Month: June 2021

A message to our friends Canterbury Hockey Club, sending condolences for the death of CHC Legend Dick Laslett who was regularly seen too at The Marine Travel Ground as a friend to many of us.

The club released the statement below.

We are devastated to record the death of Dick Laslett on the 29th June 2021. Dick has shown incredible leadership in developing sports and community facilities over a period of 50 years. He has been a man of vision and foresight, an innovative, inspiring leader and an ambassador for many sporting and social enterprises.

Dick joined Canterbury Hockey Club at the age of 17, becoming 1st XI captain in 1962 until 1969. He progressed rapidly through club administration becoming Vice Chairman in 1972, Chairman for 10 years from 1977 and was made a Life Member in 1988. He served on the Kent Committee from 1977 for over 20 years. It was a great source of pride for club members that he was elected President of Kent County Hockey Club.

Throughout the 1970’s he led the development of Canterbury Hockey Club from a converted rubbish tip on land rented by the council, eventually identifying the present site at Polo Farm. He helped to fund its purchase and successfully sought grants and loans all the way through to project completion. He was a man of vision, instrumental in setting up one of the finest centres of mens, ladies and youth hockey in the country.

As well as this focus on hockey, Dick has been a leader in the development of Polo Farm Sports Club. He was a founder member and initiated the development of a local sports venue into one of the premier centres of sport in South East England, playing men’s, ladies and youth hockey, tennis, cricket, football and croquet. Throughout all this time he has attracted a large number of voluntary workers who have been inspired by his leadership. However challenging the job he showed persistence and determination to see the job through, however menial the task.

Dick has also demonstrated enormous service beyond the sports field. He established the Eastry Young Peoples Club, providing a social outlet for the growing number of young people in this community. He secured funding and was project manager throughout the building stage and continued as Chairman and youth club leader. He also obtained funding to establish a private nursery (Bubbles) in the village, to provide a much needed facility in a growing village which was attracting many young people.

The culmination of Dick’s contribution to so many of our lives was the well-deserved award of MBE in November 2009, for outstanding achievement and service to the community. It is an award which sums up Dick’s lifetime contribution perfectly.

Richard Goodenough

There is no mistaking the unparalleled focus and commitment Giles Hilton displays when talking about subjects and causes close to his heart. It is clear this approach, let us call it the ‘Hilton Method’ has guided him personally and professionally through his life. Testament to this is the number of people from all walks of life who volunteered a singular voice of approval and support for his nomination for inclusion in the Queen’s Honours List.

To understand the man behind the award we need to focus on a part of his life that can be regarded as a microcosm of the wider word in which he inhabits. So, Giles Hilton Chairman of Canterbury RFC it is. Not one to sit in an air-conditioned office issuing edicts to subordinates, Giles is often found weeding and watering the 1^st XV pitch, working the bar, supporting club staff, raising prizes and eyebrows when giving pre and post-match speeches. There is hardly a day of the year you will not see Giles at the club. His energy and charisma pervades all, and his kindness of spirit sets the bar for other around him.

Giles leads from the front. He motivates and inspires in equal measure bringing people along with him and focuses them on the common goal of making the club not only a club that plays competitive rugby, but also one that has a very clear place and purpose in the community. His vision for the club is clear and one that he has articulated numerous times over the last 16 years. The principles established then still ring true now, to become a top club in Kent, to enable every player to reach their full potential, at whatever level and to reach out into the community to support everyone into sport. Diversity and inclusivity are central tenants to achieving his and the club’s ambitions. This has allowed Giles to introduce many forms of the game to the club including Wheelchair and Touch, both having players that have represented GB and England at the highest level.

Giles has always put people at the centre and goes out of his way to ensure all, from current players, ex-players, staff, and club members are supported and never have to feel alone in times of hardship or difficulties in their lives.

Giles’ tenure has always been one of striving for continual development whether it is getting the club to the 3^rd tier of English Rugby, or improving the facilities the club offers its players, staff, members, and visitors.

Giles takes pride in the club’s standing on the local community and puts huge effort into fundraising for those less fortunate and very much embodies Canterbury RFC’s One Club ethos.

Giles is widely respected across the board at a club that he has dedicated a large portion of his life to. Supported by his wife Phillipa, their two sons, family and innumerable friends, Giles has applied the Hilton Method, and it has worked.

On a closing note, if you do bump into Giles, I will wager he will tell you that the honour bestowed on him is fantastic for the clubs he represents, before acknowledging it is his name in front of the prestigious letters.

Congratulations Giles Hilton MBE.

Canterbury RFC would like to congratulate our Chairman, Giles Hilton, for his inclusion in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, and the award of an MBE for services to Rugby Union Football in Kent.

On receiving the news, Giles said

I feel honoured and privileged to have this award bestowed upon me, but I am also deeply thankful to my wife Phillipa, my sons, my family for their unwavering support, and that of Canterbury RFC players, members, supporters, sponsors, and volunteers that have allowed the club to grow in the astonishing way it has in the last 20 years. Without them none of this would have been possible.

Gile has been involved with the club for over forty years, first representing the Colts at an away game in Ashford in 1976. He remembers his debut distinctly along with the broken arm he suffered in the second half. 1978 saw him run out for the 1^st XV, as 2^nd row, in 1978 at home to Maidstone. Since then, he has worked his way around the club performing various tasks from Junior Rep, Social Committee, bar to even unblocking the drains when they got clogged up. There is no denying the commitment and industry he has shown to the club.

His proudest moments at the club have been seeing us win the Kent Cup and progression from level six through to level three of English Rugby Union.

We look forward to seeing how the club will develop over the next few years, especially with the impact of the pandemic and how under Giles’ tenure as Chairman we can navigate through to future successes.

Dear all,

As the 2020-2021 season has been completed and our financial year ended on the 31 May, I guess it’s only right to now look ahead to a brighter uninterrupted 2021-2022 season.

We are hoping to hold a fundraising lunch on Monday 21 June with Simon Shaw as our guest.

In the evening after the event there will be music from 6pm Dune Accoustic, with Barney the Pizza on site, lets turn this into a #oneclub event.

There are pre-season warm up games planned for 14, 21 & 28 August all at home further details will follow.

As we lost our annual May Ball again this year, we are planning a Summer Ball on Friday 27 August , I very much hope that with your support, we can make this a sell out event.

Fixtures for Lunches
We are taking bookings for pre-match lunches,
please email us by clicking on button below to book you table of 10
or individual places

2021
Saturday 18 September – Worthing
Saturday 2 October – Dings Crusaders
Saturday 16 October – Leicester Lions
Saturday 30 October – Henley
Saturday 20 November – Redruth
Saturday 4 December – Westcliff
Saturday 18 December – Guernsey
2022
Saturday 8 January – Old Albanians
Saturday 22 January – Rochford
Saturday 12 February – Barnstaple
Saturday  26 February – Barnes
Saturday 12 March – Hinckley
Saturday 2 April – Clifton
Saturday 16 April – Esher

[button link=”mailto:prematchlunches@cantrugby.co.uk?subject=Lunch Booking &body=Please can I book for lunch Saturday” type=”big” color=”orange” newwindow=”yes”] Book your lunch[/button]