Ilfracombe
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Success
“ The success of the players is down to the hard work they have put in . James would say that the foundations of years of coaching by Peter Wright played a part in the team ’ s success but he was certainly pivotal to the player ’ s demeanour . The success of the club is down to a few dedicated people volunteering to give up their time week in , week out to ensure the club runs smoothly .”
The Off-season
“ Brimlands , where Ilfracombe Rugby club is situated , is now also the home to Ilfracombe Cricket Club . As my son plays my weekends are still spent at the club watching him play but also running the bar .
The club will put in plans for the new clubhouse imminently so there will also be many meetings to sort out fundraising etc . The players will start training shortly and are looking forward to the challenge of Devon 1 .”
Youth
“ Youth rugby is very important to us to carry on the legacy of the club . As we are from a small town on the coast of North Devon our pool of players to choose from is limited .
By having a buoyant youth section we can look to the future knowing that we are rearing our next adult teams . Our ‘ Jellyfish ’ start around the age of 3 and we now have players through to age 13 .
We have historically struggled in previous years to get the numbers but over the last two years have secured a good foundation of coaches and off-pitch support .”
Community
“ We are a rugby family of young and old , from our juniors to our supporters of whom many are past players . A large number of current players , committee members and supporters are there because family members and friends were players or just associated with the club . It ’ s good to see their legacy being carried on through their children and grandchildren .
As we have one of the only areas of flat land in the town we hold many events at the club such as school tag tournaments , kwik cricket matches , school sports days , marquee weddings and the annual firework display .”
Challenges / Ambitions
“ The biggest challenges we will face include securing funding for the new clubhouse and fundraising as much as possible .
The plans are for a building that is much bigger that we are currently in but we also need to attract new players to Ilfracombe as not currently having a colts section could be detrimental for us . Obviously this won ’ t be a problem in a few years ’ time when our juniors start coming through .
Our ambition is to have a team of players who are just as committed as they have been this season . We want to ensure our Sharks go from strength to strength promoting the core elements to them all .
With the new club built we want to be the Centre of Excellence for rugby in North Devon and to have facilities to offer clubs from away a place to come for training weekends .
North Devon is a beautiful part of the country and we want to have Ilfracombe Rugby Club firmly on the map .”
BUILDING MATERIALS AND TOOL HIRE
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