A fast and furious game that was very evenly matched. Some excellent tackles from both sides and all of the players put their hearts and souls into the game. We just had the edge on the opposition with the tries, but they put up a great fight and the score line could have gone either way.

Game 2

South Leicester 9 - Leicester Lions 1

Tries scored J Smith (5) E Duggan (2) B DiSalvo (2)

Another very good game with fast play throughout. The opposition didn't defend as well in this game as the score line shows. We took every advantage during play to capture and secure the ball, passing down the line and out to the wing. Some great runs ended in tries and our defence again was very good, preventing the opposition from scoring.

A great day for our team who once again played together extremely well. Well done Unders 9s!!

Sunday 22nd March 2009

South Leicester V Stewarts and LLoyds

On Mothers Day we all trooped off to Corby for a match with Stewarts and Lloyds.

After a good training session with the coaches we started the first of 3 matches.

Match 1

South Leicester 6 - Stewarts and Lloyds 0

Tries scored J Smith (3) M Holyoak (1) E Duggan (2)

Excellent play by South, our defence was faultless preventing the opposition from scoring a try. Smooth passing, very fast runs finding space and fearless tackles led to the score line that we deserved.

Match 2

South Leicester 5 - Stewarts and Lloyds 0

Tries scored J Smith (3) A Chapman (1) A Barratt (1)

Another very fast game. Excellent defence again, good positions meant that the ball was passed down the line enabling the tries to flow.

Match 3

South Leicester 4 - Stewarts and Lloyds 0

Tries scored J Smith (1) B DiSalvo (1) C Hill (1) M Holyoak (1)

A shorter game but none the less action packed! Great play by South, the opposition just couldn't put a try by us!

A great result for South, pre match training is obviously helping to focus the team and they all played very well. Well done U9s!

Sunday 15th March 2009

Under 9s Hinckley Festival

On a beautiful day we arrived at Hinckley for the festival. We were drawn against 3 teams that we hadn't heard of let alone played, and we did our best throughout the day.

Pool Games

South Leicester 1 V Lichfield 2

Try scored by J Smith

Our defence was awesome and the play was very fast and even. The scoreline didn't reflect the play and we were unlucky not to draw in this match

South Leicester 1 V Caldy Lions 4

Try scored by N Wood

A very strong opposition. We were still good in defence but we struggled to get the ball along the line and out to the wing.

South Leicester 1 V Luctonians 2

Try scored by J Smith

Another very strong game with the opposition just beating us by 1 try. We still played well, a great effort by South.

This result meant that we were last in our pool, and therefore played in the Plate League.

Plate League

South Leicester 4 V Lutterworth A 0

Tries scored by E Duggan (3) J Smith (1)

Excellent play by the team passing very well along the line out to the wing. Brilliant tries by the team, very good defence all round.

South Leicester 6 V Lutterworth B 0

Tries scored by J Smith (2) E Duggan (2) A Barratt (1) N Wood (1)

A fantastic game saw us all over the opposition. Brilliant passing, rucking and mauling along with fearless tackles wrapped up the game and resulted in us winning the Plate.

A very long day but worth it in the end. The team faced very strong oppositions in the initial pool but kept their spirits up and played to their best abilities.

A lovely end to the day.

Well done to all of the team

Sunday 8th March 2009

Today we played Coalville on a cold and damp day!

Game 1

The game started well with both sides equally matched. Coalville had possession but a great tackle by C Hill stopped play. Unfortunately Coalville kept the ball and after a great run scored their first try. E Duggan had the ball after kick off and had a fantastic run along the wing, just pushed into touch at the last minute. We lead into a maul, and with some great pushing we inched to the line. R Gill broke free with the ball and made an excellent push for the line to score our first try. The rest of the first half was evenly matched with some good breaks from both sides noticeably a good run from Coalville but tackled well by M Pierce, and an equally convincing run from B DiSalvo just tackled before the line by Coalville.

