Perhaps the best word to describe the past year would be “consolidation”. Our aim on the commercial front was to establish ourselves within the business community with a view to becoming an attractive and forward looking club. With our outstanding partners and supporters we think we have achieved this. Our sponsorship income has increased; our membership has increased – we now have 1131 members compared to 470 in 15/16. This resulted in our contributing some £12,500 to the Sports Club in membership fees last year. The numbers at our pre match lunches has gone up, as has our gate which has seen an increase of some 50% since 2015/16 and has increased again in our only home game this season; the Roaring Lions event on the last Thursday of each month is a must for networking and great cameraderie, and our CEO's liver is suffering because of the number of events he has attended over the past twelve months or so! .

I would like, at this point, to thank our fantastic volunteers. Without them we would not able to do a tenth of what we do. They are the essence of our community club. A big thank you too to our Directors and our CEO as well as to your Executive Committee who continue to work tirelessly in driving us in exactly the right direction. I should also like to pay tribute to our Partners and Sponsors. Some have been with us for a while, strong among these; Barkers, Lynne and David Coleman and Mark Norton; and others who have recently joined us including Codestone, Cobham, and our main Sponsor Fortitudo

This year we hope to take our club to the next stage. I believe that we will do so with the tremendous support we have from Bill Cotton and his team at Bournemouth Council, from Christchurch Council, from Ray Nottage and his team in the new Shadow Council, from Tobias Elwood MP and indeed our other partners too many to mention, but totalling over 100. This despite our attention currently being distracted by the disposal of our home for the past 30 years or so here at Chapel Gate. We hope that this ongoing saga is sorted soon to the advantage of the sections who have owned and played community sport here since 1989.

Our Hon Treasurer's report has been sent out to members and I hope you will all have had the chance to absorb it. Dan will go through it shortly.

On the playing front too we aimed to consolidate. Will Croker's ambition was to see our flagship 1st XV finish the season in the the top 2 of the South West Premier Division. Achieved. We were unfortunate to lose the play off against Guernsey at their ground having outplayed them and been ahead at half time. However is was good to see a small number of spectators make the journey over to watch the game at such short notice and even more gratifying to see the sports club packed to the rafters to watch the game streamed live on ITV. Many thanks to those who worked so hard to arrange this.

We also reached the Hampshire Cup final, losing against Havant having taken the tactical decision to rest key players so that we were best placed to succeed in the league.

Our 2nd team finished second in the very competitive Pilot league, one win behind 1st place. Despite this it was a disappointing season for the 2s due to the lack of consistent fixtures resulting in the side only playing 11 games, The Pilot league has subsequently folded and we have entered the incredibly competitive ZOO 2 league for this season.

Our 3rd team had a good year at the level in which they are playing, finishing fourth in the league. A very commendable performance and credit should go to the coaching team of Simon Carkeet, Mark Palmer and Ian Moore.

Our 4th team dropped out of the league structure near the end of the season as playing resources were found wanting. We are rectifying this in the coming season under the leadership of Rob Emery. So any potential players here this evening who fancy an occasional run out get in touch with Rob or Will

Overall there remains much work to do this year not only in producing results on the pitch but in developing coaches too. During the the off season, along with the eternal player recruitment/retention drive we have improved areas to make the systems by which we coach at senior level more robust. We hope to see the results of these initiatives in the not too distant future.

The past season has been one of continued growth, evolution, challenge and success for the A&M age groups. The collective commitment of our volunteers to the boys and girls of Bournemouth RFC to ensure their lives are enriched by rugby, both on and off the pitch has been unwavering. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and selfless team of volunteers, coaches and managers who give up their time every week. This has led to another brilliant and rewarding season for the A&M section – and we are looking forward to continuing to build upon these successes next season. Among these successes last season, a special mention is made of Josh Pidgley and Will Fitz-Gerald at U16s level, who were selected for Bath – a fantastic achievement .

The BRFC Junior and Mini Festival was yet again a huge success despite the weather on the Sunday - a huge amount of effort went into the organisation and execution of this key event for the club, so I wanted to extend a special thank you to Julie Boddington, to our Operations and Community teams, as well as the coaches, managers and parents who gave up their time to support this key event for A&M.

