Season 2014-2015
Shortcuts
Please use the links below to jump to the desired content or just browse. If you wish you retun to the top of the page then just click the uparrow chevron to the bottom right of the page:
- Playing Highlights
- Men’s 1st XV
- Women’s 1st XV
- Men’s 2nd XV
- Women’s 2nd XV
- Playing Honours
- Season Images
- Club Highlights
- Club Honours
- President’s Office
- Committee
- AGM
- Handbook and Programmes
Playing Highlights
Both Tom Doughty and Fergus Wood were selected for the England Schools and Clubs U18 Squad – congratulations to both.
End of Season Reports
End of season reports were implemented and I include these below from here onwards – where I have them.
Senior Teams
Men’s First XV:
I would like to start by thanking Sandy , Chris , Thomas, G, (also our stato man) for all their efforts and resilience and commitment right up to the last game of the season when the players and all staff involved fought to do the best we could. Also to those in the squad who have stuck with it and given 120% all season. Last but by no means least my thanks for their commitment and endeavour go to James Finlason/ RobinWard – the former for taking on the mantel of playing captain in the absence of G so early on in the season, the latter for being vice captain , and to them both for playing in all but one game this season.
The season just past and this has been both hard and challenging on a number of fronts. The statistics make grim reading and the following are by no means excuses but reasons why relegation happened. Losing your captain and a prolific goal kicker in the early part of the season was not a good omen. Drawing x4 games is very rare and proved costly in the end. Despite a good start with a win at Gosport/Fareham , a draw at Brighton and at the start of November a great away win at Basingstoke it was not long before the games became tough and we were being out muscled up front. We scored a bonus point in both games against Chobham, with M.Macdonald scoring 15 tries this season and although we scored some great tries with offloads and continuity play it was the defence that lets us down at the end of the day.
After Xmas proved just as difficult despite two good home wins and a draw our away form was just not good enough. Changing coaches and stlye were also part of the season as Danny left us in Oct , the players he brought came and went (J.Park S.Chard) also which added to our front row shortage. With Josh in Southampton and Adi/Pat being injured , Gibbo joining Worthing , other regular props deciding they could not play due to work commitments each week it became more difficult to find enough front row to cover for all the teams that had fixtures.
No 1st XV pitch was also not a good start and did not suit our running rugby style. Due to the pitches and the training pitch not being a large enough area to conduct full on defence session , creating patterns in defence was also very restrictive along with using just the generator lights ( until recently the new lights being installed ) made it even more difficult to manage and function.
We used 54 players for the 1 st xv squad in 29 games due to unavailability, work , paternity leave , illness , injuries. On some occasions communication regarding illness ,work commitments was on Fri pm/Sat am. Every week there has been 2/3/4 and on some occasions 5/6 changes to the team. So no consistency in availability has again not helped results along with the normal injuries. This has a knock on effect for every team and players become sparse by the end of the process. Several players stepped up however from the Beef and made their 1stxv appearances, sometimes in newly learnt positions, and with the gap between L6-9 seems to be increasing as clubs strengthen their squads or try to maintain their league status this is no mean feat. I sincerely congratulate them and thank them for their commitment and efforts.
Attendance at training did improve after xmas but then declined again especially on Tuesday evenings. Training became firefighting a lot of the time which made planning even more difficult. Some requests were made in Jan at this point but nothing came to fruition and the squad remained the same. We desperately needed props and more second rows.
The Playing committee was a work in progress but in the end managed itself. Although far too much micro management took place at times . Myself , Nick ,Sim spent an unprecedented amount of time contacting players this year with no player manager for the 1st XV. My gratitude goes out to them also as if were not for their communication and understanding the 1st XV would not had a full squad on occasions.
However, by continuing to expand the structure to our playing management procedures, developing our club-wide coaching/training systems, bringing our youth through into senior rugby is the way forward. T.Doughty, F.Wood should be congratulated on their England U18 caps, also to J.Mckeeown for having a final U20 Divisional trial. The club also provided several players to the Sussex U21 squad. J.Gibson, J.Beecham , B.Garrish, G.Emmerson, J.Mckeown, all of whom made appearances for the 1st xv as did A.Parker, A.Parker, T.Ward, A.Mann from the U23 sqaud.
