We Rgb Pgae AW La 1 29/11/2011 13:54 Page 2files.pitchero.com/clubs/10891/westonrugbyprogrammeaw_158342.pdf · health and fitness to form a Rugby Club, and with those founding fatboys

Weston Rugby Programme AW_Layout 1 29/11/2011 13:54 Page 2

SOUVENIR PROGRAMMEThe Alice Cherry Challenge Cup

WESTON RFC vs DATCHWORTH RFCSaturday 3rd December 2011

£2



Sponsors:Be LocalFairclough Hall FarmWeston Village StoresOne Facility LtdConamarThe Red Lion Pub

Coach: Chris FletcherDoctors: Dr Andrew Cormack, Dr Keith CockburnPhysio: Ellen FletcherConsultant Anaesthetist: Jeremy Rickford

Founders: Executive Commitee:David King Chairman: David KingCon Dower President: Con DowerDarren Adams Secretary: Darren AdamsSonny Singh Treasurer: Sonney SinghBruce Hennesey Social Secretary: Bruce Hennesey

Selection Commitee: Neil Dower, Chris Fletcher, Darren Adams

Communications, PR and Media secretary: Jason Mawer

Patron: Alice Cherry

www.westonrfc.co.uk

LIST OF OFFICERS

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I am very pleased to be Patron of Weston Rugby Club. Since its inception, 4 monthsago, it has had an amazing effect on the community. Bringing entertainment, funand interest to so many Weston people of all ages and walks of life and of course to the players themselves who I see improving week by week from my garden.

This is our first home game - can we keep up the unbeaten record ?!

Alice Cherry

A NOTE FROM OUR PATRON


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David King was approached by a client to see if he could put together a sevens squad for a Fatboy sevens rugby tournament and over a game of Poker pursuaded Sonney Singh,Con Dower, Bruce Hennesey and Darren Adams (none of whom had ever played rugby since school) to form the Weston RFC Fatboy Sevens squad.

We thought that Con who is a 62 year old 16 stone grandfather, David a 45 year old 19 stoneepileptic, Bruce with his back held together with bits of metal, Sonney being old, unfit andheavy along with Darren ’the natural’ Adams' swarth goodlooks were the perfect mix ofhealth and fitness to form a Rugby Club, and with those founding fatboys Weston Rugby clubwas formed.

These founders of the club knew that they may not be the most appropriate players outsideof a Fatboys tournament and the strategy was to make a real village community club for both young and old players. We undertook some hefty recruitment (mostly based around the village pub and the village shop) and entered the Letchworth RFC summer sevens tournament and came 15th out of 20th so were delighted with that result.

The village really got behind us and we started getting more enquiries from potential playersand this time they were not Fatboys. We now have over 40 members from all ages and abilities and it is the executive committee that ensures that everyone of all ages, sex, nationality and ability or disability is welcome as long as they have strong connections with the village or are within an arrows flight of the village (in so far as our local legend the giant Jack O'Legs can shoot an arrow).

FOUNDING MEMBERS...

THE HISTORY OF THE CLUB

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David King Bruce Hennesey Darren Adams Con Dower Sonney Singh


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GRAPHIC DESIGN

01462 790483 • 07779 261368 • [email protected]

• Corporate identity • Advertising/Posters• Promotional material • Party invitations• Brochures/Leaflets • Wedding stationery

CALL SHARON HALE FOR MORE INFORMATION

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Weston RFC Club House & Club sponsor

Supports Weston RFC in their first home Game

Come along for drink after the final whistle!


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Corey was born in Sydney, Australia, but has spent most of his life in the small coastal country town of South WestRocks, New South Wales where, along with all other Robinsons, he is known as Robbo.

He began playing rugby league at the age of 8, for a localteam, Smithtown. After 8 years he switched codes andjoined the Kempsey Macleay under 18s, and soon advancedto their first team. He immediately showed promise on thefield, but was also known to be a little accident prone. On one occasion he managed to collide with the posts andknock himself out and still has the scar on his forehead toshow for it. In 1996 he joined his home team, the SouthWest Rocks Gaolers, who that year won the under 19’s Grand Final. His dedication showed,and when he wasn’t training with the club he was at home, getting his little sister to dress upin his football gear so he could practice tackling her.

Corey’s love of travelling has taken him across the globe. In 2001 he toured Europe, and in 2003 arrived in England where he joined his first Aussie rules team, playing for the NorthWest Miners, based in St Helens, Lancashire. He picked up the new code very easily and inone game kicked a record 9 magical goals on a 37° C day. They made the preliminary finalthat year. Then in 2005 he moved to Canada, and played for the Calgary Saints before spending a winter season dog-sledding in the Yukon and camping out on the trails, wheretemperatures regularly dropped to -20°C. He returned home to Aus in 2006 and re-joined the Gaolers, and in 2007 and 2009 they once again became Grand Final winners. He evenmanaged to get a game on the evening before his wedding despite being told not to play byhis future wife, who worried he’d be sporting a black eye for the wedding photos! Luckily hecame through unscathed. Still on the romantic front, he and Sarah had been correspondingas pen-friends from opposite sides of the world since they were both ten years old! – Aaaaah, now that is really romantic!

