Author: Denys Andrianjafy

On Saturday, May 20th, Phillipa Hilton will be part of an 8-strong team to complete the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge in aid of Mesothelioma UK.

Exposure to asbestos is thought to be responsible for up to nine out of 10 cases of mesothelioma. There may be other causes of the disease such as exposure to certain types of radiation and other chemicals, however the evidence linking these to mesothelioma is limited and asbestos remains the main cause for the majority of cases.

Asbestosis kills over 5000 people each year and that number is still rising and will not reach its peak until 2030. Most of these people at some time in their lives worked in the construction industry.

The 3 Peaks Challenge is one of the essential fundraising activites to maintain this vital organisation supports, researches, and educates within the mesothelioma field. This Challenge is a 24-miles (38.6km) round trip route, and includes 1585m (5200ft) of ascent. The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge takes on the peaks of Pen-y-Ghent (694 metres), Whernside (736 metres) and Ingleborough (723 metres), usually in this order, and in under 12 hours. These hills form part of the Pennine range, and encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Please give generously if you can to this fantastic organisation. The Just Giving page can be found at – https://www.justgiving.com/page/albert-walton-1673094432701

We wish the team well in their endeavour.

We are pleased to announce an exclusive tickets offer to club members for the T20 Vitality Blast.

Win a pair of Vitality Blast tickets for Kent’s match on Wednesday 24 May, against Gloucestershire

T20 cricket is coming back to Canterbury with Kent Spitfires kicking off their 2023 campaign this May.

With seven home matches, including three Friday nights ‘under the lights’, a fun-filled Sunday with activities for the family and a double header with the Southeast Stars, you have the opportunity to win one of 50 pairs to Kent’s opening T20 match against Gloucestershire on Wednesday 24th May, 18:30 at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury.

Kent Spitfires, led by Captain Sam Billings, will be looking to replicate their 2021 success on the field, a season that saw the Spitfires lift the trophy after beating Somerset in a thrilling final.

This season, the Spitfires will welcome Australia International bowler Kane Richardson for the entirety of the 2023 Vitality Blast T20 competition. The right-arm medium-fast bowler is regarded as a white-ball specialist bowler. A winner of Australia’s domestic T20 competition, the KFC Big Bash League (BBL), 31-year-old Richardson is an established international bowler who will bring a vast amount of experience to the Club.

Canterbury Rugby Club Members will be able to enter the draw to win a pair of tickets, by completing the form below by the 17^th May.

All applicants will be sent a code to access an exclusive discount to all of Kent’s scheduled home T20 matches at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.

To apply for a free pair of tickets to Kent vs Gloucestershire and exclusive discount code – please visit https://forms.gle/SLoCRpUUgmKcfFocA

Tickets are on sale now for all seven of Kent Cricket’s home matches via tickets.kentcricket.co.uk

2023 Fixtures

Wed 24 May – Gloucestershire
Tue 30 May – Somerset
Sun 4 June – Surrey
Wed 7 June – Essex
Fri 9 June – Hampshire Hawks
Fri 23 June Middlesex
Fri 30 June – Sussex Sharks

For all those wishing to say goodbye to Stuart Vines, his funeral will be held at 10 am at St. Leonards Church in Heath and Reach. LU7 0AA, Thursday 11th May.

Monday 8 May is “Big Help Out Day” and the Club needs your help. If you can spare some time and effort we have a number of ‘non-technical’ tasks such as sweeping, painting, washing, weeding, lopping – something for everyone. A 9am start, aiming to finish by 1.30 with a Barbecue provided for participants, and the bar open to finish off the afternoon. Some basic tools will be available but any extra rakes, shears, brooms, loppers, etc. would be useful. Come and help out if you can. Please send an email to secretary@cantrugby.co.uk if you are able to help out, or register here – https://app.thebighelpout.com/event/6446f2a061c7cf75a553325a. Thank you #oneclub #yourclub

It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of Stuart Vines, a Canterbury Rugby Club stalwart.

To misquote, Shakespeare. Some people are born Canterbury Supporters, some become supporters and some have Canterbury thrust upon them. Stuart followed George Micans, his grandson to The Marine Travel Ground. From the sidelines both home and away his pride for George quickly, as would have been expected from Stuart, spread to the whole club. Whether George was playing or not you would often find Stuart supporting his adopted club.

It is tribute to this true gent that so many at the club were privileged to call him a friend. Always with a smile and positive attitude. He was a true Black and Amber fan. Having had many a conversation with him, it was clear he was a dedicated family man proud of both his rugby playing sons and utterly devoted to his wife Rose. A dedication that went both ways on the occasions that Rose attended a match, but stayed in the car with a book due to her mobility. He will be missed deeply by the club and especially those that regularly had a chat before, during, and after the game, which always started with ‘all right boy’

Stuart’s funeral is on Thursday. May 11 at St Leonard’s Church, Heath and Reach, LU7 0AA

We are absolutely delighted to announce an extension of our sponsorship agreement with Marine Travel. The extension is to continue with the front of shirt and stadium naming rights agreements thru to May 2034. This is pretty unique in the world of sport these days! Marine Travel based in Canterbury, Dublin & the Philippines has signed similar agreements with both Canterbury Rugby Club and Marine Football Club. These new agreements will hopefully further cement the friendships and commercial relationships between all parties.

David Thompson, Marine Travel Managing Director says;

“I am over the moon to extend these agreements, which will take our involvement with these clubs to 25 & 20 years respectively. We have enjoyed highs and lows together in the past, myself and my staff hope to enjoy many more highs in the coming years. It’s a real privilege to be involved with both clubs”

Giles Hilton, Chairman of Canterbury Rugby Club said;

“When Dave Thompson offered Canterbury a unique long term extension of the sponsorship deal ten years ago neither he nor us could have foreseen the club’s amazing growth. His generosity and love of sport have played no small part in making that possible and extending that support for a further ten years means we can look to even broader horizons. Dave and Marine Travel have become an essential and valued part of Canterbury community rugby, not only as brilliant sponsors but as friends and fans. We are lucky to have them”

Paul Leary, Chairman of Marine Football Club added;

“The association, support, commitment and loyalty given by Dave Thompson to Marine Football club as main shirt and stadium sponsor since 2012 has been exceptional. This sponsorship commitment at any level of professional sport is unique and demonstrates absolutely the strength of the relationship and feelings that Dave has for the football club that he has supported since he was a young boy.”