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SENIOR RUGBY
Both our men’s teams would have to overcome tough opposition and Storm Amy’s wind on Saturday. Our 2’s travelled to Seaford who were unbeaten at home last season. Could the ‘Five Feathers’ break this run? Read the match report here: Match report

To see Ben’s pics of this windy encounter, click here: Match pics

Just to add, massive thanks to our new shirt sponsors, Gemcoe, Martell’s and Signature Me! The boys look fantastic!!

Meanwhile, the 2’s stayed home to welcome Horsham 3’s in a tough looking encounter. How did they get on? Click here to find out!!: Match report

Sunday was a beautiful day for the visit of WWC Winner Jess Breach in the morning, but we all knew the real challenge was coming in the afternoon, as our Women welcomed Seaford in the league. Seaford have been improving year on year and are a fantastically strong outfit - many people’s tip for this seasons title. The Ladies put up a real fight, but Seaford left as victors.

Next Saturday is another big day as our 1XV welcome Ryan Morlen and his Shoreham outfit for a 2pm KO. There are still a few seats left at our Matchday Lunch which is a real bargain at £17.50. See the article below and get yourself booked in.

Our 2’s have another tricky looking fixture as they travel to Burgess Hill to face the self proclaimed ‘Sussex All Blacks’.

JUNIOR RUGBY
It was an action packed weekend for our juniors this weekend with a double header of rugby. On Saturday, the U8s, 9s, 10s and 11s had an early start for a national festival at none other than the home of rugby itself…The Allianz Stadium, Twickenham!

The boys and girls were all excited out of their minds that they were going to have the chance to play on the hallowed turf on which some of the greatest players of all time have played. It was set to be the making of a lifetime memory for them and it didn't disappoint. They loved every minute of it, and there are parents who will still be hearing stories of ‘that try’ or ‘that tackle’ for months to come!

The tournament went off well and it was followed by taking our seats in the stands to watch the world champions taking on Los Pumas in the decider of the Rugby Championship. What a game it was with action and trys galore and a near heroic comeback from Argentina at the death.

Thankfully, it was an early kick off because by the end of the day, it was safe to say that both players and parents were exhausted on their return home after some very early starts, tough matches and a long day all round.

Despite this, the day has definitely made for some lifelong memories!!

U11s.
The 11s played 2 games in the Twickenham sunshine. First up was Teignmouth RFC. They must feed them well in the west country, as there were some big players across the park. Despite conceding an early try to one of Teignmouth’s bulldozers, The Gs bounced back playing some great rugby and we ended up with a 3-3 draw. It could have been a win if it wasn't for some confusing pitch markings/cones as we dotted down too early when clear through. Our opponents were true rugby people and it was a great game with the players and coaches both having enjoyed the encounter.

Next up was Canterbury. Another great side, albeit slightly smaller in stature than our West Country opponents from earlier. But they were well coached and played some great rugby, getting off to an early lead. As in the previous match, the G’s went up the gears and started playing some good stuff of their own. A runaway try from Canterbury should have been chalked off as the referee got in the way on the G’s defense, allowing the hole to open up. Before you shout “REFEREEE” - I have to confess the culprit was none other than The G’s coach (Me!!).

Both encounters against great sides ended in draws. The real result was the smiles on the players' faces who were all in seventh heaven at having played at Twickers. A day to live long in their memories, and I'm sure some bragging rights in school on Monday! Our thanks to Stuart Bell for his amazing organisation and as always our brilliant parents for their efforts (early starts) and there help and boundless enthusiasm. We can't do these events without you.

U10s
On Saturday, a team from the U10s squad made their way to the Home of Rugby for a fantastic morning that will live long in the memory.

Not everyone gets to play the season’s first competitive game under new regs in an 80,000 seater stadium and some pre-match nerves were on display amongst the players, parents and coaches!