The second half kicked off with a good run from M Holyoak making a lot of ground. The ball was lost in the ruck but R Gill found it and had a great run, well passed down the line to find C Hill who scored a try. A good run from Coalville nearly evened the score, but it was dropped over the line. Even play continued with excellent passing from South. A clear break by E Willemsen-Fincham gained us ground and after some excellent rucking and mauling, J Smith had possession and scored. Coalville had the ball and looked likely to score, but a storming tackle by E Duggan hanging off of the player prevented that. Brilliant play by South passing the ball around and keeping positions soon saw J Smith with the ball again and sprinted to the try line to score. A great tackle from N Wood stole the ball, passed out to E Wiillemsen-Fincham who had a great run making ground, passing to J Smith to score another well deserved try.

Excellent play from both sides saw the final score Coalville 1 - South Leicester 5

Game 2

The rain was coming down by now but that didn't hamper play! R Gill had another great run and the ball once again was passed down the line into the hands of N Wood who flew down the wing to score a try. Coalville then had possession and with a great run managed to get through our defence to score. The game was then even as both sides made some excellent tackles. M Holyoak put in a great tackle on the opposition and the ball once again was passed to N Wood who made another fantastic run to score his second try of the game. The ball was with the opposition from the re start and Coalville quickly scored again, but it wasn't long before B DiSalvo had the ball and ran the full length of the pitch to score a well deserved try. The rest of the half was even with some great passing from both sides but especially South who kept their positions well. A great run from J Smith to E Duggan and then intercepted by M Holyoak who made good ground didn't alter the scoreline, but made for an entertaining half.

The second half started with a very quick try from Coalville. This was then matched by J Smith who was fed the ball from M Holyoak after a great run and J Smith crossed the line to score. Coalville then had possession but not for long as M Pierce put in a storming tackle. We then had the ball but were tackled well by Coalville, but it didn't stop us as C Hill had a fantastic run scoring another try for us. From the re start,

E Duggan and R Gill were awesome tackling the opposition allowing C Hay to pick up a loose ball and make excellent ground. The opposition were on us, but with another faultless tackle by E Duggan and with the ball in our possession again, J Smith dodged and weaved for the line to score our final try.

The end result being Coalville 3 - South Leicester 6.

A great day for South, they played very well keeping their positions and all had a big part in the final scorelines. Well done team!

Sunday 1st March 2009

South Leicester V Market Harborough

On a warm and sunny day we met bright and early at Market Harborough. We were to play 4 games in all and after a training session we started.

Market Harborough have a well attended U9s section, and so we played various teams within the group.

Game 1

This was a very fast game from the start with Harborough tackling very well. This was matched by us and the game flowed evenly with some great tackling by N Wood, a good run from R Gill, some very effective mauling with the team pushing hard and a very well placed ball out of the rook by A Barratt saw the first half even with neither side scoring. The second half was just as fast with an excellent run by A Chapman, great pushing in the maul, a fab tackle by C Hill preventing them from scoring and another good tackle from R Gill. Unfortunately a missed ball from us led to Market Harborough scoring a try, bad luck South. They were quickly back in the game though with an excellent tackle by N Wood putting the player into touch. J Smith secured the ball and after a great run along the wing scored his first try. We were on a roll now and after another fearless tackle by N Wood we had possession. A great tackle by Market Harborough didn't phase us and C Hill intercepted the ball, dodged and weaved through the opposition and scored a great try. The team were keeping their positions and looked very strong and soon J Smith had the ball and with another great run down the wing scored his second try of the game. In the closing minutes, Harborough had the ball but with a diving tackle by A Chapman the ball went into touch and the game was over. A great result

South Leicester 3 - Market Harborough 1

Game 2

This game saw Market Harborough playing their "A" Team (and didn't we know it!) It was a very fast aggressive game from the outset with Harborough dominating the play. They soon scored their first try and after the restart, they had possession of the ball again. A fantastic tackle from E Duggan wasn't enough to stop them and they soon had another try under their belts. Their team players seemed very large compared to our guys, but South put up a good fight with fearless tackles made by R Gill and C Hill but Harborough scored again as we finished the first half. The second half carried on much the same as the first with Harborough dominating, but the tackles were made by our team noticeably C Hill, B DiSalvo and R Gill. It wasn't enough to keep them at bay and they once again scored. A great tackle was played by M Pierce against one of Harboroughs giants flattening him! The ball became loose and the foresight of B Guy picked it up and made a storming run down the wing to score a well deserved try for him and the team. A very challenging second game ended South Leicester 1 - Market Harborough 6. Well done to South for keeping going!