The Youth Academy for our U16 – U21 players did not get off the ground this season. The development and retention within the club, of these young players is central to the club’s future , wellbeing. Whilst priority must be given to age grade fixtures, those Colts both old enough and of course who wish to do so, will be progressed into our adult sides. This process was implanted partly.
As DOR of the club it has been indirectly/directly my responsibility to avoid relegation . Whilst on other fronts the youth teams presentations, video analysis, providing food, good physiotherapy care has improved in the club the results on the pitch are crucial to the club’s success and therefore I took the decision to resign on the March 27th 2015.
It is my opinion that the club now need to appoint a new 1st XV coach, and may be title the other coaches, the 1st XV must have a team manager then perhaps some time could be spent on target setting (if the club requires a DOR) , those targets to be agreed with the executive committee in what to achieve for the whole club. All that said and done we are where we are, and a lot has happened in a short space of time over these past two seasons and some changes have to be made. Attendance at training needs to be improved as does planning for training , recruitment and retention need special attention . This along with managing the U16-U21 set up must all be included to take the club forward and back up to London 1.
Yours faithfully .
Steve Dunnill. Dunners. Dundog.
Men’s Second XV:
No report.
Men’s Third XV:
No report
Men’s Fourth XV:
After several years of success the (Volunteers/Outcasts/Fourths,those who shall not be mentioned, delete as required) came into the 2014-15 season after being relegated one division, due mainly to administrative reasons, and then moved down another division by the club. This disappointment was overshadowed by the loss in the close season of one of our regulars, Mike Dilley, who past away at the young age of 31. Determined to honour Mike in the best way we knew and under the excellent coaching of Jim Maskel the team resolved to rise back up the leagues whist continuing to play their rugby in the spirit of the game. The league title was won with two weeks to spare and we added the Sussex Salver to complete the double after a tight game (25-19) at Lewes RFC against Newick RFC. Team Captain was John Gill and our top try scorer was George Whiting (brother of the First Teams Sam). The player of the season, in his first year, was Sean Lewis the young lad who works behind the bar and he has now acquired the nickname of ‘Suicide’ Sean for his tackling.. Although our league games were at times one sided we played some great friendlies against Haywards Heath firsts, Shoreham firsts, Littlehampton and Dorking making what I hope are lasting friendships with all the teams we played. The finest moment for most of us were receiving six messages of support from other clubs in Sussex before we played the final which is what rugby at our level is all about.
Neil Lewis (Gloria)
Men’s Fifth XV:
No report
Women’s First XV:
Just a few words to reflect the Ladies season…
This season the Ladies went from strength to strength, building upon the momentum generated from the end of last season, which ultimately ended in us being crowned the Intermediate Cup Winners!
Our performance in the league was impressive having beaten all but two opposition sides, and particularly doing the “Double” over Richmond.
A solid defensive effort all season kept many opponents to single figures against us, but our continual improving attack meant we also scored some cracking tries. In fact, we had four people all finishing within two tries apiece of being crowned Top Try Scorer!
The Cup win will remain the highlight though, as to achieve this we had to beat two teams who finished above us in the league. But it also provided us with opposition from outside our current league in the form of Hampstead & West Park Leeds. These were great games where neither side had a picture of the other’s capabilities. Yet we stuck to our game plan & systematically took both apart through solid set piece, dominant defence & strategic positional kicking.
As a team, we continue to develop players with one being invited into the Academy set up, & three former players all playing Prem rugby. With one of these being a full time professional with England!!!
So our aim for the coming season is to continue our journey of development at a personal & team wide level, to recruit some more players, but most importantly, to continue to play with smiles on our faces.
Kind regards,
Ross (Waddington)
Colts:
This has been another incredible undefeated season for Hove Colts. For the second year in a row we won the Sussex Premier League and Cup double. Fifteen players represented Sussex, thirteen at U18s, two at U17s and one, James McKeown, also played for Sussex U23s and became a Hove 1st XV regular. A special mention for Tom Doughty and Fergus Woods who represented the SE Division and achieve the ultimate accolade playing for England U18s in the triangular tournament with Ireland and France – which England won – and Cassius Deschamp who is joining the Academy at Racing Metro next season. Amazing achievements of which we are very proud.
With a squad of 45+ players we also ran a B team on all but one league weekend. Competing in the Sussex Championship League against A teams from other clubs is always tough and at times the team, mostly made of younger players, struggled to compete physically. We finished the season in a credible seventh (W1 D1 L4 C1).
