Thank You Ian Clarke
A huge thank you to Ian Clarke for his commitment and energy in leading the Juniors & Minis section. Due to increasing work commitments away from the club, Ian has stepped down from the role. We are incredibly grateful for his tireless efforts and the significant progress achieved under his leadership. If you see Ian around the clubhouse, be sure to thank him — and perhaps buy him a well-earned pint!

The New Guard
Following our recent committee meeting, we are pleased to announce some important leadership changes.

Chairwoman: Gemma Beake

Vice Chairman: Anthony “Runt” Cleaves

Gemma Beake:
“It’s an exciting opportunity and one I’m really looking forward to. The club is moving in such a positive direction, with the children’s development at the heart of everything we do — especially with the introduction of our new neurodiversity programme.”

Anthony (Runt) Cleaves:
“It’s an honour to be voted into this position. I’ve been part of Old Reds for 26 years and still remember my first day here as a 10-year-old on the 1st XV pitch under coaches Phil Hall, Geoff Spicer, Rich Spicer and Chris Witts. Old Reds is the stronghold of rugby in South Bristol, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

A New Approach to Neurodiversity
This summer, we welcomed Gary Sidders to the coaching team. Gary is an RFU Level 2 accredited coach with a passion for neurodiversity. With support from Aisling McDonagh at Therapy Space Bristol, Gary developed the REGUL8 framework, trialled with our U10S over the summer. Following its success, the framework is now being rolled out across the wider club.

This player-centred approach underlines our belief that rugby is for everyone.

Coach Development
Led by Rob Dyer and Rich Hill, we’ve held two coach development sessions so far this season, attended by over 30 Juniors & Minis coaches. Another is already scheduled in the coming weeks. Their work is vital to our section — helping coaches adopt and deliver the RedsWay philosophy alongside the new REGUL8 framework, ensuring consistent, high-quality rugby for all our players.

Back Training at St Brendan’s
As the weather changes, we have returned to St Brendan’s Sixth Form College on Wednesday evenings. This excellent facility allows training to continue, whatever the conditions, while protecting our home pitches for busy Rugby Sundays. We are very grateful to St Brendan’s for their continued support.

Recruitment & Community Outreach
Running such a large section takes a huge commitment. A special thank you goes to Coaches Jim Hanks and Dan Mitchell, who have been delivering extra rugby sessions at Brislington Academy, engaging with the local community in their own time.

Meanwhile, Rich Hill continues his excellent work at West Town Lane Primary School, introducing more young people to rugby. These efforts are crucial in helping the next generation discover the game.

U11s Social Day Out

Our U11s, now under the guidance of new head coach Jim Hanks, enjoyed a brilliant social day this month. After an afternoon of tobogganing, they proudly took to the field as flag bearers for our 1st XV fixture against Cinderford.

At half-time, the U11S had the chance to showcase their skills in front of the crowd, playing a fantastic mini-rugby match that brought smiles to plenty of faces!

u14 Skill Session

On Tuesday, 30th September, our U14S were invited to our senior training session for some extra training, followed by a social. Continuing our #oneclub ethos, a gallery is available here:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldredcliffians/photos/u14s-skills-session-1153530.html

New Committee Members
We’re delighted to welcome new members to our Juniors & Minis committee:

Caroline Smith – Secretary
Rebecca Smith – Safeguarding Lead
Gemma Veal – Star Project Lead & Safeguarding

Their support will be invaluable as our section continues to grow.

First Aid
As our playing numbers increase, so too does the need for strong first aid support. We are grateful to all of our new first aiders, who help ensure our players are always in safe hands.

A particular thank you goes to Jade Derrick, who continues to go above and beyond in making sure our first aid team is well trained, well supported and well equipped.