MINI MATTERS Week 14

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1 MINI MATTERS Week 14 Sunday 3 rd December Vs Tabard Hello Datchworth Mini Section Coaches, Managers, Players, Parents and Supporters, Last Sunday we welcomed most Tabard age groups to Datchworth for a home fixture. While Tabard were slightly short on numbers the quality of their players was very good and they gave our sides some very competitive games. The stories of this weekend s rugby are told below U6s Training at Datchworth: It was a new experience for the U6s this week, for players and coaches, as we were joined by an away team from Tabard Rugby Club indeed the Datchworth coaches wasted no time in maximising the opportunity for transfer of coaching tips from their opposite numbers. Despite the dismal weather, Datchworth still managed to field 16 players, with 4 additional boys from Tabard, so it was a lively session with some new games introduced to the home players. After introducing Tabard to the bean warm up and a few rounds of tag we continued with one of their games called Treasure Island. This made for a welcome change and we hope to play this again in future weeks if we can find enough rugby balls! We then tried another new exercise which was like a rugby version of musical chairs and it was great to see the players really competing for the decreasing number of balls. There was a lot to take in for the Datchworth players during such a hectic session and it was impressive how everyone was able to maintain concentration and listen to coaches who they hadn t met before. The final exercise of the session was a passing drill to practice ball handling before moving on to a couple of games of bull dog. This week s winners were Olly and Reuben and there was some great tagging by Joe in the defensive line and some determined running by Harry. However the player of the week trophy was awarded to Thomas for his really impressive catching and passing at the start of the session. Please also note that next week s session will start at 09:30am and finish at 10:30am (due to the Youth Section hosting 3 home games so we need to have cleared the pitches well before 11am).

2 U7s Datchworth V Tabard: Drizzly and muddy morning at Datch for the U7s this morning. We worked on one theme today - offside - starting with some basic drills on how to stay and pass back. Once the kids had run through that a few times and we found Tabard we started a group warm-up session. Tabard had brought 5 U7 players so we made them team captains and split the Datch players into 5 teams and got them moving with basic running and passing races. After everyone was warm we kept the Tabard now 6 players on one pitch and rotated 4 Datchworth teams through them playing each other as we went to ensure as much game time as possible concentrating on staying on side. Coach Wes s team tagged well all round and passing is improving. Harry G and Lenny showed progress in running forwards. They need to practice holding back in defence. A good day for the team and much improvement noted. A strong performance from Coach Adam s team today as we played three excellent games. We had some great attacking playing and scored plenty of free-flowing tries. Nathan did some exceptional direct running and fantastic passing, Charlie was quick on his feet and kept within the lines today. Martha organised the defence extremely well and scored some great tries. Reece was good at spotting gaps and positioning himself in space and Kyron bullied the opposite defence with determined runs. We learned more this week about being offside and will work on that in the coming weeks. For Coach Matt, we promoted Harry P to team captain so we could turn his energy into team management and boy he didn t let us down. It was great to see a confident Harry share around the responsibility of running, looking for new opportunities and delegation. The rest of the team responded really well and acted on Harry s requests. Best of all, for more the game, they were all on side. Some very impressive rugby from both Tabard and Datchworth especially from the pass-master Bea, El Capitan Martha and rock Harry. We finished the morning like we always do with a joint bull-dog session where the kids had a final run off and got a little muddier. No player of the week - all players were awesome. Thanks to Tabard for a great joint event and we look forward to a training session next week.

3 U8s Datchworth V Tabard: The U8 squad welcomed a Tabard team to a drizzly Datchworth this week. After warming up, our players split into three teams and while one of the teams played the strong Tabard team, the other two practiced drills and defence work. There was lots of tagging and our players supported each other well. There was also a lot of great runs and tries. Both squads came together at the end of the session for a joint game of bulldog. Thank you to Logan for helping the coaches this week... you did a great job! Congratulations to Arley, our player of the week this week and well done to Stanley for being our star player, last week on the 26th! U9s Datchworth V Tabard: Tabard head coach Chris brought 9 players, as usual our players stepped up and volunteered and Barbarian teams were formed, honestly, our players were superb, great team work, excellent communication and support. We dominated each match with Tabard stepping up to reach our standards, great Rugby from all with excellent and fair refereeing from Coach Dave and

