Welcome to East Grinstead Rugby Round Up. If you are reading this on the website, or via Facebook, please sign up to receive this Newsletter via email, which contains loads of pictures and other content, please email m.marriott@btconnect.com and we will add you to the list.

SENIOR RUGBY
A tidy first half was not enough as the Vandals ran out 48 - 15 winners at Weybridge on Saturday. Definitely some positives to take from the game played against a good side who scored 71 points against us at the same point last season. Our senior squads were seriously stretched and our 2XV felt this most keenly after call ups to the 1’s, injuries and unavailability. This led to some amazing selection issues and an extraordinary team sheet, especially in the backs. Could they extend thier winning run? Read the match report here: Match report

To see Ben’s pics of the match, please click here: Match pics

Having won in Seaford last time out, the scarlet fisherwomen didn’t fancy the return fixture on Sunday in the cup, conceding a win to the mighty G’s. I do love a good cup run!!

All our senior teams have a much needed rest week next weekend, although there is a rumour that the Vets might have a trundle!?

JUNIOR RUGBY
On Sunday, we had another full house with yet more new starters. The weather gods are being kind to the little ones with yet another sunny morning breaking up another week of rain.

East Grinstead Under 11's played host to Trinity RFC for a joint training session and matches. Between the 2 clubs, nearly 50 players took part, with 5 mixed teams of EG and Trinity players in each team, playing a round robin format.
It was a great way for children from both clubs to learn to adapt to playing alongside new team mates.

As a bit of an extra, an end of session match contested between an all East Grinstead team and an all Trinity team, drew great support from both sides and a game of considerable pace and energy, with East Grinstead edging a well fought win.

Overall, a highly successful day, some very proud coaches on both sides and a lot of smiling faces from the players.

The club had laid on food for the U11s after the match so once again, the clubhouse was bustling. Our thanks to Olly Johnson and Edward Floodgate for feeding the hoards.

The rest of the sections were busy running in-house training sessions. The U10s were getting to grips with the art of rucks and 3 man scrums in preparation for a trip to Brighton on Friday night for their annual 'Under the Lights' mini-tournament.

The U9s were also busy learning the finer details of tackling, with their first competitive contact rugby games looming ahead of their upcoming trip to Horsham next Sunday.

For those new to the club, the shop is open on Sunday morning and offers a full range of new and second-hand kit. We are due new stock after 14 October. The clubhouse is also open on Sunday mornings. We are a family club and would love you to come and enjoy the facilities after the training. There is hot and cold food and drinks and its a great place to make new friends for both parents and children. Please come and make yourself at home.

INTERMEDIATE RUGBY
Edenbridge U12’s 20 - G’s 25
Sunday 29th September saw the u12 play there first match of the season, a friendly against Edenbridge, in preparation for their first league game on Sunday 6th October.

From the start, Edenbridge put the EG team under pressure, which caused them to panic and make uncharacteristic mistakes. Whether it was the nerves or exciting of actually playing a competitive match getting the better of the players but the majority of the team seem to forget about all the hard work they had put in during preseason and reaction time was very slow. This lack of urgency let the well drilled Edenbridge side score two early tries. After this initial shock, the players rallied around each other and finished the first half strong managing to get themselves back in the game by scoring two well-deserved team tries.

With the honours all even at half time and some tactical changes, EG started the second half the better side. The half-time talk worked, and the usual desire to win every ball was back. Great pressure in defence and strong rucking produced turnover after turnover, which the team used with effect, and they soon found themselves 3 tries up. Edenbridge kept their hard work up, and they managed to pull two tries back with the second coming with the last play of the game.

EG would like to thank Edenbridge for a match played in the correct spirit of the game, hard but fair. Good luck for the rest of the season.

East Grinstead U13's 20 - Hastings & Bexhill 5
Sunday saw the under 13s play in their waterfall season opener against Hastings & Bexhill at home. With everyone on the pitch, the whistle was blown and East Grinstead kicked off.

Following persistent pressure from our boys we opened the scoring after 7 minutes with a great finish from Billy. We then kept Hastings & Bexhill pinned in their own half before passing the ball out wide for Billy to put one over the line again at the 10 minute mark. As halftime came, it became clear that Hastings & Bexhill had played nearly all of the first half in their own territory.

The second half started with most of the play, again, keeping the opposition in their own half and, at the 32 minute mark, we capitalised on this by shipping the ball out wide for Rory to score. This was pretty much followed by Hastings & Bexhill finding, and exploiting, a gap in our otherwise rock solid defence to score against us at 35 minutes.

