ALNWICK RFCSATURDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER VS YORK RFC With thanks to our match sponsor
It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the 2023/24 season of the North Premier League at Greensfield. Having enjoyed a very good season last year, we are hoping to keep the momentum going to retain, or better, last years’ league position. I would like to wish our club captain Richard Elliott, and coaches Tom Borthwick and Ally Hogg, good luck for the forthcoming season. I thank them for their outstanding contribution last season. We must endeavour to retain our status as a three team, plus Colts, Club. Many clubs continue to struggle at lower levels and it is so important that our club can produce regular 2nd and 3rd teams. Once we cast aside this aspiration, we join the slippery slope to becoming a one team club. Our Colts have elected to play once more in the Border League and it is genuinely pleasing to see former Colts rising through the teams. The Junior section within the club continues to thrive under the past guidance of John Davidson and future guidance of Tony Manners. We are indebted to them for hopefully cultivating future club players. Finally, our Ladies section is very active and strengthening in numbers. If you would like to participate please contact any club member. Similarly, women and men touch rugby adds a social blend to the participants of our great game. Thanks are due also to David Ross who runs the physio section of the club and to David Stewart who never misses a game to make superb videos. WELCOME! Andrew R Bell President
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS OUR MAIN CLUB SPONSOR FOR THE 2023-2024 SEASON
MATCH BALL SPONSORS Fraser Burn Rod Bell Alan Gardiner Martin Straker John Davidson Fiona Burn Catering Iain Stewart Charlie Davies Danny Hodgson Andrew Hodgson Stuart May, Peter McCaig & John Spark Dallas Allen Ken Fairbairn Richard Welbury AML - Matthew & Ali Currie Burgham Golf Rory Mallaburn Craig Greer Turnbulls Butchers ON THIS WEEKEND 2ND TEAM Alnwick V Percy Park COLTS Gala V Alnwick
CLUB OFFICIALS Fraser Burn Vice Chairman & Vice President Dallas Allen Chair of Facilities Andrew Bell Snr President Hugh Burn Chairman & Senior Vice President Ian Bell Treasurer Alan Gardiner Chair of Colts Judith Burn Hon Secretary Andrew Bell Jnr Chair of Senior Rugby Tony Manners Chair of Mini & Junior Rugby Ruth Gregory Chair of Social Events Martin Straker Chair of Sponsorship & Advertising Gillian Apthorpe Club Safeguarding Officer John Davidson County Representative Rod Bell Chair of Health and Safety Michelle Hall Bar Manager
Ritchie Elliott Club & 1st XV Captain Ben Gothorp 1st XV Vice Captain Gordon Smith 3rd XV Captain Charlie Davies 2nd XV Captain Becky Dyson Ladies Captain Cameron Cullen Colts Captain James Bird 1st XV Vice Captain OUR CAPTAINS
N Alnwick RFC is an amateur rugby union club based in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland in the North-East of England. We are the most northerly rugby union club in English league rugby (although Berwick’s headquarters are in Scremerston, they play in the Scottish league system). The traditional colours of Alnwick are royal blue shirts and socks with gold trims and white shorts. Alnwick RFC was originally formed on 9th December 1880 under the name of ‘The Hotspur’, a reference to the famous knight Harry Hotspur. Mrs Rennison of The Star Hotel offered a field on the outskirts of the town to play on, known as Wagonway, and a W. Newman was elected to captain the initial team. Their first game ended in a thrilling 0-0 draw against Jesmond. The Hotspur won their first home game, which was also the first game under rugby union laws, against Rockliffe by 1 goal and 3 touchdowns. In May 1884, a meeting between The Hotspur, Guild and other football clubs resulted in a decision to merge all parties to form the Alnwick Association Football Club. It took 50 years for the game of rugby to be reintroduced to the town. In 1933, under the presidency of Stan Anderson, whom represented England, rugby in Alnwick flourished; playing at Denwick Mill and using The Plough Hotel as the clubhouse. However, this was short lived as difficulties in getting playing numbers saw the game abandoned in 1937. After the second world war, another attempt to revive rugby in the town