Author: Becca Williams

Match Report: Pilgrims v Tonbridge Juddians II’s

Posted on | by Becca Williams

By Dan Gill

PILGRIMS 21

Tonbridge Judds 21

The pilgrims first league outing of the season saw them travel to The Slade for what looked on paper to be one of their toughest fixtures of the season.
This year’s squad is a promising mix of youth and experience with some promising young players looking to showcase their talent alongside some established stalwarts.
After an even opening few minutes it was 2 of the more experienced heads who combined well- centre Jordan Contant spotted a mis-match in midfield which he exploited well to make space for fullback Kurt Heatherley who powered through a gap before deftly offloading to promising young hooker Lucas Eule who had too much pace for the covering defence and dotted down beside the posts for the first Pilgrims try of the season. With Slingsby converting, 0-7.
TJ’s were able to level the score soon after as pilgrims ill discipline cost them with 3 penalties conceded in quick succession allowing them to move down the slope and exploit space out wide to break through and score, 7-7.
Pilgrims’ response was positive and a series of strong drives by the forwards saw TJ’s infringe at the breakdown in an attempt to slow their momentum. The penalty was kicked deep into the TJs 22 and after Charlie Mumford and Olly Docherty secured the lineout, skipper Al Evans powered over from close range, skittling home defenders en-route to pilgrims 2nd try. 7-14.
Pilgrims thought they had a 3rd try after a great break by scrum half Barnaby Smith, but he was judged to have infringed in trying to recycle the ball for what looked a certain try which allowed TJ’s to clear their lines.
They soon made the Pilgrims pay when another flurry of quick penalties against them saw TJs power over from close range themselves to tie the score at 14-14.
After regrouping under the posts the pilgrims came out firing and put TJs under pressure for the remainder of the half. Strong tackles by flankers Stevie Hodgekinson and Matt Oliff were complimented by strong carries by props Everatt and Oladeji. The live-wire half back pairing of Smith and Slingsby used the quick ball effectively and only desperate TJs defending prevented further scores until a great kick through by Heatherley was chased brilliantly by centre Archie English and only illegal TJs defending prevented him scoring a deserved try, put the referee instead awarded a penalty try and reduced TJs to 14 men. 14-21 HT.
The second half saw pilgrims spurn an early chance to extend their lead with handling errors letting them down before TJs returned to 15. They hit back almost immediately by applying pressure through penalties which put the city side on the back foot. Some desperate Pilgrims defending couldn’t prevent TJs leveling the score, and this was compounded by Archie English receiving a yellow card for foul play in the lead up to the score. 21-21.
A number of Pilgrims penalties saw TJs come close to scoring again, but solid defence saw them turn the ball over on their own line and Jordan Constants cool head saw him run the ball out from under his own posts to make 20 meters. The backs moved the ball wide and put wingman Harvey Ingram into space. He raced away but was dragged down just short of the line and judged by the referee to have illegally held onto the ball. Judds cleared their lines and again applied pressure to pilgrims defence before they again turned the ball over and kicked the ball long. The fast pace of the game then saw the referee suffer a calf injury, which as the game had reached the 60 minute mark and with no other society official available, meant the game ended at that point with the score all square at 21-21. Pilgrims will feel they should have been at least 2 tries to the good at this point, while Judds had momentum when the game was prematurely halted meaning the return fixture later in the season promises an encounter not to be missed.
The Pilgrims welcome Beccehamians to the MTG for their first home fixture of the season next Saturday and gives supporters their first opportunity to see some promising young players.

Match Report: Women’s 1st XV v Medway

Posted on | by Becca Williams

By El Crowe

Canterbury Women V Medway, 12-39 27/09/26

Our first league game of the season saw us welcome Medway to Canterbury.

A tough first half saw us go into the break 0–29 down, but the ladies showed plenty of character to fight back in the second half.

Evieleigh Smith crossed for her debut try, converted by Robyn Gulley, before El Crowe added a second to bring the final score to 12–39.

There’s lots to work on, but plenty of positives and takeaways as we continue to build as a squad.