2017-8 for the BRFC Ladies built successfully on the previous season, once again developing under our all-ladies coaching team. Numbers of fixtures was successfully increased in spite of the greater challenge in ladies’ rugby, where most clubs within easy traveling distance are not at the point of fielding a full squad. Sponsor relationships were enhanced - in particular with The Stable who became the spiritual social home of the ladies's squad. However, we do need to increase and capitalise on recruitment opportunities, both within the membership and externally. This is vital – as is our commitment to provide greater levels of support to both coaching and management teams.

The Colts season started well but the end part was not so successful, only playing two of the six fixtures in Phase 2 - both being against Sherborne (both losses), with Bath and Trowbridge calling off both home and away fixtures. Finishing the season with one or two friendlies was not great.

However, as a squad the Colts did provide nine players to D&W U18s in the SW regional games with Harrison Colton being selected to play for the South West region. In addition, Luke Spring went on to play for London & SE then on to play England Counties U18s. Four boys were selected for D&W U20s squad: Conrad Carkeet, Antoine Plicher, Scott Curtis and Harrison Colton. Conrad was also nominated for SW U20s trials and made the reserve squad list for the U20s England Counties trials. Conrad was also successful in making his debut for Bournemouth first team playing a number of games for the 1s and 2s until injury stopped his rapid progress. Scott Curtis also finished his Colts season by breaking into the senior teams.

This season we have revamped the Academy setup under the stewardship of Matt Sturgess. We expect great things from Matt and his team and hope for a constant supply of quality players to feed our senior squads.

I am grateful to the Director of Rugby and the Chair of A&M for their input to the above report. Full versians, which are well worth reading, can be found on the member's website.

Our planning for the coming year is focused on three key areas. Firstly, ensuring we have a secure and viable home venue where our senior teams can play their league games and our minis, juniors, ladies and colts can enjoy the community aspect of our great game.

Secondly to build on the success of our flagship senior squad achieved last season by gaining promotion to the National Leagues.

And thirdly to increase our profile in the business community and expand our breadth of partners. We have been really fortunate over the past few years to partner with some of the most progressive people and companies in the area. We think we must be doing something right for them to continue to stick with us and help us to increase our footprint within the community.

I conclude by repeating a huge thank you to our Directors under our CEO James Croker, our Executive Committee, all of our coaching staff under DoR Will Croker, our volunteers, our supporters and especially to all the players at Bournmouth Rugby who make it all so worthwhile.

I thank you for your attention.

Phil Sinkinson OBE

Chairman

Bournemouth Rugby

26 September 2018

General Review

The 2017/18 season has been a triumph in terms of squad unity and development of our playing style. All three gold squad teams under the tutelage of their respective coaches have been trained to the same philosophy and play exactly the same way.

Our 1st team finished the league season in second position and subsequently finished with an away playoff spot versus Guernesy RFC. A game that we narrowly lost having been winning at half time. We also reached the Hampshire Cup final. Losing against Havant having taken the tactical tecision to rest key players in order that we were best placed to succeed in the league.

Our efforts were hampered by serious injuries to Adam Davies, Scott Chislett, Toby Kenneally, Tom Napier and on going injuries to Andrew Spikings, Robbie Boyd and Ollie Yeates. Return to play protocol has definitely sped up some returns but nonetheless we have missed a lot of experience.

I feel an enormous amount of pride in how we finished the season. To lose such key performers necessitated us significantly revising the game plan in order to offer some structure and to give some markers to Grant in his new position. It meant that we maybe became a little more functional than expansive but to deal with such challenges was a great reflection of the squad unity.

Our 2nd team finished second in the Pilot league one win behind 1st place. However it was a disappointing season for the 2s due to the lack of consistent fixtures resulting in the side only playing 11 games, another truly pleasing aspect of the 1st team result, but still its not sufficient to offer that level of games. The Pilot league has subsequently been folded and we have entered the incredibly competitive ZOO 2 league for this season.

And our 3rd team have had a good season at the standard they are playing at, one of the highlights being thrashing Wimborne 2nds by 59 points to 10. We finished fourth in the league a very commendable performance and credit should go to the coaching team of Simon Mark and Ian.

