1st Month Recap
It may be cliché to say that history repeats itself however after losing the first 3 games of the season again Quintin are a perfect slow starting cliché. However, maybe it’s not as bad as it would seem as the poor start in the last couple of seasons has been followed by a run of wins that have taken us to the finals and promotion. With that in mind there have been a number of positives to take out of the first month of action on and off the field:
• Recruitment – we have to start things with a huge WELCOME to all the new faces within the Club which is great to see! With 12 debuts so far this season we’ve welcomed a number of new guys to the Club and has proved crucial as an injury crisis has seen cripple club membership maintain an average membership to rival on-field playing numbers.
• While the recruits are a mixture of complete rugby novices and some guys taking the boots back off the hook all have proved that they can play and once the niggles that are keeping some boys off the pitch are worked out we will have some great competition for starting spots and even hopefully a very competitive 2nd team.
• It’s important footnote that 2 of the 3 losses are largely chalked up to only fielding 14 players and even then both games were close affairs. The third game saw us come up against the well organised table toppers and while the eventual score blew out, we were the first team to crack their defence and even then we were still hamstrung by injuries meaning boys were out of position and had only one sub available.
• Martin has been in overdrive as Social Sec and from what I can remember we’ve had a couple of eventful team nights and now have the Bournemouth mini-tour on the weekend of Nov 17- 19th to look forward to!
We get back into things next weekend away to Hanwell. It’s time to get the season on track and that starts at training on Wednesday at Kings House. Training this season is taking a more traditional combination of fitness, skills and contact so even if you have a niggle it is still worthwhile getting down, taking part where you can and taking in and contributing knowledge where you can’t take part.

Selection
Although we’ve been a bit short over the opening rounds, we have pretty good numbers on paper this season so there may be a point when we have too many players confirmed. Ideally we will grow to a point where we have enough for two teams and if that is the case we can organise a second team fixture. Hopefully we never have to say no to a willing player but so everyone is clear about how selection and starting positions will be made if we do have too many:
• If we discuss early enough with the opposition we may be able to negotiate additional subs, therefore we ask everyone to set their availability on Pitchero by Monday evening, 7pm. Everyone who has set their availability on time will get preference.
• Everyone who is able to attend training will get preference.
• Anyone who has not paid subs will not be selected in place of a fully paid up member.
• All things being even the SLT– Slade, Luke & Tim will make selection decisions as a group.
The aim of the Club (all of us) is to get as many guys as possible on the field playing in Quintin colours every week and we will always do our best to achieve this.

Pitchero Club
As noted above Pitchero Club is going to be key tool in helping reduce the administration of simply getting a team on the field. Nearly everyone has downloaded the app and registered for Quintin RFC so as of this week it will be used for team selection. If you don’t have it GET IT NOW!
Use – the app has all the fixtures so you can review the up-coming calendar and allows you to set your availability. If there is a future weekend that you are away on holiday set your availability to “Not Available” as early as you know. BUTotherwise only set your availability for the upcoming week every Monday. This will avoid situations where people select “Available” for weeks in advance and then forget to update if something comes up the changes that.
The app also contains game information – Kick off time, meet time, address, team selection, write-up, pictures etc and the website has player profiles, Club information and announcements so please take a look as it’s a very useful and will be the central Club Hub.

Training

Training, if you didn't already know, is booked for the season from 8pm on Wednesdays at Kings House School, our home ground..

Social Events

Mid Season Mini Tour

Alrite guys! We're going to Bournemouth for a mid season mini tour (piss up) leaving from Richmond station in a mini bus @7pm Friday 17th November, back Sunday afternoon on the 19th. £65 for accommodation and transport. Bargain! Lots of drinking and we'll make sure we watch the England - Aussie Scum game too.

We've good numbers so far, but if anyone wants to come still, there are a couple of places on the minibus. Let Martin or Tim know asap!

