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Mersea Island went on to end the afternoon unbeaten – thus securing their position in the following day ’ s semi-finals .
On Day Two Mersea took on the hosts , Provins in a very tough semi-final but won through to face another English side , Gunnersbury , in the Final . Sadly we lost that final to a better side but the lads played their hearts out and left the field with huge credit . This whole weekend was undoubtedly a massive success for Mersea RFC and we definitely plan to follow it with more tours at this , and maybe other , age groups next year .
The Seniors
The birth of the juniors section coincided with the arrival of Andrew “ Windy ” Windridge as Seniors Head Coach in 2016 . It would be true to say the seniors were in need of some drive and direction and the last three seasons has seen that delivered in spades .
Spurred on by the energy and rapid growth of the juniors the 1st XV Islanders , having been relegated the previous season , swept through their Eastern Counties 2 South Division in 2016 / 17 , won the Suffolk Plate , and moved up to the far stronger Essex 1 . They have just finished 4th out of 16 teams and in the process made their way through for the first time in the Club ’ s history to the Suffolk Cup Final .
Though they lost that final against higher ranked Stowmarket , the season ended on a high with Mersea running out 22-21 winners against league leading Ilford Wanderers . 2nd XV “ Rhinos ” also had a great season and just missed out on promotion on the last day of the season .
Sponsors and Future Challenges
All in all then it is clear to see Mersea Island RFC are flying , but huge credit has to be given to our fantastic collection of 30 + sponsors who make it possible for us to provide the very best kit and equipment , and enable us to continue to build success on the field . Mersea Island is an incredibly close community and has never failed to step forward to support Rugby or indeed any other cause … especially where youth is concerned . Without them we would not be where we are at present and they are very much the jewel in our crown . We are of course always looking for new sponsors and anyone interested should contact me directly .
In return we take our role in the community very seriously , and whether supporting local events , beach cleaning , litter picking , tree planting or race-marshalling , we are always on hand to lend our considerable weight ! The highlight of our community effort is the “ Believe and Achieve ” programme which , in collaboration with Mersea Island School , sees six members of the Club engaged in weekly mentoring with selected year 6 students to help them develop the confidence and self-belief their talents deserve .
Our continued growth brings its own challenges of course , and we currently face the need to install full lighting for one of our two main pitches as well as securing a Club vehicle to help ease the burden on “ parent taxis ”. We will be actively seeking RFU support to achieve these two targets .
For all associated with the Club the Holy Grail is that day when the first of our juniors takes the field as a 1st XV Islander and closes the circle , but in the meantime there is still much work to do including for instance establishing girls / women ’ s rugby along with the continual battle to keep our young players engaged .
Regardless of all of these challenges the one thing we will not compromise on is “ fun ”, and this will always be the one thing players , parents and sponsors can rely on in their association with Mersea RFC ... love rugby , want to have some fun ? … come to Mersea Island RFC !
Colin Morgan : Tel 07850 313817 email colin . morgan @ annectouk . co . uk
“ We ’ ve sponsored the club for a year now having first become involved through Colin Morgan . My daughter , Emma , is a big fan and plays at school and we are always keen to support community focused clubs so hope to be able to continue to support Mersea Island for a long time .
Colin always keeps us up to date with how the club is getting along and I was very impressed with the amazing hospitality they offer . Rugby is a popular game with a great social side and I would heavily recommend that people go along to their local club to enjoy it .”
David Wyllie , Annecto UK
Sponsors of Mersea Island RFC
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