Our 4th team dropped out of the league structure near the end of the season as playing resources were found wanting. I think this was due to a number of circumstances, Simon and Mark moving up a side meant that the chief whips and lynch pins of the 4s weren’t there to crack the whip, Leigh Dean, took it on but showed ne real appetite for it and subsequently it fell at Anthony Hanmer and Yann’s door neither of whom really wanted to do it. This has been remedied by recruiting Rob Emery, a very keen coach to oversee the side.

The greater gain for me this season has been the flow of players between the sides and the camaraderie that we see at training and on a Saturday. It really is one squad only separated by 80 minutes.

Discipline has been very good throughout with only 3 Red cards, 2 of which were dealt with in house and the third successfully contested. Our reputation as a club amongst referees, travelling dignitaries and coaches is one of a warm welcome and respect.

Our interaction with Hampshire saw them bring an entire senior squad for live training and a number of our players represented the club in the County Championship.

I am so pleased to see the section in such rude health both holistically and through results.

Recruitment and retention

I was delighted with Player recruitment and retention this season. A number of measures have been put in place to help the players who play for our club. The most important being the insurance policy that ensures injury suffered by Toby Kenneally are no longer going to be life defining moments financially.

We have seen new faces play for the 1st team in Steven Jenkinson, Harry Davis, Richard Sharpe, Adam Macdonald, Danny Kirkpatrick, Tom Stevens and Johnny O’Hehir. Throughout the club we have seen significant influence brought to bear by characters, such as Tommy Ford, Joe O’Hehir, Leon Esera, Billy Maidment and Max Cheater. We have also seen former Colts Finn Graham, Conrad Carkeet, Tom Cordery and Scott Curtis move into the senior section with great success.

This season we have signed a number of senior players , including Michael Pope (Cornish Pirates) Karim Lynch (Ampthill) Adam Higgins (Redruth) Hamish Renwick (Clifton) Justin Whale (Pontypridd) and Joe Tarrant (Richmond).

We have also re-signed some excellent players that will add real depth to our squad including Tim Collier, Charlie Levey, Ben Allman, Will Muncer, Rob Payne, Robbie Johnstone, George Drake and Tigran Khamoain. We’ve also now got visibility on a return to play pathway for Andrew Spikings, Robbie Boyd, Adam Davies and Ollie Yeats.

We have also worked tirelessly to bring in new young players to strengthen the resources. Ben Russell (New Milton) Ben Roberts (Navy and Gosport and Fareham) Harry Leadbeater (Dorset Dockers) Liam Driscoll (Wimborne) Troy Tams, Nick McQueen (both New Milton) Joshua Miles (Oakmeadians) Zak Chiverton Michael Barratt ( both IoW) Dan Boer (unattached) Michael Haines (Exeter University)

That’s 29 new or returning players that should be available for the beginning of the season, injury pending.

In terms of player retention, we as a coaching group have once again been working tirelessly to ensure we keep as many of the squad together as we can. We have unfortunately lost a couple of players, Tom Cordery (travelling) Frazer Wilford (retirement, Wimborne forwards coach) Tom Stevens (doesn’t want to travel) Conrad Carkeet (injured) Toby Kennelly (injured).

There are of course challenges in player retention as squad depth increases. For instance at scrum half we now have Sam Hardcastle Michael Pope, Grant Hancox, Sammy Veneroso, Robbie Johnstone, Joshua Miles, Liam Driscoll, Troy Tams and Finn Graham. That’s 9 quality players. However, we have to be open and transparent, encourage competition and promote good squadmanship with clear interactive pathways in between the sides.

It’s a challenge for all the senior coaches to ensure that the feedback they are giving is clear and concise with a joined up message. I will be working with all coaches to develop this part of their skillset, as player retention will be key in us continuing to push across all fronts.

With the up coming player pathway being put in place by myself and Matt Sturgess I am confident of a good flow of youngsters coming through our academy.

Summary

2017/18 season was in the main a real success. The 1st team finishing 2nd and narrowly losing the away play off. The 2nd team finisged 2nd in what was a very difficult season and the 3rd team finished 3rd.

The A and M had continued success across all age groups with participation numbers well up. The U6’s being a perfect example. We also had player representation at county and regional level from the U16’s with 2 boys going on to play for Bath.

This season sees us take the next step in the planned progress by paying players. Whilst I would still like to endeavour to pay all of the squad that play for the 1ST team at the moment we have to be content with the ‘marquee’ signings. I know it has taken a leap of faith from the committee to back me in this vision but if we wish to continue to move both our commercial and rugby departments towards a professional standpoint we need to continue to develop.