This year, for the first time, there was also a Sussex U17s League, which gave much needed match time to the U17s Colts. We finished the season in third place just behind Crawley who cancelled their fixture with us on the final weekend denying us the chance to overtake them (there are no penalty points for cancelling in this league!). The players grew as the season progressed and gained valuable experience that we think will put us in a good place for next season.
Credit to all the players, coaches, organisers and sponsors who made such a great season possible.
Jay Holt
Junior Teams
Under 16s:
Hove RFC U16s played x 6 league matches – lost 5, and our only near success, a draw against Jersey at home resulting in 14 a piece. Two of our matches against Brighton and Worthing ended up rather disappointedly at 50+ to the opposing team and 0 to us! However, the infamous away game against East Grinstead will no doubt be remembered for many moons due to the four red cards issued to us and none to the other team!
All the boys put a lot of effort and enthusiasm into this last season, which was much appreciated and acknowledged by all.
Lastly, a special thank you to Ben (Maggot), who has been a great asset to the team. And finally…. a big thank you to Sandy, sorry the lads didn’t win a game, but next year will be different!
Putting a rather unsuccessful season behind us, we look forward to joining up with the Colts, which I know the boys are really looking forward to.
Under 15s:
Regrettably Pete Domzalski had to stand down as the Blackhawks Manager half way through the season due to work commitments. However thankfully he agreed to continue with arrangements for our successful tour to Jersey and also to be the tour manager for next season. Our thanks go to Pete for all his hard work as Manager and also to the Dragon’s Manager, Tim Green, for filling the gap whenever it became necessary. Any volunteer to fulfil the position of Blackhawk’s Manager would be greatly received
The U15’s season was a mixed bag.
The Dragons have done very well in finishing second to Brighton in Division 3 having lost to them away but beating them at home. Their last game against Bognor was played with great spirit which was rewarded with a strong away win. They managed to survive the season but only through a great deal of juggling of fixtures ably achieved by Tim Green the Dragons Manager. We were also helped by Iestyn George who made himself available to look after their matches. However the team are still short of at least 6 players and a dedicated coach.
The Blackhawks started the season with a number of key players injured and lost their first 2 games however recovered strongly. Their high point was beating Brighton at home who had not lost a league match at U15’s for many seasons. They were only one match away from the League Cup Final but came heavily unstuck by a very strong Horsham side who went on to beat Brighton in the final. The game against Horsham seemed one match too far and was not helped by a very demanding tour to Jersey the weekend before and the loss of 4 key players through injury. However they must take great credit in being one game away from the final in their first season in League 1. They finished fourth in the League but had beaten 2 of the 3 teams above them. 3 players represented their County and have been selected by Harlequins for their U16’s School of Rugby.
Next season at U16’s is another step forward in their development in Rugby which will introduce lifting in the line-out with all its options, increased playing time to 35mins and removal of Scrum Half movement restrictions at the scrum. More importantly it will also demand a much greater level of dedication and fitness.
Mike Attfield Head Coach U15’s
Under 14s:
After the successes of previous seasons, 2014-15 was a mixed bag for the U14s who had to cope with a lot of changes. Our As played the season missing 7 of the starting 15 from the previous year, with a long term injury, a couple of boys dropping out, and several players lost to Brighton College and Hurst. To cover these losses, several players came up from the Bs, and a number of other more established players moved to new positions. We also had to adjust to a number of changes to the coaching team.
After a good start (30-30) in the opening friendly against Saracen’s, the As struggled in their first few League games with some big losses against Jersey and Pulborough, and narrow defeats to Chichester and Brighton. Things settled down towards Christmas, as the team gelled and we established a more consistent coaching set up, and we ended the season with 3 wins (against Edenbridge, Horsham and Haywards Heath) and 6 losses.
The Bs had an excellent season. Having failed to win a game in League 2 last year, they took League 3 at a canter; being undefeated and playing some excellent rugby (against Worthing Bs in particular). They have been promoted back to League 2 for 2015-16. More importantly, perhaps, as a result of the difficulties faced by the As, several boys either moved to the As, or played a number of games for both As and Bs, with less and less difference between the two teams. As a result, the squad as a whole is considerably stronger and a wider pool of boys are now playing to a higher standard.