A huge welcome to our four debutants: Evieleigh Smith, Freya Hopkins, Steph Roworth and Lottie Des’Ascoyne!

Back of the Match
Freya Hopkins
A brilliant impact off the bench on the wing, with some excellent tackles and strong carries.

Forward of the Match
Ellie Desborough
Ellie came on in the backs before moving to flanker. Playing the position for the first time for Canterbury, she impressed with some excellent counter-rucking and turnovers.

Opposition Player of the Match
Teagan Febery
A solid performance on the wing for Canterbury, including some big hits.

A tough result, but the cobwebs are officially blown off. Now we rebuild, learn and go again.

Match Report: Canons v Cliffe Crusaders

Posted on | by Becca Williams

by Tom Short

A new season, a much changed squad, but the same ambitions for the Canons as they began their season against newly promoted Cliffe Crusaders.  It was a dominant performance in which the Canons ran out 61-19 winners.

Starting fast, it wasn’t long before a classic Mark Stone line break led to an offload to Evan Cook on the 22 metre line and dot down under the posts.  A second try quickly followed from Riley Soutan, before a well worked lineout move allowed hooker Ollie Jeffery to dot down.  Cliffe bounced back from short range before Stone collected a kick through from fly half Kieron Shave to secure the bonus point.

Cliffe started the half strongly with 2 scores of their own either side of a second Cook try, but soon started fatigue, with 4 further Canterbury tries from Oscar Sands (2) Josh Dawson and Freddie Philpott.

With a team consisting of a number of graduating Colts from the last season, there is much to be hopeful about as the team looks towards the rest of the season.

Match Report: New Ash Green II’s v Deacons

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Match Report: New Ash Green 2nds 56 – 47 Canterbury Deacons

By Iain McCracken

Every team faces a moment early in a season that tells you more than any result can. For the Deacons, that moment came before a ball was even kicked.

New Ash Green could only field 11. The easy call was to take advantage, 15 against 11 on a full-size pitch, an afternoon of running in tries. The Deacons didn’t take it. They matched them, 11-a-side, full pitch, full 80 minutes. With that much space and that few bodies, it played out more like a 7s fixture than a league game, which made for a tough way for both sides to start the season.

It was tough, too, for a Deacons side where 60% of the squad were making their first appearance in the shirt. But the platform was there from the first scrum, six forwards who simply weren’t for turning, winning their own ball at every opportunity and giving the backs the kind of quick, clean possession most teams only dream of this early in a season. When that ball found space, it was worth the trip down just to watch, with some real footwork and pace on show.

The home side started quickest all the same, building a 15-point lead before the Deacons had found their feet. With the scrum on top and the backs getting room to play, the Deacons turned that 15-point deficit into a 26-22 lead by half-time.

The second half opened shakily. A run of missed tackles let New Ash Green back into it, and for a spell the momentum swung hard their way. The scrum kept winning ball though, and every time the backs got their hands on quick possession, they looked dangerous. The Deacons dug in, matched New Ash Green phase for phase, and kept working the scoreboard back in their favour right to the final whistle. A 103-point game by the end of it, and a proper arm-wrestle from start to finish.

The clearest sign of how close this one really was, came in the final five minutes, when a try was held up over the line against a home side visibly running on empty.

Credit to New Ash Green too, a fit and well-drilled side who never let the Deacons have it easy.

It wasn’t all good news on the day though. Gian Smith suffered a nasty broken collarbone and is likely facing a long spell out. Tough for any player in any game, but especially so in the first fixture of the season. Everyone at the club will be wishing him a speedy recovery.

Final score: New Ash Green 2nds 56 – 47 Canterbury Deacons.

Tries: Reuben Kerr, Ted Field (2), Adam Ridgewell, Lawrence Knight (2), Pete Demery

Player of the Match: Freddie Vion, nerveless off the tee, 100% conversion rate.

Onwards to the next one.

Match Report: Zingari v Whitstable II

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Match Report. 26.09.26

Canterbury 5th  v Whitstable 2nd

Canterbury 5th 38pts Whitstable 37pts.