Again Hastings & Bexhill struggled to break into East Grinstead territory and, having carried the ball into contact a couple of times, the ball was then passed out to Bertie to take advantage of the gap created in the Hastings & Bexhill defence and score.

It was a brilliant game of rugby that was enjoyed by all players and spectator alike and resulted in a well deserved win by our boys. The coaches and parents were incredibly proud of the way the boys played and the unselfish teamwork shown.

Crowborough Colts 36 - G’s 15
The Colts first league match of the new season, which at one point looked touch and go with players moving away and schools not releasing players anymore, saw the Grinstead boys take on a very formidable Crowborough squad. After a good few training sessions and the patterns and process being developed, the players where all ready for the match.

Crowborough came out strong in the first half dominating in defence and causing the boys a headache in attack, very good at getting the ball out wide fast, the Grinstead team struggled to contain them and Crowborough were eventually over the whitewash for their first try of the afternoon, the Crowborough team very quickly targeted the Grinstead team out wide and made them pay on a few occasions with some very slick passing and counter attacks.

The second half turned out to be a much different affair, with 2 early injuries in the second half one to Captain Tom Kennedy and the other to Jude Lavender, this seemed to give the boys the fire to come out blazing, Ben Slingsby first deciding to go for 3 points just inside the Crowborough half giving the boys 3 points to get the scoreboard ticking over. The boys started getting into the patterns that they had trained for and soon found themselves over the whitewash for their first try of the afternoon.

Unfortunately for the Gs they were unable to overturn the Crowborough deficit built up in the first half and ended the day with a 36/15 loss. With many positives to takeaway the boys will I'm sure be firing for their next fixture against Lewes away on the 13th of October.

PRE-MATCH MEAL (12th October - Hove)
Anyone who has tasted our new caterers faire, will know that it is not to be missed!!
With a rest week this Saturday, this gives you the chance to get your name down to attend this one, knowing you will be hungry for both the rugby and the pre-match feast after a week off!

The menu is still being fine tuned, so watch this space for that, but we are looking for sponsors for the cheese and port for this lunch.

To book your seat, or the sponsor, please email Derek at: djhughes2519@gmail.com

See you there!!

SUNSHINE SEVENS PRESENTATION LUNCH
As the Sunshine Sevens moves onto its 67th year, it is well known locally for raising money supporting disadvantaged children. Over the years the club will have donated well over £400k! to local children’s charities.

This year, fundraising by the Sunshine Sevens committee reached new heights, raising an amazing £35,000. On Saturday November 16th at the pre-match lunch, we will be awarding donations to the chosen charities and all are welcome to this special club event.

We understand that a lot of local charities are struggling mainly due to reductions in government support. Last year we widened our support and will continue that support this year. With just a few weeks to go we wanted to hear from members if there is a particular children’s charity or Special cause that we should be made aware of. Please contact any member of the Sunshine sevens committee or email garry.gordon@btinternet.com

Our thanks go to Challenge Packaging for sponsoring our events this year, Penny Farthing Jewellers and the Birch Grove Estate for their continued support. Helping us Help the Kids.

Date for your diary – The Challenge Packaging 67th Sunshine Sevens - 27th April 2025.

HALLOWEEN
Raising funds for U14’s Spanish tour 2025.

Come and join us for Halloween spooky fun at EGRFC main clubhouse on the 26th October 2024 5pm to 7pm.
Best Fancy dress prize. Spooky games, face painting and daring dancing.
Tickets available from the main bar. £2.50 per child.

Then, at 7.30, we have our famous annual Senior Halloween Ball!!!
As usual, best costume makes Rugby Round Up (And lesser prizes).

Tickets £10
This includes a drink if purchased in advance. To take advantage of this offer, click here now: Halloween tickets
Tickets bought on the night – no free drink.

IMBERHORNE v SACKVILLE
Just this headline causes tempers to rise, and when you hear they are competing at rugby....

This Friday (4th October) Sackville play Imberhorne at Saint Hill. For the first time ever, we will be hosting four matches for year 7, 8, 9 and 10/11 under the lights on pitch three.

Timings for the games are as follows:
U12 - 5.45pm - 6.25pm (20 min halves)
U13 - 6.30pm - 7.10pm (20min halves)
U14 - 7.15pm - 7.55pm (20 min halves)
U16 - 8.00pm - 8.40pm (20 min halves)

Parents have been invited, so it should be a brilliant evening. Please come and support this amazing initiative and make players and parents welcome. Who knows how many of these children will be wearing the Five Ferns in the future?

OTHER NEWS
If you have any news about any aspect of our rugby family here at East Grinstead, get involved and email m.marriott@btconnect.com. See you next week!!