Game 3

This game saw Harborough playing mainly their "A" Team and we also had a change of subs.

We started with an excellent run from J Smith making good ground and a slick pass ensuring we still had possession. However, we unfortunately lost the ball and Harborough steam rollered through our defence to score a try. The rest of the half was fast and furious with some very good mauling and tackles from the team noticeably A Chapman, N Wood, R Gill and a very good stopping tackle by E Willemsen-Fincham. The half finished with N Wood tackling the opposition into touch. The second half was as evenly matched but a misplaced ball from us lead to Harborough scoring their second try. It wasn't long though before we were back in play and A Barratt held up the ball on the tryline preventing the opposition from scoring which was great! In the final play the ball was loose on the ground and B Guy had the inspiration to pick it up and run down the wing to score a well deserved try. A great effort from all of the team.

The final score line South Leicester1 - Market Harborough 2.

Game 4

By now we were tiring, but strong to the end we kept up the fight. A great run with the ball saw M Holyoak make ground but was soon tackled and the ball ended up with the opposition. They used this to their advantage and scored a try. Once again the ball was with Harborough but a good tackle by E Willemsen-Fincham prevented them from gaining ground and soon the ball was with E Duggan who had an excellent run only stopping when 4 of the opposition tackled him to the floor! Harborough had the ball again and fought their way through the defence to score another try. The rest of the half was tough but with some great tackles from B DiSalvo and N Wood we prevented the opposition from scoring again. The second half got under way with a quick try from Harborough but play carried on with better defence from us. We prevented another try being scored by hard tackling and excellent rooking with the ball being accurately passed between our team. A great run by B DiSalvo gained ground and then a good pass to M Holyoak who took the ball forward meant that we were closer to the try line, but just tackled into touch before we could score. Harborough soon had another try under their belts, but we battled on to the end. A very spirited game saw the final score South Leicester 0 - Market Harborough 4.

This was a tough fixture, but the team should to be very proud of their efforts. The coaches and parents definitely were! Well done all.

25th January 2009

A great turnout today meant that the 2 matches that we played were varied and everyone played a part in the results.

1st up were Syston. We were evenly matched from the start with lots of tackles being played. The ball was soon in our possession and A Chapman nearly kicked off our scoreline! Unfortunately the ball was just held up by Syston denying us the try. B DiSalvo caught the ball from the line out and following a fantastic pass was just pushed into touch. The ball was passed between out players and after a scramble unfortunately was dropped over the line again denying a try. The ball was again quickly in our possession and C Hill fought his way to the line to score our first and well deserved try! After much tackling and the ball going from player to player we were once again in control and A Chapman dived and weaved to score an excellent try. We kept Syston in our half and gained possession of the ball with a great push from C Hill, the ball then went to Syston, but after an excellent tackle from A Chapman we had the ball back and after plenty of pushing and so near to our try line J Smith eventually managed to put the ball down for his 1st try of the game.

The second half was just as exciting. A great tackle from A Barratt and then M Pierce prevented Syston from opening up their scoreline which by now they were desperate to do. They were not giving up though and soon had the ball back in their possession. A phenomenal tackle from E Duggan stopped the speed of play but Syston eventually scored a well deserved try. The ball was soon with us and after much tackling and pushing onto the ball B Guy broke through the defence and made an excellent run with the ball to score a try. Syston kept possession of the ball and were soon through to score their 2nd try. Once again it was a close match with pushes and tackles made on both sides but we soon had the ball and after a great pass from C Hay, B DiSalvo dodged and weaved through the opposition to score an excellent try. The final play of the game was underway and E Duggan made an excellent run with the ball, at one point having most of the opposition hanging off of him! this didn't stop him setting up a try by passing the ball to J Smith who put it over the line for our final try.

