Category: Uncategorised

CANTERBURY 40 DORKING 7

by David Haigh

In condemning Dorking to their heaviest defeat of the season an in-form Canterbury gave notice that they are becoming serious title contenders. The top two National 2 East sides, Old Albanians and Oundle, must come to the Marine Travel Ground next month while third placed Bury St Edmunds host the city side on February 21st. It could be a defining period of the season and Canterbury will relish the challenge. In a blistering first half they took total control, scoring four converted tries, running up twenty eight unanswered points and wrapping up a bonus. The tone was set by scrum half Tom Williams who celebrated his 100th appearance by scoring the first two tries in a Man of the Match performance. From nervy starters, Canterbury became clinical finishers as Harry Sloan’s angled run cleared the way for Williams’ opener after 15 minutes. The century man needed no assistance for his second contribution, a great individual break and 35 metre dash ending under the posts. Poor discipline from Dorking, which cost them two yellow cards and damaging penalties, saw them next pinned back by a probing kick from Frank Reynolds and they gifted the city side a third try. An overthrown line out ball landed in the arms of Eoin O’Donoghue at the tail and he crossed the line unmolested. It was the hooker who also claimed the bonus point score as the influential Sloan produced another decisive thrust to set it up on the half hour mark. Canterbury’s domination was such that the visitors never entered the home 22 area until late in the half and If they were to get any sort of foothold in the match they needed to use the slope and breeze in the second period. Instead, Canterbury stunned them with a fifth try three minutes after the interval. Charlie McGovern, Kurt Heatherley and Presley Farrance combined beautifully to send Aiden Moss over. Reynolds failed with the conversion for the first time but he soon got the opportunity to make amends. Canterbury mauled and drove at close range and Farrance’s finish made the result a formality. A strangely lacklustre and battered Dorking did respond, briefly, with a try and conversion from fly half Tom Hardwick, but for the rest they were shut out as the city side powered to an impressive eighth win in a row.

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, A.Moss. H.Sloan, W.Waddington, L.Talbot, .Reynolds, T.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, J.De Vries, J.Stephens, C.McGovern, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements: P.Farrance, C.Macmillan, F.Morgan, J.Dengate, J.Walker,

This Saturday marks an important milestone for our partner school, The Archbishop’s School, as pupil Carter takes the next step in his rugby journey by progressing into adult rugby.

Carter has been a standout figure within The Archbishop’s School’s rugby programme, demonstrating commitment, consistency, and a strong understanding of the game throughout his school career. His development over recent seasons has been a testament to both his work ethic and the high standards upheld within the school’s rugby environment.

As a key component of the programme, Carter has not only contributed through performances on the pitch but has also set an example off it — showing leadership, discipline, and a willingness to learn. These qualities have supported his transition and prepared him well for the physical and tactical demands of the adult game.

Speaking about Carter’s progression, David Elliott, Headteacher of The Archbishop’s School, and Adam Knoupe, Director of Sport and Head of Sport Academies, both highlighted the significance of this moment. They commented that it is “great to see the partnership between the school and the club come into fruition, and the realisation of our aspirations for a pupil of our school to access adult rugby, particularly with a high-level club such as Canterbury.”

Carter’s progression reflects the strength of the pathway created through the partnership between The Archbishop’s School and the club, providing talented players with clear opportunities to develop beyond school rugby and into the senior game.

Everyone connected with the school and the club wishes Carter every success as he embarks on this next chapter of his rugby journey. His achievement stands as a positive example of what can be accomplished through strong collaboration, ambition, and commitment to player development.

