Author: Denys Andrianjafy

All Aboard!

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

It’s that time again when the 1st XV travel to old rivals TJ’s. There is usually a good turnout from the Black & Amber supporters. Spirits are as high as expectations. This year Canterbury West is the meeting point to catch the 12.07 to Tonbridge. No doubt other supporters will join from other stops. Our Chair, Giles Hilton will be distributing CRFC baseball caps. The supporter group will gather at the Station House in Tonbridge and then make their way to The Slade for a 3.oopm kick-off to cheer on the team, at what is normally a fiercely contested game.

Match Date – Saturday 19th October – KO 3.00pm

The train times are as follows

IN
12:07 PM – Canterbury West
12:12 – Chartham
12:15 – Chilham
12:22 – Wye
12:30 – Ashford International
12:36 – Pluckley
12:43 – Headcorn
12:48 – Staplehurst
12:52 – Marden (Kent)
12:58 – Paddock Wood
01:06 PM – Tonbridge

OUT
6:17 PM – Tonbridge
18:24 – Paddock Wood
18:30 – Marden (Kent)
18:34 – Staplehurst
18:40 – Headcorn
18:46 – Pluckley
18:56 – Ashford International
19:02 – Wye
19:08 – Chilham
19:12 – Chartham
19:18 – Canterbury West

Greg and Vince Mayne

Not all heroes wear capes

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

Needing an organ replacement can be a matter of life or death, and the decision to donate an organ is never an easy one. Whether you’re considering donation after your passing or thinking about donating during your lifetime, it’s a deeply personal choice. Discussing it with family and friends can be challenging, and finding the courage to give a part of yourself is no small feat. However, those who have made the decision to donate often speak of the profound impact their gift has on the lives of recipients.

One such story was shared last Saturday at the pre-match lunch before the 1st XV vs. Westcombe Park game, where former Canterbury player Vince Mayne spoke about his own life-changing experience. Eleven years ago, Vince was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Without hesitation, his brother Greg, our former Club President, stepped forward and offered his kidney.

During his speech, Vince reflected on the significance of his brother’s selfless act:
“There are many definitions of a hero. A hero is someone who puts themselves at risk or in harm’s way. I was lucky enough to have a hero who stood up for me 11 years ago. I didn’t ask Greg to do it—he offered. To have someone step up for you like that is very special.”

Thanks to the transplant, Vince was able to return to playing sports and even competed in the GB and World Transplant Games in Nottingham this past summer. In a moving moment during the lunch, Vince presented Greg with a Living Donor t-shirt—a gesture that had been long overdue. The moment was a touching tribute to the bond they share and the life-saving impact of Greg’s donation.

Stories like Vince and Greg’s remind us of the power and importance of organ donation. If you’d like to learn more about how you can make a difference through organ donation, visit the NHS website: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

In the end, heroes are not always found in capes—they’re often among us, making life-changing decisions that give others the gift of life.

Around the Ground

Around the Ground at the MTG

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

After Guernsey ended their winning streak last weekend, Canterbury 1st XV had to dig deep to get back to their winning ways. Newly promoted to the league Havant came with a strong pack who overpowered us, though in open play we moved the ball well and put early points on the board. Going in with a lead at half time we just needed to redouble our efforts and continue the push. Unfortunately, ill-discipline gave away vital points and cost us a player, leaving us very much on the back foot. Havant saw their chance and came at us. It was a nervy watch for Canterbury supporters as Havant put more and more points up. The team endured a relentless barrage and hung on for the win. We got there but made it harder for ourselves than it should have been. Westcombe Park this weekend will show what lessons were learned from our last two run outs. At half time, The Canterbury Girls and ACE Academy Girls played an exhibition Touch Rugby game, showing the breadth of the game we are coaching at the club. After the senior’s final whistle, Colts B took on the ACE Academy boys, winning 40 – 24. A good game for the newly formed Academy team.

Deacons also had their winning run cut. A depleted team didn’t have a response for Deal 2. They did well to put 24 points on the board to the opposition’s 57. Zingari’s game v Faversham 2 was postponed to a later yet to be announced date.

