Rugby Club Issue 49 | Page 98

WATFORD WATFORD Watford Rugby Club is based on Radlett Road in Herts and their first team is competing in the Herts/Middlesex 2 League this season. They are led by Chairman Dennis Reilly whilst Martin Lee Captains the first XV and the club has been progressing well under their guidance. They have a history of which they have every right to be proud, having first been formed in 1973 following the demise of West Herts RFC and Sun Postal Rugby Club. Their superb efforts were recognised in 2007 when they were awarded the Seal of Approval and Club Mark accreditations. This helps to demonstrate what an important role they play in their local community and they pride themselves on being an extremely friendly club that puts a lot of effort into the social side of the game. On the pitch their current group of players will be keen to add to their past successes. They had a superb season last year, playing some terrific rugby and this saw them clinch promotion which was a just reward for the hard work that everyone puts into the club. Speaking to the Watford Observer after the success, Captain Martin Lee said, “It’s been a brilliant season. We’ve put a hell of a lot of work in across the season and the commitment from the players has been fantastic. It’s our 40th anniversary this year as a club, so to have achieved promotion is a great way to mark that.” The signs have been positive at the start of the new campaign as well with the team taking no time to settle in their new league. They have managed to win both of their opening matches which sees them challenging for top spot with 10 points. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as the season progresses. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will be in with an 98 ISSUE 49 excellent chance of challenging for honours come the business end of the campaign. Watford is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however as they also run a number of youth sides. These teams look 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 vital for any club that is looking to be successful to be able to produce their own talent and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be a major boost for the 1st XV if they can rely upon players successfully making the step up to senior rugby. This is a club that has made tremendous progress since first being established and they are going through a prosperous period at present. This is thanks to the superb set up that they have in place and they look to be well positioned for plenty more success. “The signs have been positive at the start of the new campaign.”