Middlesbrough RUFC

Injuries to Sam Gaudie and Jack McPhillips keep them out of the picture but Tom Buridge, Lewis Boyce and Josh Bainbridge all played there part in an 11 tries to 2 hammering of North Yorkshire U17s by Yorkshire u16s with Bambi crossing for a try before suffering a hurty anksle.

Durham dispatched Cumbria 40-5 with Fezan Mughal,Tom Mavin, Lorcan O'Donnell and Dan Osborn all getting big game time. Fez seaked over for a try. Mav also told me how much he was enjoying 2nd Row.... LOL

Season report and update on EPDG news

With the start of the season now less than a week away and training in full swing, things look well set for another great season. Pre-season training has been well attended and the lads are looking good. The Leeds Academy lads look particularly fit and with the exception of Dan O’s knee most appear to be injury free. Good to see Sam G back to full fitness after his bad luck with injury at the end of last season. Even the Coaching staff looked good, John and Dave upbeat for the season ahead, Mark manfully coping with the extra work now that Doctors are being asked to work 3 sometimes 4 whole days a week ( I reserve the right to retract this comment at a later date should I require medical assistance in the coming season). JB looking as sharp and supportive as ever despite getting conned over the off season by one of those fad diet regimes, JB paid £50 for the foolproof, “pie, BBQ & beer summer” diet book and video – followed it rigorously and didn’t loose an ounce.
Seven of the lads had an early season outing at the Leicester Tigers training ground where the academies of Leeds, Leicester, Newcastle, Sale, Northampton & Worcester were having a 15 side tournament. The Leicester Tigers training pitch looked so good it was difficult to decide it was going to be used for snooker or rugby but this was till off limits this early in the season. The overall standard of Rugby was exceptionally high played at a pace and power which made it hard to believe that it was still under 16. Leeds won all three of their games, against Northampton, Newcastle and Leicester and looked the pick of the sides there. Their pack was superb dominating opposition packs which on the face of it looked physically bigger, but they couldn’t match Leeds pace, power and commitment. The Leeds backs also looked sharp and well organised and they played with great continuity and flare. Our lads did very well, Josh B’s work rate and pitch coverage was outstanding. Tom B did a massive amount of the unseen grunt and Jack Mac was a rock in defence and made some excellent line breaks – notably one from full back against his team mates in the Newcastle team. Lewis as is his won’t didn’t take a backwards step all day and terrorised the opposition front rows every match – when I say terrorised I don’t mean he was sitting next them wearing a ticking backpack, he just pushed his opposite number into the middle of next week at every scrum. Newcastle had a win over Sale and lost to Leeds and Worcester. Fez again looked sharp and made good yards every time he got the ball, Tom M tackled well and Dan O did nothing wrong all day despite suffering with a dodgy knee ( Scan results awaited – fingers crossed). Newcastle struggled a bit physically against some bigger and fitter sides, but showed some genuine pace and flair at times.
Overall a great day out and all of our lads will have benefited from the experience. The season kicks off in earnest with our first ever 7’s tournament at Blaydon next Saturday and then away at West Park Leeds on the Sunday. Let’s hope for another good season hopefully with the minimum of interruptions due to weather and injury. Good luck to all.

MArtin Mavin



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Sunday 28th August sees 7 (yes SEVEN) Middlesbrough RUFC u16s taking part in the Northern Academies Festival at Leicester Tigers. Tom Mavin, Fezan Mughal & Dan Osborne will be pulling on the black shirts of Newcastle Falcons while Josh Bainbridge, Lewis Boyce, Tom Burridge & Jack McPhillips will be donning their Leeds Carnegie kits.
Other teams will be Sale Sharks, Tigers, Saints, and Worcester Warriors. It should be a great day and another proud one for the club.

It is also great to see so many other players making huge strides at training


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Sam Gaudie has progressed to the final Durham CB trial.... but unfortunately will be on holiday for the trial. Dan Osborne is having a knee scan on the same night as the same final trial. Tom Mavin and Fezan Mughal are also there.

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Fantastic news in that Lewis Boyce has, along with about 30 other players nationally, been invited to take part in the England Development Camp at Harrow School 15-18th July. We are all so pleased for Boycey and he so deserves this. He is one of the most coachable players around and always gives 100% when training. We all know about his physical and mental attributes but his skill as a player has blossomed this year. Sympathies to Jack McPhillips who, despite picking up a dead leg at Broadstreet, still managed to impress all, but sadly missed out on the camp.

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Sunday 15th May saw us dip through the clouds and down into the beautiful town of Sedbergh. It could have been Sadberge for all we knew as the clouds were low and the drizzle constant. All the boys did well in what was a familiarisation session between players and coaches. Players enkjoyed it but thought it not too testing.

