Rugby Club Issue 64 | Page 27

Finchley Their first team put together a strong campaign last time around as they compiled a record of fifteen wins and seven defeats from their twenty two matches. This saw them finish in fourth place in the league with 73 points on the board. One of the highlights of the team’s performances was the attacking brand of rugby that they managed to produce. This was reflected by the fact that they racked up 587 points at an average of more than 25 per game. This will certainly have meant that any supporters attending their matches will have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in the future. This in turn has the potential to provide them with a valuable source of additional revenue which is particularly important in the current financial climate. They will now have turned their attentions towards making sure that they are well prepared for the 2016-17 campaign. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of having a successful season. Finchley is not a club to focus solely upon their senior set up however and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a number of youth sides in place. 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 important for any club to produce their own talent if they are to be successful over a sustained period and this is an area they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors can progress over the coming years. In order to help ensure that youngsters enjoy a smooth transition into the senior game they also run a 2nd XV. This allows them to gain experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process. Another benefit of having an extra side is that it allows the first team to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling up replacements with a limited amount of disruption. There is much to admire about the fine set up that Finchley RFC currently has in place and this is allowing them to be successful on the field. Everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck for the future. “It is important for any club to produce their own talent if they are to be successful over a sustained period and this is an area they appear to have covered.” www.sportip.biz 27