A great game played by both teams, the final score Syston 2 - South Leicester 6

The second game saw us facing Melton who hadn't had a try put pass them since Christmas, this unfortunately was to continue!

It was a very fast game from the start, aggressive tackles were played and it was almost impossible to get through the line of defence but we were holding our own. Melton were very quick on the ball and made a great play for the line to score their 1st try. The game continued to be very tight, neither side making much ground. Lots of tackles and pushes to try and gain an advantage. I thought we were going to even the scoreline after C Hill managed to push through the defence and run for the line, but unfortunately he was just pushed into touch at the last minute. We held Melton back as we went into half time and all of the team played very well against the opposition.

The second half was just as fast with both sides equally matched. A Chapman made an excellent tackle and the ball was intercepted by C Hay who made good ground before being tackled. Syston then had the ball but not for long as R Gill made a great tackle to release the ball. Melton soon gained possession again and went on to score a try. Another fast and furious play saw A Barratt diving for a brave tackle and being slightly injured from studs in the process! The ball was still with Melton but C Hill tackled the opposition and soon had possession of the ball, holding on for dear life and with the team pushing, they drove for the line. Melton were clearly under pressure but they did not give up and soon had the ball back. Another excellent tackle by E Duggan gave us some breathing space but as the final whistle was blown, the scoreline ended

Melton 2 - South Leicester 0.

Even though this last game wasn't won by us, the team fought hard to keep the scoreline as tight as it was and all played very well.

Another great day for our U9's!

Sunday 11th January

Nuneaton V South Leicester

After a hesitant start due to the weather and a warming up session we kicked off!
Nuneaton had looked very well drilled in training, and with our normal coaches absent due to a training course we were a little nervous as the game began.

Our nerves soon disappeared as the team flew into action with tackles being played straight away. The scoreline kicked off with a great run from C Hill who placed the ball over the try line for his first try of the day. This seemed to spur the team on and the game appeared evenly matched with tackles made consistently from both sides, however our team worked hard to drive the ball and it was soon in our possession with J Smith excelling once again, dodging tackles and driving over the line to score his first try of many that day. Nuneaton scored a well deserved try to make the score line 2-1 to us, but J Smith continued his try scoring with a further 2 excellent tries after gaining possession of the ball and his text book weaving and dodging to put the ball down. A Barratt who had been tackling furiously scored a dynamic try through sheer strength and determination making an excellent run down the wing. A final try from J Smith put the final score at Nuneaton 1 - South Leicester 6. A fabulous result for us and an inspiring win for the team who played with sheer grit and determination. Excellent tackling from everyone but a special mention to A Chapman and R Gill for their fearless tackling throughout!

After a short break we launched into the second game.

The team seemed confident to start after their win in the first game and it wasn't long before the try scoring phenomenon that is J Smith eased his way down the wing to score his first try of the game. This was followed by a great drive with the ball to give C Hill his chance to weave through Nuneaton and score a well deserved try. After the kick off C Hill again had possession of the ball and after an excellent run down the wing scored again! Nuneaton then had the ball but our demon tackles wouldn't let them through and A Barratt stormed through to the try line with most of the opposition hanging off of his legs! This try was followed by J Smith weaving and dodging the tackles to put another try over the line. The opposition again had the ball and looked like they would score but C Hill took his chance to run with the ball and score a very fast try. Just before the whistle blew for the end of the 1st half N Wood secured a 7th try for us by twisting and reaching to put the ball over the line for a well deserved try. The second half was just as fast with M Holyoak making a strong headway for the try line only to be pushed into touch at the last minute. Nuneaton came back to score a well deserved try and the play after that was aggressive and fast with some great rooking and mauling, driving the ball and securing play. A Chapman again put in some great tackles to prevent the opposition from scoring and the final try scored by J Smith going through most of Nuneaton closed the game at Nuneaton 1 - South Leicester 8.