Following the loss of a number of players, the squad as a whole is also, however, considerably smaller than in previous seasons. Whilst we continue to have c 45 players on the books, in reality this was reduced to between 25 and 35 regular players. This made it difficult to field 2 teams when As and Bs were playing on the same weekend, and a shortage of players meant we had to cancel every one of the As Super 10 fixtures. It looks like we will start next season with c30 regulars, and may as result have to think about the Bs playing in a Baa Bas team with another club (probably Shoreham) if we are to fulfil our League 2 fixtures.
At the other end of things, we continue to have 3 players in the Harlequins DPP (down from 5 last season, with one moving on from Hove to concentrate on School rugby, and one not making it through to the 2015-16 Quins squad) and two or three others who must stand a good chance of making the County squad next season.
Jon May
Under 13s:
Our first year in Youth Rugby saw us in Div 2. The boys never treated this as anything other than a challenge and were keen to show they could win promotion to Div 1.
The squad went through the season unbeaten in the League, winning all their games with maximum points (Try bonus points in every game).
We also played a number of friendlies against the better Div 1 teams and whilst the squad acquitted itself well, it showed there is work to be done still and much of this centres around fitness rather than “Rugby”.
It has also been a difficult season from the Management and Coaching side. I am really pleased with the lack of issues this season! However, we have 4-5 great and dedicated coaches but no proper Team Manager, so the admin of he team has rested on the shoulders of John T. Would be great to get 1 or 2 more formally involved.
The whole squad, kids, parents and coaches are looking forward to what Div 1 has in store, bring it on!!!
John
Under 12s:
The U12’s have had yet another highly successful season. This year our focus was on player development in preparation for next season’s 15 a side game.
We ran various coaching clinics with guest coaches passing on their valuable skills & knowledge which the boys responded too very well and put into practice on the pitch to good effect.
Team numbers increased this year, and we welcomed a number of new players who have recently taken up the game. There is healthy competition for places, with every player turning out for the team at least once this season. Six squad members have been selected to attend the Harlequins trials, so good luck to them and we hope they shine on the day.
In their last season of minis rugby, the u12’s demonstrated why they have been so successful in the past six years. They won both the Oakmedians and Bournemouth festivals on tour without losing a game (and conceding only 1 try). The excellent spirit in which these matches were played is evidenced by the numerous invitations to friendly matches that we received from other clubs.
The u12’s were the only Hove Mini’s team to reach the Sussex Finals this year. They more than held their own against the opposition and continually demonstrated skill, courage and resilience in equal measure. However most importantly, they won the regional West Sussex Final, thereby securing a place in the top u13’s league next season. The squad have made their parents and coach very proud. Next season can’t come quick enough!
Under 11s:
Hove U11s have developed well this year, with increasing strength in depth as the whole group progresses. This has made selection decisions harder for ‘A’ festivals, which bodes well for increasing team sizes in coming years.
As the first year group to play RFU ‘New Rules’ each season which aims to develop players’ all round skills and avoid early position-specific specialization, the boys have at times played some rugby that is lovely to watch – hard rucking with developing turnover skills coupled with quick hands and crafty offloading to get the ball to wide areas. We have been complemented on our play by several opposition coaches over the season, and I know that we as coaches and parents have been thrilled when it has really come together.
Every player in the squad has represented Hove at a festival, and we have managed to field 2 teams at some events. We have had the challenge of changes in the coaching team due to some players (and therefore their dads) leaving, but new coaches have already stepped up to help myself and Giles next season. We now have a very solid core to the squad, but need to recruit a few more players to have a bigger group as we move to bigger team numbers in coming years.
The boys really enjoy their rugby, and as their skills develop individually and as a team, the results keep improving – a festival win is still eluding us, but we have had several 2nd and 3rd places this year. We aim to achieve success through enjoyment and game development rather than making the winning the primary aim in itself. We also aim to uphold the values of the game – one coach at a recent festival was effusive in his praise of our boys’ attitude on and off the pitch; so much so that he wants his squad to come to train with us next season!
We look forward to this squad expanding next year and building on their improvements and playing style.
Under 10s:
No report.
