One Club’ Approach Brings Seniors and Youth & Minis Together
In October the U11s Squad were given the opportunity to sponsor a BRFC First XV team player.
It was quite an easy decision for the squad as most of the Under 11s know Sam from watching him play for the First team when they have been involved in Guard of Honour and Ball Boy Duties.
NAME: Sam Hardcastle
AGE: 35
POSITION: SCRUM-HALF
Sam Hardcastle started out as a Bournemouth Rugby Youth & Minis player himself. Since joining the Bournemouth First XV he has scored over 800 points and has now been playing at the club for over 2 decades!
First XV Debut: Mar 20 1999 v Swanage & Wareham (Youngest scrum-half to play league rugby for Bournemouth – aged 17 years and 316 days).
Sam’s club record figures (as of mid-February v Ivybridge):
Starts: 290 (Played 293)
Scrum-half: 277.
Leading points: 883 (170 tries, 12 cons, 3 penalties).
Leading tries: 170 (next highest is Scott Chislett on 68).
Leading hat-tricks: 7.
Sam is now in his 17th season for Bournemouth Rugby, stretched over 19 seasons. This is also a Club record for the League, although players in other eras have played over a longer period. Sam missed 2002/2003 as he was away at college and 2009/2010 because of injury.
How sponsorship works and the benefits
Each age group chooses a First XV team player to sponsor under a Gold, Silver or Bronze sponsorship package and the sponsored player receives the relevant sponsorship fund. Under 11’s provide Sam with Silver Sponsorship (£250 equating to approximately just. £9 per player). In return, the sponsored player:
- Attends training sessions to provide some coaching time and one to one sessions.
- Attends the end of season awards to present medals.
- Represents the age group squad at the end of season dinner award.
The age group receives a season ticket for Bournemouth home games and an invitation for two guests to attend the sponsor’s lunch (prior to home matches).
The player also becomes a focal point for players to aspire to when they attend First XV games, offering a familiar face and a link to the senior club in terms of Bournemouth Rugby’s 'One Club' approach. Our U11s have found that sponsoring Sam highlights the ties being forged by the senior squad with the Youth
and Minis section, whilst highlighting his long standing association with the club and outstanding achievements during that time as the club's record try scorer.
