A huge welcome to the Wimbledon Rugby Football Club Minis Autumn Festival.

Top Tip - Arrive in good time; parking is limited and restricted in certain areas.

Food and refreshments, including biltong, cakes, crepes and ice cream (we're hoping for good weather), will of course be available. Bacon rolls will be available early doors, followed by a great BBQ.

Dogs can visit Wimbledon RFC but please keep them under control at all times, off the pitches, and be responsible with dog waste.

Key Timings

08:45 - 09:15 Team Registration
Register your teams from 08:45 hrs at your respective age group pitch areas/gazebos (see pitch plan below), where you can also collect medals for your players

09:30 Referees Briefing (all referees)
All referees to attend briefings at 09:30 at your respective age group pitch areas/gazebos.

09:45 - Medical Briefing (all first aiders)
Medical Briefing at the physio's gazebo in the middle of the pitches. Mandatory attendance for ALL Visiting and Home Team First Aiders. Each age group from each club should have at least one qualified first aider.
Physio contact number: 07874 921268

10:00 - Matches Start
Matches start at 10:00 hrs sharp. Coaches, Managers and Pitch Marshalls - please keep to the timings and shorten matches if necessary to ensure that all matches can commence on time.

Team sizes and match durations:
U7: 4 a-side; 5 mins each way, with 2 mins half time
U8: 6 a-side; 5 mins each way, with 2 mins half time
U9: 7 a-side; 6 mins each way, with 1 min half time
U10: 8 a-side; 8 mins each way, with 2 mins half time
U11: 9 a-side; 8 mins each way, with 2 mins half time

Other Information:
There will be a raffle with some fantastic prizes, so please buy tickets on the day.

Wimbledon RFC wishes you all a fabulous day at the Minis Autumn Festival.

The festival has a number of generous local sponsors today...

- Bespoke Reels
- Attraction Tickets

Lots of info to share today.

Tomorrow (Sunday 29 Sept)
We are hosting a youth girls festival tomorrow so there is no parking at the club apart from parents with kids in the Inclusive Rugby section and the Rugger Rascals section. Please a) arrive early and b) park on public roads off Copse Hill as those around the club are private roads which are monitored by the residents who are issuing fines.

The U5/U6 are on cakes. Please buy loads from them! The pitch plan is at the bottom of this message.

Autumn International tickets - last chance
We have extended the deadline to enter the ballot to apply for tickets for England Rugby home matches this November. Buy you access to the ballot with the links below. The deadline to apply is 2359hrs tomorrow (Sept 29)

New Zealand ballot - click here
Australia ballot - click here
South Africa ballot - click here

Wimbledon RFC Netball
We are lucky at the club to offer an exceptional netball offering on Sunday mornings which has been very popular over the years. The team are looking for even more players for the under 12s and over 12s. U12s play from 1000 to 1115 and the O12s from 1115 to 1230 every Sunday. Contact Emma Scott by email (netballwrfc@gmail.com) for more info.

Next Sunday 6th October
We host the ever-popular Wimbledon RFC Autumn Minis Rugby Festival which sees over 1,000 kids from the local area join us for a great morning of rugby. The ever-terrific u11s are organising this huge task; please support them with any help that they ask for. If you can provide any raffle prizes - the team will accept everything from bottles of wine to Oasis tickets - please get in touch with Andrew Turton by email (andrew.turton@live.co.uk) or 07885 959 019.

Fireworks at Wimbledon RFC - Saturday 2 November 2024
Our very popular annual fireworks display will be back at the club this year on Sat 2nd Nov. Great value at £34 for a family of 4. The bar, BBQ, cakes, etc will all be available on the night ... and the display is always fantastic.
Tickets must be purchased in advance, please don't leave it too late!!
BOOK HERE

Wimbledon Men's First XV
The lads have had a terrific start to the season under new Director of Rugby Steve Hill. With three wins out of three (including a thumping 68 v 7 points win last Saturday), the team are playing a very entertaining style of rugby. Make sure you come and see them for their next home game on Saturday 12th October as they play Hammersmith & Fulham.

Pitch plan for tomorrow
Remember: no parking at the club!

