An important weekend

Next weekend at Rochford will obviously be big - we are now in October and this will be where our season really "kicks off" - but this weekend could be just as important in the long term.

First today (and tomorrow) we have the "Get Involved" fair in Letchworth. We have our own stand at the fair and the aim is obviously to publicise what we do and attract new players to the team. Clearly - as Mike has said - the more of you who can spare and hour or so during the day (10am to 5pm) the better as a stand featuring enthusiastic participants will be more attractive to potential newcomers than one largely run by aged parents. So please drop by - any help (or just encouragement) you can give will be appreciated.

Tomorrow is also important. Not only will it be a chance to try out a few moves for next week against an opposition that will not be aware of them, but perhaps just as importantly it will give us a chance to encourage and help with the growth of a neighbouring club - and moreover a club that doesn't reach for the garlic, crucifixes and shotguns when the word "Letchworth" is mentioned (heaven knows what the male side of the club has got up to over the years, but clearly they have left an impression!).

Having a strong club at Ampthill will not only benefit us by being a mere 17 miles away (and therefore giving us games a shade nearer than the Dorset coast!) but it also means that we can potentially work together, either like the ad hoc way Saracens and Fullerians did last year - giving players a potential game when their own club does not have one - or even (and I'm thinking of our U15s here) by having a more formal Basford-style "cluster" team combining our small number of generally quite experienced junior players with their greater numbers of more fresh-faced rising stars.