First up was Canterbury RFC, an unusually large team of 9 and 10 year olds, it has to be said! Any lingering anxiety was immediately replaced with grit and determination as the mini Gs got stuck in. On display was some great tackling, some blistering runs down the wing and the odd jackal to let the opposition know they meant business!

Next, somewhat ironically given teams had come from far and wide, we were up against our regular training partners, Crawley and Burgess Hill who had formed a barbarian side. In brilliant sunshine, our U10s put on the kind of display that even the Red Roses would have been pleased with a week earlier! With line breaks and off loads coming thick and fast, our players put on a masterclass of speed, skill and footwork. The players deserved their medals and their coaches and parents deserved their pub lunches before watching SA v Argentina in the afternoon.

U8s
The U8s took 15 excited children (and some very excited coaches) to Twickenham on Saturday. Despite the very early start (pass the caffeine) at 8am we were welcomed onto the Hallowed Turf at the home of Rugby.

G’s lined up against a very well drilled outfit from Chosen Hill RFC who had made the long journey from the West Country. Having not played competitive rugby since March, adjusted rules for the tournament and a massive playing pitch, it was not surprising that G’s conceded early to some strong Chosen Hill running.

Some excellent defence from Seb Mehew and Ben Barcraft-Barnes saw G’s start to gain footholds in the (impeccable) grass. Alexander Libeau opened the scoring with a snaking run, riling up the travelling G’s fans from the West Stand. Chosen Hill replied with great tries of their own and, despite tries from Dillan Ciftdal and Hudson Sergeant, eventually edged the game by a difference of 2 tries. The highlight of the game came in the dying moments (excellent vision from an “unbiased” referee to allow for “injury” time) with Huxley Swann making an wonderful break before being tagged close to the line. A quick pass to Ollie Andrews combined with a burst of the Andrews family pace meant the game finished with an excellent try for East Grinstead.

Aylesford Bulls awaited in the second game. A much better start saw the South African contingent (with parents muttering something about a ‘big game’ later) of Jonty Cunningham & Zachary and Finley Solomon making excellent runs in a seemingly tired Aylesford defence. William Dirilmis and Henry Nicholas dominated wide channels in efforts to find space, with William snaking through to score. Again, Seb Mehew was a tagging machine and showed that there is as much fun to be had in defence as on the ball - in fact the entire G’s defensive effort meant that Aylesford only managed to cross the line once in the entire ten minute match.

Whilst his celebrations were more Ronaldo than Jason Robinson (!) special mention should go to Cooper Sparrow for two blistering tries in front of a jubilant G’s crowd. However, as per match 1, Ollie Andrews was not to be out done and with the last play of the game took a ball from within his own half to score a blistering try and epitomising the free running rugby that G’s had displayed all day.

Despite frantic rolling subs for both games the quality of rugby was excellent (too many individual moments to mention them all) but it is clear that all this is a strong squad with talent right across it - bring on the East Grinstead festival next week!

Full Squad:
Huxley Swann, Cooper Sparrow, Fionn Barrett, Dillan Ciftdal, William Dirilmis, Finley Solomon, Zachary Solomon, Hugo Heath, Ollie Andrews, Sebastian Mehew, Henry Nicholas, Benjamin Barcraft-Barnes, Alexander Libeau, Hudson Sergeant, Jonty Cunningham.

Sunday 5th
On Sunday, it was back to our HQ for training ahead of upcoming festivals. It was light training for most after their bruising encounters in South West London the day before but the day was a little bit special as we had some legendary visitors in the form of some world cup winning Red Roses, The Jess Express, newly crowned, and some of the originals in the form of Kathy Garson and Jenny Lyne.

The players got to meet the legends who spent time at the club signing autographs and the obligatory selfies. What a way to cap a weekend of rugby. Thanks to our wonderful guest, and from EGRFC, wishing Jess Breach a happy and very well deserved holiday!

A shout out also to Wayne Evans, Georgie Knight and Karen Blanchette who gave up their time coaching the minis to help with the event.