To date Corey has played 73 games for the Gaolers. His fellow team mates have describedhim as one of the hardest players on the field and one of their best ever. On many occasionshe has been Man-of-the-Match, and in 1999 he received the coach’s award for the most consistent player.

After their move to England in 2009 Robbo thought he had hung up his boots, but when he heard his new home village of Weston was starting a team it took little persuading to dustthem off and get into training to become a Fat Boy! He is extremely dedicated to the successof his new team and really enjoys the all training at the Red Lion!

PLAYER PROFILE


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I met the Old Frog in Bells Meadow and he was hopping around the new rugby pitch with great excitement. “I thought you would be asleep by now” I said. “I can’t sleep, I am waiting for the firstrugby match here in Weston on Saturday 3rd December 2011” said the Old Frog. He could hardlycontain himself with excitement as he hopped towards the nearest rugby goal posts. “Is this reallythe first Weston rugby team to play in Weston?” I said. The Old Frog hopped around the posts before settling down to tell me more. “I can’t remember rugby being played in Weston” croakedthe Old Frog. He continued with great enthusiasm, “Weston has enjoyed many sports; cricket, soccer, tennis (at one time they had a grass court in the recreation ground and Cecil Johnson heldthe championship title in the thirties), badminton which is still played in the village hall, Then there is petanque,a game played at our local pubs (we even have a champion petanque player inthe village–Jack Blows) a squash court in Weston Park and even athletic races used to be held atthe Flower Show when this was held in the scout field in a marquee near the cricket field. I evenremember bowls being played in Margaret Hales garden when Fred Hales set out a bowling green,which Weston folk would watch from the road in Maiden Street before the footway was built.”

The light was now fading and the Old Frog reminisced about the many hundreds of Weston folkwho must have walked through Bells Meadow, with the bells ringing out calling them to church and he remembered in the half light how we would watch the flicker of a flame of the bonfire inthe Manor garden. A sure sign that autumn was well on its way and the rugby season had begun.

“Time to find a nice spot to rest” said the Old Frog “Will you be at the match?” I said. The Old Froglooked back at me with a glint in his eye and said he wouldn’t miss the match for anything. He reminded me of when William Webb Ellis in 1823 a lad at Rugby School picked up the ball in a game of soccer and it was claimed he invented rugby. Some historians say that the Romansbrought the game of rugby to Britain, picking it up from the Greeks, but we will leave that for others to decide.

The Old Frog was just about to hop off when I asked him why a rugby ball is the shape it is. “A cobbler named William Gilbert supplied balls to Rugby school. The balls were made using inflated pigs bladders and eventually the ball took on the elongated shape because it was moresuited to the game.” The Old Frog continued “A stem of a clay pipe was used to pump up the pigsbladder before the bladder was encased in leather and hand stitched. William Gilbert was reputedto have the best lungs in the business.”

The Old Frog stopped to catch his croak and then he exclaimed “We have never had a rugbyteam in Weston, so the 3rd December 2011 will be an historic moment for the village”,and with that the Old Frog hopped away for a well earned rest.

Tadpole

THE OLD FROG TALKS RUGBY


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Alistair Schofield Andrew Jenkins Andrew CormackAndy Sherman Alistair Vorster Bruce HenneseyCon Dower Corey Robinson Craig BrownDarren Adams David King David ShawleyDominic Kerr Duncan Turner Jason MawerJonny Lee Keith Crofton Mark DrummondMartin Brace Matthew Hale Max FreudNathan Emmerson Neil Dower (capt.) Neil GatesNiall Edmund Paul Dower Pete BraceySimon Fletcher Sonney Singh Stephen LeslieTom Beare Warren Groombridge

Coaching & Medical Staff Matchday OfficalsChris Fletcher - Coach Referee - Tony LynchEllen Fletcher - Team Physiotherapist Touch Judge - Tony SzpakDr Andrew Cormack - Team DoctorDr Keith Cockburn - Team DoctorJeremy Rickford - Consultant Anaesthetist

WESTON SQUAD


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1 S Corley2 B Briffett3 N Jeromson4 G Smith5 J Nutting6 N Gee7 S Turley 8 S Essam 9 C Essam 10 A Cartmell11 G Wallace 12 D Gaze

13 C Hulgate 14 R Pybus15 P Barnse

16 R Davies 17 C Symanse 18 B Warren 19 J Norton20 G Lennox

DATCHWORTH SQUAD

Weston Post Office & Village StoreOpen for your convenience all over

Christmas and New Year_________________________

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_________________________

01462 790258Proud sponsors of Weston RFC


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In a surprisingly candid interview, Father Christmas speaks exclusively to Alistair Schofield abouthis background, the pressures of the job and reindeer.

I am sure that a lot of our readers will be curious to know how long you have been doingthis job and what persuaded you to become Father Christmas in the first place.

"Being Father Christmas is not a job, it is a vocation. I don't look upon it as something I chose to do, but rather as something that chose me."

