In this update we check in with what’s been going on at one of our sponsored teams Long Eaton Rugby Club.
Long Eaton RFC (LERFC) has had a good year to date in all aspects of the club, both on and off the field.
LERFC started the year with our new Principle Sponsor, Cargo Link Express, coming on board. This was shortly followed by our new Changing room extension. We now have other targets for the refurbishment of the club as we near the end of the season.
Health and safety is a big issue within the club and 15 members recently completed a first aid course. Before Christmas the committee discussed raising money for a defibrillator, a piece of equipment we hope will never be needed but important in any situation that may arise where life is at risk. This will not just benefit the club but all people that use the surrounding areas of the park. Within a week, Andy Scotland, our Health and Safety Officer had the defibrillator, donated by the company he works for, Abbott Risk Consulting Ltd.
The club recently received a grant from Nat West Rugby Force and now a team from the club are this week attending a Nat West workshop to try and secure some more funding. As membership grows our poor clubhouse is starting to feel the strain, the project in hand is to increase the patio area outside the club, purchase an awning for bad weather and redecorate within the club.
The club is forever on the up where membership is concerned, we now have in excess of 200 registered in the youth section, the senior section and social membership now stands at over 300. This season we have added new age groups to our ever increasing team list. U’6s to U’9s have now started and this now completes a team for every age group from U6 to adult, there are also two girls teams and 3 regular senior teams.
On the pitch, our 1st XV ended the first half of the season just in the top half of the Midlands 4 East (North) league with good wins against Skegness, Worksop and Keyworth to name a few. However, since Xmas the team have slipped slightly and now sit 10th although they have played 3 of the top four in recent weeks.
The Colts section is in tremendous form, at this stage in their NLD League they sit in a playoff position, the team spirit is at an all-time high with players are fighting hard for a place in the team come match days. In February the NLD held U17’s trials matches at Newark RFC for the process of selection to the NLD U18 Squad for next year. Congratulations go out to our own, Declan Neary and Michael Hawksworth on their selection to the next stage of the process. As the season progresses we also see some of our younger teams have come into a rich vein of form with some cracking results for the effort they all put in.
The girls are now getting regular competitive rugby and this is starting to bring winning results at some of the festivals they take part in.
Thanks to Paul Mockford the Press, Media and & Communications Officer at LERFC for the update.