MATCH PREVIEW

For the last two seasons I have left Westcombe Park disappointed that we hadn’t quite done ourselves justice on the pitch. This year felt very different. It’s a tough place to go and play our game, but the players worked relentlessly for the full eighty minutes and showed real control to come away with four points.
The performance was built on the pressure we put Westcombe Park under, the growing maturity of our kicking game this season and an effective maul display. Overturning records that have stood against us has been a clear target this year and, if Saturday taught us anything, it’s that it will always require our very best to do so.
The Pilgrims suffered an agonising finish against Bromley last week, conceding in the final play to lose by three points. After a slow start they had fought their way back into the lead, making the late score a bitter pill to swallow. They now have a rest weekend before travelling to Dartfordians for an important fixture.
This weekend we welcome Dorking to the Marine Travel Ground in a fourth-versus-fifth clash. Our recent games against them have always been matches to remember; we know how important this result is as we head into the home straight of the season. We are still to beat a top-five side this year and with four of them – including Dorking — coming to us before the end of the season the challenge is clear.
No backwards steps. Be better every week. That’s the plan; now we have to execute it.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

We are excited to announce a fantastic new addition to the Marine Travel Ground: Top to Toe Fitness Canterbury, opening 2nd February 2026.

A new era of community‑driven fitness is coming to the city, bringing a fresh, inclusive approach to functional training, right in the heart of the Canterbury Rugby Club grounds.

A Gym Built Around People

Top to Toe Fitness Canterbury isn’t just another gym. It’s a space designed to help real people move better, feel stronger, and build confidence that lasts well beyond the walls of the gym.

• Small group training for all fitness levels
• Expert coaching focused on safe, effective movement
• Supportive community where everyone is encouraged
• Sustainable progress tailored to the individual

Whether you’re stepping into a gym for the first time or looking to train with more purpose, you’ll find a warm, welcoming environment where members genuinely lift each other up.

Open Seven Days a Week

Life is busy — your training shouldn’t add stress. With sessions available every day, you can build strength, resilience, and confidence at a pace that works for you.

Free Taster Sessions

To celebrate the launch, we’re hosting two free taster days: Saturday 31 January & Sunday 1 February

Come along, meet the coaching team, try a session, and get a feel for our community‑focused approach to functional fitness.

Book your session here

Top to Toe Fitness Canterbury
Canterbury Rugby Club
Merton Lane, Canterbury, CT4 7DZ

Medway 4’s vs Canterbury Deacons 17 Jan 26 Match Report

By the infamous Pete Demery

It’s difficult to score if you don’t have the ball……

Being possibly the most charitable team in the entirety of English rugby and to avoid an away walk over Canterbury hosted Medway at home for a second time this season as their pitches were unplayable.
Not realising that it’s polite to reciprocate our goodwill, the top of the table team decided to come to the City (the only City in Kent now) and practise scoring tries.

On paper we had a strong team but last moment changes and regular players out/away saw us cobble together forward pack with many playing out of position.
All season we’ve had a reliably strong scrum only challenged by a couple of heavy teams, so watching from the sideline without being able to throw some boots on and get involved was horrible.
Our backs line up was superb with pace, depth and handling ability to challenge any team in the league – our issue was getting our hands on the ball to release them.

We all know you can’t polish a turd, the scoreline speaks for itself. Medway had a game plan, they executed it extremely well and played to their strengths. In the first half the Deacons probably had the ball less than 5 minutes across the 40, there were flashes of brilliance but they fell short through lack of composure, confidence or both.
The end of the half was welcome relief with the Deacons behind requiring Haribo and a chat about where we could improve.

The second half saw some changes; and staring down the barrel of a nilling in our own back yard some tactical changes brought a higher level of intensity to the start.
Finally with some ball in hand the Deacons were able to disrupt and use the pace of the back line to go forward. A loose ball, some excellent footballing skills from Ed Exley and Denton dotted down to get us off the mark.
Captain & Birthday boy (21 again) Dan Head added the 2 with a tricky kick. The boys had their heads up again, there was the faintest whiff of a comeback on the cards……

Like a fart in a sauna the whiff quickly dissipated, Medway running another try past us with simple straight forward rugby. Nothing about the game plan involved flair or panache, just simple route one smash it up the middle style brutality. It worked though. Fortunately the Medway kicker was about as useful as a bald man’s comb & couldn’t get the ball anywhere near the posts to convert.
The away supporters had all the decorum of a bag of week old dog sick, chirping away without necessarily understanding the laws of the game.
So when Canterbury once again broke the Medway line and returning superstar Jake Upward got across the try line and Dan once again added the extras the Deacons hard work had paid off & the opposition supporters were quietened for a minute.