4 Coach Kirston. Sam Gore deservedly awarded player of the week, constantly setting up the line, putting in huge tackles and passing on the line to set up a great try. Sam works so hard each week to bring all the players together, shouting instruction down the line or during the play; well done Sam! U10s Datchworth V Tabard: Our first wet morning of the season saw the visit of Tabard, (with 13 players). We had the whole pitch today so we made a very wide pitch to try and get the boys to use the space. This didn t work as we were very bunched up and kept running back into contact when we clearly had boys in space outside; we now have some training sessions to work on this problem plus some poor tacking by a number of our players. After a spirited game of touch the boys split into two groups to take on Tabard. One group took the chance to work on their skills while the other played against the visitors. Two good games were played with plenty of endeavour and effort on show from both sides. Defence was strong and the attacking skills are coming on every week with some nice passing and support running on show. The boys still need to focus on moving the ball wider earlier to take advantage of the speedsters in our ranks but week on week everyone progresses which is great to see. Regarding the games, we decided that Tabard would play one team and rotate their players for 2 games. In the first game, we played fairly well, Harrison is getting better every week, Will Sharpe played well and scored; all the boys played well but this was a strong team. Will G and Freddie both stood up to a tough team and won 5-2 Our 2 nd team were not quite as strong; too many were not committed to tackling and relied on other players to tackle; a number of the boys need to work on their tackling. The game was very tough, Elwood was up for it Indy played well again although one tackle was a bit high!!! Thomas Kersey was awesome, a big well done to him, without him we would not have won but we did 4-2, (I think). Our players of the week were little and large Harrison and Indy well done boys. Thanks again to Chris Gilham for refereeing

5 U11s Datchworth On a lovely but damp Sunday morning, the Fearless U11s took to the training field as Tabard U11s were too afraid to take on the mighty winning machine that we will be calling the terminators for the rest of this article. We started the morning with what has now been dubbed the Woody work out and with guts and determination the terminators pushed through the pain barrier and completed the 3 stages Onwards then for one group to polish their already slick handling skills while the other group practiced their catching under the high ball. We then swapped over. Then came the end of session game The Warriors took on The Smashers in a titanic battle. The immovable objects came up against the unstoppable force. Nobody asked for or gave an inch in the game. It ended in a draw We then retired the club for some much-needed refreshment and a rather lovely hot dog U12s Datchworth V Tabard: Tabard U12s are a tough team who are well drilled, quick and very hard to beat. Last year at Tabard in a very feisty encounter we fell short so we knew what to expect this year. With the opportunity to play on the First Team Pitch the good turn-out and warm up gave us optimism for the game ahead. When the game got going Tabard employed a more mature kicking game that we have come across against other teams this year. With excellent tactical kicking, we were forced to play rugby in our own half and face a well drilled side who were winning the battle of the break-down. The Datchworth boys all tackled well and worked hard to keep the game tight. Tabards kicking game and changes from the bench, compounded by a couple of missed tackles the game started to slip away, in rugby terms the game was (Tabard won 3-1). The game was very feisty with some sledging from our visitors challenging the boys discipline and game management. On a difficult morning against good opposition a few people deserve special mention. Luke G made countless fantastic tackles and chased back to save a try well done Luke. Nelson was our most effective ball-carrier, against a good team Nelson was able to get us on the front foot. In term of positive, encouraging attitude in the face of adversity two boys stood out, Alex Donovan and Matthew McGinty. Matthew was absolutely exceptional this week, he tackled and rucked like a lion and drove his teammates on, without any doubt Matthew was our deserved player of the week. After a busy and intense fixture

6 period a couple of weeks training will be a welcome break from games as we run down into the Christmas break. Mid-week training is taking place on Wednesday and then next Sunday we have an early session as there are three youth games kicking off at 11 hence our training session is 9:30 10:30 although I will aim to set up for 9AM so anyone able to get down at 9 will allow a full-length session. Thanks to you all, it is really very positive to see the size and shape of our squad. Lastly thanks to Warren for another set of fantastic pictures of our boys playing on Sunday morning. Girls & Women s Rugby Update: Datchworth Girls Training We took advantage of a cancelled u11s fixture to set up a girls training session with a few guests from OAs joining us. The drills were focused on making quick offloads from the tackle and using the space available to good effect. Lots of heads up rugby. It was great to see the girls take what they had learned in to the game at the end of the session with some great supporting play. We were also joined by a couple of the u10s Tabard girls for the last 20 mins which was a nice way to end the session. This was the last girls training of the calendar year but we will run plenty more after the Xmas break. Warrior Camp Announcement Datchworth will be running an RFU sponsored Warrior Camp on Sunday 28th January at 1.30pm. It is open to all girls from school year 7 to year 13 (u12s to u18s) and is a great opportunity for them to try rugby as a new sport. It s designed with novice players in mind but it s also a great opportunity to attract some experienced players to the club too. The club is making a big push to build Girls Youth rugby moving forward and this will be another important step. Please show your support by spreading the word. More details will follow. Datchworth Ladies Touch Rugby session The Datchworth Ladies took part in their first session of Touch Rugby under the floodlights last Monday. Great fun was had by those who attended and we are expecting numbers to build now that the sessions have begun. It s open to all ladies 18+ whether you ve played before or not and the sessions are focused on fun and fitness so please do give it a try. They run on Monday nights starting at 7.30pm. Contact Lynne Solomon for details or just turn up on the night: lcsolomon@btinternet.com

7 Mini Mid-Week Training: The first sessions are approx 6:30 till 7:30 and the second session 7:35 till 8:35. Details and locations as below: Age Group Time / Date / Location Notes U10s U11s U12s 6:30 till 7:30 PM Flood lit training pitch 6:30 till 7:30 PM Flood Lit training pitch 7:35 till 8:35 PM Flood lit training pitch Wed 6 th Dec Confirmed Session Wed 6 th Dec Confirmed Session Wed 6 th Dec Confirmed Session Mid-Week Training Pitch Space Allocation at the two-time slots: Next Weekend s Mini Arrangements: Next Sunday the Mini Section are all at home for an early training session. There are three Youth Games, 2 kicking off at 11AM and a third at 11:30 all Mini squads need to clear pitches promptly at 10:30 hence an early session from 9/9:30 10:30.

