Trip to Banbury Produces Silverware to put in the Cabinet.

The last three weeks has helped demonstrate to the lads just how far they have improved in one season, the benefit of team work and hard work at training. With some notable results; drawing with Old Coventrians, who were for a long time the side we benchmarked ourselves against, was definitely a highlight at Kenilworth and drawing with a very impressive Birmingham & Solihull side in Barnstable in a  game we should/could have won was another the week after. But still any silverware had eluded the team during their mini careers writes John Warne.

And so to Sunday, the final weekend of the season and the Banbury festival. Banbury had proved themselves a quality outfit on our only other meeting, when they had demolished the team at our own festival. Our first match was against Banbury A which we went into with the right attitude, laying bodies on the line to keep Banbury out and even threatening their line. A nil all draw a fair reflection of the game and some serious cause for optimism. Game 2 was to be against Banbury B and as often happens ‘Street switched off and let a commendably well drilled B squad score four unanswered tries. Third game was against Chinnor and this time the real ‘Street stood up and again fired into the Chinnor team. Rucking well we were unlucky to be held to another nil all draw.  Final game against Wolverhampton saw the ‘Street boys turn their pressure into points and some determined running, aggressive rucking and full on defence enabled us to come away with a very well deserved win.

This left us to play off with Banbury A again for third place. The coaches asked the boys for one final effort of their mini careers and how they responded! Banbury started well and quickly went one try up with a great individual try from the Banbury scrum half. In years gone past that may have signalled the beginning of the end, now with their mental toughness improved along with their skills and knowledge of the game it was the catalyst for renewed effort from the Broadstreet Boys. Scoring three unanswered tries saw Broadstreet take a notable scalp and finish the day with the plate trophy - Our first piece of silverware in Mini Rugby.

Lads, I know I speak for all the coaches and parents when I say how proud of you we are. Some great effort and resolve shown by all.  Let’s keep this momentum up into Junior Rugby!

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Royal Ascot Ladies' Day in Coventry and Warwickshire.  

 Thursday 20th June 2013 from 10:30 am.

Best Hat Competition.  Races on the Big Screen.

Morning Coffee, Buffet Lunch and Afternoon Tea.

At Broadstreet RFC, Binley Woods, CV3 2AY.

Contact 02476 541070 for further details.

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Broadstreet U9's U10's & U12's, travel out of county to play in the Banbury Festival. Good luck to all teams....report to follow in the coming weeks!

        

West Coast Festival of Rugby, Glory for Street Under 9's

A hastily arranged tour saw Broadstreet Under 9's embark on the long trip to North Devon to join in the fun with the 11's and 12's with a sparse squad of 10 which included on loan under 8 Jamie Talbot.

Staying at the Combe Martin Sandaway Resort and Spa the tightly knit group left for nearby Barnstaple Rugby club early Saturday morning after a quiet Friday evening in the Resorts Seaspray lounge.

Match 1. Barnstaple B. 0 vs Broadstreet 70

Barnstaple second string never really troubled the Street line and once Joe Harrison had dotted down for a 1st half hat trick within 4 minutes the result was never in question. Jamie Talbot notched a try in his 1st game out of Tag rugby Ollie Grundy threatened with every touch. The boys shared the game time and the points out equally.

Match 2. Luctonians 15 vs Broadstreet 30

The second match was closely fought, early scores from Street held sway against a spirited fight back from a classy Luctonians outfit. Asher Opoku-Fordjour was starting to show the class, pace and power the Binley Woods faithful know he possesses. His surging runs and strong tackles were gathering notice across the tournament. George McInnes added a brace to put the match safe.

Match 3. Chippenham A 5 vs Broadstreet 25

The final match of the day saw the best rugby the boys have produced this season against a fine side from Wiltshire who describe their selves as the Mighty Under Nines. Mason Winterburn led from the front closely supported by an all action display from Sam Warne in defence and attack. Daniel Hewitt and Danny Gardner both looked dangerous on the ball ably supported by the no nonsense Ollie Henderson.

