Dear Players,                                                                                                                       July 2008

Introduction

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you back to another season at Crewe and Nantwich RUFC. I would like to thank Dan Lynch for leading the club last year, moving the club forward and laying some excellent foundations for this year. Dan will be supporting me as vice captain which I’m very pleased about.

Having played under previous captains of the club like Neil Tilley, Russ Harper, Dan Potts, Andreas Reckewerth, Mike Parker and Andy Pemberton it is a huge honour for me to be selected as captain for this season and added to this list of captains.  I will be doing my utmost to take what I have learnt from those players into this season and hopefully add my own elements as to how I feel a captain should lead the team both on and off the field.

This Season

There’s no doubt in my mind that the current squad of players in terms of ability is capable of achieving promotion.  We have a good blend of experience and youthful, talented lads.  Players from the colts team of 2003, Tom Maguire, Tom Baldwin, Mike Greatbanks and Joe Simmons are now firmly settled into senior first team rugby and are the platform from which we can move forward. 

In each of the sides we have good leaders.  Please support your captains throughout the year and make yourself available for as many games and training sessions as possible.

Subscriptions

The club simply cannot function without the annual fees from each player. When compared to other local clubs our subscriptions are low and indeed, when compared to membership of a golf or leisure club the fee we pay is extremely reasonable. I urge every player who pulls on the shirt this year to make sure they have paid their subs by 1^st October 2008.  The club is very flexible with players who sustain long term injuries etc so let’s make sure that by that date, all the funds have been paid to the club. This season the club has decided that any player who hasn’t settled up by this date will NOT be selected to play.

For those players who struggle to find a lump sum so early in the season or just want to spread the cost, the club has introduced a Standing Order form that will allow players to pay monthly. These forms are available from any team captain, the coaches or anyone on the committee.

Selection

Selection is obviously a key issue within any club. Inevitably it creates disappointment amongst players. We’ve all been dropped. However, it is our attitude and commitment following the selection of another player in your position that for me, is a testament to the kind of player you are. Having the right attitude, work ethic and desire to get your place back is much more likely to have a positive outcome than creating animosity and unrest in the club.

Social Events

The committee has an excellent social team in place who have already organised some fantastic events including last years ‘End of Season Presentation Evening’ and ‘The Sportsmans Dinner with Graham Rowntree.’   We now look forward to more events to come in the future, both for fundraising and club moral. 

Along with all the social events that have been organised, this year we will have a club night out usually on the first Saturday of every month. This is an invitation to all players from the first, second, third, fourth and vets teams to get together. I appreciate that players have families, weekend jobs and other commitments but your presence at these nights would help the social side of the club, even if it is just every other ‘club night out’ and you just come for a couple of hours. I feel this will have a huge influence on building the team spirit of not only the individual teams but the club in general. The dates for the club nights out are listed below – we will meet in the Boot & Shoe at 7.00pm. 

13^th September 2008            4^th October 2008            1^st November 2008       6^th December 2008      

10^th January 2008                7^th February 2008            7^th March 2008            4^th April 2008

Training

Pre-season training started on Tuesday 8^th July and will continue every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the summer. It is likely that we will have the England Conditioning Coach down at most sessions, so let’s make a huge effort to attend. We will get out of these sessions what we put in.  Once the season starts we will revert to a single night’s training probably on Wednesdays however this will be confirmed nearer the time.

The coaching staff are preparing a structured training schedule and have put in a lot of time organising sessions. If we are going to have a successful season it is vital that these sessions are well attended throughout the year, especially during the winter months where we have fallen away over the last few seasons as numbers at training have dropped. If we put the work in on the training pitch it will, without question, pay dividends on a Saturday.

Code of Conduct

This year the club has a code of conduct which all players must adhere to. This document will follow in the coming weeks. It relates to conduct both on and off the field and it is essential that it is followed by every member of the club if we are going to achieve success.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jed Thurlow for proposing me as captain and also the coaching staff for their backing and support. I would also like to thank the chairman Gywn Evans for his ongoing support and also, more importantly,for introducing me to senior rugby at Crewe and Nantwich nine years ago. Finally thanks to Matt Farr for giving me the opportunity to play first team rugby six years ago.

Here’s to a good season.

Will Brown

First Team Captain

Headquarters: VagrantsPark

Crewe Vagrants Sports Club, Newcastle Rd, Willaston, Nantwich, Cheshire. CW5 7EP

Tel: 01270 569506