Rugby Club Issue 64 | Page 18

Pewsey Vale
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Dorset and Wilts 1 North . The current playing squad is exceptional in its unity of purpose , and support for each other .
This and the standard of new players last season to the club changed the playing dynamic to return to winning ways . When you get used to winning it is infectious . The recruitment of Richie Appleton to the coaching team two years ago brought fresh ideas and reinvigorated training . We ’ re looking for more of the same ; with the aim to be in the top half of the league at the end of the season .”
Youth
“ Currently our youth section is in its early stages of development , though having been up and running for a number of years it was very much a minirugby section . Numbers going forward in age groups tended to decline making it impossible to field a team beyond U7s . Players left for other bigger clubs .
This year we are , for the first time in a number of years , fielding U9s . I found the early investment at minis has brought payback when 17 and 18 year olds come back to the club to join the senior squad .
We currently field a 2nd team , Alfred ’ s Nomads jointly with Marlborough RFC , playing in D + W 3 North level 10 ; this allows younger players the opportunity to gain experience in an ‘ old heads / young legs ’ environment .”
Community
“ This is very much a community club . The ground is leased from the Parish Council which has supported us in our aims and is generous in its support in the form of grants and its joint management of the ground .
80 % of our senior players are local , or were and travel in . 20 % are from local Army units from the nearby garrison . We have a core of local supporters that travel to away games , at home games we are well supported by the local community .
We have a thriving netball section that plays in local leagues . We have an arrangement with Pewsey Vale FC who use some of our facilities for their training , particularly our floodlit training area in the winter months . The local running club use our facilities as an RV for their training sessions as well .”
Challenges / Ambitions
“ Our biggest immediate challenge is to complete the construction of our club house which we are building
18 Issue 64