was made but to no avail. It wasn’t until the Duke’s School started playing rugby union, which provided a strong pool of enthusiastic players, that rugby caught on. A meeting was held on 12th April 1960, presided over by Bobby Robinson of Northern FC and the club was reformed and matches played in the following 60/61 season. His Grace, The Duke of Northumberland, agreed to be Patron of the club whilst S.O. Williams accepted the presidency. Alan Churchill was elected captain and The Plough Hotel was once again used as the clubhouse. The club obtained use of a field at Greensfield Moor which became their permanent headquarters when the Duke of Northumberland offered a long lease of land. THE HISTORY OF ALNWICK RFC
MATCH PREVIEW A very warm welcome everyone to Greensfield for our first league game of the 2023-24 season in Regional 1 North East. Originally this game was scheduled away, however York’s excellent facilities are still being utilised for Cricket, so the game was reversed. Our squad are well aware of the threats our visitors pose, especially after two close encounters last season. We realise that we have to be prepared for a step up in intensity and physicality from each of our pre season games. However, our group have laid some solid foundations over pre season, where they showed a fantastic work ethic. Preparation included sessions down at Warkworth beach and a focus on adapting to the new tackle laws introduced for this season. It was pleasing to see some positive improvements throughout our 3 pre season games against Melrose, Glasgow H A and Morpeth. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome two new faces to the squad today, James Blackett (scrum-half) and Rex Nareki (centre). They have both settled in well over recent months and everyone is looking forward to seeing their contribution on the field today. Good luck to you both. Finally a huge thank you on behalf of all the players for the excellent contribution for the Position Sponsors for the coming season. The players are very grateful for your support. Good luck to all our teams today and I hope everyone has an enjoyable afternoon. Tom Borthwick
VOLUNTEER NEEDED 07922277350 We are looking for volunteers to support us with writing our match reports. Whether you want to do them all or even just some select matches, any help would be appreciated. If you are interested please message Ben to find out more. MATCH REPORT WRITER Message Ben
6. ALI BLACKETT 8. CHARLIE FARMER 1. RITCHIE ELLIOT 4. JONNY YOUNG ALNWICK RFC FORWARDS 5. JAMES BIRD Stephen Dickinson 2. DUNCAN SMITH 7. WILL PETTIFER 3. MATTHEW JOLLY
10. EVAN MOIR 15. SAM EGGLESTON BACKS 13. ALEX ROBSON 14. ANDREW ORD Guy Renner-Thompson 12. REX NAREKI 11. JAKE WOODS ALNWICK RFC 9. JAMES BLACKETT
18. FERGUS BURN 17. COLIN PHILLIPS 16. KALVIN INGLIS HEAD COACH TOM BORTHWICK Victoria Bell PHYSIO DAVE ROSS The Muppets COACHING TEAM FORWARDS COACH ALLY HOGG Tom Bell ALNWICK RFC SUBSTITUTES
Loosehead Prop Kyle Consterdine Hooker Ross White Tighthead Prop Lewi Jackson Second Row Eddie Westaby Second Row Archie Forthergill Blindside Flanker Josh Shepherd Openside Flanker Paddy Hayes Number 8 Shane Goulding Scrum Half Toby Atkin Fly Half Harry Shackleton Left Wing Mitch Ashman Inside Centre Will Fordy Outside Centre Sam Forbes Right Wing Matt Avison Full Back Liam Hessay Reserve Joseph Simpson Reserve Mike Oldroyd Reserve Jonny Frank
Ladies 23rd September Day Tables of 10 for Lunch £20 per person. Names to Michelle by Thursday 21st. 12:30pm arrival for 1pm start. Alnwick RFC
Pre-Match Lunches September 2nd - First Game of the Season BBQ September 9th - Open Lunch September 23rd - Ladies Day Lunch October 14th - End of Harvest Lunch November 4th - Open Lunch November 18th - Open Lunch December 16th - Christmas Lunch January 13th - Wooden Spoon Lunch February 3rd - Farmers Lunch March 2nd - Prostate Cancer Lunch March 23rd - Ovarian Cancer Action Lunch Pre-Match lunches will be held before all first team home games. All table bookings should be given to Michelle in advance, along with any dietary requirements. Confirmation of final number is needed by Thursday. Advanced payment is appreciated. For lunches in September, October, March & April, meet at 12:30pm for a 1pm start. For lunches in November, December, January & February, meet at 12noon for a 12:30pm start.