Day 2. Semi-Final                                        .

Chippenham B. 5 Broadstreet 25

Unlike Barnstaple the Wiltshire outfit had equally splittheir squad and their B side proved as difficult as their A team. Having watched them dispatch Winchester in their last pool game their use of running off a posted player to circumvent the law of only moving once the free pass has left the hand was duly noted and the giant boy who charged up the middle of the pitch off the post was firmly stopped in his tracks by some neat, firm tackles from the street boys, Mason throwing his little frame in the goliath's path time and time again. Some neat passing and tricky running saw the Coventry boys score 5 unanswered tries before Chippenham grabbed a consolation.

Final. Barnstaple A 5 vs Broadstreet 15

Streets options were limited by knocks taken in the semi to Daniel and Joe. Having not seen Barnstaple in action their 4 group game wins and defeat of Chippenham by 5 clear tries suggested a strong challenge. It was clear by comments made in the control tent by the Barnstaple coach "Large Lad" that they were planning the robust approach to the game. They did not disappoint.

Once the 1st probing Barnstaple attack was turned over the Street boys went on the attack through Asher and then Sam Warne this raised the away volume way above the home support with assistance from Street under 12's, Luctonians and Welsh side Kefig Hill who had decided to support ourboys. Street's wave after wave produced a try wide in the corner for Asher who was clattered whilst scoring. This prompted the home Barnstaple officials to clear the away sideline stating it was in the rules not to have support in between the pitches. This area had been used by spectators for 2 days without incident but suddenly the clearance was crucial. George McInnes made it 2 tries up a little breathing space allowed the injured Joe to take the field along with Daniel and young Jamie before a battered Asher returned to finish the Job with his second. Barnstaple scored a lifeline try midway in the second half but neat passing before contact kept possession away from the physical home side and Ollie Gundy's foot in touch signalled the end of the game, the cup and the start of a great celebration.

Great organisation by Team Tours Direct, and a nice welcome from Barnstaple RFC (until you beat them).

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The Broadstreet Rugby Football Club Annual General Meeting will be held at 8:00 pm prompt on Tuesday 30th April 2013

at the Ivor Preece Field Clubhouse, Rugby Road.

 Paid-up FULL Members are requested to attend.

Our under 7s next year are a great little bunch and will consist of around 18 who have nearly all done a season in the recently formed under 6s.

Team admin in place, and assistance available if required from other mini coaches, and training courses paid for by the section.

Great fun on Sunday mornings even if you don't have a child involved.

A very rewarding challenge seeing the little ones develop as the weeks go by.

Contact Louise via email  louise.harrison33@rocketmail.com

Five Point, Five Try Win to End Campaign. 

Broadstreet Rugby Football Club signed off the season with a five point, five try win against Leicestershire neighbours Syston RFC on the hottest day this year, (almost in living memory, it’s been that long since…!), to finish eighth (or ninth - as Longton RFC still have one to play) in a league campaign full of twists and turns.  Hot the rugby was not, but both sides endeavoured to entertain in an unaccustomed arena of cramp inducing, brilliant sunshine, in the presence of ‘Street’s major sponsors, Sytner (Coventry) writes Bob Harcourt.  One interesting twist is that Syston, who sit in the relegation zone third from bottom, appear to be safe from the dreaded drop due to Rugby Lions RFC demise just prior to the start of the season and, the fact that consequently one less team will experience the drop from National League Two (Level Four) where Lions should have been competing.  The cascade effect is that the team with the best playing record of those teams finishing third from bottom in the four Level Five leagues (Mids, North, Ldn, SE) is to have a reprieve.  As Syston finish on fifty points they will remain at Level Five, so only two teams are to be relegated from our Midlands league to Level Six; Derby RFC and Mansfield RFC. 