Medway finished with a flourish. The last try was hard to swallow but the Deacons were exhausted after 80 minutes of ferocious tackling having been subjected to relentless punishment. As always we stuck at it and gave everything for the badge and our team mates. We will bounce back.

Enjoy the win Medway, we hope it makes you happy. Dear lord, what a sad little life Medway. You ruined my day entirely just so you could have a little win.

POtM – Dan Head. For rallying the troops, kicking the points & leading from the front.
Mentions- Freddie Vion (tackling all over the place) James Newman, Matt Burchell for stepping up and in to all sorts of areas.
Also Dylan, Rob & Freddie again for playing all sorts of positions backs & forwards and Steve Rutt for putting on a shift for the first half against a horrible Medway pack.

We miss you Brad. Get well soon Ronnie & Matt.

Canterbury Women 22

Medway Women 12

Canterbury Women secured a hard fought 22–12 bonus point win at home yesterday against a strong Medway side, marking our first home game of the year and extending our winning run to three matches. Games against Medway are always competitive, physical encounters, and this fixture proved no different, with both teams fully committed from the opening whistle. It is a rivalry we always look forward to, and Medway once again tested us across the park.

Canterbury set the tone early with consistent strong carries and excellent support at the breakdown, allowing us to maintain momentum and recycle the ball effectively. Lydia Ticehurst (#9) worked tirelessly at the back of the breakdown and scrums, moving the ball quickly to our pods or to skipper Kate Rutherford (#10), keeping Medway’s defence under constant pressure. The back three showed great cohesion throughout, supporting each other well under high balls and contributing with strong carries, offloads, and solid ruck security. Notably, Lola Yuille-Clough (#11) impressed with powerful runs and well timed hand offs that repeatedly gained ground.

The opening try came from winger Emily Moriarty (#14) after some clean hands along the back line, finishing confidently out wide. The second try followed from fullback Robyn Gulley (#15), whose trademark hand offs and physical carries saw her power her way under the posts. Canterbury continued to build pressure through the forwards, and after a series of hard carries, met by equally committed tackling from Medway, Lily Philpott (#7) forced her way through the defence to score our third try, again grounding the ball beneath the posts. Captain Kate Rutherford summed it up perfectly, noting, “Where there is a Lily Philpott, you’ll soon find an Inger Philpott not far behind,” with Inger Philpott (#2) able to celebrate the try with her daughter under the posts. The fourth and final try came from Robyn Gulley, securing her second of the match. Breaking the defensive line, she showed great awareness and skill to play the ball off the foot before collecting and finishing strongly over the line.

A disciplined team performance, combined with physicality and smart decision making, ensured Canterbury came away with a deserved bonus point victory and a strong start to the home fixtures this year.

Across the squad, every player put in a hugely physical shift, fronting up in contact and working for one another throughout the full eighty minutes. The impact players brought exactly what they are described as bringing, impact, lifting the tempo, adding physicality, and ensuring standards stayed high right through to the final whistle.

Players of the Match were particularly hard to select this week following strong performances across the squad. Forwards of the Match went to the mother and daughter duo Lily Philpott (#7) and Inger Philpott (#2), while Backs of the Match were awarded to Lydia Ticehurst (#9) and Lola Yuille-Clough (#11).

Off the pitch, it was a fun day had by all. A huge thank you goes to the bar and kitchen for their hospitality, amazing as always, and most importantly, to our supporters who came out in the cold to make noise for the women. Your support makes a real difference.

