Alright Woodbridge Rugby Club family! What a season it’s been! From barnstorming victories on the pitch to the incredible camaraderie off it, every single player and member has played a vital part in what has truly been a year to remember. And what better way to celebrate all our successes than with two fantastic end-of-season events? Get ready to dust off your dancing shoes and raise a glass to Woodbridge Rugby!

Mark Your Calendars for a Celebration of Success!

After all the hard work, the sweat, and the unforgettable moments on the field, it’s time to let our hair down and celebrate in style! We’ve got two fantastic events lined up to properly recognise the incredible achievements of everyone involved with Woodbridge Rugby Club. Both of these events are open to all so you can choose which one you’d like to attend….both if you so wish!!

Saturday, 10th May: The Prestigious Members End of Season Ball – An Evening of Elegance and Reminiscing!

Get ready for a night of sophistication and celebration at our annual Members End of Season Ball! This is your chance to don your finest attire and join fellow members in commemorating a truly successful year for the club.

Imagine this: stepping into a heart of The Barn, enjoying the company of your rugby family, and indulging in a delectable four-course meal. As the evening unfolds, you can look back on the season’s highlights, share your favourite memories, and raise a toast to the collective achievements of Woodbridge Rugby Club.

But the celebration doesn’t stop there! We’ve got fantastic entertainment lined up to keep the good times rolling long into the night. Whether you want to catch up with old friends, make new ones, or simply soak up the celebratory atmosphere, this is an evening you won’t want to miss.

Tickets are priced at £50 per person, and we have tables of 8 or 10 available, making it the perfect opportunity to gather your friends and fellow supporters for a memorable night.

Don’t delay! Secure your spot at this highlight of the Woodbridge Rugby Club social calendar. 

Saturday, 17th May: The Electric Players End of Season Ball – Celebrating Our On-Field Heroes!

Following the Members Ball, it’s time to shine the spotlight firmly on our incredible players at the Players End of Season Ball! This is the night where we celebrate the individual and collective achievements on the pitch throughout what has been a phenomenal season for ALL our teams.

Get ready for an evening filled with awards and presentations, recognising the dedication, skill, and passion that our players have brought to every training session and every match. This is your chance to cheer on your teammates, celebrate their successes, and acknowledge the hard work that has made this season so special.

Once the formalities are complete, the energy will ramp up as our DJ takes to the stage, providing the soundtrack to dance the night away! It’s the perfect opportunity for all our players, from the Vets who recently conquered Colchester to the Warriors and Amazons who battled hard all season, to celebrate together and let loose after a demanding but ultimately rewarding campaign.

Tickets for the Players End of Season Ball are £40 per person, with tables of 8 or 10 available. Gather your teammates, get your tickets booked, and prepare for a night of well-deserved celebration!

A massive well done to our formidable Vets team who continued their incredible run of form with a decisive victory over Colchester’s Vets, metaphorically “demolishing” the Roman Ruins! This impressive win marks a remarkable two full seasons undefeated, a testament to their skill, commitment, and camaraderie. However, this sustained success does present a new challenge: we are sadly starting to run out of willing opponents! If any other veteran sides out there fancy testing their mettle against our dominant force, please do get in touch – we’re always up for a good contest!

Senior Sides Rested and Ready for Mistley Showdown

With no fixtures on the calendar, our senior male players have enjoyed a second consecutive weekend of well-deserved rest. We trust this downtime has allowed them to fully recharge their batteries and shake off any lingering knocks in preparation for a crucial weekend ahead. The intensity ramps up with a return to twice-weekly training sessions for the next two weeks. This focused preparation will be vital, and we may even continue these double sessions after Easter, depending on the progress of our Suffolk Gold Cup campaign.

Double Header Derby Day Against Mistley Promises Fireworks

This weekend sees a highly anticipated Mistley double header, with both our senior sides in action against their counterparts. The 1st XV will be making the journey to Essex, while the 2nd XV will be hosting Mistley at Hatchley Barn. There’s plenty riding on these encounters! For our 1st XV, a victory would be particularly sweet, allowing them to leapfrog Mistley in the league standings and secure a commendable 3rd place overall as the season draws to a close. Meanwhile, our 2nd XV face a formidable challenge as they aim to be the team that finally brings an end to Mistley’s impressive 100% league record at the very last hurdle. We wish both teams the very best of luck in what promises to be a thrilling afternoon of rugby! Get down to Hatchley Barn to support the Warriors 2nd XV, or travel to Essex to cheer on the Warriors!

Suffolk Gold Cup Final Spot Up for Grabs

The anticipation is building for the Suffolk Gold Cup semi-final next weekend at Ipswich YM. The winners of this eagerly awaited clash will have the honour of hosting Southwold in the final. With Southwold already securing their place, the stakes are high, and there is absolutely everything to play for as teams battle it out for a coveted spot in the showpiece event. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the semi-final result and will bring you all the latest news on our own potential involvement.