This was a great result for us all round, and even though the report sees the same names being highlighted, the excellent scoreline was down to all round team work, dedication of the players and spurring on from the parents and relatives. Thanks to all for a great day.

Sunday 30th November 2008

Vipers V South Leicester

Today we arrived at a blustery but dry Vipers ground ready for the game.

After a warm up the team were raring to go and the first match was played.

Play was aggressive from the start with both teams tackling well and the ball was played fast and accurate. Vipers kicked off the scoreline, but with a good run from J England making ground J Smith soon had the ball heading for the try line only to be stopped at the last minute and pushed into touch. Once the ball was back in play, B Guy opened our scoreline with a great run and skillful dodging to bring the ball home for his 2nd try of the season. Vipers quickly brought the points their way by scoring a try, but J Smith soon had the ball again and was not letting his chance go, with an excellent run and a great spin he planted the ball home for a great try. Vipers put another one in the bag leaving the score at half time 3-2 to them. The second half was just as fast a game with some excellent tackles played particularly from R Gill who was fearless in defence. Great driving from us soon had the ball our way again and C Hill whipped along the wing to score a well deserved try. Vipers then scored another try finalising the score at Vipers 4 - South Leicester 3. A very physical game with some high tackles from the opposition but all played well.

The second game started after a short break and M Holyoak had a great run down the wing nearing the try line but just being pushed into touch at the last minute. The ball was turned over and Vipers took advantage and scored their first try. This was quickly evened up by J Smith who steam rollered into the opposition and managed to get through the tackles to put the ball down over the line. The rest of the half was evenly matched but the high tackles continued to be played. The second half kicked off and almost immediately A Barratt pushed through the opposition to score a well deserved try. This was quickly evened by Vipers but J Smith again was fed the ball and ran down the wing to score another try. Vipers again came back with their third of the game, but J Smith retaliated with another fabulous try making the scoreline 4-3 to us. The game was stopped shortly after by the oppositions coach who despite talking to his players several times regarding the high tackles, were still being used on innumerable occasions. This saw the final scoreline of the second game Vipers 3 - South Leicester 4.

An excellent days rugby played by all the team and especially J Smith who scored 4 tries in all. Well done team and coaches for a great days play.
Match Report

Sunday 9th November 2008

Today saw 2 teams turn up at South Leicester on a breezy day (there doesn't seem to be any other kind!).

Our first game was against Leicester Forest.

We looked the stronger side from the start, although Leicester Forest were a good match for us! Once again there were some strong tackles put in and the team worked hard to get the ball out and push play along. The first try to be scored was from J Smith who took advantage of great passing and secured the points. Leicester Forest came back with a good try to equal the scoreline, but it wasn't long before N Wood made a fantastic run from the halfway line dodging and weaving the opposition and scoring our second try of the game. Out final try came from B DiSalvo who carried out one of his famous twists to finally put the ball over the line for a well deserved try.

A great game played by all and saw the final scoreline at Leicester Forest 1 - South Leicester 3.

Our second game had to cut short as the pitch was needed by the juniors, but we played our hearts out against Stewarts and LLoyds. Once again the game was evenly matched with us just having the edge with the tackling and passing. J Smith once again opened up the scoreline with a good run, dodging the opposition and grounding the ball for our first try. This was quickly levelled by Stewarts and LLoyds scoring their try. After a quick half time, J Smith got the ball and with a great spin to avoid a tackle placed the ball for our second try of the game.

As the whistle blew for full time, the final scoreline was Stewarts and LLoyds 1 - South Leicester 2.

Another very successful day for South Leicester U9s with outstanding play all round. Well done team, we are all very proud of you and thanks to the coaches for their continued hard work.

Don't forget there is a Halloween party on Friday from 6pm til 8pm for the children it is Â£5.00 a ticket all siblings welcome also, Prize for the best dressed and lots of games to play, Hot dogs and drinks included in the price.

Sunday 26th October 2008

On a breezy day we headed down to Syston all feeling refreshed from our extra hour in bed!!

