Comet Sports Awards: entry form

The entry form for the Comet's Sports Awards can now be downloded from here (Word document).

So now there are no excuses - if you think your's is a great team get nominating and tell the world!

Completed forms to be returned to Marcus.Crawley@thecomet.net by 1st December.

Ely to the rescue!

Better news for Sunday - Ely will be bringing a team to replace (at least in part) Westcliff. And also at least one girl from Wymondham (somewhere in Suffolk, before you ask) will be joining in with the U14s.

All good news, not least because these will also be new girls and a new club we've never played against before (though some of you may know some of them from region, possibly) which is always fun.

More fixture amendments

Next weekend's fixture will be without Westcliff due to their having travel problems (ie. they can't get here), which is partly due to teir thinking we were going to them. Sudbury still on their way though - and Sasha's dad and I are currently trying to see if we can get a replacement for the Essex team.

On a more positive note U14 and U17 county squad members will be pleased to know that we're now sorted for the following weekend (12th November). Hertfordshire will be playing Oxfordshire and Essex (as well as Middlesex, if they can get a team out) at Grove RFC. Kick-off 12.30.

Where, I hear you ask? Tiny village four or five miles south-west of Oxford. Quite a big rugby club though.

U17 Barbarians will be at OAs in St Albans. U14s not in the county squad get a weekend off.

Comet Sports Awards - lets get some nominations in!

Now is the time to nominate the club, our teams, your coaches, fellow players, or admin people for this year's "Comet Sports Awards". Last year we were in the top three in the club category - this year lets see if we can't do better.

Relevent categories would include:

• Team of the Year (U17s?)
• Service to Sport (for someone who organises stuff... can't imagine who that might be)
• Coach of the Year (Joe? Rachel?)
• Youth achievement, Girls U18 (Nim? Hayley? Someone else?)
• Against all odds (requires good sob story, some creative writing)

To send in an entry you just need to get an entry form from The Comet by telephoning 01438 866204 or emailing the sports editor - marcus.crawley@thecomet.net

One entry might win, but if the same player or coach or team is nominated by several different people the chances of our getting a winner will be much greater.

So don't wait for someone else to put a nomination in - do it yourself! And - yes - you can nominate yourself if you wish!

The only thing to note is that nominees must live or be based in the Comet's distribution area - so that's Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth and Baldock (plus surrounding villages) - which means that our Beds and Suffolk based contingent is out of the running for the individual awards at least. But that does not stop anyone living outside those areas making nominations!

Incidentally there are lots of awards like these at this time of year - so if you spot anything else we might apply for let everyone know.

Rosie looks back on Rochford

Rosie Randall has also been killing time on the PC and has come up with her own memories of Rochford - this time as a Powerpoint (which I've concerted to PDF, thus reducing the file size to managable proportions!).

BTW - hope the medals are okay. They were ordered with appropriate engraving, but turned up on Thursday without - hence the labels as there was no time to get anything done.

U17 Player of the Month

Congratulations to Hayley who is this months U17 player of the month. Hayley collected the most player of the season points for October .

Well Done Hayley

Regards
The Management

What do you think you are? A guide to positions

In my two inch thick pile of documents I received last week in my role of Regional Programme Manager was one item that will be of interest to you all, I thought.

Its a list of positions - and the RFUW's opinion of what abilities a person should ideally have to play in that position. Its a bit technical - but as many of the U17s are starting to specialise it may give pointers to where you need to improve your game, and for others - who may be wondering exactly where their ideal place on the field is - it may give a few pointers.

So here goes...