Xmas Dinner Dance & Reunion Match

As you all know, Saturday 2nd December is the vets game so make sure you're all available, and if you're crippled then make sure you come to watch and support. Afterwards is the Christmas Dinner Dance, which will include a 3 course meal and a bottle of wine each for £35-£40 per person.

Location will be Kings House Sports Ground likely KO of 2pm with dinner dance starting about 6-7pm. Bring your gf's/wife's/dates/Tom Stott's with you! Dinner Dance is obviously open to the vets too.

Let Martin know if you're interested and if you're bringing a +1 so we can do an early head count. Money will be due around the start of November.

QUINTIN OLD BOYS SUPPER CLUB…………….FOUNDED JULY 1991

Message from David Lambert:

Hi Guys

We are getting together again for the 26th year!
Last year was a huge success for the 25 anniversary supper
We had 54 sitting down including a fantastic contingent of 8 from the present QRFC
We hope to get near these numbers again this year
We will excuse a few members who did travel from NZ and Australia not to be there this time, but hope the guys from France and Ireland make it over
The date is…

Friday 24 November 2017

Venue…

The Ship Tavern, Holborn

We need to know numbers to organise the seating, so please RSVP to this email (david@davidlambert.com)ASAP

I will be unveiling a special tribute to our most loyal member who sadly passed away in August,
Bernie Foreman, who will be sadly missed this year
So please try and make it

Yes, I still have the Bell securely fastened to the wall at home

I got a call from Alex Reeve who was devastated by the news of Bernie’s passing and he rang Diane to express his sadness

Here’s looking forward to seeing you all on the 24 Nov for a pre-supper drink
Just reply with a confirmation of attending

Best regards

David

DAVID AND CAROLE-ANN
LAMBERT
Pett Lodge
Chick Hill
Pett Level
TN35 4EQ
T 01424 812006
M 07775523414

Tour

22nd April
This. Is. Tour. Honestly... it will happen this year!

We are still investigating Tour...

Status so far:
Moscow discounted as too expensive.

Rome the Roman opposition club has had a better offer and no longer wants to host us.

Dubrovnik is another possibility being considered as most of us have not toured there, apart from Gordon, Shakes and Talentless...

Hamburg is being investigated.

Southern France where Slade has a contact is also a possibility

7s
We'll be entering Lochaber (May Day Bank Holiday - 4th to 6th May 2018), Richmond Rocks (early June 2018) and Fat Boys' (Reading - mid July 2018) 7s.
Make sure you're free for these so we can put out strong teams.
Dates are currently provisional.

International Tickets

ENGLAND V AUSTRALIA SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18TH

RIGHT TO BUY RAFFLE

We have a pair of tickets ( 2 x £41 )...
the Right to Buy these tickets will be raffled on
Saturday 28th October after our home match v Northolt...

To enter the raffle, you must give Shakes £5... you may buy unlimited entries...
If you win, you will then pay for the tickets and enjoy the delights of England smothering Australia.

BARBARIANS V NEW ZEALAND SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4TH

Barbarians v All Blacks – Twickenham 4th November
One Month To Go - New £55 Tickets Released

The Barbarians will kick start the Autumn Internationals and take on the Double World Champions and newly crowned Rugby Championship winners, the All Blacks, in the Killik Cup match at Twickenham on the 4th November- 3pm Kick Off.

The match celebrates the 125th anniversary of the foundation of the New Zealand Rugby Union and revives memories of famous meetings between the two sides. The 1973 encounter containing Gareth Edwards's famous try and Bryan Habana's hat-trick of tries when they beat the All Blacks in 2009.

In a recent interview Habana reminisced, "It was special to be part of a Barbarians side that beat the All Blacks. It happens so rarely and you try and keep those memories alive. Scoring the three tries and being man of the match was special. It's a memory that will last a lifetime."

One of rugby's iconic fixtures, the encounter promises fast running rugby, fabulous offloads, fantastic handling and no shortage of tries, as the All Black stars Kieran Read, Beauden Barrett and Sonny Bill Williams look to avenge the 2009 defeat by the Baa-Baas.