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Well Broadstreet has been and gone. All of the Boro lads did really well. Leeds were the best team there, winning 7 points from a possible 10 and the Falcons 3 from 10. It was a great day out with most of the lads going down the night prior and making a mini tour of it. All of the players seem to now be firmly in the plans of the relative academies but Lewis Boyce, Tom Burridge, Jack McPhillips and Fezan Mughal are among a squad of less than 30 that have been invited to a North of England Development day at Sedbergh School on Sunday 15th May.
Well done to all, a terrific achievement.
( a slightly dodgy picture of all 6 is attached!)

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26/04/2011 -Monday 2nd May sees the season finish at Broadstreet RUFC Where the Acadeny Elite Player Development Groups of Leeds Carnegie, Leicester, Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Sale Sharks & Worcester Warriors play each other in a round robin tournament. Selectors from England U16s will be there to invite a number of players to a summer camp. Boro 15s have 6 players involved: Tom Burridge, Lewis Boyce and Jack McPhillips for Leeds and Tom Mavin, Fezan Mughal and Dan Osborn for Newcastle. Good luck lads.

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Report by Martin Mavin:
Five of Boros U15's were involved in Sunday's three way tournament involving the U15 sides of Leeds Carnegie, Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons. Lewis Boyce, Tom Burridge and Jack McPhillips playing for Leeds and Tom Mavin and Fezan Mughal for the Falcons (all pictured with Josh Bainbridge of Guisborough RUFC). The event, played in glorious sunshine at the stunningly located Wharfedale RUFC, was a 12 a side format with no conversions and 15 minutes each way. Whilst effort and commitment levels were high all round, the event was dominated by the very impressive Leeds side who comfortably beat both Sale and the Falcons without conceding a try and scoring 20 themselves. The Falcons lost 6 trys to 5 against Sale in an entertaining game in which tackling at times appeared to be optional. The Falcons side was very much a scratch side having never played or trained together before, (not sure on Sales prepartion/set-up), and both teams were no match for the highly professional and well organised Leeds side. Leeds played with pace, power and a level of continuity and support a long way ahead of their rivals. Leeds's more thorough preparation showing in all aspects of the game. Some of the rugby they played was quite superb and whilst the other two sides will be a bit disappointed with some of their tackling, the credit must go to the whole Leeds squad who were outstanding. All the Boro lads played well with 4 out of 5 getting on the score sheet. A great afternoon of rugby for all those who were able to make the trip. Such a shame that JB was unable to make the games as he was off being a page boy or the like at a wedding. But to be fair as this was a feast of attacking sunshine rugby as opposed to a turgid waterlogged forward mud-fest, JB would have hated it.

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11/04/2011
So Sunday 10th saw Yorkshire at Cheshire and Durham at Northumberland. Martin Mavin reports from Druids Park as Durham battle the plastic pitch:
5 of Boros U15s were on respresentative duty for Durham against Northumberland on the "soft play area" pitch at Druids Park: Tom Mavin, Fezan Mughal & Dan Osborn in the starting 15 with Lorcan O'Donnel & Ruaridh McKay on the bench . At 19-5 ahead, including (two?) trys for Fez, Durham were coasting but squadered chance after chance before gifting Northumberland a score. Now with renewed hope and back to within one score, Northumberland pressed in the last 5 minutes for an equalising score, which eventually came wide on the left and with the last kick of the game an excellent conversion saw the game shared. 19-19. Tom, Dan and Fez played the full 60. Ru just back from injury played the second half and Lorcan came on part way through the second half. Very solid performances all round with Fez once again showing how dangerous he is in attack but also demonstrating that he can tackle when he knows he is not going to get muddy but star turn today was Dan at full back who was arguably Durhams man of the match. Lost of towering kicks fielded and always returned with interest. Well done to all of you.

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Cheshire had previously beaten Lancashire 22-5 and were expecting to prune the White Rose this weekend. Sadly they were hammered by a rampant and rather exceptional Yorkshire side. The skill levels on show by Yorkshire were amazing and I cannot recall a single knock on by the Tykes. The speed and execution shown were quite breathtaking and this side is obviously rather special.

Jack McPhillips (12, Lewis Boyce (1) and Tom Burridge (6) were all in the starting 15 and what a show the boys put on with the former 2 both both getting on the scoresheet. Tom, despite being forced off after 40 minutes with a hurty leg, put in a number of great tackles, hammered the rucks and always got Yorkshire going forward. Lewis was awesome with ball in hand and his distribution, speed and power were one of the easier observations to make, while Jack just controlled the midfield and showed great strength and vision, be it making a break or releasing his runners. This was the destruction of a very decent team and was a privilege to watch.
Many of these boys will undoubtably make North next year and some WILL go further than that!