Props (1, 3):- Basic knowledge of scrummaging Ability to take and retain ball in contact Decent level of upper body strength for lifting Decent basic handling skills Good body position and ability to make impact at the breakdown Hookers (2):- Solid basic throwing technique Able to strike for the ball in the scrum (flexibility and technique) Good level of fitness Work rate and ability to tackle Good support and ability to link play Good “Go Forward” skills Second Row (4, 5):- Athleticism (lineout jumping) Good aerial ability (handling) Good size and impact at the breakdown Dynamic work rate (not just plodding!) Decent handling ability Blind Side (6) :- Physical impact and power Strong tackler Good ball retention Impact at the collision Good handling ability Good support lines and link work Good communication (defence) Open Side (7):- High levels of work rate Strong in the tackle Pressurize opposition Support to ball carrier Ball winner – especially on floor Good handling for link support Good communicator Number 8 :- Physical impact in defence and attack Good ball carrier Strong in the tackle Good ball retention Ability to stay strong in the tackle, especially if isolated Good decision maker Good communicator Ability to offload

Scrum half (9) :- Good passing skills (off two hands if possible) Excellent decision maker Strong communicator (attack and defence) Ability to run with the ball (sniping) Good kicking skills Confidence Fly half (10):- Good all round ability Excellent decision maker Good hands Good kicking skills Vision and “heads up” play Good communicator Confidence Centres (12, 13):- Strong in defence Decent hands Decent kicking skills Good ball retention Good communicators Good evasive skills Ability to offload Wingers (11, 14):- Excellent evasive skills Good pace Ability to defend 1v1 Kicking skills (able to chip and re-gather?) Willingness to work off the ball – not just stay on wing Act as extra defensive cover off blind side wing Full backs (15):- Good communicator Safe under high ball Good individual defence Decent kicking skills Good pace Ability to read a game Good support and entry lines in attack

Easter tour?

Slight rethink on this now as quite a few of you are interested, but the cost is a barrier, added to which Mike reckons he can organise a tour for us to Devon on roughly the same dates for half the cost. Or even less. Watch this space for more news on this.

We have been invited to take part in the English International Festival of Rugby which is being played from 13th-16th April (the weekend after easter).

The tournament will take place in Bognor Regis with teams staying at a nearby Butlins Holiday Park. The tournaent has been going for some years, but this year appears to have merged with the Worthing girls' festival and is therefore running competitions for girls teams for the first time.

The wider junior club will be sendnig at least one or two teams (probably the age group that won at the Isle of Wight last year) and have provisionally entered a U14 and U17 girls team.

Some 4,000 players are expected over the weekend, and the girls competition seems to be likley to involve some 24 teams in three groups (so at least seven matches over the weekend).

The cost will be about £134 per person - plus £30 if travelling by coach (which the organisers provide). However, there is a sizable amount of grant support available to us which would potentially reduce the cost pretty significantly. And we have some five months or so to save us as well.

So the question is.... how many of you would be interested in going? Obviously the U17 squad is big enough to still go even if a few could not take part. The U14s would need to look to combine with other clubs, and maybe a county-wide team would be what would be needed here.

So please think about it and let me or Joe or Rachel know what you think asap.

(We are due to be playing Kettering away that weekend, before you ask...)

Fern puts the U17s to music

Some people are getting pretty creative (or bored??) over half-term!

But seriously this is great! Its amazing how effective adding a music track to a few well chosen photos can be....

Click here and enjoy!

Natalie, Fern and Randy amongst the Saracens

Three Letchworth girls made today's (apparently slightly chaotic) photocall at the Saracens training camp. There are pictures of the entire turnout on the Herts blog but Phil - Natalie's dad - also came up with some (arguably rather better) shots. Such as this one.

Still, despite waiting around for a rather longer period than expected everyone seemed to have a good time - an dthe county kit looks pretty impressive.

Phil has also started a Flickr account to store his pictures - beginning with shots from Sunday's day-of-days at Rochford and including several more shots from today. Drop by and take a look...

What a day to remember!!!!

With several players missing through injury or holiday the under 17s traveled to Rochford with their numbers significantly dented. In what now appears to be the norm for Letchworth sides the majority of the U17s arrived at the ground significantly later than other teams and just 12mins before their first game was due to start.