We have already seen amongst the squad the excitement at the talent now being immersed into the playing group and I am sure once the PR machine gets into motion we will see increased media and social media coverage, an increase in the gate and a huge amount of excitement amongst the youngsters desperate to relate to the senior players.

This season I will be dividing the squad evenly amongst the age groups and there will be circa 60 players divided up, each of them with a minimum expectation of 1 session before Christmas and 1 after. I am desperate to increase the player exposure, to help solidify the relationships with the age groups.

There is work to do this year in not only producing results on the pitch but in developing coaches too and in the off season, along with the eternal player recruitment/retention drive we have put things in place to make the systems by which we coach more robust.

These include Michael Pope and I periodising pre-season to ensure the greatest level of attainment can be reached whilst also developing skills. We have agreed to take on some significant pre-season challenges, with Nat 2 Birmingham Solihul, London 1 Westcombe Park and Nat 2 Old Reds all on the agenda for the 1st team with additional fixtures against Westcombe Park 2s, Dorchester and Wimborne 1ST teams.

Jon Sanchez and Jo Burns have been working on the Periodisation for the season working on key development tools in blocks through the season in line with weather, skill fade and player attrition.

Thursday nights will now be changed so that the entire session will be run and session planned by the appropriate coaches. This gives all coaches 50% of the week in which to coach, I will be monitoring session plans to ensure a joined up message is being offered but it will be at the coaches discretion.

I was also conscious of the lack of 2ND team rugby potentially in the offing so we have had to, in consultation with some key 2nd team players move into Zoo 2. This represents an incredible ‘rugby’ challenge against some excellent sides but also means that logistically we have had to look at the ramifications of such travels and players willingness to travel.

In addition I have reconfirmed with Andy the medical provision which has been frozen at last years levels but we have worked on an early booking in system to maximise the amount of time we the coaches have with the players on the training paddock. We have also strengthened our well-being and sports psychology provision with the addition of Dr Stewart Cotterill, a world renowned practitioner who is going to specifically work with the leadership group, focusing on the function of captaincy and vice captaincy and what good looks like from a squad dynamic.

I believe we now have a senior section that is fit for purpose, barring CCC role for which I hope to have progress on in the coming weeks.

In conclusion, I am delighted with the performance of ‘Rugby’ at the club. The operations side has done a wonderful job, however there is only a product to sell if all facets of the proposition are performing. We have a happy, harmonious club, squad and ‘staff’. Our performances on the pitch backed that up last season and the incredible recruitment will make us a threat across all fronts in which we are fighting. Increased membership numbers in the A and M is incredibly exciting and I am confident that with the new interaction planned from the senior section, the continued good news messages being pushed by the Community team and the envisaged success we have on the pitch these numbers will continue to swell and the availability of rugby to youngsters will continue to drive the club forward.

The 2017-8 season has been a season of continued growth, evolution, challenge and success for the A&M age groups – and one that I personally have enjoyed tremendously. We have seen Mother Nature throw everything at us across the season – from torrential rain and flooding to snow and ice. Whilst the weather is not something we can control, the collective commitment of our volunteers to the boys and girls of Bournemouth RFC to ensure their lives are enriched by rugby, both on and off the pitch has been unwavering. I am proud and humbled to be involved with such a dedicated and selfless team of volunteers, coaches and managers who give up their time every week to the BRFC cause. On behalf of the players, parents and Bournemouth Rugby Club I wanted to thank you all for your time, dedication and support – thank you!

The BRFC A&M Festival was yet again a great success despite the weather we endured on the Sunday. A huge amount of effort went into the organisation and execution of this key event for the club, so I wanted to extend a special thank you to Julie Boddington and the Operations and Community teams involved – as well as the coaches, managers and parents who gave up their time to support this weekend once again.

The youngest age group of the section continues to show strong growth with 40+ reception and year 1 school ages in the u6’s group through the 2017/18 season. The continued vision for the group has been about having fun whilst learning the basic skills and core values of rugby. A wide and varied range of skill and enjoyment based games ensured the group was fully engaged with the reception age focusing on the basics of the game through simple, attention grabbing games involving running, passing and tagging. The year 1 group continued to learn through game related play in preparation for the upcoming seasons. The increase in skills over the season was very demonstrable at the close of the season with the year 1 members of the group really looking forward to competitive tag rugby next season.

