Macclesfield
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Macclesfield
Compiled by David Wilkinson (Wilkey) Commercial Director MRUFC
W
e have been playing club rugby in Macclesfield since 1877, just 19 years after the very first Club, Blackheath,
was formed in London. Today we are playing at the third level, in National League One, the same league as
Blackheath some138 years later. It is our fourth season playing at the 3rd level, which is a fantastic achievement
for what was a junior club from a small town.
We are now much more than a junior club, the Blues success in
recent years has put Macclesfield on the map, but the success
of the Club runs deep throughout all sections. The Club has
retained its values, which are there to see in our website
masthead: “For Players of all levels and all ages”. When our
great friends Billy Beaumont and Fran Cotton visit the Club, they
both say exactly the same thing, “This is a real rugby club”. And
whilst the Directors of our executive Board have a remit to make
Macclesfield Rugby Club a ‘Centre of Excellence’, it will not be at
the expense of our core values.
The Blues Squad has seen plenty of changes this season, after its
grand finale, up at the Northern Echo Arena to win the National
2 North Championship. Geoff Whappet and Andy Northey
retired after taking the Club to great success, Giles Heagerty took
over as Head Coach, not quite as gnarled as Geoff, but building
a reputation with England, coaching at England Counties U18
level. This international background, coupled with his coaching
job at Macclesfield, has enabled Giles to go for the prestigious
level 4 coaching badge.
We started the season without Ryan Parkinson (Sedgley Park),
Ed Stobbart (retired)
and
Tom
Mantell
(long-term
injury),
this, combined with
a number of other
significant
injuries
contributed to a very
difficult
return
to
National One rugby.
The
gap
between
the
leagues
has
continued to widen,
which is graphically
demonstrated by the
difference in playing
budgets,
Ealing
Trailfinders
budget
being 15 times greater
than Macclesfield’s.
Whilst points have
been hard to come by,
the team has always
been
competitive
and
more
recently
bolstered
by
loan
players: Tom Morton
and Sam James (Sale
Sharks) and Marshall
Gadd
(Rotherham).
The boys have made
a big difference when
available, bringing an
added dimension to the
team.
38 Issue 53
The Club’s Future
The increased interest in sport since the London Olympics has
been obvious in some sports, cycling for one, and we are hoping
that the Rugby World Cup, staged here in the UK in the autumn,
will give another boost to our great game of rugby football.
Chairman Peter Harper has built a team at the Club, to help secure
its future for both the members and the community at large. The
aim of the Club is to continue its development, providing a first
class facility for sport and the community, and playing rugby at
the highest level possible within our means.
The canvas is far from blank; the Board has garnered the
views of members and stakeholders since its appointment in
2012, producing a structured plan for the future. Besides ‘The
Blues’, the Club now hosts 17 squads of players, every weekend
throughout the season, plus opposition teams and representative
matches. Our continued success supporting and hosting this
sport requires a first class facility at Priory Park. Pencilled-in on
the canvas is a new Clubhouse with facilities that can be enjoyed
by members and the Macclesfield community at large. This will
make a massive difference to both people’s enjoyment of their