In a nail biting finish the Zingari opened their season with the narrowest win possible. Both sides produced some open flowing rugby from the start with the Zingari having a slight advantage in the backs while Whitstable pack may have edged it at the set piece. However, it was the city backs who opened the scoring after some sharp handling split the Whitstable defence for Ben Waite to touch down for Canterbury’s first converted try. This was followed with Ross Elgar touching down after the forwards had punched a hole in the midfield for the backs to finish off. This looked as if it was all going to be easy for the city side , but Whitstable had other ideas, their forwards making the most of the slight  slope rallied and battled their way down field to claim two tries within minutes of each other, followed by a disastrous intercepted pass for  Whitstable to claimed a third. Canterbury compounded their own troubles giving away a penalty that set up Whitstable for a converted try, and just before halftime burst through the centre setting up a position a few meters from the city line before driving over for a clear fifteen-point halftime advantage.

The Second half saw the same pattern emerge with Whitstable squeezing in at the corner to increase their lead after the city defence failed to force the attacker into touch giving themselves a comfortable cushion. The Zingari had it all to do even with the slim advantage of the second half slope gave us a display of straight powerful direct running that seemed to do the trick, breaking tackles with recycled quick ball had the defence  split wide for Ryan Flockhart to sneak a converted try back. This was the way back with both forwards & backs adopting this tactic the holes began to appear, Brad Alchurch saw the gap with a charging run claiming back another converted try. Whitstable always dangerous again got back on the score sheet with another unconverted try, but the momentum had changed, and more of the same put Nick Creaser over the line from short range, and with Rob Horan conversions had put the city side within striking distance of the lead. With the clock running down the Zingari  put in a final effort camping just short of the Whitstable line before Jake Vowell broke through to give Canterbury a slender one-point lead. With the clock going into the red all would seem to be over, but Whitstable had other ideas, and with a final flourish they got to within striking distance of the city line.  Only to be thwarted  by late replacement Oliver Rutt with a bone crunching tackle on the line causing the ball to be spilled forward thus securing Canterbury the narrowest victory possible.

Home-Grown Talent Takes the Next Step as Stan Bull Makes 1st XV Debut

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Canterbury RFC is proud to celebrate a special milestone as Stan Bull made his 1st XV debut in Saturday’s fixture away at Oundle.

Stan’s journey with the club began at just five years old, and having worn the black and amber throughout his rugby development, his debut represents the culmination of years of hard work, dedication and commitment to the club.

Progressing through every stage of the Canterbury pathway, Stan has benefited from the support of countless coaches, teammates, volunteers and supporters who have played a role in his development. His achievement is a fantastic example of the opportunities that exist within the club for young players aspiring to reach senior rugby.

At Canterbury RFC, we pride ourselves on developing and nurturing home-grown talent. Providing a clear pathway from mini and junior rugby through to the senior game is central to our philosophy, and seeing one of our own step onto the field for the 1st XV is a moment the entire club can celebrate.

Everyone at Canterbury RFC is incredibly proud of Stan and this well-deserved achievement. We congratulate him on his debut and look forward to seeing his journey in the black and amber continue for many years to come.

