Rugby Club ISSUE 78 | Page 42

London Welsh FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG London Welsh RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB London Welsh RFC is based at Old Deer Park, 187 Kew Road in Surrey and their first team competed in the Herts/Middlesex 1 League this season. They are led by the team of Chairman Gwyn Williams and Honorary President John Taylor and the club is looking to progress under their guidance. They state on their official website, www.londonwelshrfc. com, “Our Club continues to be an incredibly friendly and welcoming place and aims to encourage maximum participation and enjoyment of the game at all levels, from the highly competitive to social rugby. We aim to provide inclusive cradle to grave rugby for everyone, and especially for the Welsh ex-pat community in London.” Their first team put together a superb campaign this time around, compiling a record of twenty one wins and just one defeat from their twenty two matches. This saw them finish comfortably top of the table with 104 points on the board. Speaking to www.dai-sport.com after their promotion had been secured Chairman Gwyn Williams said: “There has been an enormous amount of work gone into getting the first team promoted. “The players in our performance squad have put in a huge amount of effort and really embraced the new standards set by Sonny and his coaching team this season. It has been a huge effort by all the off field team.” One of the highlights of the team’s performances this season has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have been able to produce. This has been reflected by the fact that they have racked up 906 points at a rate of more than forty per game. 42 Issue 78 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 future. This in turn has the potential to provide them with an additional source of revenue which is particularly important in the current financial climate. London Welsh RFC is not a club to focus solely upon their senior set up and this is reflected by the fact that they also have a thriving youth set up. This part of the club looks 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 London Welsh appears to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their youngsters can progress over the coming years. London Welsh RFC suffered a significant setback last year but have wasted no time turning things around and their success is a just reward for the hard work that has gone into the club. If they continue in the same manner then they should be able to look forward to a bright and successful future for many years to come.