8 The U8s are on Parking Duty at Datchworth on Sunday for the Mini Section at 9AM the U14s will pick up car park marshalling at 10AM for the Youth Fixtures and to clear away the cones. Datchworth RFC Holt Tour 2017 TOUR TO HILLTOP AND HOLT RFC April th 2018 Bookings are now being taken for our annual tour to Norfolk. The Mini Section Tour is open to age groups from U7 U12. The tour will be the same trusted format as the previous years; we have sole occupancy of the Hilltop outdoor centre in Sherringham from Friday evening, outdoor activities on the Saturday and entry into the Kingswood rugby festival hosted by Holt RFC on the Sunday. Last year the Tour was a sell out with a waiting list! Bookings forms are included in this week s from you team manager and are also available from Nicola (mrsnicolahoward@outlook.com). To hold your spot I will require a 25 deposit per person, the total cost per head (adults and children) is 135, (there is a reduced rate for younger siblings under the age of 6 ( 66) who are too young to take part in the activities) full details about the weekend, forms and payment details are included in the Tour information pack. If you do have any questions regarding the tour please do not hesitate to contact Nicola. Please read the information pack if you are new to the tour as there are a few quirks to the tour for example due to the nature of the accommodation sharing rooms is common! Please complete the forms from the Tour information pack (all of them please!) pass these to you team manager or to Nicola and arrange the payment for your deposits! I look forward to hearing from you and to booking this great weekend in again for the minis section

9 Other Club News & Event Information: Christmas Jumpers 2017! On Saturday 16 th December, the First XV are hosting Welwyn at Datchworth. This is the biggest local derby in our calendar and will also be the back-drop to this year s Christmas Jumper Evening. There will be festive nibbles and mulled wine available; some fantastic rugby to enjoy and a bit of Christmas fun in the evening. These events are usually fantastic and I cannot recommend enough for you to come along. We will also be looking for a guard of honour for the First XV from the Mini Section. Here are some pictures from the last few years!!! 2018 Datchworth Rugby Club - Mini and Youth Dinner and Dance: The 2018 Dinner and Dance has now sold out (all 180 Tickets)! If you have missed out on tickets, please drop Nicola an with your details and we will contact you if spaces become available. In recent years, some people have had to drop out so we often see a few slots become available over the next couple of months. mrsnicolahoward@outlook.com Squad Photos The Photos will be available to view again on Sunday. The mounted photos are 7.50 per print this season. Please order these squad photographs, they will be high quality prints and 100% of the profit will be reinvested in Mini Rugby Training and equipment at Datchworth RFC.

10 Mini Section Fixtures Plan 2017/18 Season: Week Date Datchworth RFC Mini Section Provisional 17/18 Season DRFC Parking Duty Dec Dec EARLY Training at Datchworth (all Minis) Minis were due to play Away at Enfield Old Grammarians but this is cancelled Youth are hosting 3 games Mini Training is 9 / 9:30 till 10:30 Final Training of 2017 at Datchworth + Santa (might) Visit the Mini Section at Datchworth!!! Ho Ho Ho U8 + U14 U Dec Xmas Eve NO RUGBY - Winter Break N/A Dec New Year s Eve NO RUGBY Winter Break N/A Training at Datchworth U7 / U8 / U10 / U11 / U Jan DRFC U9s Away Vs Harpenden (Single Age Group) U Jan Hertford & Saracens 3 Way Fixture DRFC U10s / U12s Vs Hertford & Saracens (at Datchworth) DRFC U7s / U8s / U9s / U11s Away Vs Hertford & Saracens (at Hertford) U Jan DRFC Minis Vs Barnet at Datchworth U Jan DRFC Minis Vs Stevenage at Datchworth U Feb DRFC Away Vs Enfield Ignations at Enfield TBC Youth Feb Training at Datchworth TBC Feb DRFC Away Vs Letchworth at Letchworth Youth Feb Charles Morris Cup Weekend Vs Welwyn U Mar DRFC Minis Vs Chess Valley at Datchworth TBC

11 Closing Notes & Roundup Last weekend was a bit quieter with relatively small squads joining us from Tabard. We are now very much on the run down to the Christmas and New Year break. Next Sunday we have an early training session before the Youth Section games and then the following weekend we are gearing up for Christmas Jumpers on Saturday and a possible visit from Santa on Sunday morning. I hope you all have a great week and we see you all a bit earlier than usual next Sunday. Best wishes, Andrew Andrew Howard Chairman Mini Section