What a weekend of rugby last weekend! The kids were back and in great form and our two adult men's teams both had fab wins at home.

ACTION NEEDED FOR NEXT SUNDAY (22ND SEPT)

Please book your tickets for the Club BBQ before Wednesday. We need to know definite numbers so we can order the food. BOOK HERE.

TICKET BALLOT FOR AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL TICKETS

To be entered into the ballot to stand a chance of being able to buy tickets to the three main England Rugby matches this November there is a small entry fee.

New Zealand game (2 Nov): click here

Australia game (9 Nov): click here

South Africa game (16 Nov): click here

The ballot will be drawn at the end of next week so please get on with the process. If you are successful in the ballot you will hear from Paul Ferguson w/c 23 September re next steps/payment etc.

THIS SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER

Delicious cakes will be sold by the U11s. They are also directing the parking. Buy lots of cakes and be nice to the volunteers please.

DBS checks. Sophie Castle will be at the Clubhouse from 0930 to 1030 and then 1115 to 1200.

Subs & Register to Play. If you have not paid your subs please do so urgently. Also remember to Register to Play your child(ren) when you logged into the Game Management System (do not register yourself as an adult to play!).

PITCH PLAN FOR SUNDAY

So this Sunday we are all now fully back to rugby, hurrah!

KIT: The 2nd hand kit stall will be up and running this Sunday (being manned by the U12B). Please encourage all parents to have a good rummage in cupboards and bring down any old/small kit (including boots).

SUBS: These are now due - if you have not paid yours yet please log into the GMS and pay your subs (don't forget to register you son or daughter to play for the club as well please). Details for paying subs are here.

MEMBERS (CLUB) CARDS: For the many members who were here last season you'll remember we brought in a new Members Card scheme. Every family needs to have one £30 Club Membership on top of their child's playing subscription. This £30 is applied as a credit to your members card for you to spend at the bar (where you get 10% discount when paying with your members card). However, any residual balances from last season are now frozen for those members that have not paid their subs. They will be unfrozen once subs are paid, provided the subs are paid by the end of this month (after that the funds will be lost to the club).

PARKING & CAKES: The under 7s have drawn the straw this week. Please support them by buying cakes and respecting the volunteers helping with parking. On the topic of parking please note two things

The private roads around the club have private parking monitoring and fines are being issued by the residents' operators
The Club's on-site parking scheme that was discussed last season has been scrapped following a Council intervention

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES

Saturday 21 September 1pm - President's Lunch before the 1st XV home game vs Old Alleynians. Our President's Lunches are a great opportunity to get a group of mates together, share a laugh and a few beers and then watch a cracking game of rugby. Our new President, Jonathan Kinnear (JK), is a huge club man and gives a great lunchtime speech. Please try and support your club and him and get your places booked.

Sunday 22 September (after training) - Late summer/new season BBQ. Our very popular new season BBQ is back again. Do get your tickets booked (£8 for kids, £20 for adults).

Friday 29 November 7pm - GREATEST SHOWMAN: THE BOOZICAL. For those that came to the Abba 'boozical' you'll know that this is a great night out. We combine West End performers with cracking singalong tunes, booze and food. Unadulterated adult fun.

TICKETS FOR ALL THREE EVENTS: https://wimbledonrfc.touchtakeaway.net/menu/EVENTS

AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS TICKETS BALLOT: All paid-up club members will be entitled to enter the ballot for a chance to buy England Rugby home game tickets. The club gets an allocation of England Rugby home game tickets and we allow club members the chance to buy them. Details for the ballot process will be shared next week.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Two players (and their families) from our Inclusive Rugby section starred at the Gallagher Premiership Final back in June. Check out this inspiring story and footage here. Huge congrats to John Woods, Stef Laventure, Rich Johnston and all involved in running our Inclusive Rugby section.

PITCH PLAN FOR SUNDAY

We wish all past players and parents a big welcome back to the new season at Wimbledon RFC. It seems a very long time since we last saw each other. An especially warm welcome is extended to all those who have moved into the area as well as those who are trying us out for the first time.

