On Friday 30 November 2007, twelve men met in the Roseneath Public House on Arden Street in Gillingham and discussed an idea, agreed plan to form a Rugby League Football Club in the Medway Towns. We drank Tea.
There was a group of people who loved the game, some because of heritage, some were novices who liked what they saw. We all had a passion to make a difference and give young people, from all backgrounds an opportunity. An opportunity to learn, test themselves, overcome the challenges posed by our game and achieve something that not many can. The right to call yourself a Rugby League Player.
We had nothing apart from a logo, energy, passion and belief.
What more do you need?
Our Leadership Vision was:
We secured the outstanding facilities known as The Garrison, at The Royal School of Military Engineering Sports Grounds which gave us a field to train and play on, a grandstand in a stadium, dressings rooms, stores and a clubhouse.
We set out to provide opportunities for all, we supported our local shops and community, we were and are diverse, inclusive, equitable. We avoided clapping tunnels and hipping and hooraying as this particular type of expressing respect seemed very odd. We are never going to blindly follow others without having a reason.
But we were going to learn. We studied the best clubs, the best sports, the best cultures to ensure that we did the right thing. We observed the not so good as well, used our experiences to ensure that we didn’t have poor habits.
Our youngest teams had the best. They were nearest to the clubhouse, had first dibs and got the best coaching. We fed everybody with pre-match fruit and wholesome meals afterwards.
It was a good start. A dream of two teams, Under 11 and Under 9, quickly exploded into five and eventually reached thirteen, including Wheelchair, Masters, Women, Touch, Tag, Handball, Netball and Men, all homegrown
We followed our Leadership Vision …….
More to follow ……..