At the weekend it was announced the former All Black Scott Robertson will be joining the Barbarians coaching team alongside head coach Robbie Deans. Robertson, 43, lifted the Super Rugby title this summer in his first season as Head Coach of the Crusaders.

This will be your only chance to see the All Blacks at Twickenham this year. Get in quick and be part of this historic Must See Match.

With tickets selling fast and now available from £55 for Adults and £35 for Juniors. Don'tmiss out - Buy Now! (plus booking fees).

Visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk or call the hotline on 0844 844 0444

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY V OXFORD UNIVERSITY
THURSDAY DECEMBER 7TH

To: The members of all Middlesex clubs
Women's Teams
Middlesex affiliated schools

BATTLE OF THE BLUES

Middlesex Rugby has teamed up with the Varsity Match to pass on some great discounts for women's teams and schools' teams to see the iconic Battle of the Blues matches at Twickenham on 7th December, as well as some great deals for clubs on hospitality packages.

Oxford and Cambridge are set to face off for one of the most historic titles in the game and it promises to be another brace of entertaining clashes, with the Women’s match taking place before lunch and the Men’s match afterwards..

Both of last year’s matches provided extremely competitive and entertaining rugby, with the Oxford women taking back the title in a tense encounter to the very end and the men’s match seeing the Light Blues of Cambridge finally break Oxford’s long-standing winning streak in a game that was full of free-flowing rugby.

Women's and Schools offer

Women’s Rugby: The Women’s Varsity Match is one of the few women’s rugby matches played at Twickenham, and the goal this year is to make the 2017 Battle of the Blues the biggest amateur women’s match in the world. Women’s teams can take advantage of and can offer an excellent price of £33 per person if you book in a group of ten or more for top class seats.

Schools Tickets: The Varsity Match has a rich heritage of schools attendance. We are offering discounted tickets for school children, where one adult/teacher goes free with each group of ten children. The children pay just £10 each. In addition, if a school books 20+ children (girls and boys) they will be entered into a draw to win a coaching session with staff from the RFU training team at Twickenham on the day of the Varsity Match. There will be four schools in total pulled out in the draw.
Book before 31st October to be entered in the draw.

General tickets: Enjoy top class seats at £40pp and category 2 tickets from £20 each including both the Women’s Varsity Match (KO 11.30am) and the Men’s Varsity Match (KO 3.00pm).

Discounted Hospitality Packages

In addition, clubs can benefit from the following hospitality packages which offer a remarkable opportunity to bring together club members, or to thank sponsors, or indeed as a lottery/auction prize. It might also just be a group of friends who want to treat themselves to a memorable day out at Twickenham.

Spirit of Rugby Hospitality: At the heart of the best of Twickenham‘ s hospitality experiences, we can offer tables of ten at £200 per person with a special offer of two free places. The price includes top class Twickenham seats and a two course lunch with half a bottle of wine. The illustrious speaker panel includes Simon Halliday, Phil de Glanville and Tyrone Howe.

Executive Boxes: Normally retailing at several hundred pounds per person, enjoy your very own executive box for 12 or 16 people at The Varsity Match for the special offer of £130 per person. This includes seats for the two matches, a two course buffet lunch and half a bottle of wine.

How to Book
To take advantage of the ticket offer, visit www.thevarsitymatch.com. School teams making bookings before 31st October will be entered into the draw for the training session.
For hospitality contact mailto:admin@thevarsitymatch.com?subject=Middlesex%20Rugby%20Offer quoting Middlesex Rugby Offer to take advantage of these offers.

Or for further information visit www.thevarsitymatch.com

We hope you will have a great day at Twickenham...

Many thanks
Kind regards

Lonsdale Leggett-Flynn | Marketing Chairman
E: mailto:countyoffice@middlesexrugby.com

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