Rugby re-starts at 10am either on Sunday 1st or Sunday 8th September (some age groups are starting on the 1st, some on the 8th). Some of the older youth teams start training a little later on Sunday mornings. The key thing is to be a member of your age group Spond group to make sure you get the very latest news and details.

The season continues until the end of April 2025 and there's a full schedule of at-home training, fixtures, festivals, cups and tournaments to keep everyone entertained.

All the info you need to register and pay your membership fees are updated on our How to Join page, here. Membership fees are now due (if you were one of the 150 people who paid earlier on in the summer you don't need to do this again).

If you are not yet signed up to your age group's Spond group then please get in touch with your age group manager - https://wmrfc.co.uk/contacts - or click the links below:

U5 & U6 mixed: https://group.spond.com/GTFFA
U7 mixed: https://group.spond.com/ZVRKB
U8 mixed: https://group.spond.com/NTZUH
U9 mixed: https://group.spond.com/ZENSY
U10 mixed: https://group.spond.com/CMTIN
U11 mixed: https://group.spond.com/CRWPL
U12 boys: https://group.spond.com/BZDSW
U12 girls: https://group.spond.com/WYNEU
U13 boys: https://group.spond.com/XDAAP
U14 boys: https://group.spond.com/QXXBN
U14 girls: https://group.spond.com/QRXVJ
U15 boys: https://group.spond.com/TCTJP
U16 boys: https://group.spond.com/AJNIW
U16 girls: https://group.spond.com/SKKJB
Colts (U18 boys): https://group.spond.com/OSVJQ
U18 girls: https://group.spond.com/RZKQB
Inclusive Rugby: https://group.spond.com/JCAFR

On 8 June the entire club were able to watch with great pride as two of our wonderful Inclusive Rugby players - William and Ben - acted as ball carriers at the start of each half of the Gallagher Premiership Final between Northampton and Bath.

Their journey to Twickenham started with a visit from ITV's David Flatman who came to the club to tell the kids that they had won this prestigious opportunity thanks to their contribution to charity fundraising.

And then on matchday our Inclusive Rugby coaches (and club legends) John Woods and Stef Laventure, along with the boys' parents and other club members, got to watch them in person as they ran the ball onto the pitch to referee Christophe Ridley. Here's William's big moment...

And here's Ben's...

Our Inclusive Rugby section exists to help kids with SENs play rugby. They benefit hugely from these sessions growing in confidence and physical ability. Read more about our Inclusive Rugby section here.

One of the boys parents from the Final shared the following feedback...

"All of you have made such a fundamental difference to Ben’s life, giving him the confidence and ability to believe in himself he now has through this great sport. I said to Chris Robshaw this morning [8 June 2024] (sorry, let me pick up that name i just dropped) did he remember training the inclusives? He said yes, but shame about the noisy one who was named after a black-and-white striped animal.

I then said to him, it took weeks to get Ben onto a pitch with 10 people. This afternoon he’s walking onto a pitch with 82,000 people on it. If that doesn’t show you how incredible the inclusive concept is then what does?

It is only really this evening I am realising the enormity of what you have all achieved. Bringing someone from a point that they could not bear to even be in a team, to a point at which they were happy to walk out in front of a full Twickenham Stadium.

All of you should be so incredibly proud of what you have achieved not just for the mainstream children but in particular for the children who have been through the inclusive pathway. Much love."

Dear Club Members and Friends of the Club
After careful deliberation and response to feedback from key stakeholders we have decided to
implement paid parking at WRFC.
Please be reassured that Members will be able to park completely free all year round.

We have chosen a company called PPM (Private Parking Management) to oversee patrols and issue
Parking Charge Notices (PCN’s). They will carry the whole cost of installation and signage. The
system will not be automated (no ANPR cameras) initially and WRFC will have final say on all PCN’s.

The end of the season is fast approaching!

Saturday 13 April
The Men's First XV host Worthing in a 12th v 13th clash. Our lads are in a battle for survival in the highly-competitive Nat 2 league. They helped their cause massively last week with a HUGE win. If you are in the area please come to the ground and support your first team - 3pm KO. All Minis and Youth players are invited down in their club kit to support and act as ball boys and girls. It would be nice to have enough to form a guard of honour for the players.

