Welcome message from our Chairman, Mr Ian Banister

It will be a fantastic day at the club watching the 1st team season opener against Stratford-on-Avon RFC with the added benefit of a hog roast and live music afterwards. Visit the club website for more info.

And if that wasn't enough it will be our Chairman's first match and therefore a great opportunity for everyone that doesn't know Ian Banister (Banni) to say hello. Following some member requests I pleased to include a profile of Ian at the end of this email. Before that however a quick message from Ian.

“I have already recognised that the role of Chairman is all encompassing and that to properly do the job the members have asked me to do, I need some assistance. As such I asked the board to appoint a vice Chairman to assist me and I am delighted that Ceri Morris has accepted the position. Ceri has been a member of the club for over twenty years and for many years played for the club at various levels and I feel is ideally suited for the role”
Profile of Ian Banister

Dear Members
I am delighted to take up the role of Chairman of Chippenham Rugby Club and look forward to meeting as many of you as possible during the 2017/18 season. I know many of the members will know me however I thought it was important to let you all know a little more about my background.
I have now been a member of Chippenham Rugby for 17 years having moved from South East England. Although I made my first visit to the Rugby Club 25 years ago for the opening of the clubhouse at Allington with my father in law Derrick Charter who captained the club in 1959, so I actually have connections dating back over 50 years.

I have been playing rugby since the age of 12 and was lucky enough to play on (in the backs) until the age of 50 where I finished playing for the 3rd team here at Chippenham. I have played for three clubs over my time, playing rugby playing at all levels and captaining teams at every club.
This is not my first time on the committee as I was previously Senior Chairman between 2008 -2011 although the club has moved on since then and the formation of the board means additional responsibility for me and the other directors of the club.

Outside of rugby, I now work as a business coach primarily helping SME’s grow their business and their people to be the best they can be. I live locally in Yatton Keynell with my wife Liz who incidentally was born in Chippenham, and I have recently stepped down from being Chair of Governors at By Brook Valley Primary School.

I can honestly say that Chippenham is the best club I have been involved with during my rugby career. We have mini and junior sections that are the envy of many clubs in the South West and a senior section that has played at national league level. What we perhaps have not done so well is manage the transition between junior and senior rugby, something that I have said to the board needs to be a focus of the club this year and into the future.

Finally, we are a member’s club run by volunteers and we all need to recognise that the heart of the club is about rugby and the people involved in it. My focus therefore as Chairman will be to make sure that all members of the club can enjoy their rugby, played in the right spirit both on and off the pitch achieving the best we can at all levels of Chippenham Rugby Club.

Ian Banister
Email: chairman@chippenhamrfc.co.uk

Updated 22:25 - 1 Sep 2019 by MATTHEW STEPHEN