They've done this by, on-the-whole, giving their all in training and then taking that same attitude on to the pitch on a Sunday morning. The spirit and comradeship that has developed in this group has blossomed over the last few years and, from a coaches and parents point of view, is incredibly pleasing to witness. Sure, there have been tears, tantrums and toys thrown well clear of the pram on several occasions. But it means they care.

After September’s training sessions, the season started with a trip to Burton on a bright and sparkling morning and this was exactly the style of rugby the boys served up. Clever running lines, smart offloads and dominance up front brought a well-earned 27-15 win. Great start.

The rest of October wasn't as successful, unfortunately, with defeats against Tamworth and Worcester but a return to form came in an entertaining end-to-end game against Nuneaton which the boys narrowly won 35-33. A comprehensive win against a depleted Willenhall squad followed but it wasn't the result that was the most gratifying aspect – it was the attitude of the six players that went across to help out the opposition so that the game could go ahead.

The last game of November produced what many feel was the performance of the season. Trentham have always been a tough team, controlled by their clever scrum-half, but our boys nullified his influence and showed such resolution in defence that Trentham didn't have a sniff of a chance in the second half. Walsall walked away with a 28-14 win and huge smiles on their faces.

A swift return to earth came after defeats at home to Wolverhampton and in an eventful away trip to Bridgnorth. Two more defeats followed when matches resumed in March and then the boys got to the semi-finals at the Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup, only to be knocked out by the plate winners, Stourbridge.

Fine wins against a very strong Moseley team and local rivals, Sutton Coldfield, completed the regular season.

Our tour this year took us to the East Midlands where the boys had a morning’s coaching from Leicester Tigers coaches at their Oval Park Training facility and then headed off to Welford Road to see Tigers secure a 4-try bonus point win over London Wasps.
Loughborough RFC were fantastic hosts for our game on the Sunday morning but then spoiled the party slightly by running out eventual winners. The boys did, however, get a taste of what’s to come next season in a 10-minute 15-a-side game on a full pitch. I think they enjoyed it…..we’ll soon find out in September.

On the Saturday night, we held our annual awards presentation with trophies and certificates awarded to:
Chatterbox Of The Year: Ben Yau
Best New Player: Daniel Gilbert
Most Chats With Referees!: Matthew Howell
Best Attacking Player: Cory Clarke-Selby
Most Likely To Smash The Biggest Opponent: George Allbright
Best Defending Player: Ted Parsons
Most Likely To Take Your Head Off With A Pass!: Harry Bucknall
Best Performance In A Game: Ben Pitt (Burton away)
Deepest Thinker: Alex Butler
Coaches Award for Endeavour: Alex Garton
The ‘Stick To Rugby-You Know It Makes Sense!’ award: Zak Somani-Dawson
Best Technical Player: Joe Pearce
Tackle Of The Year: Ben Stackhouse
Best Back: Ben Pitt
Best Forward: Joe Pearce
Most Improved Player: 1st - Jake Mooney, 2nd - Jamie Mallaband & Sam Wellings, 3rd – James Rogers
Spectators’ Player of The Year: 1st – Cory Clarke-Selby, 2nd – Joe Pearce, 3rd – Ted Parsons
Players’ Player of The Year: 1st – Joe Pearce, 2nd Sam Wellings, 3rd Ted Parsons
Player of The Year: 1st – Joe Pearce, 2nd – Ben Pitt, 3rd – James Rogers

The climax to the season came in the Staffordshire Festival, hosted at home only thanks to the wonderful efforts of the boys’ parents. The boys showed similar endeavour on the pitch and came so close to getting to the final, only to be denied by the eventual runners-up.

With the rugby they have produced over the last couple of season, the boys should have real belief going into their first season of junior rugby that they can compete with the best teams out there.

Thank you to all the boys who make this a pleasurable role most of the time! A big thank you to Mark Gilbert for stepping into a coaching role and sharing his experience, to Phil Marris for his continued support in everything we try and do for the team and a huge thank you to Christine Rogers for continuing to tackle the unenviable task of managing the team administration. The final note of thanks needs to go to the parents as a whole; without their combined efforts in organising fund-raising events and simply bringing their boys along each Sunday and Thursday, so many good things this season simply wouldn't have happened. Long may it continue!

With the Presentation Evening, the camping weekend and no doubt several other nights out, the new season will be here in no time!