Tomorrow also sees our President, Jim Green, host his final President's Lunch before the Worthing game. Over 150 people will pack the clubhouse to thank Jim for all his awesomeness over the last 50 years of service to the club.

Sunday 14 April

The Women's XV are away at Medway Ladies on Sunday. All Minis are training at home this Sunday, with some of the Youths away on tour. There are two home games, both for the Colts ahead of their respective finals. The Colts A team play Marlow and the Colts B team play Old Reigatians.

Pitch Plan

Big thanks to our cycling fundraisers

Five intrepid U16 coaches, including Club Chair Scott Roberts and Youth Chair Paul Ferguson, cycled 150 miles last Fri/Sat to raise money for our club.

The cycle to North Walsham last weekend has, to date, raised just over £7,500, which should be enough for the club to buy new BBQs / cooking facilities outside so that we can get back to having proper BBQ food outside on weekends – however, more cash is needed and there is still time for people to donate: https://pay.collctiv.com/wrfc-club-facilities-fundraiser-89298

Date for your diary - minis summer party and end of season celebration

As per last year, we will host an end of season celebration for our minis section (u5 to u11 plus Inclusive Group) on Saturday 11 May from 2pm to 5pm. Details to follow. Last year's was a roaring success!

A huge welcome to the 57 teams from the 21 clubs coming to the Surrey Under 9 Minis Rugby Festival being held here at Wimbledon RFC.

IMPORTANT: There will not be parking on the pitches due to the recent weather so please arrive early and follow the parking instructions that you have been sent by your clubs.

The programme for the Surrey U9 festival 2024 can be downloaded here

Fixtures: https://www.tournify.uk/live/surreyu9wimbledon

Timings for the start of the day

We'll be open from 8.30am with bacon butties and coffees to kick-start your day. Referee briefings take pace by the Wimbledon U9 control tent at 9.30am and matches kick-off at 10am sharp. Please arrive early as we must start on time!

Fastest pass in Surrey competition!

Please remember to bring some pound coins as we will be hosting the first ever "Fastest Pass in Surrey" challenge for both parents and kids, there are prizes to be won and more importantly the bragging rights at school, at your club or at work. Look out for the FunZone at the front of the club house.

Raffle

WRFC U9s are running a fundraising raffle, with some epic prizes to be won. Some of the highlights are a Family ticket to BGT (4 people), 2 sets of Family tickets to Curzon for a film of your choice plus a Coldplay signed vinyl to boot!. Our volunteers will be doing the rounds on Sunday so look out for them and please dig deep!

Parking

In short, you'll need to be an early-arriver to park in one of the two club carparks. A few permits have been issued for Inclusive Rugby players and visiting head coaches (only - and once the spaces are gone, they're gone, sorry). If you have a blue badge there will also be parking at the club, please show yours to the marshalls at the junction of Copse Hill and Barham Road.

Once the club's carparks are full you will need to park on the public roads (marked green on the map). The later you arrive the longer your walk will be to the club. When walking you might find Google Maps helpful to navigate your way to the clubhouse (type in Wimbledon Rugby Club or postcode SW20 0ET).

There will be parent volunteers in hi-viz to help make the parking as stress-free as possible. Please listen to any parking instructions you are given - and respect that everyone marshalling the parking are parent volunteers. Wimbledon RFC is situated in the middle of a residential area with some of the roads being private roads so if you are asked not to park somewhere, please listen. The same goes with cones, if you see a street with cones on, don't park there.

Anyone blocking access to homes or restricting ambulance access will be reported to the police.

If you need directions to Wimbledon Rugby Football Club click here

Note: fixtures are subject to change up until the start of the festival so keep checking for any updates.

There's a Tournify app which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store here or from the Google Play Store here. In the Tournify app search for Surrey Rugby U9 End of Season Festival.

Pitch plan

Huge thanks to our programme sponsors

The festival has been made possible thanks to the generosity of our programme sponsors. Please support them if at all possible.
Langhans Brasserie, Harlem NYIT restaurant, Kroll, Nuffield Health | Parkside Hospital, Direct Dental, Homefield Prep School, Reston Waste, Rugger Rascals, Robert Holmes & Co, The Clinic Holland Park.

