Three of those names will be extremely familiar. The two Grahams and Malcolm will continue in their roles, something we are very excited for. However, this year Sadie Osborne will act as our secretary replacing Sophie Kukor, someone we must thank enormously for all their efforts and work over the past few years. Massive thank you Soph!.We have no doubt that Sadie will do a fantastic job as our new club secretary and trust you will join us in congratulating her and the other three guys on their respective elections.

A big thank you to all the committee for the season just gone, but also all the members, volunteers, trustees, players and supporters that helped this club ride out a hugely challenging season.

UNWELCOME VISITORS AT BONFIRE FIELD

On the evening of the 26th May we received notification from our neighbours that a group of travellers had made their way onto the pitches at the club. Almost immediately our members sprung into action but along with the police they were unable to stop a total of around thirty caravans getting onto the premise. We had hoped that after some polite conversations, Graham and the team would be able to facilitate an amicable split, this however never materialised and with an ever growing concern for safety a decision was made to instruct private bailiffs to try and move our visitors on.

At around four o'clock on the Friday the final caravans left and we were able to reclaim our facilities and pitches. However it soon came to our attention that there was a fair bit of damage and mess caused so we put out the call to the local community and our members for help. What a response! Loads of locals turned out to help us clean up and it was great to feel a real sense of community in our time of need.

Despite being able to complete an initial waste clean up there was also a large amount of damage to property, specifically to the gates, that needed sorting out. We were also left with a considerable bill for the private bailiffs as well as for security which we believed essential for the protection of the clubhouse. All in all our costs for the damage and subsequent repairs (we are aiming to install a far more comprehensive and safer gate system) is estimated at around £10,000. As a result we have launched a GoFund me campaign - another thing the local community has been fantastic in supporting. You can find out more about it and donate here

We are continuing to work with the police on this one and a thorough debrief will be undertaken to see how we can ensure something like this doesn't happen in the future. We'd also like to extend a huge thank you to the community of Topsham for their support as well as also our members, players and committee who acted professionally but also efficiently from start to finish. It was clear throughout that this is club loved by many.

A SENSE OF NORMALITY

May saw us play plenty of rugby that may have even reminded a few of the 'Good old days' that we hope will come thick and fast next season. The Ladies hosted a very wet and muddy Inner Warrior Camp. An event known nationally that aims to get more women playing rugby. Our Walking Rugby section continued to train regularly as well as lending their hands on more than one occasion to other clubs. Their involvements across the county have really helped grow the game as well as cementing the idea that Topsham is the leading location for Walking Rugby in this part of the world. The Colts also saw a fair bit of action and they racked up wins against Withycombe and Kingsbridge on the road in two bruising engagements.

The Men also got a taste of competitive rugby for the first time in a long time. They played two games, the first against Exeter Saracens which they narrowly lost 31-24, and the second against a touring side from London Business School. This fixture which also involved the Ladies playing a game too, was more about the social than the match (although we did win 82-26). Coming just a day after the travellers left, simply having a game happen was a huge achievement. The event (which we kept closed to the public for social distancing) was a huge success and we raised a large amount of money for the club as well as giving our guys and girls a much needed chance to enjoy a few overdue beers at the club (socially distanced throughout). London Business School sent us a lovely message the following day thanking us for being 'wonderful hosts' and inviting us to play on their turf if we ever find ourselves over that way.

CAR BOOTS GO DOWN WELL

Over the past two Bank Holidays we hosted Car Boot sales at Bonfire Field. We got two very different days when it came to weather, the first wet and windy but the later just gone was held in glorious sunshine. Both were great days and the feedback we heard was all positive. Specific mention was made of how things were run which must be largely accredited to the hard work of Tim Taylor but also to how polite and helpful our volunteers were as well as how well kept all the facilities were. It feels great to put on these sort of events that span both the club and the community and we hope we can continue to do many more in the future. I'd hugely recommend, if you don't already getting involved and volunteering. Very rewarding and great fun.

VP & OLD BOYS DAY

Make sure not to miss out on coming down to the club on June 19th for our VP and Old Boy's Day. It promises to be a fantastic day celebrating past and present, whilst enjoying a range of festivities. During the day the Walking Rugby guys will be playing a tournament against some local sides and we will also be showing the Premiership Semi Final on the big screen in the clubhouse. Tables for inside will need booking and you can do this by contacting clubhouse@topshamrugby.co.uk. There will be seating outside that doesn't need booking. Of course the bar will be in full swing and there will be an afternoon buffet put on. There will also be a short presentation to all our VPs. Keep your eye on our social medias for more updates as the day draws closer.

Hope to see lots of you down for what should be a brilliant day!

If you want to find out more about how to become a VP then please reach out to Greg Pascoe