We had 12 players today so they all could play a good part in the matches of which there were to be 3 in total.

Match 1

An excellent start from the players soon proved to be amazing! Syston scored first but this did not deter the players. An outstanding run from the half way line from N Wood scored our first try. Excellent tackling, ball passing and running from all but particularly B DiSalvo, J Smith, A Barratt and N Wood saw the team flying and soon another try by A Barratt was scored. After more inspiring play by all of the team J Smith scored another try to make the final score Syston 1 South Leicester 3. An amazing first game where the team really came together leaving us all feeling very proud.

Match 2

The second match was to be just as inspiring as the first! The tackles were amazing, ball passing was very fluid and soon the ball came into C Hills possession and with an inspiring run and lots of dodging he scored a well deserved try. High tackles and leading with the elbow from the opposition didn't put our team off and they were soon to score again with E Duggan finding the try line after a great run. The final try scored by B DiSalvo showed great skill dodging and weaving through the players and tipping the ball over the line before getting tackled, great work! This confirmed the scoreline Syston 0 South Leicester 3. Another fabulous game from the team who really pulled together, listened to the coaches words of encouragement and played their socks off!

Match 3

A 3rd match was decided to be played (there was no stopping them!) and soon after another inspiring run, N Wood started the ball rolling with the 1st try of the game. With some great ball passing, using all of the players N Wood soon scored his 2nd try of the game. After these 2 tries we were flying! Syston managed to pull back a great try, well deserved, but that didn't put us off. Great strength from the backs was put into play pushing the players to make ground with the ball, excellent tackles continued to be played and 2 more tries scored by E Duggan were soon over the line scored by fast play and excellent dodging. The final try of the game from A Chapman was an inspired run, dodging the opposition and placing the ball over the line for an excellent try! That put the final scoreline at Syston 1 South Leicester 5.

A fabulous day for South Leicester U9s not only due to the scoreline (however, 11 tries cannot be sniffed at!) but also due to team playing, amazing tackling, ball passing and speed of the game. You can all be very proud of yourselves today team, well done!

Sunday 19th October 2008

A much brighter day saw us at Leicester Lions.

We played Lions first with a fabulous outcome. Inspirational tackling from J Smith and C Hill and excellent breaks in play from A Barratt making the most of all loose balls meant that the ball was made available for us to take forward and score tries. An excellent effort from all of the team tackling and passing meant the scoreline ended Leicester Lions 1 South Leicester 8 with tries from N Wood - 3, A Barratt - 4, B Guy - 1.

The second game was against Tamworth. It was a much more aggressive game but we held our own and carried on with good ball passing and tackling. The final score was Tamworth 3 South Leicester 1 with our try scored by B DiSalvo. The game was temporarily held up due to coaching problems on their side, but I felt that all players did well to keep their concentration and carry on playing once the game had started again.

Well done players.

I felt that this was a much better day for us and with match practise I am sure the players will settle down to their 1st year of full contact well.

Sunday 5th October 2008

On a very, very wet day we had a full turn out of 16 players who were looking forward to our 1st fixture of the season.

The first game found us playing Market Harborough who were very well drilled and practised. We put up a good fight with some excellent tackles from A Barrat and J Smith who were fearless throughout! I thought we held our own and it was a good taste of what a full contact game is going to be like. The end result was Market Harborough 3 South Leicester 0.

Our second game against Stewarts and LLoyds was to be a fairer match. Again the tackles from us were put in and a great try from our newcomer C Hill was scored. In the second half another try from B DiSalvo was deservedly scored. We looked much better in the second game putting in more tackles and making better use of the ball. The final score of Stewarts and LLoyds 3 South Leicester 2 proved this.

I feel with the weather conditions as they were,and the fact that the team had only been training for a full contact game for a few weeks didn't dampen their spirits and I am sure that there will be better results to come.

SUNDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 08

It was lovely to see everyone again today and to welcome 4 new players to the club.