Under 9s:
It was all change for the u9s this season with the introdution of contact. Although it was welcomed by the vast majority not everyone took to tackling and we lost a few players to football early in the season. However we acquired significantly more than we lost and the new players have integrated really well into a growing squad. Additions to the coaching team have allowed us to work in smaller groups on particular skills during training and this has led to improved levels across the squad. We have been competetive in all festivals and we have sometimes been able to field 3 strong teams in the same weekend which is testament to the strength in depth in the squad and bodes well for the future. Enjoyment and participation rather than winning at all costs remain our priorities, but we have picked up some silverware along the way and hopefully victories towards the end of the season against a couple of our bogey teams will give the squad confidence and allow it to kick on to even greater things next season. We narrowly missed out on qualification for the Sussex finals, but made up for it by beating all the leading teams in Sussex to win the Pulborough festival at the end of the season. The B team also won the H Cup.
A big thank you to all our parents who have fully supported the coaches all season and particular thanks to our manager, Becky Hewlett, and to John Tsapparelli, Iain Turner and Anne Freeman for all the hard work they have done behind the scenes sorting our fixtures and registering players.
Rob Bell – Coach
Under 8s:
The U8’s enjoyed a successful season, coming runners up at Chichester and Bognor and both A & B teams reaching the plate play off at Haywards Heath, where we decided that both teams should share the trophy.
The squad developed their running and passing game well throughout the season and both players and parents have become quite the unit. Hopefully this relationship will progress and strengthen next season when we we will be venturing into the world of contact! I believe the players are ready for the challenge and Andy and I look forward to coaching them.
Under 7s:
The under 7’s have had a fantastic season with 30 players regularly attending training. Every player has had the opportunity to play in friendly fixtures against Shoreham, Worthing, Lewes and Brighton. 28 players have also been involved in the more competitive tournaments.
The Season started with a big win at the Chichester festival back in September. The squad then went on to win at the Hastings festival and the H trophy beating Haywards Heath in the final. The B team have had similar success being placed second at the Worthing Festival. At the West Sussex festival the A team drew with Haywards Heath but got knocked out based on tries scored. They then went on to win the Plate final.
The B team managed to make the Bowl final and also went on to win. The tour to Bournemouth was a success managing to be placed 2nd and 3rd.
End of season awards
• Most improved – Barnaby Crowther
• Most consistent -Jaiden King
• Most consistent – Adam Davis
• Top try scorer -Oscar Hackett
• Excellent attitude – Joe Hall
• Top attenders – Finn Henderson and Myles Cory
Under 6s:
The year has been spent attempting to shift the focus from early season running and ball control to one where the players were getting to grips with the basics of the game, while constantly focusing on the fun factor! I think overall it’s been pretty successful in achieving these aims.
U5s have been with us over the year and in the 2nd half of the season, the U5s & U6s did split half way through each session which was good for the development of each age group.
We lost a valuable coach, Don Tonner, who is returning home to Corby. We would like to place on record our thanks for his efforts over the last 2 years.
It will be a challenging step taking the current U6s to matches next year, but one which the current coaches are hopefully up for!
Speaking on behalf of the other U6 coaches, any further coaching support from the club would be appreciated. Whether that’s through courses or even a more experienced coach joining us for a session or two. In addition, help early next year on the club’s admin requirements would be v. useful.
