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WELCOME TO BECKENHAM RFC 2008/9 SEASON
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Pre-Season Letter from David Caddy, Chair of Mens Playing Committee
Dear Player
Hopefully you have enjoyed a reasonable break from rugby over the past two months, although with the club dinner being later than usual, and the professional domestic & European season blending seamlessly with the Northern Hemisphere Tours it has been difficult to forget about the game. Nevertheless the new season is fast approaching and we need to be prepared for a challenging season across the club.
To that end, pre-season training will start on Thursday 03rd July at 7:30pm prompt, and will continue on Tuesdays & Thursdays 7:30-9:00pm throughout the summer. Hopefully, you will have maintained your fitness during the off season and taken advantage of Ed Brander's core stability & core strength guidance. You are also invited to the players' meeting and BBQ (cooked & prepared by one of our own, chef Mark Barber) on Friday 27 June. The meeting will start around 7.30pm with the bar open from 6.30pm. The meeting will give you a chance to meet the new coaching team, listen to and discuss their plans and goals for the season and to put to them any queries, concerns & suggestions you may have.
As with last season this invitation is also extended to ALL the players and coaches in what will be the U17 section this season. This is the year when on your 17th birthday you are eligible to play for the senior teams. We met with some success last season where a good number of 17 year olds made their senior debuts for the Senior Men's teams. With the Academy initiative, we aim to make the transition more structured so that you younger players will find the move from youth to senior levels as smooth as possible and encourage as many of you as possible to make that step-up!
As you are all aware, Sam Howard has stepped down from the Head Coach position to take on the Director of Rugby role at Dulwich College. Sam will continue his connection with Beckenham RFC as an Assistant Coach and will be helping coach the Academy.
Sam's replacements are John Whitehead, 1stXV Coach at Maidstone for several seasons and Simon Kift, former 1stXV skipper & coach of Beckenham RFC. Together they will lead an expanded coaching team which will include Sam, Duncan McGrory (last year's successful 2nd XV coach) and new recruit Karim Sedour, a local teacher who has experience working with the London Irish Academy and coaching college rugby in Australia. We will also continue providing coaching to non-squad players from our vast pool of qualified coaches led by Mick O'Rourke. In addition we recognise the importance of a strong player support infrastructure and Ed Brander will head a small physio team who will provide treatment & rehabilitation throughout the club.
Our pre-season/early season fixtures are as follows:
* Saturday 16 August - Squad Aylesford(A)
* Sunday 30 August - 1stXV Deal & Bettshanger (H), 2ndXV Gillingham Anchorians (H)
* Saturday 6 September - 1stXV Haywards Heath (A), 2nd XV Dover (H) Invicta
* Saturday 13 September - 1stXV Dover (H) League, 2ndXV Invicta TBC
As with last season, if we are to achieve, sustain and improve upon a promotion challenging league position in London 2 and retain our Invicta title we need to strengthen the squad. London 2 South is getting steadily tougher, Invicta has expanded to 14 sides and starts on 06th September, and all our lower sides are jumping up a league. We are actively recruiting players, but you must also play your part. If you have friends, colleagues, university-mates, school mates, anyone who are keen for a game of rugby please bring them down to the BBQ or pre-season. You know who you played with in the Junior section and what they are doing. Please get on to them and get them playing for us again. The club needs as many players as possible to continue putting out 6 sides.
See you on 27th and at pre-season
David Caddy
Chair of Mens Playing Committee
BRFC Clubhouse
Our clubhouse has superb facilities including:
- 8 large changing rooms with en-suite showers
- Disabled toilets
- Baby changing facilities
- a huge function hall with large lounge
- character bar
- large car parking facilities.
NEW PLAYERS WELCOME
All grades of Senior Rugby from 1stXV to Vets
CONTACT: Ken Hill Team Secretary
TELEPHONE: 020 8650 4101
E-MAIL: khill@phd.co.uk
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