The 2017-8 season saw the U7s take the stage in their first round of competitive games at various festivals across the south. Their focus on solid defence and creative, fast-paced attack was evident in every festival attended – resulting in the squad being unbeaten all season. The performance and attitude shown in our own festival drew numerous comments from visiting clubs commenting on their performance and positive attitude. Well done!

The U8s experienced similar successes, and have expanded and evolved their coaching structure across the season, and are excited to build upon their achievements as they make the transition to contact rugby in the U9s – exciting times!

The U9s had a smooth transition from tag rugby following the introduction of tackling with the vast majority of players coming to terms with this aspect over the course of the season. The coaching team strongly believe that the BRFC adoption of the RFU’s Kids First initiative, where all children are given the same opportunities to develop as players and participate in festivals, is the fundamental factor behind player retention in their group with over 30 children attending training every week. Social events outside of the structured playing season has cemented the age group and from a coaching perspective they have grown a significant core of qualified coaches who will continue to support the age group as they move into this season.

The U10s have forged a strong group of players, parents and coaches - with about 30 players regularly attending – with around 20 players that have come through the ages from U6 to U10s - showing ongoing loyalty and commitment to the age group going forward. All coaches are either qualified to Level 1 or Level 2 RFU coaching standards, and we are confident that this coaching group has what it takes to succeed and bring the best out in our players and parents!

The U11s have bolstered their numbers significantly across 2017-8 – which is a credit to the coaching and management team’s efforts to recruit and retain new players and integrate them into a core of talented players developed across the last few seasons. This is a typically challenging age grade to recruit into – due to the step up in physicality and demands on players outside of rugby for other sports and school commitments. Their performances across the season has been very strong – and are poised to enjoy a tremendous season this year as they move into the U12s.

The U12s have continued to build upon their successes from last season – whilst retaining a significant squad size of 35 + players turning out on any given Sunday. They have consistently performed in fixtures and cup competitions, playing to their strengths and adapting well to the challenges of U12s rugby with a squad that is typically a small side physically compared to their opposition. Their strengths in attacking rugby and determination in defence will pay dividends this season as they enjoy almost a full size pitch at U13s level and I look forward to watching them continue to develop and achieve the successes they deserve.

The U13s enjoyed many successes both on and off the pitch – maintaining a squad of over 40 players – all of which contributed to the age group successes across the season. Team building played a big part of their success – with events such as paintballing and the Dorset Mud trail off the pitch, creating cohesion and teamwork on the pitch. The U13s made it through to the Cup tier of the D&W U14s cup competition – and although we did not finish top we rounded off the season in spectacular fashion by beating Devizes in an exhilarating final game away from home – and I am sure that match will last in the memories of the players for years to come. Devizes were unbeaten in the D&W cup until this final game – and for our U13s to play with the level of courage, grit and passion displayed on that Sunday was truly remarkable.

Last year saw the under 14s beat every team in Dorset and Wilts, sometimes more than once, twice and even three times if you include the eventual D&W winners Dorchester! Their squad of 23 all played their part – and had to adapt to situations where a third of the squad were not available due to DPP attendance – showing the talent and depth of ability within the age group. This season they are looking to travel further to find clubs that can test them – and it is brilliant to see this attitude supported by the willing group of parents who are prepared to undertake the longer journeys in support of their son’s rugby development.

The 2017-2018 season was a very successful season for the u15s. The team is better orgainsed both on and off the pitch due to the dedication of the management and coaching teams, and have enjoyed regular and competitive fixtures as a result. The squad is fitter, has gained better game understanding and improved core skills – with all players enjoying equal playing time regardless of result. This resulted in the U15s starting to beat some of nearest rivals both at home and away. They represented the club proudly in the D&W cup competitions with oppositions recognising their improvement over the previous season. Discipline is excellent with the boys playing aggressive rugby without losing composure – and opposition clubs are enjoying playing them, which is a real credit to the age group. Social events were also a key part to their successes – for example, they completed the 3-peak challenge in under 24 hours! Morale is high amongst the age group and I am sure they will continue to grow and enjoy another successful and rewarding season, building upon the solid foundations created last season.