STATS: VS YORK Season League Game No Date League Name Level H/A Result For Against 1992/93 61 3/4/93 North 2 6 H L 7 30 1993/94 72 26/3/94 North 2 6 A L 18 23 1996/97 107 4/1/97 North 2 6 H W 22 10 1996/97 110 1/2/97 North 2 6 A D 0 0 1997/98 123 27/9/97 North 2 6 A L 14 29 1997/98 137 7/3/98 North 2 6 H W 23 14 1998/99 153 12/12/98 North 2 6 H W 34 10 1998/99 163 27/3/99 North 2 6 A W 27 7 2000/01 192 21/10/00 North 2 East 6 A W 31 15 2000/01 200 20/1/01 North 2 East 6 H W 19 0 2021/22 667 30/10/21 North Premier 5 A W 24 15 2021/22 678 19/2/22 North Premier 5 H W 27 22 2022/23 686 3/9/22 Regional 1 North East 5 H W 13 10 2022/23 707 11/3/23 Regional 1 North East 5 A W 40 28
MEET THE PLAYER: ANDREW ORD If you had to take one team mate on a date, who would it be, where would it be and why? Duncan Smith. We’d go to Rios steakhouse for a big portion of meat because he’s actually good craic. What is your meal deal choice? Where and what drink, main and snack Sainsburys (Not Turnbull’s, I can’t afford it) All day breakfast, water, wispa. Or 3 headbangers for a fiver in pennies. If you were prime minister. What law would you bring in/change tomorrow? Up the drink driving limit. What's your favourite place to go for a drink, and why? The Bell. Wey where else is there. What is your pre-match hype song? Mr Brightside This fixture is a special occasion for one player in particular. Andrew Ord will finally be awarded his 50 cap tie following todays game, having earnt the feet at the end of last season. It has been a long time coming! Ordy has come right through from minis and juniors, the colts and the senior set up, captaining the 2s in one of the sides most successful periods. Opportunities to play first team haven’t been regular but when called upon Ordy has always put in a huge shift whether it’s at openside, scrum half or on the wing. When we last did “Meet the Player”, Ordy had stated he hoped to achieve 50 1XV caps in the coming seasons. Now at the tender age of 35, the Shermanator has achieved just that. Go well Ordy.
If your Mam had to describe you in 3 words, what would they be? The golden child. What’s the best piece of gossip you’ve heard in the changing rooms? Weeeeey a cannot tell ya that. Who do you dread being sat next to on the away bus? Evan or someone like that. If you could improve one part of your game, what would it be? Fitness, cos I’m getting a bit old. If you could play a different position, what would it be? I’ve basically played everywhere so can’t really change. Highlight moment at Alnwick RFC (on or off the pitch)? Got a few. My try that was shown on the Guinness premiership. Winning the league and cup as captain of the second team. If you could be any teammate for a day, who would you be, why and what would you do? Jake woods. Cos I wouldn’t have to go to work. What is the harshest critique you’ve ever received from Len Smith? “You may as well stop playing now it was that poor” MEET THE PLAYER: ANDREW ORD
QUIZ Which Irishman won the first World Rugby player of the year awarded in 2001? Which club has won the most European Rugby Champions Cup titles since it’s inception in 1995? Who is the England men’s all time leading try scorer in International tests? Who is the current European Rugby Player of the year? Which country is the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup scheduled to be held? Answers can be found at the end of the programme
PLAYER STATS: 2022/23 SEASON Name Appearances Tackles Try Points League caps Jake Woods 22 49 6 30 41 Evan Moir 22 25 2 232 52 Rob Cuthbert 21 141 3 15 122 Charlie Farmer 21 131 7 35 32 Duncan Smith 21 47 14 70 170 Drew Thompson 20 62 20 Ali Blackett 19 164 4 20 31 Ben Gothorp 19 152 6 30 161 Sam Eggleston 19 85 7 35 35 James Bird 18 119 4 20 225 Hugh Todd 17 32 4 20 125 Jonny Young 16 129 97 Jimmy Cowan 16 40 4 20 62 Andrew Ord 16 24 6 30 50 Ritchie Elliot 13 60 107 Peter Moralee 13 34 3 15 227 Mikey Craigs 10 41 27 Alex Robson 9 54 4 20 36 Continued on next page…
