Blandford Rugby Football Club Events

04.03.2010		Blandford RFC EGM A whole Club EGM is to be held on Friday 26^th March in the clubhouse to discuss the proposed Clubhouse move. The meeting is at 18:45 for a 19:00 start, expecting to finish around 20:00. This is your chance to hear the proposals and make your feelings known. If you are unable to attend then please email your comments/suggestions to either or

03.03.2010		Upcoming Club Events for this Spring and Summer 10^th April - VP Day. Our First XV will play a match against Weymouth, full details available from . 3^rd May - Georgian Fayre Day. This event will include a family day and BBQ at the clubhouse. 7^th May - Golf Day. Will be held at Canford Magna Golf Course. Full Details available from Phill Meaden at 15^th May - A game v's Ossett RFC (Yorkshire) Touring Side. This will be a VP Club day with a BBQ at the clubhouse after the match. 11^th June - Annual Dinner Dance/Summer ball at Gorcombe, further details to follow. Please remember to check back here later, more details will be published nearer the date of each event.

30.01.2010		Blandford RFC's Annual Old Boys v New Boys Match The date for this fixure has yet to be confirmed following rescheduling of league matches. Contact your Team Captain for updated meet times and match details, if you are interested in playing then contact: Old Boys Captain - DAVE COX TEL No: 07765821730 New Boys Captain - MARC RICKETTS TEL No: 07812033259

15.01.2010		Blandford RFC launches RSS feed We have now launched an RSS feed to accompany the website. This will be used to publish news and club updates for players, coaches and parents. Not sure what RSS is and if it is for you? RSS will allow you to easily stay informed on subjects of interest by gathering the latest content from all your favourite websites automatically, saving you the time and trouble of visiting all these sites individually. It will also ensure your privacy as you will not need to sign up for email newsletters. Feeds allow you to see when your favourite websites have added new content, you can get the latest headlines and videos all in one place, as soon as it’s published. The number of sites providing RSS feeds is increasing rapidly and already includes prominent names such as Yahoo, Amazon and BBC News. RSS feeds can be read using software called an “RSS reader”, readers are available for your computer, PDA, Blackberry and also for most modern mobile phones. There are many different versions of readers some of which can be accessed using a browser and others are downloadable applications. Web-based readers such as Google Reader or Newsgator can be easily subscribed to by clicking on an orange RSS icon and following instructions. As well as subscribing to a reader it is necessary to enter your favourite website web addresses so the reader can establish a link. The RSS reader then checks your subscribed feeds on a regular basis for new content and makes them available for you to read. So if you fancy the idea of reading updates from all the sites you love, automatically gathered and delivered to your computer or phone, then an RSS feed is for you.

18.12.2009		Blandford RFC's Annual Old Boys v New Boys Match ~~This annual event will next be held on 2^nd January 2010 at the rugby pitches, Blandford School. Kickoff is at 13:30, all welcome.~~ ~~MATCH POSTPONED until 06^th February 2010.~~ Contact your Team Captain for meet times and match details, if you are interested in playing then contact: Old Boys Captain - DAVE COX TEL No: 07765821730 New Boys Captain - MARC RICKETTS TEL No: 07812033259 Full details are also available on the event poster available to view here.

09.12.2009		New Year's Eve 2009 - Samba Blandford Party The Rio Carnival starts at 21:00 in the Blandford RFC Clubhouse, East Street. Come along and enjoy the fun, but remember to be in costume as there is a prize for the best dressed. Posters for the event are available here and here. Please feel free to print these off and use to advertise the event to all club members. For more information on this extravaganza and details for obtaining tickets please contact .

08.12.2009		HELP NEEDED TO PROGRESS THE NEW BAR IN THE CLUBHOUSE Please can members make one or all of the following times: TUESDAY 8^th 6PM TILL 9PM SUNDAY 13^th 10.30 TILL 2PM WEDNESDAY 16^th 6PM TILL 9PM Please try and make these dates as many hands make light work. All help very much appreciated.