The U16s have continued to build upon a very successful previous season – with team building remaining a vital part of their ethos. They have enjoyed events such as paddle boarding at Sandbanks Water Sports Academy and go karting in Salisbury – all of which are not only enjoyable but really help unify the team and increase performances on the pitch. The season culminated with an end of season day trip to Weybridge Vandals – followed by attendance to the Harlequins vs Exeter Chiefs game – all dressed in 1920’s attire!

Josh Pidgley and Will Fitz-Gerald should be congratulated on their selection for Bath – a fantastic achievement that undoubtedly required a lot of hard work and dedication. The U16s season ended on a high – winning the D&W Plate final in a thrilling 17-15 victory over Trowbridge RFC. This group of players have developed over the last five years to become a great team with a massive work ethic - well done!

The Colts season started well with approximately nine U18s remaining and fifteen U17s coming up from a very talented u16s age group - all starting to work very closely as a team through pre-season. They started very well in the first part of the season by winning 5/5 games in Phase 1 of the merit league topping their group. Unfortunately the second part was not so successful, only playing two of the six fixtures in Phase 2 - both being Sherborne (both losses), with Bath and Trowbridge calling off both home and away fixtures. Finishing the season with one or two friendlies was not great.

However, as a squad they had nine players supporting D&W U18s in the SW regional games and Harrison Colton being selected to play for SW. In addition, Luke Spring going on to play for London & SE then onto play England Counties U18s added to the achievements. Four boys were selected for D&W U20s squad, Conrad Carkeet, Antoine Plicher, Scott Curtis and Harrison Colton – and Conrad Carkeet was also nominated for SW20s trials and making the reserve squad list for U20s England Counties trials. Conrad was also successful in making his debut for Bournemouth first team playing a number of games for the 1s and 2s. Scott Curtis also finished his Colts season by breaking into the senior teams.

This age group is a difficult one to maintain and without regular rugby within the county, it is difficult to keep the lads interested. Hopefully this season we can overcome this issue and make sure that we continue with this successful player pathway.

The 2017-8 season for the BRFC Girls built successfully on the previous season, once again developing under our all-ladies coaching team. Number of fixtures was successfully increased in spite of the greater challenge in the girls’ space, where most clubs within easy travelling distance are not at the point of fielding a full squad. Sponsor relationships were enhanced - in particular with The Stable who became the spiritual social home of the girls’ squad and with fantastic mutual photo opportunities for the club and the company. The social strength of the squad was demonstrated with ice skating, beach and water park activities chosen by the girls, organised and delivered by the coaching team.

The older age group of the squad was U15s with lower numbers mainly from the first year of girls rugby, with a core of 5-10 girls at this age group taking part across the season in an increased level of ‘pitch up and play’ format meetings which combined them with other squads. This represents a fantastic core of experienced and dedicated players who have shown themselves willing to play rugby in any circumstances and part of any squad on the day, carrying the spirit and ability of the club in numbers as low as 3-4 on some Sundays.

The Girls U13s age group had greater numbers demonstrating the value of establishing a girls setup and great recruitment efforts, meaning that full teams were fielded on most occasions. When fielded in full as a BRFC only squad this team remained unbeaten across the season, including notable victories in close games with the likes of Havant who also have established girls squads. When deployed as a full team the all-round ability, fast running, fitness and passing game is clear, winning through against heavier and more one-dimensional opposition that has already been matched on the physical side.

In spite of the forward momentum, the year has had its challenges, and looking forward highlights the vital importance of a few factors to achieve success for girls’ rugby in the area and at BRFC. Our ability to increase and capitalise on recruitment opportunities, both within the membership and externally is vital – as is our commitment to provide greater levels of support to both coaching and management teams. We need to passionately promote Girls rugby and raise their profile within the community, actively seeking opportunities to showcase their talent – as well as increasing the volume of fixtures and joint training opportunities through support of BRFC based ‘pitch up and play’ events, and encourage attendance to events being held by other club clusters. Congratulations to the Girls and the coaching / management teams on another great season!

In summary, 2017-18 has been another brilliant and rewarding season for the A&M section – and we are looking forward to continuing to build upon these successes this season. A massive thank you to everyone involved, and for making Bournemouth Rugby Club the special club that it is.

Yours in rugby,

Greg