PLAYER STATS: 2022/23 SEASON Name Appearances Tackles Try Points League caps Ben Pettifer 8 40 2 10 8 Oil Sutheran 8 20 150 Ollie Tulip 8 14 1 5 11 Andrew Spark 8 6 1 5 8 Will Pettifer 7 62 41 Simon Ord 7 26 58 Matty Gray 5 13 156 Colin Philips 4 12 65 Matty Jolly 4 7 7 Craig Bachurzewski 4 6 2 10 25 Charlie Davies 3 17 54 Richard Ellis 2 9 188 Kalvin Inglis 2 3 2 Jamie Comber 2 2 6 Jonny Dodds 2 2 2 Andy Francis 2 4 3 Tim Michie 1 2 12 Jamie Oliver 1 2 16 Tyler Frost 1 2
SENIOR RUGBY The 2022-23 season was a success on all fronts. The 1st Team finished 4th in the League (the clubs highest ever league position!) and just lost out to Driffield in the Papa John’s Cup, who went on to win it. The 2nd Team finished 2nd in their League and were extremely competitive in the County Cup, narrowly losing to Northern 1st Team and Tynedale. The 3rd Team won their league and reached the Cup Final where they lost to Medicals 2nds. As Chairman of Rugby, keeping 3 senior sides turning out every Saturday is key to the club’s success! It was evident last year more than ever. A strong 3rd Team inevitably means that the higher teams will perform well. Sadly, many clubs in the area and across the country are losing players at lower levels and are struggling to get sides out which has a massive impact on the social and financial aspects of clubs as well as on the pitch! We welcome Tom Borthwick and Ally Hogg back as coaches this season. Over the last 2 years we have seen a huge improvement in basic skills and the style of rugby we play. After 3 pre-season games against Melrose, GHA and Morpeth, it is evident that we have increased the pace and tempo we are trying to play at. This, alongside a very physical defence, will make for good viewing this season! While 4th position is the highest position the club have ever finished, there was a sense of underachievement last season. Many felt that we could have achieved a higher league position, which will be the aim this year, in what will be a more competitive league with additions of Blaydon and Harrogate! Alnwick are still one of the few clubs at our level that are completely amateur with regards paying players. While the pot of gold may make other clubs stronger and recruitment easier, Alnwick has a body of players that are there every week playing for each other because they want to, and that makes us stronger! We have recruited a few players this season, at all levels, which will improve all teams. We have also had several colts training which is great to see! Continued on next page…
At the end of every season, you also wonder who will be leaving you. I would like to thank a couple of people for their contributions over the years. Firstly, Pete Moralee who both played for and coached the club. He amounted 227 league appearances, scoring 101 tries. His pace and vision will be a big miss this year, although his continued assistance on the coaching front is a big asset! The second is George Stoker, a bit of an unsung hero! George has helped manage the 2nd and 3rd teams for the best part of 20 years now. Very rarely missing a game, he has played an important role in the club ensuring that 2nd and 3rd teams turn out. My thanks go to you both! We are very much looking forward to hosting York today, in what has always proven to be a hard-fought competitive fixture. While I wish them the best of luck, hopefully Alnwick will get off to a flying start to set us up for another successful season! SENIOR RUGBY Andrew Bell Chairman of Senior Rugby
On behalf of the entire Alnwick Minis and Juniors, I am delighted to extend a very warm welcome to you. We are thrilled to have so many kids and volunteers enjoying what we have to offer on Sunday mornings, and we are looking forward to an exciting season ahead. Rugby is not just a sport, it is a way of life that fosters teamwork, camaraderie, and personal growth. Our mission at Alnwick is to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for players of all ages and skill levels. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of rugby or have been playing for years, we are committed to helping the kids develop their skills, build character, and create lasting friendships. As we embark on this rugby adventure together, we encourage the kids to embrace the core values of rugby, Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, Sportsmanship. These values are the foundation of everything we do, and they will shape us into not just better rugby players but also better human beings. We have 14 sides in the Minis and Juniors this season, which is testament to all the hard work of coaches and parents from previous seasons turning up on sometimes wet and cold Sunday mornings, sometimes nursing hangovers from the night before. Finally, we wish all the Senior sides the best of luck for the forth coming season and hopefully we can continue to support them on Saturdays as ball boys and girls. MINI & JUNIORS Tony Manners Chairman Minis & Juniors