23.11.2009		A whole Club meeting is to be held on Monday 30^th November in the clubhouse to discuss proposals for the new location and build. This meeting starts at 19:00 and all members of both the Senior and Junior Sections are welcome.

13.10.2009		The club will be hosting a VP's buffet lunch on Saturday 5^th December commencing at 12:30 in the clubhouse. Afterwards all are cordially invited to watch Blandford 1^st XV play Westbury 1^st XV at the Blandford School pitches, entrance and parking are via the old Milldown Middle School entrance.

23.09.2009		The Blandford 2009 Oktoberfest Party - as presented by Blandford Stour Rotary Club and Blandford Rugby Club This year's event is being held at the Blandford Rugby Club on 17^th October 19:30 for 20:00. To join in the fun the cost is only £10 per head which also includes your first stein and food. Come along and enjoy an evening of music, singing and dancing - might also be a bit of drinking! Advance tickets are available from the Clubhouse Bar - get yours early to avoid dissapointment.

16.08.2009		Blandford make Heineken Plate Final. Blandford fielded a mixed team in the Heineken 10s at North Dorset on Sat 15 August 2009 and were drawn in a pool with teams from South West 1 and Southern Counties. They lost to Sherborne in the Plate Final despite being drawn in the hardest group that consisted of Wooton Bassett, Noth Dorset, Ivel Barbarians and Sherborne. The best performance of the day was winning the Plate Semi-Final where we won 29-12 against Melksham, followed by holding Ivel Barbarians to 10-0, all of the points been given away in the first 3 minutes, one of their tries was a nice crossing move, but we made them work very hard for their win and we went close on a few occassions. Another good performance was against Sherborne in the pool matches, Blandford were winning 12-5 with 3 minutes to go then came the 'penalty try' to make it 12-12 and then we were caught on the hop in the dying seconds to make the score 19-12. The team was John Young, Ben Jones, Alex Ricketts, Mark Ricketts, Matt Farwell, Matt Focsarny, Andy Williamson (1 try and con), Steve Hancock, Doug Baker (4 tries and 3 con), Lawrence Collins, Dave Judd(1 try), Lee Haim, Toby Kennedy (2 tries and Man of the Match Beer Winner who played Centre, Lock and Prop in different games!!!!), Adam Jones (1 try) and Tom Christopher.

14.08.2009		The Seniors are pleased to welcome their new head coach, Ian Neil. Ian comes with a wealth of experience from Havant RFC and with the Army around the world. The players are looking forward to working with Ian to continue to build on their success last season when they gained promotion to the Dorset & Wilts Division 1.

12.07.2009		Details from the Annual Dinner Dance held on Friday 10^th July: Congratulations to Jay Frampton for being voted in as our new Chairman. Awards presented at the Dinner Dance were: 1^st XV Top try scorer - Doug Baker 2^nd XV Top try scorer - Jim Mathieson 1^st XV Player of the year - Doug Baker 2^nd XV Player of the year - Luke Murray Young Player of the year - Marc Ricketts Most Improved player of the year - Chris Kerley Player's player of the year - Marc Ricketts Clubman of the Year - Ben Ryan Social member of the year - Mo Byers Frampton Memorial Shield for the Unsung Hero of the season - Ernest Henley John Gillingham who stepped down as Chairman received Honorary Life Membership as a thank you for all of his dedication and commitment to the club. Thank you very much for all you have done. Your presence shall be missed. Congratulations to all for your awards and thank you to everybody for a fantastic evening!

09.07.2009		Blandford RFC are a small central Dorset based Club with 2 Senior Teams currently competing in the Dorset & Wilts Divisions. Following a successful season in D&W Div 2 by the 1^st XV, Blandford RFC are keen to move forward and build on last seasons achievements. We are currently seeking a Coach to join the club and help continue this momentum. Whether you’re a recently qualified coach looking to put your mark on a team or just an experienced rugby person we would like to hear from you. Senior training during the season are Tuesday and Thursday evenings and obviously matches on a Saturday. We would also hope the right person would be able to assist our Youth Section in their hard work on any level. At this time money is tight for all clubs however we would be happy to cover travel expenses and your time to a satisfactory level for the right person. We are also a very warm and social club so if you are interested in speaking to us further please just call! Come for a beer and meet us!! Any initial queries please e-mail .

