Beccehamian
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Beccehamian
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
B
eccehamian RFC has enjoyed a fantastic campaign this season, winning
Kent League 1 by a large margin. Rugby Club Magazine recently caught up
with their Chairman Nick Brooks to find out more about the good work
that the club has been doing lately.
Involvement
He told us, “The most rewarding aspect of my role is seeing
lots of smiling faces and a packed clubhouse on a Saturday
and Sunday. With so many sides being fielded each week we
have our fair share of wins and losses every week but if all
three of the senior teams have won and the ladies team too,
the atmosphere is electric. The challenge is to make sure our
players arrive on time to play and don’t let their side down,
and to pay their subs in time as the club needs revenue to pay
its bills.
A big challenge for all clubs and not just ours is how we
attract new players and members as we live in a densely
populated area of London and people are spoilt for choice
when it comes to choosing a rugby club to join. We cannot pay
our players so we have to ensure that our facilities are great,
our coaching team has to be great which it is, and that the social
atmosphere is great and will make people want to come to our
family and community based club.”
Atmosphere
“The atmosphere here is very buoyant at this time as our
first XV won Kent League 1 by a massive 16 points, winning 20
of our 22 league games, and then we won the Kent Vase against
a spirited Cranbrook side 48-22. The minis also went on tour
with over 300 people to the Isle of Wight and had a great time,
while the ladies team played up a league and held their own
against tough opposition week in week out.”
Present
“Besides the first XV success the season has been great,
although disappointing that we can only run three sides on a
Saturday and the Academy age groups are thinner in numbers
as players focus on studies and other things. Our ladies team
were promoted last year and have made a good go of things in
a far stronger league this season.
We had a month off in May before training in earnest in
June under the guise of head coach Dave Sia getting ready for
a tough season in London 3 SE. The players’ dinner will round
the season off nicely and a summer tidy up of the clubhouse
will see the season out.
There will also be a New Zealand themed week long
training camp led by NZ legend Martin Stanley for our minis
and juniors to attend if they wish during August. This has been
102 Issue 79
a roaring success for almost 10 years now, and the youngsters
get to learn the haka!”
Youth
“Youth development is absolutely critical as we depend
on the players from youth rugby coming through to be in
our senior teams to replace those who retire from the sport.
The club is always looking to improve our senior teams with
younger skilled players who are taught so well in our local
schools.
There are Academy games at under 17-18 level both in local
leagues and friendlies, and when players are ready to commit
to playing senior rugby usually at 17, or 18 if in the front row,
we ensure the players are selected in a team which reflects
their ability, with their friends and people of a similar skill-set,
among a few wise old heads, as we still have players turning
out each week in their 50s.”
Community
“We are very much a community club and despite our
name we are not an old boys club and have not been for a long
time; we are an open club and we welcome new members and