Its fair to say that we are starting to get excited about the prospects for a packed season of Colts rugby once again here at Alnwick. The boys from both U17’s and U18’s year groups have started to get to know each other as we picked up our pre-season preparations mid-July. We have a wealth of homegrown talent coming through this year with an anticipated squad of 30 + which is a great relief as we struggled with player numbers last season. The older and younger boys have come through Alnwick’s excellent and very well supported Minis and Junior teams, many starting at age 5 or 6. There should be a good combination between the two age groups with the older lads sharing their rugby experience and some very exciting talent coming to colts from the younger boys. The one thing they all share is a commitment to rugby and our club and an excellent atitude which will certainly seem them do well. We continue our pre-seaon with a couple of friendlies and then the season starts in earnest on Saturday 2nd September when we travel up to Gala RFC for the first of our Borders League matches for this season. We will also be entering the Northumberland County Cup where we came in as runners up in the final last season and the RFU National Cup. A number of the boys will also want to put themselves forward for consideration for Northumberland County team again and continue Alnwicks excellent representation within County Rugby. COLTS Alan Gardiner Colts Commitee Chair
With our inaugural year behind us, Alnwick RFC Senior Ladies squad cannot wait for the 2023-24 season. Having started our preseason training in June, we have seen the players go from strength to strength, no doubt thanks to our fantastic coach Gabs. Several new players have joined us recently, and we highly encourage anyone, any experience level, to come and give rugby a try. We are always looking for new players whether new to the game or returning. With some of our junior girls now joining us as they grow in to the senior game, we would love to see mums, aunties, grandmas and all those with children in our mini and junior section, join us at our training sessions! Ahead of us, we are entered in to the RFU Inner Warrior Development league. This league will give us a great opportunity to build the squad and develop our players, with potential to play games across the North of England. Fixtures will be announced as and when, so keep an eye on our social media pages and in match day programmes. Good luck to all our Alnwick RFC teams this 23/24 season, and we can’t wait to see everyone at Greensfield! LADIES Becky Dyson Ladies Captain
Well that was the Summer and judging by the photo, the Touch Rugby Euros in France clearly got all the sun. Congratulations to Tracey Graham who took the bronze medal playing for the England women’s 40’s . Whilst Craig Auchinichie who played for Scotland Mens 40’s, who were beaten by Wales in the bronze medal match; undoubtedly hampered by the conditions as most of the Scot’s were “hugging the shade like a vampire in the daylight”. Now back in the North it’s onwards and upwards with our first match against Ashington on 12th September at 7:15pm. Bemused or confused as to what it’s all about? Pop along and have a look - it’s free! This will be followed by a series of tournaments beginning on the 16th September, which are important for those wanting to form part of a selection pathway to next year’s Nationals and World Cup teams. There are opportunities for all, so if you fancy a try out you can pop down any Tuesday/Friday or contact Don McLean On 07860510623 or [email protected] TOUCH Don McLean
