Dear Member,
As you may already know, after ten years I have decided to step down as your Chairman.
It has been a privilege and (mostly) a pleasure for me; I don’t propose to pick over every detail, just to summarise where we were and where we now are as a community rugby club, from 1st XV to U5’s, on and off the pitch.
I am constantly amazed by the extraordinary people that make the club work at all levels- mostly volunteers as they always have been.
I have shared some of the frustrations that they have had to endure, mostly from external organisations and the odd individual who simply doesn’t appreciate or empathise with the challenges of a volunteer-run sports club, a special thank you to our exemplary Head of Comms Greg Gorrill for Keeping Calm and Carrying On!
In 2013, Chairman Lee Adamson was frustrated in conversation at the bar with a few recently retired Acorns; the issues were that the club seemed to be split between Saturday and Sunday members, and it was very difficult to unite the two, especially for social events and volunteering to coach the juniors with a clear pathway to the seniors.
When Lee said that he reluctantly felt unable to do any more, President Phil Bradshaw and Secretary Andy Nicholls thankfully agreed to stay on committee to ensure some continuity and those Acorns agreed to stand together and ‘give it a go’- this was the original mission and line up:
SEVENOAKS RUGBY
Mission Statement and Objectives March 2013
‘To be the best amateur rugby club in the South East, upholding the core values of rugby football:
Teamwork Respect Enjoyment Discipline
alongside the traditional values of competition and friendship’
Three-year key objectives
1. To develop a 1st XV competitive enough to be constantly pushing for promotion
2. To develop a genuinely united culture between the junior and senior sections
3. To introduce a fair and efficient system of club membership for all
4. To regularly field four senior teams and to encourage an active occasional veterans team
5. To be in control of the availability of pitches for matches and training, with reliable external reserve facilities in place
Proposed Management Team
President: P Bradshaw
Chairman: T Nicholson
Secretary: A Nicholls
Treasurer: J. Wilkinson
Senior Rugby Chairman/Director of Rugby: R McKerlie
Youth Rugby Chairman: M Wooldridge
Commercial Manager: P Groves
(co-opted position)
Support roles
Senior Playing Manager: M McMorran
Marketing and Communications Manager: S Fitzmaurice
Kent County and Referee liaison: A Crane
Sponsor relations, Asst. Commercial Manager: A.Bumstead, M.Hayward
Rugby Development Officer TBA
1st XV Manager J.Muchmore
Club Coach (reporting to Director of Rugby) D.Vaughan
Youth Manager P.Harris
Mini Manager A.Shirtcliff
Some of these goals have been achieved, some remain, and the important thing is that the club is in good hands going forward- Steve Fitzmaurice is nominated to be Chairman and Nick Pearce to finally give Andy Nicholls a break as Secretary, so general admin will be much tighter going forward.
One of the first and most important things the new committee managed to achieve in 2015 was to persuade the Council to drain and enlarge the 1st XV pitch, relocate in front of the clubhouse, and with various grants, without dipping into club funds, the Bradshaw-Pearl balcony followed, creating better viewing facilities and of course hellfire corner, much feared by all visitors.
Who knows, maybe Derek and the Field Stewards will eventually have easier jobs with an electric scoreboard and new advertising boards…thanks so much to you all.
There will be separate reports from Charlie Mouncer our Treasurer and Adam Bowman, Director of Rugby and Sponsorship on the current season’s performance.
Suffice to say that we are solvent with much improved bar and catering revenue -Chapeau to Diane, Donna and their always smiling teams.
We are still in National League 2 with ring-fenced and budgeted player finance that does not rely on members’ subs or divert resources away from the juniors, a strong and successful Academy under Daws and Rolfy, Hendo’s Junior and Mini sections with Paul and Phil’s girls really taking off-all remarkable achievements.
Thanks to every volunteer coach -sometimes still helping even if their child decides to do something else- for doing what you do, for the love of the game.
Seniors and Juniors are thriving, with much more interaction and support for each other -all Mighty Oaks- senior players coaching juniors, age group ‘ball technicians’ at every 1st XV home game, guest tables at pre match lunches for age groups and parents, girls and Ladies teams and giant junior tours for whole families- it feels pretty healthy to me and what’s more- it is fun!
Our interactions with both RFU and our landlords Sevenoaks Town Council are always challenging, often coming from very different positions and degrees of urgency, and we continue to work on this important aspect of running the club.
We have had lunch visits from Bill Sweeney CEO of the RFU and Jeff Blackett, President, and the 1st XV elevation to semi-pro National League status has been relatively smooth but a very steep learning curve.
Under the astute and avuncular stewardship of our President and friend Mike Wooldridge, I am sure Fitzy and the committee will continue to ensure now that we have crossed the match-fee Rubicon that has always been so philosophically troubling for me personally, we recognise that it was the players who earned it.
I certainly haven’t seen any difference in the genuinely friendly player-spectator atmosphere in the Jim Wallace bar- most opposition clubs are envious of that unique Mighty Oaks feeling- no inflated egos tolerated- and home supporters do appreciate the significant rise in the quality of rugby we now play.
Adam has stepped up from Roger’s visionary start as Director of Rugby, and their combined tenure is witnessed in the 1st XV ten-year results table below, showing three promotions in ten years, from Level 7 to Level 4.
While we now better respect and embrace every playing aspect of our club, there is no doubt that the 1st XV is the shop window, the juniors’ inspiration and spectators’ entertainment- thanks to the senior squad who have trained in numbers never seen before- we’re on our way!
See you on the balcony
Trevor Nicholson
Chairman
Sevenoaks Rugby
