This Tuesday just gone saw a visiting team from Eton College arrive at Bonfire Field to take on our Colts. The game was played at a ferocious pace and eventually saw our Colts triumph 14-7. However the evening was made even more special by the fact that around the main pitch training were our Men, Ladies and Walking Rugby teams. It was said to me on more than one occasion how great it felt to be back at a rugby club seeing and experiencing it being used for just that; rugby.

From now until the summer of 2022 we are hoping this will be a regular occurrence and if Tuesday evening was anything to go by we'd advise you to get down to the club as often as possible because the mood and atmosphere was incredible.

On that note with our teams on the verge of their new seasons we'd like to wish all in blue the very best as well as welcoming our many new faces who will be playing for the club for the first time. A massive thanks to everybody who has volunteered and put in the hours at the club to get us to this stage over the past few months.
#bleedblue

UPDATE ON OUR FACILITIES

Following on from our unexpected and unwelcome traveller visitors we have been exploring our options on how best to keep the entrance to our club secure. We also needed to find a way that allowed our members easy access when required. It was our hope that things would have moved a little faster but various restraints and obstacles outside of our control have meant implementing anything has been delayed.

However the good news is next week we are expecting a site visit from an automated bollard company. From there its our hope that we will be able install some bollards that rise and fall with the use of a code. This will remove the requirement for constant gate checking with the bollards automatically coming back up after a few minutes. They will also be programmable so that they can remain down on busy matchdays.

Our pitches continue to improve and thanks must go to Groundsman Nigel Mortimore and volunteers such as Ian Guy, Jon Jungblugh, Malcolm Bird, and Gregg Dawe. Club members must also be thanked for continuing to follow the guidance on which areas can and can't be used at specific times.

It is also our intention is to put in lights mounted on the floodlight stands and overlooking the large training area at the end of the top pitch, this should alleviate some of the pressure on the top pitch over the winter.

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD

Two main areas that club members said they wanted addressing in terms of the rugby
matchday experience were the state of the pitches and the post game food. The pitches, as mentioned above, are the best they have been for a very long time and now we are happy to report some big news on the food front.

Starting from this weekend we are super excited to be welcoming Kim and Kelly from Graze. They have two sister companies, one that provides buffet style spreads (one of which we enjoyed during our VP & Old Boy's Day) and another that is aimed at individual catering which we will be enjoying this season. A local business, they try to source everything as close to home as possible and they aim to provide nutritious, healthy and filling meals. The likes of which we are confident will sustain even the hardest working player post game. We are also confident that parents and guardians will feel comfortable having their kids eat in the clubhouse, with their mates, after kickoff.

We are super excited for this partnership and can't wait to try the menus (as the food on offer will vary week to week) provided. Next time you're in the clubhouse on matchday please take the time to welcome Kim, Kelly and their team to the club.

TAG RUGBY TO RETURN

Over the summer Tag Rugby took a hiatus from Topsham, due to Covid but also to allow our pitches to green up. However we are happy to report that as of Friday 10th September Tag Rugby will be back. It will run from 19:00 till 21:00 and will be happening for the foreseeable future on every Friday evening. Its £5 per person and anyone is welcome to attend.

SEPTEMBER FIXTURES

1ST XV
04/09 - LISKEARD LOOE - AWAY
11/09 - NEWQUAY HORNETS - HOME
18/09 - NORTH TAWTON - AWAY
25/09 - PIRATES - HOME

2ND XV
04/09 - TIVERTON III - AWAY
11/09 - EXETER ATHLETIC II - AWAY
18/09 - WESTCOUNTRY WASPS - HOME
25/09 - BIDEFORD II - HOME

LADIES
12/09 - PLYMSTOCK - HOME (FRIENDLY)
26/09 - BATH II - HOME

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