Danny Richards opened the account with a penalty after three minutes following good progress by wing, Adam Preece and flanker Chris Zutic, down the left.  Syston failed to roll away at the ruck and Richards did the business. 3 – 0.  ‘Street then parcel passed losing them considerable territory and allowed Syston an unsuccessful shot at goal twelve minutes in. Within 2 minutes of play, ‘Street stand-in centre, Beau Carney, sliced through mid-field and fed Mike Rust, giving the supporting full back a clear run in. Richards converted for 10 – 0.  Approaching the half hour, lock Allan Purchase and scrum half captain Nick Thatcher were ‘inter-changed’ with Simon Morris and Mark Brittain, before right wing Pete Bicknell and prop Mark Warrilow grabbed a try each. The first was created by Mike Rust, now at scrum half, and the second followed forward pressure on the Syston line drawing in defenders, allowing Bicknell to stroll in out wide. Richards missed the latter conversion. ‘Street picked up the first of two yellow cards just before the break, which, when followed by a second minutes after resumption, reduced the home side to thirteen players for a period early in the second half.   Half Time: 22 – 0. 

Syston upped their effort in the second half and ‘Street sat back seemingly enjoying the sunshine and the fact that they were safely positioned at mid-table. In the opening minutes, Marc Brittain had a good mazy run down the wing, but the ensuing 5 metre play saw the ball turned over and Syston cleared. ‘Street, still down to thirteen players, conceded a score to the visitors, who worked an overlap down the left. 22 – 7. The next 10 minutes saw ‘Street shut up shop until they could be restored to full strength but, with Syston having more of the play; it took until the half hour mark for the home side to increase their tally. A peel off a close-in lineout saw gifted youngster, Callum Tucker, feed the ball to fellow lock Allan Purchase, who bulldozered over at the posts. Richards converted, 29 – 7. Four minutes later, Nick Thatcher, now returned to the fray, sold his trade-mark dummy to score under the posts. Richards easily converted for a 36 – 7 lead with eight minutes left on the clock. After a good run, kick and chase by wing man Adam Preece, number eight Owen Whittle was bundled into touch short after a scrum pick-up, but sloppy play thereafter by ‘Street saw Syston advance up-field and, through determined pressure, scored a well-deserved, un-converted try in the right corner as the game closed.  Final Score: 36 -12. 

On the aforementioned subject of twists and turns lock Allan Purchase, until his 70th minute touch down, felt justifiably umbraged in the face of an end of season turn round the pitch on the annual ‘No Try Naked Run’.  His beef was that fellow Coventry University student Nick Allsop, was wrongly accredited a try at Sandbach RFC which, it has to be admitted, was scored by Purchase.  Close call Allan!  Life can be a bummer sometimes. 

With 49 players used and constant changes to a mostly new squad, the season should be seen as a success over the previous campaign. This season has seen us finish with the 5th best points scored tally but with the 6th worst points against record in finishing just below mid-table. A telling contradiction! With a tighter defence, who knows….?  Well done gentlemen, the challenge now is to build on this foundation and to push for the higher reaches of the league. Have a pleasant summer break! 

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We are holding this year's End of Season Dinner Dance at The Holiday Inn, Walsgrave, Coventry, CV2 2HP on the Friday 24th May 2013.

This Presentation Evening will be an adults only, Black Tie event priced at £25 per head. Tables are available on a 'First Come - First Served' basis, so if you would like to reserve a table for your party, please let Nick Thatcher, Lisa Simpson or Luke Truslove now.  If you would like to reserve a table there is a £50 deposit due now and we will require names of the guests on your table, along with the balance of £200 (£250, less £50 deposit) by 1st May.

If you dont think you can fill a table, but would still like to attend, please let us know and we will allocate you a place. 

This is a sit down Two Course Dinner, Wine, a Band and DJ, plus a great opportunity to get together as a club and let your hair down.

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