Pilgrims 26
Bromley 29

Pilgrims took to the field at the MTG on a high from their victory over league leaders Brighton last weekend, but were hampered by a number of unavailabilities within the squad leading to Tyrell Thomas, Alex Smith and Joel Poulter all stepping up to make their league debuts for the Pilgrims.
The visitors drew first blood when they scored from a pick and go after their well drilled backline- led by ex Canterbury back Harvey Young- moved the ball well to get in behind the home defence. Despite 2 strong tackles from Hunt & Devine, Bromley dived over for a converted score, 0-7.
The pilgrims kicked long and chased well and their aggressive defending forced Bromley into some illegal defending which allowed Hewitt to step up and slot the first pilgrims points of the day with a penalty, 3-7.
Bromley continued to threatened going down the slope with ball in hand and quickly added a second score which came from some slick handling that got their pacey winger the ball in space out wide and he eluded the covering pilgrims defence to score in the corner which was well converted by the Bromley centre, 3-14.
Again the Pilgrims responded with good attacking play of their own leading to a second penalty goal from Hewitt- 6-14.
A pattern started to develop as another Bromley foray into the pilgrims 22 led them to score their 3rd try despite some aggressive pilgrims defence, this time their otherwise exceptional kicker missing from out wide, 6-19. This was followed up when pilgrims visited the Bromley 22m with Hewitt adding his 3rd penalty to bring the HT score 9-19 with supporters aware the slope is usually worth 10 points.
Fresh from some words of encouragement from coach Mal Graves, the pilgrims came out for the 2nd half firing. The aggressive defence and direct running of back row men Isaac Devine and Max McCormack was giving the pilgrims plenty of front foot ball going down the Hill. The mis-firing scrum was now holding its own and gave the pilgrims a good attacking platform. Hewitt added a fourth penalty to make it 12-19 before they added their 1st try after powering over from close range to make it 19-19.
Bromley elected to go for goal when given the opportunity arose rather than kick for the corner which they had done previously. 19-22.
The Pilgrims were starting to impose their will on the game with the direct running and aggressive defence causing Bromley problems. A fine break by Prop Tyrell Thomas was followed up by some slick handling which saw the pilgrims score under the posts to take the lead 26-22.
The last 15 minutes saw both sides giving everything which resulted in a yellow card each, first to Bromley for a high tackle before The pilgrims were reduced to 14 with the clock ticking down as their aggressive defence was deemed to aggressive by the very good referee. With the final play of the game, Bromley sucked the home defence in with a series of forward runners before moving the ball out wide to score in the corner. They added the extras to take the win 26-29 leaving the pilgrims with a losing bonus point from an entertaining but ultimately frustrating afternoon at the MTG.

WESTCOMBE PARK 12 CANTERBURY 21

by David Haigh

An assured second half performance, rewarded by three Frank Reynolds penalty goals, extended Canterbury’s winning streak to seven games. The victory, on a sticky pitch, was down to excellent game management and robust defence which saw them control territory and limit ‘Combe’s attacking options. Given the conditions, and the home side’s defensive qualities, this Kent derby was never going to be a try fest and the prime requirement was to make the most of your chances.’Combe did that early on when Canterbury’s failure to clear up loose ball saw Mikel Davies sprint away for the try and Max Brown convert. The response came on thirteen minutes, a breakdown penalty setting up position for a catch and drive score from the prolific Eoin O’Donoghue, his fourteenth of the season, and topped up by Reynolds. When ‘Combe created a similar chance the city side’s lineout steal averted trouble and by the end of an attritional, but absorbing, first session they had taken the lead. Wing Toby Wallace’s deliberate knock on cost him a yellow card and his side a try as Canterbury rumbled over from another driving maul. Tyler Oliver scored and although Reynolds failed with a difficult conversion he made ‘Combe pay for their indiscipline after the break. Canterbury’s expert handling of the fundamentals built frustration in the home ranks and, having failed to make significant progress, they coughed up penalties. O’Donoghue had a second try ruled out for a double movement before Reynolds struck twice in the space of five minutes at the start of the final quarter to open an eleven point gap. A visit to Canterbury territory was becoming rarer but when ‘Combe did get an opportunity, via a penalty award, they made the most of it, spreading ball from a lineout and Wallace diving in at the corner. However. that was all they were allowed as Canterbury rebuilt the pressure and piled on their replacements. A four-one split on the bench, favouring the forwards, was another decision they got right and the win was completed three minutes from time when Reynolds punished an off-side home team with his final penalty kick..

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, A.Moss, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, L.Talbot, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, J.Walker, R.Thomas. T.Oliver, Replacements: T.Williams, T.McKenzie, J.De Vries, J.Dengate, C.Macmillan.