Squad list with Festival shirt numbers
1 Randall
2 Vivian
3 Jordan
4 Birch
5 Kelly
16 Hughes
9 Alcock K (C)
10 Parnell (VC)
12 Guilder
14 Robinson
15 Alcock N
22 Crome
21 Schipani
20 Threllfal
19 Randfield

And so with minimal preparation the girls kicked off in their first game against a combined Rochford and Basildon side. The lack of preparation was obvious. The girls lost every scrum and every lineout and hardly created a strong attacking platform. However the girls played percentage rugby and refused to play anywhere near their tryline. The hard work eventually payed of when Hayley crossed early on in the second half to take the score to 5-0. Some outstanding defensive work from the backline meant that Rochford were kept at bay and the girls ground out their first win.
With the late withdrawal of Bodiceas the girls now had time to relax and rest before their next game against Diss. With far more time to prepare in the way they've become used to the girls went into their next game full of confidence and belief in their capabilities. The result told it all. The girls put 4 past Diss with two tries from Hayley one from Nattalie and one from Nim the difference between the teams was obvious for all to see. The girls coming away with a 26-5 win. Special mention to Rosie Randfield who stepped in to play second row and played exceptionally well.

And so came the last game of the group and a game that would decide which team progressed through to the tournamend final. The girls, now realising that if the opposition cant get to their try line then they cant loose, played some wonderfully simple low risk rugby. They kicked out of their own 22 and played all of the game in the Saracens half. The pressure turned into points with Hayley crossing for her 4th and 5th tries of the day and Nattalie crossing for her 2nd. The girls aran out 15 - 5 winners and progressed to the final where Sudbury lay waiting.
Suddenly a switch flicked and the girls began to realise how close they were to winning their first tournament. With the rain now pelting down the squad ran onto the pitch determined not to come away empty handed. The final was a very evenly matched afair but the girls stuck to their game plan refusing to play out of their own half. Again the pressure paid off. A Letchworth won their own scrum 10m out and Katie picked up and scooted throw the defence to score her first of the season. Sudbury came back strong and Letchworth spent most of the second half defending. Three brilliant covering tackles from Nim preventing a very quick winger from out flanking the defensive line. Finally the referee called last play. Letchworth won their scrum and nim smashed the ball into touch.

And so the celebrations began.

Scoring 9 tries in 4 games and only conceding 1 says something for the way in which the squad played. No wonder the girls were so ecstatic with their performance on the day!!!!!

And now for the formalities. Player and Most Improved Player of the tournament. Myself and Mike have discussed these awards and had great difficulty in selecting the players for them.

Both of these were very difficult to award as their were so many brilliant performances. Charlie taking down Sasha not once but twice in the final. Robyn putting in a brilliant performance and realising she is capable of much more. Hayley powerful running from depth continually broke defences. Katies try and captains performance in the final. The platform the forwards provided for quality 1st phase possession for the backs to attack with. The list goes on....

Player of the tournament: Nim Parnell
It says something when a Westcliff coach standing watching the game winces at the sight of the Nim flattening one of the Sudbury girls. Several covering tackles combined with a solid boot and the ability to perform under pressure caught the managements eye.

Most Improved Player of the tournament: Rosie Randfield
Without Rosie voluteering to play second row we would have been without a complete scrum against Diss. Not only did she play second row she looked a natural and has now found her second position. Her speed and enthusiasm for the ball was evident throughout the day. She even found a new role as lineout jumper.

Finally I would like to mention one more member of the team. Sasha playing for her home club and our final opponents, Sudbury, took defeat very gracefully. Our thanks for not being on top form in the final. Much appreciated.

I want to thank all the girls for a brilliant day and I think now you all realise what you can achieve when you work together and put your minds to it.

Training and presentation on Sunday

Just to confirm that this Sunday U17 training will be from 12.30 to 2.00 at the club. However U14s will still train at the usual time (10.30 to 12.00).

This is because so many juniors are training (or in the case of the minis playing) in the morning. We should be okay for a 10.30 start for everyone at the next Sunday training in December.