You are invited to show/share your support to the beer festival, which you will now know is an annual fixture in our calendar.

Based on feedback and attendance figures from the past two years, we’ve decided to streamline the festival to two fantastic days this year.

The festival will take place on Friday, 6th June, from 6:30 PM (with a Sponsors Happy Hour from 5:30 PM) and on Saturday, 7th June, from 1:00 PM (with a Sponsors Happy Hour from 12:00 PM).

There will be live music, fantastic food to soak up the beer and not forgetting the now famous Touch Rugby Tournament that will take place on Saturday afternoon. We welcome back Charlie Law who will be hosting the popular MIC on the Terrace for our open mic session. Click on the image below so you can see the poster more clearly. EARLY BIRD TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!!!!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We are so reliant on wonderful volunteers for the duration – whether that’s pulling a pint, serving at the Spirit Bar or keeping a safe eye on the young ones as they bounce around on the bouncy castle or just help direct a visitor to what they need….we need you, simply!!  Please contact us on beerfest@woodbridgerugby.net if you can help.

Staging an event of this nature naturally involves significant costs, even more so this year, sadly, and we are once again reaching out to our generous supporters for their assistance. We understand that economic conditions can present challenges, but we sincerely hope you will consider partnering with us again this year.

We have a few options to sponsor for the festival, and you can see below what is available. As of this week, we can offer a dual sponsorship on the cups along side Greene King, so splitting this cost 50/50 – this needs to be locked down in the next couple of weeks to get designs in place. Also the Gin & Rum Bar which will now be a specialist Spirit Bar has been taken.

If you are able to sponsor a cask this year, please do get in touch: beerfest@woodbridgerugby.net. To help us with the smooth organisation of the festival, we would be grateful if you could submit your sponsorship before the end of May.

YOU have a vital role to play in protecting player welfare

It’s always worth reminding ourselves of the importance of player welfare regardless of level.  We would therefore like to share this Player Welfare Check when it comes to concussion….Click on the image below for more information.

An hour spent on the RFU’s HEADCASE online concussion awareness training is an hour well spent.  Not just for first aiders, match officials and coaches but also good for players (adult and age grade 13-18) and parents/guardians to know what concussion looks and feels like.

Woodbridge RUFC acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and vulnerable adults involved in rugby at our club.

It is EVERYONE’S responsibility at Woodbridge RUFC to report concerns. Woodbridge RUFC is committed to working in partnership with parents/carers and statutory welfare agencies in order to safeguard the young people at our club.

Woodbridge RUFC confirms that it adheres to all the RFU’s Safeguarding Policies and procedures, recommended practices and guidelines and furthermore endorse and adopt the statements contained in those documents.

These can be viewed at:

http://www.englandrugby.com/governance/safeguarding/

All coaches and adult helpers working with young people at Woodbridge RUFC will be made aware of good safeguarding practices and any poor practices will be addressed immediately.

Key Principles
For the definitions under ‘Child Protection’, a child is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any rugby union activity. However, where a 17 year old male player is playing in the adult game it is essential that every reasonable precaution is taken to ensure his safety and wellbeing are protected.

The Key Principles of the RFU Welfare Policy are that:

• The welfare of the child or vulnerable adult (as appropriate) is, and must always be, paramount to any other consideration.
• All participants regardless of age, gender, ability or disability, race, faith, culture, size, shape, language or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse or harm and should be able to enjoy their rugby in a positive, safe and enjoyable environment.
• All allegations or suspicions of abuse, neglect, harm, discrimination and poor practice will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly, fairly and appropriately.
• Working in partnership with other organisations, statutory agencies, parents, carers, children and young people is essential for the welfare of
• Children have a right to expect support, and personal and social development delivered by an appropriately recruited and vetted adult.

Contacts

Woodbridge RUFC Safeguarding Team

• Safeguarding Officer – Adam Lubbock safeguarding@woodbridgerugby.net/ 07502279497
• Deputy Safeguarding Officer – Chrissie Gordon 07824643284
• Deputy Safeguarding Officer – Claire Cole
• Deputy Safeguarding Officer – Ann Snowdon

To understand more about the clubs policy, you can see more information on our Safeguarding page: https://woodbridgerugbyclub.co.uk/safeguarding/

We’re note quite sure how to put the night into words! But it was an extraordinary day/evening….after a a day or rugby the party truly started. The Flaming Cheeks belting out at the classics, the club was HEAVING and the donations flowed and its tallying up at a rate of knots…final numbers and full summary of the event will follow soon. We think we can speak for the Flaming Cheek in saying THANK YOU!