"It all began one Christmas when I was working as a farm labourer. My wife and I had notbeen getting on too well and she had left me, taking the children with her. Not knowingwhere they had gone or how to get in touch, I decided to give the children's presents to thenext door neighbour’s kids."

"However, being rather embarrassed by my circumstances, I thought it best to give themanonymously. So I crept into their house on Christmas Eve and hung their presents in oldstockings on the fireplace, with a note saying that they were from Father Christmas. After that the whole thing snowballed."

Wasn't sneaking into your neighbour's house rather risky?

"Not really. Before getting the job on the farm I had been involved in a bit of breaking and entering and so was quite used to getting in and out of other people's houses."

Are you seriously telling me that before becoming Father Christmas you were a burglarand that Father Christmas is not your real name?

"Look, I only did a bit of burglary when I was desperate and of course my name's not FatherChristmas, it's Eric actually. I know a few people who were named Noel because they were bornon Christmas Day, but what kind of parent would call their kid 'Father' for goodness sake?"

Is there any truth in the rumour that the colour of your coat is as a result of a Coca Cola advert?

"Absolutely, as our sponsors they wanted me to dress in their corporate colours."

Christmas is sponsored?

"Oh don't be so naive! I mean, who do you think it is that pays for all the presents? Did you really think that a bunch of elves could make an Action Man or a Playstation?"

Tell me about your operation in Lapland and how you came to be based there?

"Why does everyone assume that I live in Lapland? I live in Croydon. It's not the best ofplaces, but it's not too expensive and only 15 minutes on the train into London."

INTERVIEW WITH FATHER CHRISTMAS!


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Perhaps it's the reindeer that make people think you come from Lapland?

"I realise now that the reindeer were a big mistake. The farmer I used to work for hadthought that reindeer steak was going to be the next big thing and, by the time he realised hewas wrong it was too late. He was heavily in debt to the bank and was forced to sell up. I tooksome of the reindeer simply to stop them from being slaughtered. I also thought that I couldbuild a sleigh and it would save me the cost of a van."

"It was a silly move as I only need them for one day a year, but looking after them is a fulltimejob. I can never get any time off for a holiday as it's impossible to find anyone willing to lookafter reindeer in Croydon - and you tell me where I can find a hotel that accepts reindeer?"

"The problem is that the kids have become kind of fond of them. I would be ruined if I got ridof them now. But I do regret that I didn't get a van."

But would a van be able to fly?

"Good point, I hadn't thought of that. I have to admit that it came as a bit of a surprise whenI discovered that the reindeer could fly. Actually, 'surprise' is something of an under-state-ment. I was on the A21 coming out of Croydon when they just took off! I was glad that I hadbeen to the toilet before I left otherwise it would have been a very unpleasant Christmas!"

Presumably you also need the reindeer to get you to the chimneys?

"Why is it that people assume I get in to houses down the chimneys for goodness sake? Itcompletely flies in the face of logic! I was a burglar, not a chimney sweep. I mean, how manyhouses do you know that have a chimney at all, let alone one big enough for me to get down.The simple fact is that a lot of people just don't like to admit that their homes are so insecurethat a fat bloke dressed in red can come and go as he pleases".

So have you ever found a house you can't get into?

"Not yet, but I have to admit that it is getting more difficult. The houses I really hate though arethose ones with bloody lights that come on when you walk past. I mean, why is it that peoplewho have 60w bulbs throughout their house feel the need to put a 500w bulb in the light in thedriveway, and then position the sensor so that comes on every time a car goes by?"

"The easiest house though has to be Buckingham Palace. You just climb over the wall and tellthe Police you are going to a fancy dress party."

As someone who has brought joy to millions, you must be delighted with the way thingshave gone?

"Well yes and no. I mean, Boxing Day is brilliant, I'm completely knackered of course buteveryone's happy and I can have a bit of a drink. But if you ask me whether if I had my timeover I would do it again, the answer is no. My advice to anyone thinking of setting up a similaroperation, like becoming the Easter Bunny or something, is don't do it. Become a merchantbanker instead - it's just like being an estate agent, but better paid."


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Best wishes from Greenock Wanderers RFC

A joke from Con!The Fat Boys were all on a trip to Newmarket races when Con received a call from a wellknown horse trainer from Ireland with a dead cert tip for the 3.30.

Con turned to Bruce Hennesey- ( Social Secretary) and asked :

‘’ Bruce do you want the winner of the next race ? ‘’

Bruce replied : ‘’ No thanks Con, I’ve only got a small garden !’’

Richie McCaw – Good Luck Weston RFC Maybe catch up at World Cup 2015 in London

Martin Johnson – Good Luck Weston Fat boy’sIf you need a manager I have some time on my hands currently

BBC Look East – This is a fabulous project for the regionWishing you the best of luck in your first home game!

Jack FM – Go for it Weston Fat Boy’s! We are all rooting for you!

The Comet – Wishing Weston RFC the best of the luck in their first home game


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Documents

We Rgb Pgae AW La 1 29/11/2011 13:54 Page 2files.pitchero.com/clubs/10891/westonrugbyprogrammeaw_158342.pdf · health and fitness to form a Rugby Club, and with those founding fatboys