Rugby Club Issue 48 | Page 67

NEWBURY BLUES NEWBURY BLUES Newbury Blues are based on Monks Lane in Berkshire and their first team currently competes in the South West 1 East League. They are led by the team of President David Smith and Chairman Hywel Price-Richards and the club is looking to progress under their guidance. Last season the team may have been slightly disappointed with the season that they put together having won 8, drawn 1 and lost 17 of their 26 matches. This saw them finish in the bottom half of the table with 46 points on the board. The campaign was not without positives however and they will be looking to use these as a platform from which to build moving forwards. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of claiming an improved position this time round. In order to ensure that their youngsters enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game the club also has a number of additional sides running. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having so many sides is that it allows the first team to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Newbury Blues is clearly a club that plays a vital role in their local community and this is thanks to the efforts of their Committee. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck. A standout feature of the Newbury Blues set-up is the superb youth set-up that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors are able to develop over the coming years. “A club that plays a vital role in their local community” www.rugbyclub.biz 67