The coaches seemed to work the team hard and after speaking to them, they were very impressed with how the team had taken on the new skills that they will need to see them through the year, and if the muddy clothes were anything to go by, I'm to make sure that we have a safe and fun time throughout the year:

Subscription

This year, the subs have to be paid by the end of September. The price for returning players is Â£50.00 for the year, for parents with 2 players in the club it is Â£80.00 for the year and for NEW PLAYERS it is Â£56.50 (this covers registration fee, membership fee and photo ID card which is essential for matches). When your subs are paid, you will be issued with a welcome pack outlining club information and also a fixtures list detailing the fixtures for the year (apologise if you paid today as the packs are not quite ready but you can pick 1 up next week). Could you please tell me when you have paid your subs so that I can make a note of this on my registers.

Boots and Studs

Although football boots are fine for rugby, you must make sure they have metal screw studs in them. You can buy rugby studs to screw into the football boots as these are longer and are all metal. You must make sure that the studs are all metal and not plastic with metal tips. I know that this seems petty, but RFU Officials will be making spot checks throughout the year, and the metal studs are what is required for rugby now.

Gum Shields

The use of gum shields is vital for this years contact game and they are widely available (we sell them at the club too). I have spoken to our child welfare officer, and she said that it is not compulsory, but if you do not wish your child to wear one, you need to sign a disclaimer incase of any accidents. I therefore strongly advise that you get one for your child. The use of body armour and scrum caps are still optional and therefore at your discretion.

Match Shirts

I have been given new team match shirts today for the team to use on match days only. The reason that we have got new ones (we are the only team in the minis to have new ones!) is that last years U9s shirts were old and past their best so they are keeping theirs for training. The club rule is that the match shirts are handed down to the team age below ours every year. We need to therefore give our original shirts to the U8s for matches, so please can I have them (washed) as soon as possible so as I can pass them down to Simon for his U8s team.

Can I also ask that the players DO NOT wear their team match shirts for training as they need to be kept in as good quality as possible for the season, and seasons to come. I suggest that the team train in their black Co-op drill tops if they have them, or any other top that is warm and suitable.

The match shirts will be distributed to the team on the last Sunday in September just ahead of the festival taking place on 5th October

Training

As mentioned in previous e-mails, our 3 coaches have planned over the summer to train our players in the contact game in a structured and well thought out manner. This will give them the best start for the season and ensure that their skills levels are at their best for when we start playing matches. The training will be over seen by John Cooke who has been training contact for a number of years, so if you see an unfamiliar face on the pitch, don't worry. Thanks again to our coaches who will again this year put in untold hours with the team making sure that they are ready for match days.

Kitchen Duty

The kitchen is run on a rota basis, and we will need volunteers for when it is our turn. Myself and Kate (Guys wife) will be running the kitchen next week as it is our turn. There will be 2 possibly 3 more turns for us throughout the year, and so I will be asking for volunteers for those times. The next time we are in the kitchen is Sunday 9th November if anyone can help please. There are usually 3 people for each time needed, although it is possible to man the kitchen with 2. It doesn't have to be just the Mums who volunteer (Dads don't be shy!) it could be Grandparents, older siblings, Uncles, Aunts or any other willing helpers. Please let me know if you can help and I will tell you the ropes and put you down for a slot.

Well that's about it for this week, sorry that there is a lot of information to take on board, but all of these things are important for the enjoyment of the team.

Look forward to seeing you all next week, but if you have any queries or know that you will not be here on a given Sunday, please let me know.

Kind regards

Lisa Holyoak

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14TH
MANY THANKS TO LISA AND KATE FOR THE EXCELLENT RUNNING OF THE KITCHEN AND THE TIDYING UP. DEBBIE
PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NEED 3 PARENTS FOR THE NEXT KITCHEN DUTY WHICH IS NOVEMBER 9TH IF THERE ARE NO VOLUNTEERS THEN WE WILL PICK 3 TO HELP OUT. DUE TO THE U16'S HAVING A LATE KICK OFF YOU WILL ONLY BE REQUIRED TO STAY UNTII 12.00PM THE UNDER16'S WILL THEN TAKE OVER