26th Mar'10: Forthcoming
Derby RFC Under 9s Aloha Reading tour introduction
On the 9th April, 19 Under
9s, and 20 parents are embarking on their first ever rugby
tour. Dubbed the Bad Lads, Good Dads and Scrum Mums tour,
the 39 tourists will be travelling to Reading for a fun
packed long weekend (longer for some than others…) with fun
and games a dead cert, courtesy of the Richard Beevers
mobile disco.
Armed with tour kit, flags, kangaroo court, and a mountain
of “refreshments”, they will take in a mystery visit on the
Friday, a day at Legoland on Saturday, before playing in a 4
way tournament at Reading RFC, against their hosts,
Bracknell and London Irish.
Martin Bayfield, former
England second Row, and more famously, Hagrid’s body double
in the Harry Potter Films, has been invited along to talk to
the teams, present the trophies and awards, and pose for
photos.
Many thanks to our friends at
Century Studios who despite being victims of an armed
robbery and having their computer equipment stolen, have
produced a fantastic tour passport for every tourist,
featuring pictures, profiles and tour song.
Tour intro by Neill Collier
18th Oct'09:
Derby U9s v Ashbourne U9s
A damp week
followed by bright sunshine led to some fabulous playing
conditions as Derby U-9s turned out at home against
Ashbourne on Sunday.
Derby A’s
started slowly again with little sign of scoring through the
first half, despite some impressive driving from Max Morley,
and strong runs from Jonny Salloway and Dexter Collier.
The side
stepped up a gear in the second half with a fantastic try
from Fred Acton, fully justifying his step up to the A side
after some impressive play at Burton last week. Billy Willis
scored the side’s second try, taking Derby A to a brief 2/1
lead, before Ashbourne pulled back a last minute equaliser.
Final score 2/2.
During Derby
A’s second run out later in the morning, the side dominated
throughout. Acton scored his second of the morning, followed
by tries from Collier and Adam Hopkins, also moved up from
Derby Bs. Collier scored another try in the second half,
with a final score of 4/0 to Derby A’s.
But again it
was Derby B’s who took the game to the opposition, despite
an early try from Ashbourne B. Oliver Done-Johnson scored
two tries back to back, again using his considerable bulk to
his side’s advantage. Harvey Loomes put Derby B 3/2 up
before Done-Johnson made his hat trick and Jim Hather put
Derby 5/2 up after some impressive running.
In the second
half, Done-Johnson and Hather both scored again early on, on
the back of some fantastic driving. Loomes scored his
second, while Hather also claimed his hat trick, with Tom
Graham scoring a last minute try to give Derby B an
astounding 10/3 victory.
However,
Derby B’s second outing against Ashbourne was a less
impressive affair, with a solitary try from James Manning
equalising from an early doors Ashbourne try, and a change
in defensive track from the visitors effectively stifling
Done-Johnson’s and Hather’s efforts. Final score 1/1.
Match Reports by
Andy Done-Johnson
11th Oct'09:
Burton U9s v Derby U9s
DOZENS of
parents braved damp conditions at Burton to watch the
under-nines play some of the best Rugby of their short
careers.
Derby A’s
first outing against Burton A was an even matched affair,
and despite strong runs from Jonny Salloway, Mattthew Wolfe,
and Jamie Hather, the match ended 0/0. Wolfe came within
yards of scoring in the second half, where Billy Willis and
Hather also demonstrated some robust tackling. But it was
Burton A who dominated the second half of the game, with
some impressive defending from Derby denying Burton victory
in the game’s final seconds. Derby A’s came out of
themselves for their second run-out against Burton later in
the morning, despite giving away a try early on in the first
half. Wolfe equalised mid-way through the first half
following a remarkable run, then an impressive piece of play
from Lewis Klein sealed victory for Derby in the second
half, leaving a final score of 2/1 to Derby.
Meanwhile,
Derby B who really shone against Burton B, with tries from
Jack Hawksworth, James Manning, Fred Acton and Oliver
Done-Johnson leaving the side an impressive 4/2 up at half
time. Acton scored again in the second half, leaving a final
score of 5/3 to the visitors. But it was in their second
run-out against Burton that Derby B really showed their
dominance, with Done-Johnson using his considerable size
advantage to take the ball the length of the pitch and score
his second try of the day. Harry Shakesheff also performed
well, scoring two tries in the second game, while Oliver
Hutchinson also scored his debut full-contact try for the
club. But it was Fred Acton who really shone, delivering
some impressive running to come home with a hat trick in
Derby B’s second game. Final score 7/0 to Derby B.
Match Reports by
Andy Done-Johnson