SATURDAY PREVIEW

Jamie Stephens was spot on with his summary in our huddle after last Saturday’s game. His immediate review was that it wasn’t our best performance, but it was still a five-point win and we’ve maintained our momentum heading into this week. Any win against an experienced National League side, as Henley are, is still an achievement.
My personal disappointment was that our two previous performances, both away from home, had been of such a high calibre that I wanted us to bring that level back and showcase it on our own pitch, in front of our amazing supporters.
From my perspective, the main reason we fell short of this was our inability to convert when we were in Henley’s 22. This has been a real strength for us in recent games, but on Saturday, we wasted opportunities that could have made the score line look very different. The upside is that it has given us some very clear areas to work on in training this week, and I’m looking forward to seeing the players take another step forward as we head into what is always an intense fixture away at Westcombe Park.

It’s funny how things work out, but we go into this weekend in an identical position to this time last season, with six wins behind us. Last year, it was away at Westcombe Park where our winning run came to an end. We know exactly what it will take to get a result against a ‘Combe side who concede very few points at home and know all too well how to win on their own pitch. It’s going to be a big Saturday.

The Pilgrims started the year with a bang, beating table-topping Brighton away from home. It was only the third defeat of the season for the league leaders and, after a strong first-half performance, the Pilgrims took control and stayed out in front. Bromley visit the Marine Travel Ground this weekend and the reverse fixture was a closely fought contest, with Bromley scoring late on to seal the win. The Pilgrims are focused on backing up last week’s strong performance, but they know they’ll need to deliver the same level again if they are to get the result they want.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

Pilgrims 24

Brighton 17

The Pilgrims travelled to Sussex to take on league leaders Brighton keen to improve on their poor showing at Gravesend before Christmas and avenge a heavey Home defeat at the MTG earlier in the season.
After a lengthy delay on the M2 the Pilgrims arrived 50 minutes before kick off which disrupted Coach Mal Graves’ warm up plans.
Brighton showed exactly why they are league leaders as they got the games opening score within minutes of the kick off as they showed slick handling to move the ball wide to score and take a 5-0 lead.
The Pilgrims regrouped under the posts and after a quick chat to tweak the game plan, produced arguably their best 30 minutes of rugby this season. The forwards were carrying with intent and the direct running and offloading of the backs asked Brighton questions they simply didn’t have the answers to. The first of 3 scores came when Fin Mason-Myers sensed an opening and darted through a gap at the side of a ruck and was able to out pace the covering defence to take the score to 5-7.
Great interplay from the pilgrims forwards and backs got in behind the Brighton defence with Orris’ sublime offload sending Hewitt clear-Brightons pacey back 3 got back to make the tackle but there was no one defending the back field when Mason-Myers kicked in behind- he out paced the defence to regather and score his 2nd and take the score to 5-14.
Pilgrims then added a penalty to make it 5-17 after a high tackle from Brighton presented a simple opportunity for 3 points which Hewitt slotted. Orris then showed his class by going on a powerful run that saw him beat a number of defenders after good work from Morgan and Collins. When he was finally brought down it was Mason-Myers on hand in support to race through and score his 3rd taking the score to 5-24.
On the stroke of Half time, Brighton reminded the pilgrims of their own threat when they skilfully moved the ball wide before a good running line from the number 8 saw him run through untouched to score 12-24.
The second half became a scrappy affair with the Pilgrims aggressive defence frustrating Brighton and an element of niggle entered the game. Brighton were first to fall foul of the referee’s ire when they received a yellow card for a high tackle before pilgrims Isaac Devine received a 10 minute rest for allegedly tackling a player after the whistle. It was during this period that Brighton scored the only points of the 2nd half, utilising their numerical advantage to score out wide to take the score to 17-24.
Pilgrims had chances of their own, notably following strong runs from de Vries and wing Mitch Fielder, and the decision to turn down an easy 3 points in favour of a pick and go that was turned over showed the young pilgrims side still have much to learn, but a first half attacking masterclass followed by and outstanding second half defensive effort ensured the pilgrims defeated current league leaders Brighton.

Team: C. Oliver, Bull, Gill, Nicholson, de Vries, Hunt, Devine, McCormack, Mason-Myers, Collins, Fielder, Morgan, Orris, English, Hewitt, Kubicki, Masaka, Ingram.