Congratulations, Stan. 🖤💛

26/27 Senior Fixtures are Live

Posted on | by Becca Williams
The excitement is building across Merton Lane as we officially roll out the full fixture list for the 2026/27 season. With the Men’s 1st XV fixtures already confirmed, we’re now thrilled to announce that the Pilgrims, Canons, Deacons, and Zingari have joined the schedule, completing our lineup of five senior men’s teams ready to represent Canterbury RFC with pride.
But that’s not all.
This season also marks another important step forward for the club as we proudly confirm the fixtures for both our Women’s 1st XV and our new Women’s Development Team. Their continued growth, commitment, and impact across the club reflect the strength of women’s rugby at Canterbury and the thriving pathway we are building for female players of all levels.
From the intensity of competitive rugby to the pure enjoyment of social fixtures, this season captures everything that makes our club special. Every squad brings its own identity, its own energy, and its own story, and together they form the heartbeat of Canterbury rugby.
  • The Men’s 1st XV leading the way with passion, determination, and the drive to inspire the whole club.
  • The Women’s 1st XV continuing to raise the bar and compete with pride.
  • The Pilgrims pushing standards and developing talent.
  • The Canons bringing physicality and ambition.
  • The Deacons showing resilience and commitment.
  • The Zingari keeping the spirit of social rugby alive and thriving.
  • The Women’s Development Team providing opportunity, growth, and a welcoming entry point into senior women’s rugby.
Week after week, pitch after pitch, we’ll see players of all levels stepping out in black and amber, competing, growing, laughing, and creating the moments that stay with us long after the final whistle. That’s what Canterbury RFC is all about. So, here’s to another season of senior men’s and women’s rugby in action, to packed Saturdays, to new challenges, and to the community that makes this club feel like home. Whether you’re on the field or cheering from the touchline, we can’t wait to share the journey with you.
Competitive rugby. Social rugby. Development pathways. Lifelong friendships.
We have it all at Canterbury RFC.

Lydia Ticehurst Represents England at the European Touch Championships

Posted on | by Becca Williams

CRFC is proud to celebrate one of our own as Lydia Ticehurst takes to the international stage, representing England at the 2026 European Touch Championships in Vichy, France.

Lydia has earned selection for the England Touch Mixed Open squad, competing against some of the best players from across Europe in a highly competitive division featuring 13 national teams.

Representing your country is one of the highest honours in any sport, and everyone at Canterbury rugby is delighted to see Lydia’s hard work, dedication, and commitment rewarded with this fantastic opportunity. Having developed through the game while proudly wearing the black and amber, Lydia is now showcasing those talents on the European stage.

The European Touch Championships bring together the continent’s top nations for several days of elite competition, providing players with the chance to test themselves against the very best that Europe has to offer. Lydia’s selection is a testament not only to her individual ability but also to the growing strength and success of touch rugby within our club and wider rugby community.

CRFC has always taken great pride in supporting players as they progress through their rugby journey and seeing club members achieve representative honours is something that inspires players of all ages across the club.

As the tournament gets underway in Vichy, the entire Black and Amber family will be following Lydia’s progress closely and cheering on the England squad from home.

We wish Lydia and the rest of Team England the very best of luck throughout the European Touch Championships.

Go well, Lydia, and continue to make the black and amber proud! 🏉🇬🇧

Coaches Development Day

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Our Community Team had the pleasure of hosting an internal Coaches Development Day for our dedicated volunteer Mini & Youth coaches over the weekend.

We are incredibly grateful for the time, energy, and commitment our coaches give to supporting the next generation of players. Days like these are a fantastic opportunity to invest in their continued development, helping them build the skills, knowledge, and confidence to inspire young people both on and off the pitch.

Thank you to everyone who took part and for everything you do for our club and community. We also would love to thank Scrum Kitchen for an amazing breakfast and lunch spread – only the best for our coaches.

Finally, thank you to On Point Training for the expert First Aid knowledge and energetic content delivery.

Kent Selection Honours for Four Canterbury Players

Posted on | by Becca Williams

The club is delighted to celebrate the selection of four players for the Kent Men’s squad, marking a proud moment as the county campaign gets underway.

Cameron Macmillan, Muhammed Pangarker, Thomas Williams, and Tom Mackenzie have all earned call-ups to represent Kent on the county stage. Their selection is a testament to the hard work, determination, and consistent performances shown throughout the season in black and amber.

They join a growing group of players from the club who have represented Kent across the campaign so far, highlighting the strength and depth within the squad. It is particularly pleasing to see this latest group now take their opportunity to contribute as the county programme continues.

A special mention goes to Thomas “Tommy” Williams, who has been named Vice Captain of the Kent Men’s side. This appointment reflects not only strong performances on the field, but also leadership qualities and commitment off it, and is a thoroughly deserved recognition.

Everyone at the club wishes Cameron, Muhammed, Tommy, and Tom the very best as they begin their county journey. Their selection is a source of great pride, and they carry the black and amber onto the county stage with the full support of the club behind them.