Rugby Club ISSUE 83 | Page 47

Woodford “For the third consecutive summer we have held integrated summer social touch rugby with youth and seniors in a controlled environment. This is followed by pizza and soft drinks to encourage integration across the ages. We have both a mini and youth chairman as formal committee members to ensure all playing sides of the club are fairly represented. “We are absolutely a community club we hold our annual fireworks display that attracts almost 1000 people from the local area. Our new lower priced social membership and reciprocal arrangement with a local cricket club has seen an increase in our membership coverage. “At present we are very positive about the future with a growing player and membership base however we are very realistic that Rugby in our area is saturated and the likelihood is some clubs will struggle. “The immediate ambition with our currently sitting top of our league is to maintain good form and push for promotion. Secondly, we want to have three good senior teams and an occasional fourth team. On the mini and youth side we want to continue to promote the values of the RFU through inclusive, enjoyable rugby for VERY PROUD SPONSORS OF WOODFORD RUGBY CLUB 020 8527 2723 WWW.HENRYMORGANOPTICIANS.CO.UK all abilities. Lastly, we as a club need to ensure we remain a focal point for the local community through a good playing standard to either participate in or watch and a fun social scene for all ages.” “I am from the local area and played a little mini rugby for the club, later after University I played senior rugby. I captained the 6th side for many years which meant I played any position that wasn’t taken by my fellows. One year, during the boxing day game where colour bits of papers were picked from a hat to distinguish which side you were playing on and numbers for positions I ended up as scrum half and although I had always harboured an ambition to play in these positions got a real reality check about what was involved. Many characters were around then and another occasion when we travelled to Canterbury one of the oppositions front row players, who had a glass eye, would play the trick of removing it during a scrum and then complaining to the ref. In this particular game, as he came out of the scrum holding his eye and displaying it to the ref the ref fainted and they had to try and bring him round” I broke my leg due to a rather large prop landing on me and this put an end to my career. I always wanted to give something back to the club which gave me so much fun and enjoyment and have continued to sponsor the guys for over twenty years. WWW.HENRYMORGANOPTICIANS.CO.UK Many of the club’s older members are still my clients and I regularly get feedback on what’s going on at Woodford Green. I wish everyone old and new at the club the very best of continued success.” VERY PROUD SPONSORS OF WOODFORD RUGBY CLUB 020 8527 2723 Philip Morgan www.rugbyclubmag.com 47