I hope this update finds you well and you have managed to keep relatively comfortable in the heatwave we have just enjoyed. Of course, not everyone will have found it enjoyable, and I know our farmers need rain badly, so too do our pitches! Any of you skilled in rain dance, please feel free to do your thing!

As many of you know, the role I have been undertaking for the last few years of Chair of the Club and Chair of Rugby has been challenging, to say the least. It was agreed at Committee this week that this role should be split and a new Chair of Rugby appointed. I am now able to update you on this and other changes.

Chair of Rugby Committee - Alasdair Heath
Al will deal with all things “rugby” from now on and will attend Management Group. Many of you will know Al as the head coach for the U15s and has been a member of the club since 2003.

Vice Chair of Rugby Committee - Chris Smith
Chris joins Al as his right-hand to support the work of the committee. Chris headed up the Junior Section for some time.

Between them, Al and Chris will oversee rugby at all levels in the club, manage the rugby budget, represent rugby at Management Group and liaise with all rugby leadership groups.

Chair of Senior Men’s Rugby - Brian Trott
Chair of Senior Women’s Rugby - Lozzie Price-Richards
Brian and Lozzie will work closely together to ensure we have a consistent approach to the management and development of the Senior teams, their resources, coaches, physios & kit etc.

Chair of Junior Rugby - Abdi Hamisi
Chair of Mini Rugby - Sarah Tunstall
Abdi and Sarah will also work closely together to support the management teams of all Youth sections and to ensure all the clubs processes are followed rigorously to support these young players.

Community Rugby lead - James McCarthy
James will oversee Touch, Walking and Mixed Ability Rugby for the club. This is a section that we hope to grow going forward.

Rugby Safe lead - Nick Spain
Nick takes over from Al Heath on this and will work with several individuals to bring together GMS, coaching, referee, safeguarding and physio co-ordination together into one section; to comply with the newly adopted coaching matrix.

Rugby Resources lead - Peter Benson
Heading this up as a trial last season, Peter has made a success of this role, so much so that he will head up this section to include the bringing together of grounds, communication, website, volunteers and commercial so that resources and needs of both rugby and commercial, going forward have a co-ordinated and responsive approach.

Rugby Income lead - Ian Jack
Ian steps into this new role to co-ordinate all income generated by rugby. He will work closely with the leads in several areas, including income generated by Membership, 100+ Club, ‘Scorecast’, International Ticket sales and co-ordinate and report to the Rugby Committee each month.

Although stepping away from the Chair of Rugby Committee, I will continue to hold the position of Club Chair, as confirmed at the AGM at the end of June 2022.

Going forward I will continue to work closely with the Chair of Trustees, Steve Gibbs, and am looking forward to having more time to focus on the Club as a whole but in particular supporting the business elements, overseeing safeguarding and membership engagement as a whole.

I am sure you would want to join me in wishing all the above volunteers our thanks to them for stepping up into these roles and to wish them every success in performing them.

If you think you can support anyone on the Rugby committee or within a section, please do get in touch with the relevant person and offer your help. After all, their success is the Club’s success and that’s what it is all about.

Many thanks,

Louise Goodall

Club Chair
Email: louise.goodall.rugby@gmail.com