INTERMEDIATE RUGBY
Brighton U12, 20 - EG Blues 15
G's U12 squad have all been working incredibly hard—both in pre-season and since the regular season has been in full swing. They were desperate to put their new, rapidly growing, and impressive skillsets on show. Finally, this Sunday, the G’s Blues squad faced a formidable Brighton team, in their first ever league match. It was certainly perfect weather for a perfect morning of rugby.

Kick-off was soon upon us. Brighton kicked off into what became a scrappy initial 10 minutes of play, the ball changing hands a number of times. Brighton piled on the pressure, and G's scrambled to organize and defend early. Captain Iestyn worked hard to marshal the troops into position in order to execute the game plan. Following another penetrating run from Brighton, the ever-present Bobby was in over the tackle to jackal the ball away. A smart pass and Iestyn cleared the line. It looked like G's may have relieved the pressure, but with their tails up, Brighton put together a good recovery. Getting the ball out wide, they moved the ball well and scored out wide.

The following kick-off resulted in a similar pattern, with G's scrambling for shape and Brighton moving the ball well. Another try came for them, and G's were 2 to nil down within 10 minutes. It was time for G's to find another gear. We all knew that they had it in them; they just had to dig deep, and dig deep they did. More possession resulted in a better shape. Our forwards — Harry, Lucas, Justin, Bobby, Owen, and Jack — started making ground, forming their pods and setting up the backs. Our 9, 10 combo of Luke and Iestyn started to fire. A free kick to G's close to the Brighton line; a quick take by Harry and Jack crashed over for a try. 2-1 at half-time, but with G's on the up. A sharp half-time talk, and G's knew they could do it; they just had to keep their shape, keep their heads and stick to the plan.

Sure enough, more good work came in the second half. Jonah crashed the ball up the middle of the pitch. Beau, Thomas, and Murray all made good ground out wide and defending well. Camped on the Brighton line, a quick-thinking Luke picked from the back of the ruck. A fast step out, then back into space, and he dived over the line to level the scores!

Another restart, and another turnover from Bobby. Luke was working hard, executing a sublime pick-and-go up the middle of the pitch. A strong ruck, ball out, a quick-thinking Lucas, a strong run and a perfect pass out to the fast-moving, powerful Iestyn, and G's were up 3-2!

With 10 minutes to go, there was time for it to go either way. Both teams battled hard now on tiring legs. Brighton once again created space out wide and levelled the scores at 3-3. Five minutes to go, scores level. Nothing in it. Deep breaths. From the restart, G's were quickly making their way up the pitch towards the Brighton line. With tired heads, some frustration was creeping into the game and following a moment of madness, the ref insisted on one of our players being removed from the pitch. With G's now down to 11, and a good kick down the pitch from Brighton to clear their line, it was now going to take a Herculean effort to see out the draw. Alas, it was too much to ask. With just 90 seconds left on the clock, Brighton scored their fourth. At the final whistle it remained 4-3 to the Buccaneers.

Our try scorers: Jack, Luke and Iestyn and man of the match (as chosen by Brighton): Bobby.

EG U12 Reds 20 - Pulborough ‘B’ 45
The highly anticipated first league game saw East Grinstead Reds take to the field with a squad made up of debutants and players brand new to rugby. A slow start quickly turned into a determined, dogged performance, with EG showing real resilience and fighting their way back into the match.

There were some fantastic tries from Morgan, Inigo, Finn and Antonio to keep them in the game, although it wasn’t quite enough to complete the comeback. The effort and spirit on display were outstanding.

Coach Gareth said:
“I’m immensely proud of this group of players. For some, it was their first ever game of rugby, and for all of them, it was their first league match. They dug deep and showed the coaches what they can do when they work hard. We’ve said from the start that this journey is a marathon, not a sprint and today was a brilliant first step.”

Crowborough U15’s 34 - G’s 33
The U15s ventured to Crowborough on Sunday,Crowborough scored early but Grinstead were keen to make an impact scoring 2 try’s back to back, unfortunately this wasn’t enough as the half ended 26-14.

