A very warm welcome to you all in what has been the most challenging time in my reign as chairman. On the back of a very successful season last year with many things to celebrate, we have found ourselves unable to celebrate in a way that we would have liked. The Coronavirus pandemic has caused chaos on a global scale but can't take away the Club's many achievements last season. Ordinarily, we would have been attending award ceremonies and celebratory annual dinners, basking in the pride and reflecting on what was a great year.

The Juniors have really evolved and become a huge force in the rugby circle. Headed up by the charismatic Kev Shipway and his team of very committed volunteers, this whole section has grown from strength to strength. The section has approximately 150 members and always puts a huge smile on the face of everyone who comes along on a Sunday morning. We have lost some members over the last few years as they have moved away (some even as far as Australia !) but we can rest assured knowing that ADOB has played a huge part in these people’s lives and the purple and white spirit will ripple out to others around them.

Our Ladies team had a very successful season and went from an idea and a bit of fun, to playing really competitive rugby. They did hold their annual awards albeit a smaller, quieter affair than normal. I am very pleased to report that they have now entered the league system and look to continue to develop. I am particularly impressed at the level of commitment shown during lockdown, particularly with their isolation games and their presence on social media is absolutely massive. New players are making contact to join them on a pretty much daily basis and this is largely down to the huge effort being put in by them all.

Last but not least, I can’t let this go by without acknowledging what a fantastic season our senior Men’s teams had. Both 1XV and 2XV topping their leagues and reaching the cup final (yet to be played). It really was a year to celebrate however Covid prevented us from having an annual dinner to celebrate it in true ADOB style.

Now I'm going to shift from reflecting on last year to looking ahead to the 2020/21 season. I am incredibly excited and very much looking forward to this season. It has been great seeing the isolation games in full flow, the Men’s and Ladies team commencing training and of course the Juniors beginning to train again. Whilst there has been chaos, it has provided opportunity! As a whole club, we have been adapting to a new way of life and a massive amount of effort has been put into the club behind the scenes to ensure that our members feel safe in spite of these challenging times.

On 12th September the senior sides joined forces to host an intra-club touch rugby competition, the Covid Cup. This was the first time where we have mixed in terms of playing competitive mixed rugby. The day was a great success and I hope shows how much this club has evolved. Alongside this was the 1,500 burpee challenge to raise money for CLIC. It is great to see the men and ladies putting themselves through their paces and all for a fantastic cause.

Another amazing piece of work was the donation of our old Junior kits to Zambia and Zimbabwe. We are very fortunate to have such kind sponsors that have purchased new kit, and this has facilitated this amazing act of kindness. We really hope this makes a difference to the young people the Tag Rugby Trust support.

As we move forward, I would love to see our 'One Club' ethos continue to grow. I am hugely passionate for ADOB and wear my heart on my sleeve. I see our club as the heartbeat of the community and feel that with direction, leadership, commitment and passion, we can reach a level of excellence across the board.

We are very proud to be fast approaching our centenary year in 2021/22. We have big plans for this and will of course keep you posted on what’s happening. A group of 23 of us have booked to go to South Africa to follow the British Lions in July 2021. There will be many things happening that year to celebrate the fantastic milestone. I only see this club going up from here and now is an exciting time to be actively involved in this fantastic club. Fast forward 5 years and the aim is to have rugby for all ages from 3 upwards.

As I have said before on many occasions, the future is bright for the purple and white. I really hope that you can all see this. ADOB is back on the rugby map and making an impact in many areas. I am incredibly humbled at everyone’s efforts. Long may this continue. Let’s be 'more than just a rugby club'. One team with one dream!

I look forward to the exciting times ahead.

James Hall aka Coots
Club Chairman