08.07.2009		The Seniors have entered a team for the Heineken 10's Tournament being held at North Dorset RFC on Saturday 15th August 2009. Further details can be found on the Heineken Rugby website. Check back here soon for further details which will be published as soon as they are available.

02.07.2009		Blandford are entering a team in the O₂ Scrum on the Beach event at Bournemouth on the 25^th July. We are looking for more team members to join Doug, Ben, Mike, 'Pasty', Alex and Stuart. This was a great day out last year with the opportunity to meet England Internationals who were participating. For more details of this year's events check out the O₂ website here. If you are interested please contact Alex (07827 912560)

02.06.2009		The date of the Annual Dinner Dance has now been confirmed as Friday 10^th July, Sealy Suite, The Crown Hotel, 7:00 for 7:45. Dress code is Lounge suits and posh frocks with carriages return to the Club at midnight. New award this year - George Frampton Memorial Shield for the unsung hero of the season. Tickets for sale behind the bar £30-00 per person. 3 course meal: Starter - Smoked Salmon Main Course - Roast Sirloin with seasonal vegetables Dessert - Baileys Profiteroles/Cheese and Biscuits Tea/Coffee. Any special dietary requirements please let a member of the committee know asap.

02.06.2009		Congratulations to the 1^st XV on promotion. All the best for next season.

06.05.2009		The Annual Dinner Dance has had to be postponed, please check back regularly for updates on this event.

27.04.2009		On Sunday the Junior Section held their 'end of season' fun day which included a mixed 1^st and 2^nd XV team v a combined U15/U16's in a game of touch rugby. This was followed by the presentations of medals and awards to the juniors by Lee and Ben our two senior team captains. Photo albums of these events are available to view over in the juniors web pages here.

25.04.2009		A big thank you to all who turned up to help clear the rubble at the clubhouse.

21.04.2009		Your Club needs you !! The work to clear up the rubble at the back of the car park being done on 25^th April will start at 9 am. We need your help in clearing the rubble and are also in need of shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows. Of course there will be refreshments and food to keep strength up. If you are willing to give us a hand keeping a good name for the club then please put your name down in the Clubhouse or contact . Many thanks in advance.

16.04.2009		This year the AGM will be held on Thursday 18^th June 2009, with a 7:00 start. Anybody interested in joining please see a committee member or vote on the night.

16.04.2009		Blandford has entered two teams for the Senior Mens in the Lytchett 7's Tournament. This event is being held on Monday 4^th May 2009. 10:30 start. The Lytchett Festival of Sevens Tournament was first played in 1982. Held on the mayday weekend, teams from all over the south of England attended and have been doing so ever since. The Lytchett Minster Festival of Sevens has grown in both numbers and reputation to be the most successful sevens tournament in the South and South West of England. The weekend incorporates three days of fierce competition for all age groups and genders. Combined with a barbecue, drinks marquee, snacks and souvenir merchandise, all located on Lytchett Minster Rugby Club's fantastic new pitches makes this a very good family weekend. More than sixty teams, plus their families, supporters, officials and sponsors (around 4,000 people) attend each year. Please come along and show your support.

16.04.2009		Our Dinner Dance, being held on 23^rd May 2009, will be in the Corn Exchange: Tickets are £30-00 each and are available behind the bar now. Timings for the night are 7:00 for 7:30. Book your ticket to ensure a grat night out.

03.03.2009		The Blandford RFC Golf Day to be held on Friday 17^th April at Canford Magna Golf Course has been announced today. This is a fundraising event to help support our Club so come along for a great day out with the added benefit of showing your support for the Club. An application form can be found here, further details are available from Phil Meaden on 07771 605034.

02.03.2009		This year our Dinner Dance will be held on 23^rd May in the Corn Exchange. Check back here for updates on timings for this event.