Sunday, our U14’s played their very first league matches against Ashford and Whitstable U14’s. After the game, Jamie Stevens, Club Captain, presented each member of the team with CRFC ties. Colts 1st XV welcomed TJ’s to what is not only a match of old rivalries but also round 2 of the National Cup. Alas, it was not to be Canterbury’s day as the visitors left with the spoils, winning 29 to the Colts 17.

Thank you to our Saturday sponsors Leonard Gould, Strutt & Parker, Abbott Construction, and Marine Travel.

In the spirit of the club, we all dust ourselves down and we go again.

Last weekend’s scores

1st XV 36 – 31 Havant
Vigo 2 57 – 24 Deacons
Favesham 2 PP Zingari
Colts B 40 – 24 ACE Academy
Colts A 17 – 29 TJ’s

This weekend’s fixtures

Saturday 12/10

1st XV v Westcombe Park – Home KO 3.00pm
Park House v Pilgrims – Away KO 3.00pm
Canons v Old Colfeians 2nds – Home KO 3.00pm
Vigo 2nds v Deacons – Away KO 3.00pm
Folkestone 3rds v Zingari – Away KO 3.00pm

Sunday 13/10

Dartford Valley Ladies v Canterbury Women Away – KO 2.30pm

Mini and Youth

U6’s Training Grids – 9.00am to 10.00am
U7’s Training Grids – 9.00am to 10.00am
U8’s Pitch between top and bottom orchard – 9.00am to 10.00am
U9’s v Dartfordians Simon Langton 4G – 9.00am to 10.30am
U10’s v Dartfordians Bottom Orchard – 9.00am to 10.30am
U11’s v Dartfordians Top Orchard – 9.00am to 10.30am
U12’s Away Richmond Festival
U13’s Away Richmond festival
U14’s A’s v Sevenoaks (A)
U14’s B v Medway (A)
U15’s v Saracens Amateur Top Pitch – KO 12.00pm
U16’s Training Artificial 10:30am onwards
Colts 1st XV – Week off
Colts Tigers v Thanet (A)
Colts Dragons v Gravesend (A)
Girls U12’s and 14’s v Tunbridge Wells(A)
Girls U16’s Dover (A)

Canterbury Rugby Club and Marine Travel extend a warm welcome to all visiting teams, players, and supporters.

Golf day – And the winners were…

A fantastic fundraising day of golf was held at Faversham Golf Club 27th September. Teams of 4 competed over 18 holes followed by prizegiving and a 2 course meal. The Gemho team came out winners, followed by Made AV, and City Contractors. KAP Motor Group brought along the new OMODA 5 and the EV AMODA E5 for us to view. View photos of the winning teams on our website – https://cantrugby.co.uk/news/golf-day-results/

Exclusive Partner offer for members

Our partners, The Granville in Canterbury are very generously offering a 10% discount on food for club members and friends. Just quote ‘Canterbury Rugby Club’ when booking. They have a lot going on over the next few weeks and months. Take a sneak peek to book yourselves in – See what is coming up at the Granville.

Pre-match lunches

There are still places and tables available at our home game pre-match lunches. Food, drink, raffle, auction, and good company before home games. What’s not to like?
26-Oct-24 Barnes
16-Nov-24 Bury St Edmunds
07-Dec-24 Oxford Harlequins
21-Dec-24 Sevenoaks
18-Jan-25 Guernsey
15-Feb-25 Tonbridge Juddians
08-Mar-25 Old Albanian
22-Mar-25 Henley

Contact kirsty@cantrugby.co.uk to book a place or a table of 8 – 12

We wish you all the best of rugby!

Faversham Golf Club

Golf Day Results

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

A fantastic fundraising day of golf was held at Faversham Golf Club 27th September. Teams of 4 competed over 18 holes followed by prizegiving and a 2 course meal. The Gemho team came out winners, followed by Made AV and City Contractors.  KAP Motor Group brought along the new OMODA 5 and the EV AMODA E5 for us to view.

Please support our golf days if you can. Not only are they fun, but they also raise funds, not only for the club but for charity too.

