New Zealand.

The threat of a rout was there when a Bognor player carried the ball 30 yards through 3 or 4 weak tackles to score. A response was demanded and slowly Heathfield raised their game. Bob Toghe and Jim Cummings raised the level of performance in the forwards with more aggressive running and tackles started to fell opponents. Heathfield were coming alive at last. With the exception of the set pieces the rest of the half was pretty even and the half ended with the score at 17-0.

'Captain for the day' Duncan Hesketh was talked out of taking himself off but reorganised the scrum to try and win better set piece ball.

Heathfield received the restart kick and immediately produced a tight and focused rolling maul that gained 15 metres and raised spirits. The ensuing scrum showed that the changes had worked and from that point on the game was very competitive. Jim Cummings matched the Bognor no. 8 break for break and found the support with him something that had been lacking in the first half. This created time and space for the backs to thrive and show their skills.

With quicker ball (thank you to the excellent Mike Jaques) Heathfield began to menace the Bognor line. Oli Hearsey being bundled into touch only a metre short from the try line on the right side, Pete Phillipou held up short in the centre and the hardworking Moss tackled close to the line on the left. This was more like it and surely Heathfield would claw their way back into the game.

It was not all one-way traffic and Bognor used a powerful boot to clear lines to good effect on more than one occasion. They also battered away with ball in hand and Jack Bailey produced a great try saving tackle when all looked lost on one occasion.

All the Heathfield good work was undone mid way through the half when a 5-metre scrum was poorly defended and the Bognor No 8 crashed over for a converted try. Heathfield seemed to accept that this might mean that the victory was gone but refused to accept that they would go home with Nil Points.

Renewed determination drove Heathfield into the opposition half for most of the last 15 minutes and Bognor stood strong and repelled all boarders. All until Moss latched onto the end of a move, started on the other side of the pitch, drove past 3 defenders to score in the left-hand corner. This was no less than Heathfield deserved but any hopes of more evaporated when the missed conversion attempt signalled the end of the match.

The return journey was quite sombre and low key with more than one player pondering the benefits of arriving early at venues.

Squad: M. MacLeod, J. Marchant, M. Powderley, B. Toghe (R. Burchett 40), R. Everett, J. Cummings, J. Bailey, B. Stow, M. Jaques, B. Burdett (D. Groome 40), D. Hesketh, M. Oss, O. Hearsey, P. Phillipou, C. English

Posted by: Mike MacLeod

12/20/2005 11:22:29 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

For all of you who have been missing Jarvo around the club... come on some of you must have!!!

He is alive and well and currently traveling around the US in his ‘Bed on wheels’, you can see what he is doing by visiting his own blog, there is a link on the right of this page. You can see images and accounts of what he has been up to, you can even add comments for him to read.

The last time I heard he is going to be having Christmas in Las Vegas with some good friends of mine, I know they will look after him. Then he will be returning to the UK in February for a few weeks before continuing his journey.

Posted by: Julian Wates

12/20/2005 10:58:02 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

With the launch of our new rugby club website we have added a Weblob or ‘BLOG’! Now we have one central place were we can all go to look at club news, match reports for all the teams, fixture changes, team news and any other club and rugby news. The blog can also display images so if you have any send them as well.

You will also see that we have added a larger sponsors section to the website, obviously featuring our main club sponsor Wrightsure Insurance but also featuring logo’s and pages for other people wishing to support the club and the website. These sponsoring companies’s can also add news to these pages, hopefully giving you more information about what they do and what they will be doing throughout 2006.

I hope you enjoy the blog over the coming months and please take a look through the website, just use the menu on the left! If you have any comments about either the blog or the website just email me on julian@hwrfc.co.uk and let me know.

Posted by: Julian Wates

12/20/2005 10:37:32 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)     

Be sure to visit all the options under "Configuration" in the Admin Menu Bar above. There are 16 themes to choose from, and you can also create your own.

7/20/2005 8:00:00 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)