In between the U14 and U17 training I am hoping to organise a presentation for the victorious teams who played at Rochford last weekend as no individual medals were presented at the festival. Medals have been ordered for both the U14s and U17s.

I know a few people will be away but virtually all of the junior club will be around on Sunday so its a great opportunity to demonstrate to everyone what you have achieved.

I am hoping that Dave Roberts will do the honours - but he is with the boys U14s in Royston apparently so I'm not sure when he'll be back. If that is likely to be later than c12.30 we'll get someone else to do it - even if that turns out to be me & Rachel.

In the meanwhile... Joe, where's that festival report of yours? Don't keep us waiting!

Rochford, a great success!

Well what a fantastic day yesterday was. The under 14's played some fantastic games of rugby. Having a lot of confusions at the start with many teams combining or not showing up. We ended up combining with Boadacia's, who supplied 3 of our team and fitted in really well, naturally filling the spaces left. As the games unravelled and the girls became more confident with each other the standard of play improved dramatically.

The girls all did really well putting in some excellent tackles. Despite initial fears the girls powered to success over Hertford who apparently all had only been playing a few weeks. With one of the tries scored by Vicky! and one near miss when Laura dropped a ball close to the line.

The next game was the match the girls didn't want (we did try to avoid it too) but we faced Welwyn for who we were their fourth opponents in a row!

However after an early try scored, we were level at half time with Hayley converting a Bodecia try. Another try in the second half put us ahead, but Welwyn fought back and were denied a couple of times. So Letchworth hung on to the victory! Final score 12-7! What ever was said after the game by Welwyn we were a mainly Letchworth side and we played a better game on the day and deserved the win. This was a great success for the whole team and boosted spirits. It shows that with determination you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Here are some pictures that were taken by Natalie's dad. (Thanks)

With one more game against a very old looking team, the day was a success whatever the end result.
I just want to say a very well deserved WELL DONE to all the girls that played and you all put in a fantastic effort and should be proud of yourselves.
Rachel

Our most successful day - ever!

I'm going to take a step back and leave it to Joe and Rachel to describe the glorious successes of their teams this week. Seems only right and it also avoids me having to decide whose was the greatest triumph...

So watch this space....

(I did rescue the U17 results sheet which can maybe go on display at the club. Unless someone wants to frame it?)

Beckenham video: "Fifth place play-off" v Westcliffe

Here is Mike Alcock's recording of the epic battle with Westcliffe - in two parts...

First half



Second half

Earlier start for Rochford!!

We've just discovered that the tournament kicks off 30 minutes earlier than we thought - so can we please aim to meet at the club at 8.00 on Sunday and try to get away as quickly as possible!

Training on the 29th October

That is a week on Sunday. Due to congestion at the club I am looking at alternatives to the usual time and place.

As things stand I am trying to see if we can train at St Chris, which would allow us to train at the usual time (ie. 10.30 to 12.00). And it is rather nice there...

Failing that I think realitically the U17s will have to train from about 12.00/12.30. I know its not ideal and that some cannot make that time, but with all the minis at home with games against Welwyn, plus training for U13s and U16s its going to be (pointless) mayhem if we try to train up to 24 U17s as well.

U14s will train at 10.30 regardless, because they are small group - and Rachel has a match in the afternoon.

Watch this space...

Beckenham videos: The Welwyn game

After good start against Havant, a chance to work out what went wrong against Welwyn.

On the positive front we ran Welwyn significantly "closer" than anyone else on the day, apart from the eventual winners. Havant shipped well over 30 points, and Burgess Hill over 50.

So examine this carefully - we meet them again in eight weeks time...

Beckenham videos: Letchworth v Havant

With thanks to the Alcocks for... well, camerawork and everything really...

More to follow... Welwyn today, Westcliffe a bit later (as its rather longer).

Comparing codes...

Another great find from the Saturday's a Rugby Day blog. Not sure that Robyn will appreciate it much, but most of you will...