CANTERBURY HANG ON

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

CANTERBURY 36 HAVANT 31

by David Haigh

From a position of comfort Canterbury found themselves in a fight for survival before they came away with their fourth win of the National 2 East season to claim maximum points. The biggest battle, however, was with their own poor discipline as a red card for flanker Harvey Furneaux in the second half left them a man short for 30 minutes, and their problems were compounded by three earlier sin binnings. Havant, trailing by 24 points, exploited the situation with a hat trick of tries from hooker Sean Shepherd, the last coming in the 80th minute to earn his side a second bonus point. There was little sign of the upheaval to come when Canterbury, after a tight opening quarter edged by the visitors, built a 24-12 half time lead and two tries in the first eight minutes after the break pointed to a routine victory. They established that position of strength despite first half yellow cards for Dave Irvine and Garry Jones. A Frank Reynolds penalty goal got the city side on the scoreboard after only two minutes but conceding penalties cost them tries by Havant forwards Steve Jenkinson and Sam Vince and a Joel Knight conversion. Those scores sandwiched Canterbury’ s opening try when they picked off an overthrown lineout, won a penalty and Eoin O’Donoghue plunged over from the maul. Then Canterbury began to pull away as Aiden Moss finished off some precise handling in style and the impressive O’Donoghue peeled off a driving maul to register his second. The early second half strikes, as O’Donoghue sent Moss across the line on the overlap and Sam Rogers timed his pass perfectly for Max Campbell to go clear for the fifth try, seemed to have settled matters, particularly with Reynolds missing only one shot at goal. A yellow card for Henry Kenny was not welcome but in the 51st minute an isolated fracas broke out and Furneaux was singled out for punishment. Havant saw their chance and a Canterbury side still too often on the wrong side of the referee gave them plenty of scope to mount a massive offensive through their pack. Shepherd’s tries all came from powerful close quarter work and two conversions by Knight added to the pressure. Canterbury hung on, just, but left themselves with big questions to address.
Canterbury: K.Heatherley, G.Jones, F.Morgan, W. Waddington, A.Moss, F. Reynolds, T. Williams, A.Cooper, E.O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, D.Irvine, J.Stephens, S.Rogers, H.Furneaux, C.Thomas. Replacements: H.Kenny, O.Frostick, P.Farrance, M.Campbell, N.Morris

 

View match photos
v Havant - 5 Oct 2024

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton
ACE Academy Players

Academy Takes off

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

Saturday is debut day for players from our newly formed ACE Academy, the joint venture between the club and Archbishop’s School, which was launched in August. For the first time, an Academy side will take the field to meet a Canterbury Colts Development XV. The game will kick off after the first team league match against Havant. In addition, girls from the Academy will feature in an exhibition of touch rugby during the half time break.

Around the Ground

Around the Ground at the MTG

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

The 2024/25 season has returned with a bang! Three senior teams were out last Saturday bringing home three victories. We also had an exciting demonstration of Wheelchair Rugby from our Hellfires team who were joined by representatives from Crawley Jets and Brighton Buccaneers. Hellfire player Owain West was presented with a new wheelchair by Steve Brown, former captain of the GB wheelchair rugby squad and Hellfires Lead Coach. The custom built wheelchairs run into thousands of pounds and thanks to a deposit paid through money left to Owain from his granddad Barrie West, and funding from Cauldwell Children, Owain now has his own chair, leaving a club chair vacant for whoever wants to give this exhilarating and fast paced sport a try.

Continued support for the club from our business partners is so important, and with that we would like to thank Quinn Estates (Match Sponsor), City Contractors LTD (Ball Sponsor), East Kent Recycling Ltd and Gray Plant Hire (Lunch Sponsors) for their generous support on Saturday.

Our fantastic home game online live stream was brought to us by MMS-360 (Streaming Partner) and powered by OrbitalNet (Network Partner). The full match can be watched back at https://cantrugby-live.uk.