Men’s 1st XV
Results
| Date | Result | Hove Score | Opp Score | Location | Competition | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/09/2014 | Won | 30 | 25 | Home | L1S | Gosport & Fareham |
| 13/09/2014 | Drawn | 11 | 11 | Away | L1S | Brighton |
| 20/09/2014 | Lost | 7 | 44 | Home | L1S | Sidcup |
| 27/09/2014 | Lost | 15 | 41 | Away | L1S | Charlton Park |
| 04/10/2014 | Lost | 13 | 30 | Home | L1S | Wimbledon |
| 11/10/2014 | Lost | 22 | 56 | Home | L1S | Havant |
| 18/10/2014 | Drawn | 19 | 19 | Away | L1S | Twickenham |
| 25/10/2014 | Lost | 18 | 39 | Home | L1S | Sutton & Epsom |
| 01/11/2014 | Won | 23 | 18 | Away | L1S | Basingstoke |
| 15/11/2014 | Drawn | 8 | 8 | Home | L1S | Dover |
| 22/11/2014 | Lost | 3 | 48 | Away | L1S | Guildford |
| 06/12/2014 | Lost | 16 | 17 | Home | L1S | Cobham |
| 13/12/2014 | Lost | 38 | 69 | Away | L1S | Chobham |
| 20/12/2014 | Lost | 7 | 47 | Home | L1S | Brighton |
| 10/01/2015 | Drawn | 15 | 15 | Home | L1S | Charlton Park |
| 17/01/2015 | Lost | 12 | 61 | Away | L1S | Wimbledon |
| 24/01/2015 | Lost | 0 | 57 | Away | L1S | Sidcup |
| 31/01/2015 | Lost | 15 | 27 | Away | L1S | Havant |
| 07/02/2015 | Won | 23 | 14 | Home | L1S | Twickenham |
| 21/02/2015 | Lost | 29 | 55 | Away | L1S | Sutton & Epsom |
| 28/02/2015 | Won | 46 | 5 | Home | L1S | Basingstoke |
| 07/03/2015 | Lost | 24 | 45 | Away | L1S | Dover |
| 21/03/2015 | Lost | 21 | 48 | Home | L1S | Guildford |
| 28/03/2015 | Lost | 3 | 27 | Away | L1S | Cobham |
| 11/04/2015 | Lost | 38 | 50 | Home | L1S | Chobham |
| 18/04/2015 | Lost | 7 | 39 | Away | L1S | Gosport & Fareham |
| Played | 26 | |||||
| Won | 4 | |||||
| Drawn | 4 | |||||
| Lost | 18 | |||||
| Result Not Known / Cancelled | 0 | |||||
| Home Games Played | 13 | |||||
| Away Games Played | 13 | |||||
| Highest Points For | 46 | |||||
| Lowest Points For | 0 | |||||
| Highest Points Against | 69 | |||||
| Lowest Points Against | 5 | |||||
| Highest Winning Margin | 41 | |||||
| Highest Losing Margin | 57 |
Table – London 1 South
| # | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points For | Points Against | Points Difference | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points | Adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wimbledon | 26 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 822 | 401 | 421 | 16 | 2 | 104 | |
| 2 | Chobham | 26 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 809 | 478 | 331 | 14 | 2 | 103 | -5 |
| 3 | Sutton & Epsom | 26 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 785 | 457 | 328 | 12 | 4 | 100 | |
| 4 | Sidcup | 26 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 674 | 328 | 346 | 13 | 3 | 88 | |
| 5 | Guildford | 26 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 628 | 489 | 139 | 10 | 6 | 75 | -5 |
| 6 | Brighton | 26 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 660 | 546 | 114 | 10 | 6 | 64 | |
| 7 | Havant | 26 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 625 | 548 | 77 | 11 | 5 | 62 | |
| 8 | Charlton Park | 26 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 606 | 601 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 55 | -5 |
| 9 | Gosport & Fareham | 26 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 528 | 806 | -278 | 9 | 4 | 49 | |
| 10 | Dover | 26 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 532 | 594 | -62 | 6 | 8 | 48 | |
| 11 | Twickenham | 26 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 451 | 702 | -251 | 7 | 2 | 43 | |
| 12 | Cobham | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 436 | 670 | -234 | 2 | 2 | 42 | |
| 13 | Hove | 26 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 463 | 915 | -452 | 4 | 1 | 29 | |
| 14 | Basingstoke | 26 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 466 | 950 | -484 | 7 | 6 | 17 | -20 |
Havant were credited with 63 on the RFU table but I can’t work it out to that figure so I have reported 62.
Similarly, Twickenham were credited with 44 by the RFU but my calculations come to 43.
If you now better in either case then do let me know.
Women’s 1st XV
Men’s 2nd XV
Playing Honours
| Person | Playing Honour |
|---|---|
| James Finlason | Captain |
| Tom Doughty | Vice Presidents Trophy |
| Robin Ward | Mens 1st XV Player of Year |
| Robin Ward | Mens 1st XV Player's Player of Year |
| James Duckett | Mens 1st XV Most Improved Player |
| Chris Jones | Mens 2nd XV Player of Year |
| Charlie Swannack | Mens 3rd XV Player of Year |
| Beth Parry-Evns | Womens 1st XV Player of Year |
| Hannah Sharman | Womens 1st XV Player's Player of Year |
| Jen White | Womens 1st XV Most Improved Player |
| Abi Ledward | Womens 1st XV Claire Thompson Memorial Award |
| Cassius Deschamps | Colts U18 XV Player of the Year |
| Louis Johnson | Colts U18 XV Most Improved Player |
| Fergus Wood | Colts U18 XV Player's Player of Year |
| Tom Doughty | England Schools and Clubs U18 Squad |
| Fergus Wood | England Schools and Clubs U18 Squad |
| Jake McKinley | Colts U17 XV Player of the Year |
| Joe Slaymaker | Colts U17 XV Most Improved Player |
| Aran McDonald | Colts U17 XV Player's Player of Year |
Images from the Season
No images as yet…
Club Highlights
Chairman’s Report 2014-15
When I inherited the post of Chairman midway through the 13-14 season I of course was honored and proud, little did I know what lay ahead!
