Rugby Club Issue 53 | Page 48

claverdon FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG Claverdon C laverdon RFC was first established in 1965 by a group of friends with a vision of how they believed rugby should be played. They celebrated their 50th anniversary this year and have developed into a friendly, fun club that is going from strength to strength with rugby at the heart of everything they do. In recent times the club has toured to France, Portugal, Holland, Ireland and Scotland and are due to go to Greece this year. They have a thriving social scene that has included a pantomime named ‘Up The Orinoco In Search Of The Ossett,’ ‘Prop Idol,’ and ‘Oompah Night’. They currently play their home games at Ossetts Hole Lane in Warwickshire and their first team competes in the Midlands 4 West (South) Division. They are led by the team of Chairman Ian Wyllie and President Basil Sayer and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance. This season, their first team has put together a strong campaign, having compiled a record of twelve wins and six defeats from their eighteen matches. This has left them sitting in the top half of the league with 54 points on the board. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they look ahead to their 2015/16 campaign. As long as they can retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of a successful season pushing for promotion. A number of individuals have played an important role in the team’s success so far with James Williams finishing as the club’s leading try scorer with eight. James Barbon finished just behind him with seven scores and they both played a key role in the attacking brand of rugby the team played. Doz Ward was also in fine form with the boot, racking up 65 points for the team and ensuring that opposing sides were punished for any infringements committed. Having a reliable place kicker is vital as it allows a side to win games even when not playing at their best. Claverdon is not a club to focus solely upon their seniors however and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a thriving youth section. This part of the club looks to provide youngsters 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 can progress over the coming years. Claverdon RFC’s displays this year leave them perfectly positioned to push on over the coming years. They are a great example of what can be achieved with everyone pulling in the right direction and Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck for the future. 48 Issue 53 “A number of individuals have played an important role in the team’s success so far with James Williams finishing as the club’s leading try scorer with eight.”