Last weekend’s scores

Canterbury 53 – 13 Colchester
Crowborough 15 – 21 Pilgrims
Canons 60 – 12 Medway III

Tonbridge Juddians 28 – 31 Canterbury U18 1st XV

This weekend’s fixtures and training

Saturday 14/09

Sevenoaks v 1st XV – Away KO 3.00pm
Pilgrims v Sevenoaks 2nds – Home KO 3.00pm
Sheppey v Canons – Away KO 3.00pm
Deacons v Sheppey 2nds – Home KO 3.00pm
Zingari v New Ash Green 2nds  – Home KO 3.00pm

Sunday 15/09

Horsham Women v Canterbury Women – Away KO TBC

Mini and Youth

U6 – Main Pitch Deadball area –  9.00am to 10.00am
U7- Grids – 9.00am to 10.00am
U8- Langton 4G – 9.00am to 10.30am
U9- Langton 4G – 9.30am to 10.00am
U10- Top Orchard – 9.00am to 10.30am
U11- Bottom Orchard – 9.00am to10:30am
U12- Training Pitch 10:30am to 12.00pm
U13- v London Irish, Bottom Orchard – 12.00pm KO
U14- Top Orchard – 10:30 to 12.00pm
U15- Top Pitch – 10:30 to 12.00pm
U16- Langton 4G from 10:30am
Colts 2nds v Thanet, Main Pitch – 12.00pm KO
Girls U12-U16 v Thanet (A)
Girls U18 v Old Alleynians (A)

Canterbury Rugby Club and Marine Travel extend a warm welcome to all visiting teams, players, and supporters.

Pre-match lunches

There are still places and tables available at our home game pre-match lunches. Food, drink, raffle, auction, and good company before home games. What’s not to like?

21-Sep-24 Worthing
05-Oct-24 Havant
12-Oct-24 Westcombe Park
26-Oct-24 Barnes
16-Nov-24 Bury St Edmunds
07-Dec-24 Oxford Harlequins
21-Dec-24 Sevenoaks
18-Jan-25 Guernsey
15-Feb-25 Tonbridge Juddians
08-Mar-25 Old Albanian
22-Mar-25 Henley

Contact kirsty@cantrugby.co.uk to book a place or a table of 8 – 12

Memberships

If you still haven’t renewed your club membership, now is the time to do it. All members must renew through the RFU GMS system. Details are available on the memberships page of the club website – https://cantrugby.co.uk/membership/

Alternatively, Sally will be at the Club to help Tues- 10th, Wed 11th, (6.00pm-7.00pm) Thurs 12th (6.30pm – 7.00pm), Sat 21st Worthing at home from 1.00pm -3.00pm.

You can also email members@cantrugby.co.uk. Associate members and season ticket holders will receive a card in the post. If this has not been received by 18th September please email Sally. Black membership cards will continue to give a discount at the bar/shop and Saucy Flo’s but will no longer give access to the ground on match days. That will be by Season card only. Age grade members can collect their cards from Sally on Sunday morning or during the midweek evening training at the times mentioned. All Seniors cards will be issued through the coaches.

Save the date!

Along with LGT Wealth Management, we are once again hosting our famous City Lunch at Smith & Wollensky on November 20th, 2024 at noon.

Lawrence Dallaglio OBE will be the guest speaker, and the cost will be £125 per person including a drink on arrival and wine with your lunch. For more details contact kirsty@cantrugby.co.uk

 

We wish you all the best of rugby!

And we are off!!

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

To celebrate the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the first home game of the season, and welcoming Colchester to National 2 East, Canterbury Hellfire is bringing Wheelchair Rugby to the Marine Travel Ground for the very first time. Players, Members, Supporters, and Sponsors are all invited to come and see the incredible fast pace, hard hits, and amazing skills that come together in Wheelchair Rugby as a thank you from Hellfire for your support over the years.

Wheelchair Rugby is normally played indoors on a basketball court but to shake things up Hellfire along with many of the very best Wheelchair Rugby players from across the South East of England will be playing outside. In another first we have spare chairs and all the kit needed so you too can become part of the team, you don’t need a disability to be part of this extraordinary event. You will even get coached by 2012 Team GB Captain and Hellfire Lead Coach Steve Brown and Brighton Coach and former Hellfire member Omar Foster.

Tip off (the Wheelchair Rugby version of a kick off) is at 12:30. Get strapped in and come and be part of our amazing #OneClub experience.