02.03.2009		Your Club needs you !! Unfortunately somebody has dumped building rubble over the wall at the end of our car park. BRFC owns the ground down to halfway through the river and the Environment Agency has instructed us to clear up the rubble. They will assist us by opening a gate through M&Co Car Park for us to get to the other side of the wall. This work will be done on 25^th April to avoid too much vegetation growing. We need your help in clearing the rubble and are also in need of shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows. Of course there will be refreshments and food to keep strength up. If you are willing to give us a hand keeping a good name for the club then please put your name down in the Clubhouse or contact . Many thanks in advance.

24.02.2009		Phil Vickery’s supporting Help For Heroes International Rugby – Dorset ’09 Are you? H4H International Rugby – Dorset ’09 is a two-day event held in Meyrick Park, Bournemouth to raise funds for Help For Heroes, a charity supporting servicemen and women wounded on operational duty. The event will include live rugby matches featuring a Combined Services XV, an International XV, the British Lionesses, and a Regional Returning Heroes XV. In addition, there will be displays and demonstrations from the Armed Forces, concessionary stands and children’s fairground rides. On the Saturday night, we will be hosting a Gala Dinner for 300 guests, which will feature a charity auction. Sunday evening will see the End Of Event Party, which has space for 400 guests. All of the profits from the event will go to Help For Heroes, with a massive turnout expected over the course of the weekend.

07.02.2009		Raggy Dolls Charity match in aid of Help for Heroes held today.

		Sponsorship Bricks Buy a brick and have have your name or company marked on it. The bricks will be used on a wall within the new clubhouse, this is a great way to support your club. Get a sponsorship form from Moe behind the bar

2007		The 2007 annual Dinner Dance was held in the Crown Hotel, Blandford and was deemed a great success by those who attended, view some photos of the event here.

2005		Blandford RFC Tour to Barcelona - Sponsored by A R Bugg Construction. A tour of excellence in both organisation and management of the event, well done Jo Grinter and John Gillingham. Friday 15th April, saw Blandford travel to Lloret de Mar and the Casino Royal Hotel. A quick meeting and agenda check then off for some good food, for some, and burgers for others, then a taste of the local nectar. Saturday: A good breakfast followed by the tours first court hearing, this was held by the resident Judge (John Peniston) on the edge of the swimming pool where fines were issued for a few minor offences. Then off to Barcelona for a two and half hour visit of the local hostelries prior to the first match against Quimic Equip Rugby Club Following the game, presentations were exchanged after which we were provided with refreshments while the lads entertained the hosts with a beer race, which we lost and some good English rugby songs lead by Gilly. More presentations were made giving us our first taste of a Bull Fight followed by a chance glimpse of a strange old English habit, which the judge had been trying to stop, “socks worn with sandals”. Let this be a lesson to all. A great day even if we didn’t win and only one bum note to be seen from the opposition. Sunday and off to Barcelona nursing the effects from the previous night (or an early morning) for an earlier than planned match with Rugby Club CORNELLA. The venue, a sports stadium with little shade, and a very hard pitch. The Blandford team changed from the previous days line up due to injuries and the retirement of Willow. The game was followed by another presentation of the Blandford RFC shield to the Cornella Team Captain. Our hosts also had a good line in tee shirts at 5 euros a time, all monies were to support the mini and youth rugby teams. We made our way back to Lloret de Mar, for Judge Peniston's afternoon session in court, with the club’s elders in assistance (Steve Crocker & Bryan Burrows). There were some serious crimes committed so the penalties were hard. However, with the sun still high in the sky and the Mediterranean calling, we head out for the infamous beach bar “The Piccadilly” for some cocktails and watch the Saracens v Leicester match.

		The day ended again with some good food and the normal general debauchery at the Irish bar, but wait Gilly has an announcement……. The coach will be collecting us tomorrow morning at 7.30 am to take us back to the airport, so get some sleep………….. or find your own way home Monday, All present and correct and back to Blandford - reminisce with the photo gallery