BLAST FROM THE PAST 1. First ARFC Memories? SM: Colts Rugby… Andy Scurfield getting a Ralgex initiation… GH: Colts with likes of Milburn, Manners, Middlemist, Spark, Davidson. 2. 1stXV Debut? SM: Stockton at home. Colts game got cancelled, came on wing for Brian Fergie. GH: Morpeth at Home 1990 scrum half. Won 6-0. 3. Early Mentors? SM: John Frater, Hector, Alan Old GH: Hector Brewis, Dave Debbage knew how I ticked. 4. Best Game? SM: Morpeth at home. 4 tries past Duncan Hutton…lol GH: liked being underdog. Selkirk away under lights they had couple internationals. 5. Best Try? SM: Colts v Melrose away. Blind break, chipped winger and ran in. GH: Bridlington away – outrageous dummy and full back was still running towards sea (Ed- remember it- we all were!! Was a great dummy) 6. Best Away trip? SM: Kinsale and Amsterdam 7s GH: Kinsale 7s 7. Toughest opponent? SM: Waisale Serevi at World 7s in Wales. GH: Townsend at Gala. M Cueto v Cheshire. Sparky chats with some ‘Old Skoolers’ from yesteryear with their memories at ARFC. Kicking off with Simon Manners and Garry Herdman. Between them they have well over 300 league appearances and many county caps between 1989 and 2011. Simon captained club twice. Continued on next page…
BLAST FROM THE PAST 8. Funniest moment? SM: Gary Mallaburn’s strip off at the Amsterdam 7s. GH: Stockton away. Andy B made me Capt. Was still drunk from Fri had to do toss 3 times kept forgetting to call. 9. Biggest Regret? SM: Missing out on the North of England Colts. GH: Maybe not maximizing my potential. All players should aim for this. 10. Old School Differences? SM: Would struggle with new tackle height (Ed – really? you’re only 4 foot tall!) GH: Modern game v structured. Defenses would be too well organized for me now – lol. 11. Who’s impressed you latterly? SM: Rob Cuthbert and Will Pettifer GH: Rob Cuthbert could have played higher level. Pete Moralee always raised teammates game. Charlie Davies and Ordy great club men. 12. Best Club player you played with? SM: Grizzler Burn GH: Trevor Kirkup 13. Best ARFC Memory? SM: Andy Bell just telling you!! No option in those days… GH: Our backline with Manners, Havery, Kirkup, myself, Dapo, Ronnie Alexander and Remi. Fantastic.
Regional 1 North East TODAYS FIXTURES ALNWICKS NEXT 3 FIXTURES Alnwick V York Blaydon V Pontefract Cleckheaton V Scunthorpe Doncaster Phoenix V Sandal Heath V Ilkley Driffield V Harrogate 9th September Alnwick V Ilkley 16th September Blaydon V Alnwick 23rd September Alnwick V Harrogate
Regional 1 North East THIS SEASONS HOME FIXTURES 2nd September Alnwick V York 9th September Alnwick V Ilkley 23rd September Alnwick V Harrogate 14th October Alnwick V Sandal 4th November Alnwick V Scunthorpe 18th November Alnwick V Pontefract 16th December Alnwick V Blaydon 13th January Alnwick V Cleckheaton 3rd February Alnwick V Doncaster Phoenix 2nd March Alnwick V Driffield 23rd March Alnwick V Heath
The Muppets members have decided to sponsor our club physiotherapist Dave Ross for the 2023-2024 season. In addition, we wondered if Dave would like a bit of extra equipment to help him in his endeavours to keep the lads fit and get them ready to play as soon as possible. Dave has done some research and requested the MYO MASTER INFLATABLE AND COMPRESSION BOOTS. These will aid recovery, improve circulation, reduce pain and increase recovery time from injury and exercise induced soreness. At a cost of £700, we are sure this equipment will be a huge benefit to the players and help the club in the upcoming season. Having already fundraised well over £100 towards this, we hope that you will support us by making a FUNDRAISING REQUEST FROM THE MUPPETS £10 DONATION.
QUIZ ANSWERS Which Irishman won the first World Rugby player of the year awarded in 2001? Keith Wood Which club has won the most European Rugby Champions Cup titles since it’s inception in 1995? Toulouse (5 titles) Who is the England men’s all time leading try scorer in International tests? Rory Underwood (49) Who is the current European Rugby Player of the year? Gregory Aldritt Which country is the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup scheduled to be held? Australia