Grinstead came out fighting taking control of the game with try’s early on in the second half from Charlie Tate and Hamish Land. With a strong Crowborough side determined to win, Grinstead were behind in the dying minutes of the game, Grinstead’s Will Gimson scored and G’s go ahead. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough as a penalty in the red zone from Grinstead gave Crowborough the points to go ahead.

The match finished a heartbreaking 34-33 with try’s coming from Hamish Land (x3), Charlie Tate and Will Gimson

East Grinstead & Edenbridge U16’s 27 - Bexhill & Hastings 17
In their first league game of the season East Grinstead, supported by Edenbridge, beat B&H in an emotionally charged match on Sunday.

The first half was dominated by G’s. With wonderful tries by Isaac, Harvey & George, B&H were surprised, stunned and not at all happy. EG maintained the upper hand all through the first half with greater physicality, teamwork, and stronger attacking mindset. EG dominated the scrums and moved the ball quickly out of the breakdowns for one or two passes before going route one and hitting the opposition hard, gaining ground consistently. B&H kicked off the second half and sent the ball long, surprising our defence. The ensuing confusion allowed B&H to score a try & get their hopes up.

The second half was a brutal display from both sides and EG got the better of the scrums with the referee regularly penalising the opposition’s tighthead for angling inward & pulling our front row down during the engagements. Eventually emotions rose the point that both teams put rugby to one side and took a moment to express their unhappiness with their opposition in an uneventful face off. A few minutes later, rugby resumed in a more evenly balanced confrontation with B&H scoring twice more and converting their final try. EG’s direct running in the first half gave way to slightly more creative running lines in the second half, keeping their opponents guessing.

In the second half, EG scored 12 more points with tries by Isaac (it’s funny how kickers always score tries close to the posts) and Alex, with Isaac converting his own try (funny that).

The celebrations in the clubhouse concluded with B&H awarding their man of the match to Isaac for his decisive running and two skilful tries. The high emotions during the game were replaced with good natured banter with everyone agreeing it had been a thoroughly entertaining game.

JESS & RUGBY FEST
It was a fantastic morning on Sunday as Saint Hill welcomed World Cup winner, Jess Breach, and two former Red Roses, Kathy Garson and Jenny Lyne to join our Girls Rugby Fest. They were all amazing as they got stuck in with our girls training through the morning, signed autographs on balls, boots, shirts and just about anything else, answered endless questions and generally spread great rugby cheer across the club. Nearly 40 new girls from the town joined our regulars for this amazing experience.

Massive thanks to Steve, Julie, Ryland and the whole team for making this day possible.

The BBC were in attendance and it seems everyone saw the article, with lovely messages coming in from the town council among others. To watch the BBC piece, click here: BBC News

Thank you Jess. Shame you couldn’t play for our Women in the afternoon, but you are welcome back to Saint Hill anytime!

HerMove
We were so delighted to welcome HerMove to the club to join in with Sunday’s Rugby Fest. We will be putting out a separate communication on this later in the week, but just to introduce them.

“At HerMove, we believe that movement has the power to change lives — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. Our mission is to inspire girls and women to move in ways that make them feel strong, confident, and connected, whether that’s through rugby, dance, running, or simply being active with friends. Mayor John Belsey launched HerMove in July, an initiative designed to empower local women and girls through sport, wellbeing and community.”

Watch out for our email on this later in the week!

FIRST PRE MATCH MEAL OF THE SEASON
There is still time to grab a seat! Click here for all the info: Match day lunch

UPCOMING SOCIAL DATES FOR THE DIARY
31st October - Children's Halloween Party, 2.30 - 4.30pm

1st November - Halloween fancy dress "Dead celebrities" & Disco 7pm onwards

7th November - Curry & Quiz Night

14 & 15th November Christmas Fayre (14th, 5pm - 7.30 15th, 9am - midday)

20th December - Adults Christmas Party

21st December - Childrens Christmas Party

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!!