Rugby Club Issue 63 | Page 53

Malpas Malpas RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB M alpas Rugby Club is the Welsh Rugby Unions youngest club and will celebrate their 10 year anniversary in the 2016 season. The club was first established following a chance meeting between retired youth team coach Jeffrey Chandler and three of his old players in 2005 and the talk of returning to rugby through a local club in Newport or setting up their own club was banded about and when the 2006 season came around a new team was added to the Newport & District league. In their 2015/16 campaign they put together a season to remember as they triumphed in the Newport and District plate competition, defeating St Julian’s 22-20 in the final. Secretary Marc Cox recently took the time to tell us more about the club. He told us, “The mood at the club is very good at the moment, obviously with promotion the main aim and achieved the club is a hive of activity. We also have the end of season reunion and the annual tour to Benidorm so it’s a good place to be at the moment. “We have arranged an anniversary/reunion dinner at Newport Gwent Dragons, Rodney parade, Newport, hosted by Phil Steele and we are also arranging a game of the original side against the current side which will incorporate a family day, bouncy castles etc. “The season has gone as planned, with players returning and the new structure of the WRU leagues we set out to gain promotion at the end of the season and currently we are 2nd in the league with another two wins guaranteeing promotion. “We are most definitely a community club; we use the local club as our club house and with away trips we encourage the children and families to come along, we are looking in arranging a WRU NatWest Rugbyforce day which focuses on recruitment and rewarding volunteers as well as welcoming the community to the club. “The biggest challenge for us moving forward will be holding onto players as successful sides attract the attention of the bigger clubs in the area. We went through a similar problem a few years ago when we won the local league a few times and players left to play a higher level of rugby. Our club’s ambitions are to run two sides within the next couple of years and progress through the leagues.” JK Executive Travel AIRPORT TRANSFERS CHAUFFEURING SERVICES WEDDING CAR HIRE Corporate & Private Customers Our fleet consists of Mercedes' E Class, for up to 3 Passengers and a Mercedes Viano, for up to 6 passengers. Proud sponsors of Malpas Rugby Football Club Visit or contact us below for more information T 01633 859258 E [email protected] W: www.jkexecutivetravel.co.uk www.sportip.biz 53