A key message from Sophie Castle, Wimbledon's child safeguarding officer

Remember, everyone (parents, coaches and players alike) must observe the RFU rules and spirit of play...namely

1. Support positively and applaud good play (even if it's not your team!)
2. Respect officials and opposition players
3. Remember that children are playing to have fun
4. Behave as good role models on the touchline
5. Congratulate the opposition and make their supporters welcome.

Hope you enjoy the festival and remember TREDS

Teamwork • Respect • Enjoyment • Discipline • Sportsmanship

Following all the drama of the rain and mud it'll be good to get back to some rugby. We are looking forward to welcoming 1,400 kids at this year's Wimbledon RFC Spring Minis Rugby Festival.

IMPORTANT: There may not be parking on the pitches due to the recent weather so please arrive early and follow the parking instructions that you have been sent by your clubs.

The programme for the Spring 2024 festival can be downloaded here

Fixtures: https://www.tournify.uk/live/wrfcspring2024

Today's teams

Timings for the start of the day

We'll be open from 8.30am with bacon butties and coffees to kick-start your day. Referee briefings take pace by the relevant age group control tents at 9.30am and matches kick-off at 10am sharp. Please arrive early as we must start on time!

Parking

In short, you'll need to be an early-arriver to park in one of the two club carparks. A few permits have been issued for Inclusive Rugby players and visiting head coaches (only - and once the spaces are gone, they're gone, sorry). If you have a blue badge there will also be parking at the club, please show yours to the marshalls at the junction of Copse Hill and Barham Road.

Once the club's carparks are full you will need to park on the public roads (marked green on the map). The later you arrive the longer your walk will be to the club. When walking you might find Google Maps helpful to navigate your way to the clubhouse (type in Wimbledon Rugby Club or postcode SW20 0ET).

There will be parent volunteers in hi-viz to help make the parking as stress-free as possible. Please listen to any parking instructions you are given - and respect that everyone marshalling the parking are parent volunteers. Wimbledon RFC is situated in the middle of a residential area with some of the roads being private roads so if you are asked not to park somewhere, please listen. The same goes with cones, if you see a street with cones on, don't park there.

Anyone blocking access to homes or restricting ambulance access will be reported to the police.

If you need directions to Wimbledon Rugby Football Club click here

Note: fixtures are subject to change up until the start of the festival so keep checking for any updates.

There's a Tournify app which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store here or from the Google Play Store here . In the Tournify app search for Wimbledon Minis Rugby Festival.

Pitch plan

Huge thanks to our programme sponsors

The festival has been made possible thanks to the generosity of our programme sponsors. Please support them if at all possible.
Langhans Brasserie, Harlem NYIT restaurant, Kroll, Nuffield Health | Parkside Hospital, Direct Dental, Homefield Prep School, Reston Waste, Rugger Rascals, Robert Holmes & Co.

A key message from Sophie Castle, Wimbledon's child safeguarding officer

Remember, everyone (parents, coaches and players alike) must observe the RFU rules and spirit of play...namely

1. Support positively and applaud good play (even if it's not your team!)
2. Respect officials and opposition players
3. Remember that children are playing to have fun
4. Behave as good role models on the touchline
5. Congratulate the opposition and make their supporters welcome.

Bad behaviour by players will not be tolerated
The London Society of Rugby Football Union Referees has announced a zero-tolerance approach to backchat and appealing from players during matches. This approach is wholly endorsed by Wimbledon RFC and all players should expect to be warned and then penalised for instances of arm waiving and backchat/challenging refereeing decisions during games.

Bad behaviour by parents will not be tolerated. I like this quote from Brian Moore
[Children] do not always recognise a general expression of disappointment and believe it is directed at them. Head shaking, rolling of the eyes, looking away, kicking the ground – any of these can discourage children, and exhortations like “come on” and “sort it out” are as practically useless from the touchline as they are on the pitch. Full article is here

Hope you enjoy the festival and remember TREDS

Teamwork • Respect • Enjoyment • Discipline • Sportsmanship