Marple
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Marple RUGBY FOOTBALL union CLUB
arple RUFC is a fine example of the important role that a club can play in their local community . Rugby Club Magazine recently caught up with their Chairman Bill newton to find out more about their set up and the good work that they ’ ve been doing lately .
Involvement
He told us , “ I have been at Marple for 35 years as player , captain , chairman , and most recently Club Captain ; my friends played here and I was made to feel welcome from the start , something that continues with new arrivals to this day .
The biggest challenge of the role is trying to field three senior teams each week which has become very challenging with changing work patterns , social life and commitment working against team sports .”
Atmosphere
“ The atmosphere here is positive as always ; we have a vibrant club with a strong senior set up and a thriving mini / junior section . We also have a fantastic working relationship with the local college and we are looking forward to new opportunities .”
This Season
“ It has been a mixed season overall ; the fist team have done well , the seconds and thirds have struggled for consistency but we are still putting out three competitive teams when many of our neighbouring clubs have folded sides . Our mini and juniors have done particularly well in league and cup competitions . We are now looking to consolidate numbers and work hard to finish strongly so we have a decent start to next season .”
Youth
“ Youth rugby is vital for us , many of the youth team players go on to play senior rugby and we like to get them involved as soon as they are old enough . The mini / junior section continues to grow and we have teams at all age levels who are all achieving good standards of rugby , it is the life blood of the club .
As soon as their age permits we like to introduce the juniors to the senior coach and players and once the colts reach 17 , with parental permission , we try to get them some senior game time , it has worked well and they want to play .”
Community
“ We are very much a community club ; we have strong links with the local college and local football club and we enter a rugby themed float every year in the Marple carnival . In addition to this we encourage local groups and societies to use our facilities .”
Challenges / Ambitions
“ One of our biggest challenges is the retention of players . Junior rugby has no problem in recruiting players , but there is a drift away at certain ages in the senior game and it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain three sides which I feel we must do to remain strong and vibrant as a club . We have just entered a new partnership with the local college and football team . We need to make this work both playing wise and socially to maintain our current memberships . We need to encourage more participation in all aspects of club life and make it the place to go locally , host more social functions , encourage past players to contribute more in any way , raise our awareness in the community and create sponsorship opportunities for those that are interested and maintain and build upon what we have achieved so far .”
94 Issue 70