Many players who’ve been through junior teams will tell you that the Junior Colts year is the hardest of them all. It’s the time where two age groups combine so probably for the first time players are up against opponents a year older. Opponents who are not just heavier and faster but a years worth of experience and quicker thinking power is just as hard to overcome.

I have a squad of 18 players and have an injury list that looks like a shopping list your mum makes before going to Tescos:

2 concussions
1 dislocated knee
1 broken nose
1 sprained ankle
1 pulled hamstring
2 jarred backs

Joe Swiffen, our Captain, No8 and main lineout jumper broke his nose last Sunday, he is going to be one of the best jackallers in the Club in few years time, so there’s no point straightening his beak yet! One of the concussions is to our Loose Head Prop Joe O’Hara, fast, strong, great srummaging technique and a line out lifter. I’ve not told him that if he keeps playing rugby he could be a first team prop in 4 years but we’re not sure if he will be allowed to play again!

Most of our players are 16 years old and are usually playing against 18 year olds. During our game on Sunday our 8 stone Fly Half tackled an opponent head on going full tilt on to a nice bouncing ball. The player was 9 stone heavier than him (yes we checked afterwards) but he courageously brought him down. He’s one of the jarred backs but he played on! After the game our boys had a coke and a sausage sandwich whilst our opponents did a boat race in the clubhouse downing pints of ale in one.

Many of this group of players have been with the Club since they were 5 or 6 years old. They’ve never been a world beating team but they love rugby (most of the time) and they are all Brodleians. They’ve had some tough times but this is the toughest they’ve had it. They play a Yorkshire League game on Sunday morning at 11am so this is a bit of a call to arms, if any of you are around the Club on Sunday morning and you can spare half an hour to make some noise, I know they’d appreciate it, you might just spur them on their first win of the season

Thanks for reading