We of course knew that without the recruitment of paid players our first team would struggle to compete in London 1 South, where the majority of clubs have at least some paid and or overseas players, however as someone who believes in the development of home grown talent, still hoped for the best. We have had a number of changes in the coaching team, Danny came and went, Steve, Sandy, Tom, Chris and Gareth have worked hard to fill the gaps, and frankly have done their best, but in the end our First team were relegated.
One of my goals as Chairman was to improve the facilities and although the funding to refurbish the floodlights was fairly easy, with a generous donation from the Gibson foundation, which we matched with a grant from the RFU, the pitch project has been much harder to resolve than any of us thought. We are finally just completing the last few details and it finally looks like the first part of the relaying will start in June, with a view to be completed by the start of the next season. The time that we need to wait before playing on them will be largely weather dependent, but with luck we may be on them in the Spring.
Of course with the effective loss of facilities for nearly two seasons this puts a great deal of pressure on the clubs income, this last year we had around 25% less rugby related income and games at Hove, and next year is likely to be similar, so the chances of us attracting a new coach to assist the remaining coaches will be difficult. Steve Dunhill has stepped aside, to enjoy his retirement and assist his elderly parents, I thank him for his hard work and wish him well, I am sure we will still see him around the Club. However we are actively talking to a couple of candidates and hope to be able to announce some names soon.
It is not all doom and gloom, our junior and mini numbers have held up well, and many teams have had winning seasons. The Colts won the league and cup double for a second year in a row, of course our Women’s team have as usual shown us the way, with good numbers training, competing at a high standard, and winning their intermediate cup, and a tens tournament, congratulations to them all.
Apart from the Firsts being relegated, our Second and Third team both had tough seasons with low player numbers, however both survived in their leagues and live to fight again. Our ‘Fourth’ social side of course won their league and cup. However as per previous seasons, they have effectively been an affiliate club, with their own organization. I congratulate them on their success, but of course wish that the players would re-integrate to a joined up ‘one-club’ ethos. I will continue to try and achieve this until I hand over to someone else.
I intend to see the pitch project through and then at some point before Christmas hand over the Chairman duties to Geraldine Brown, who I hope will bring fresh ideas and new drive to the post, I will not leave the committee but intend to concentrate on the playing side, and try to help rebuild the senior men’s sides, bringing my years as Colts manager to hopefully attract back some of the young talent that we have been away studying etc. We need to have a team of coaches and managers for all sides, and once we have all our pitches back, try to get back to 4 regular sides and an occasional Vets team.
We face a difficult task and are actively looking for alternative floodlit areas and pitches for next year, but I still believe that Hove RFC will rise phoenix like from these difficulties and again take our place amongst the strongest clubs in Sussex.
My last plea is for help, there are lots of jobs to do and too few people doing them, we urgently need tasks completing and events planned, so if you can help in any way please talk to me? I look forward to next season and the Rugby World Cup with optimism that we can use the surge in interest in our great sport, to boost us back to the top.
Adam Tunesi Chairman Hove RFC
Club Honours
| Person | Club Honour |
|---|
Presidents Office
| Honour | Person | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| President | Richard Hopkins | |
| Immediate Past President | Colin Lucas | |
| Senior Vice President | No incumbent | |
| Junior Vice President | No incumbent |
Committee
| Person | Position |
|---|---|
| Chair | |
| Secretary | |
| Treasurer | |
| Commercial | |
| Operations | |
| Governance and Compliance | |
| Director of Rugby | |
| Playing | |
| Junior Rugby | |
| Playing | |
| Playing |
Annual General Meeting
This was held on Thursday 28th May 2015and the documents are attached below:
Club Handbook and Programmes
Related Posts
Comments (0)