Old Yardleians
It would be fair to say that the team
did not perhaps enjoy the campaign
that they would have liked last time
around as they put together a record
of six wins, a draw and fifteen defeats
from their twenty two matches. This
saw them finish in the bottom half of
the table with thirty seven points on
the board.
Perhaps their performance of
the season came in their final game
when they defeated Shrewsbury by 72
points to 20 to finish on a high. This
performance should give the club
plenty of momentum heading into
the off-season as they target a more
successful campaign. As long as they
are able to retain their current group
of players and can perhaps make one
or two quality additions they should
be in a good position to do just that.
One of the highlights of the team’s
performances was the attacking
brand of rugby that they were able
to produce. This was reflected by the
fact that they racked up 432 points,
making them the top scorers in the
bottom half of the league.
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.
Old Yardleians is not a club to
focus solely upon their senior section
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 looking
to be successful over a sustained
period of time to be able to produce
their own talent and this is an area
they appear to have covered. It will
certainly be exciting to see how their
youngsters are able to progress over
the coming years.
In order to help ensure that they
enjoy a smooth transition into the
senior game they also run a number
of additional sides. 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.
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Another benefit of having extra
sides is that it allows the first XV 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.
Although Old Yardleians Rugby
Club did not enjoy a good campaign
this should not take away from the
good work that is being carried out at
the club. If they are able to continue
in the same manner they should be
able to look forward to a bright and
successful future for many years to
come. Rugby Club Magazine wishes
them the best of luck.
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