Fylde RFC

16/12/2024

Hawks 60 - 7 Manchester: report by Steve Gough

I fully expected Saturday's game to be a little unstructured and for the Hawks to take a while to get into the game having not played or trained for a few weeks. It actually only took us 9 mins to get the scoreboard ticking over, with an opportunist try and quick thinking from Tom Forster (making his first Hawks appearance of the season) to score under the posts with Atherton adding the extras.

From then on, we capitalised on the mistakes from Manchester. Every time they spilled possession; we counter attacked and seemed to have the vision to create opportunity for the speedsters to score. This was the story of the first half and the Hawks went on to score 35 unanswered points. The second half started in the same style with the Hawks wanting to push the ball wide at every opportunity and it was the first score of the second half that light up the massive crowd as Sebastian Krippner on debut (With his noisy Kirkham fan club in tow) scored a superb solo try from 60 meters. A truly exciting talent and one that we are fortunate to have with the club.

There was a period that the Hawks drifted off to sleep and allowed Manchester to score, but this just served to wake up the boys and take the game to 60 points. Had the referee not decided to blow up 5 mins early I am sure we would have broken the 70-point barrier.

The boys again showed, class, invention and ex*****on in running in 10 tries against a team that was on a 6 run winning streak. Of course, there is a massive game coming up on Saturday, 21st December, away at Chester who will be smarting from a 60 point loss at the Woodlands earlier in the season and we have to be right on it for this game to end the year in fine spirits.

Scorers:
Tries
Lanagan x 3
Forster x 1
Slawson x 1
Krippner x 1
Pissarra x 1
Macauley x 1
Murray x 1
llhan x 1

Conversions
Atherton x 3
Slawson x 2

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Half term Fylde Hawks report by Steve Gough

"I am not sure we expected that!!" That's what I keep hearing at the moment, and I disagree. I was expecting it from the Hawks squad. The boys have a will and a desire to win, this just doesn't happen by turning up and playing.

It's down to all the hard work on the training paddock with Loney, Briersy and I just step in on a Thursday and shout a bit, plus put a bit of information in on Saturdays. I think I have mentioned it before, the talent and depth is driving standards across the senior squad and it's an easy job when you have players who are motivated and driven to be the best versions of themselves and each week that are changing the picture and finding different ways in which to play.

Take this week's exciting finish from the 1st team as a good example, desire, ability, and belief was absolutely to the fore and that's what keeps the players motivated.

As my role at Fylde is mostly to help develop talent through the aspirational pathway it does excite me that there has been 9 players who have "Walked across the corridor" into the first team changing room. My firm belief is that we could genuinely develop more talented players to cross over to performance level.

Giving players that opportunity to step up is what we are all about and looking at some of these guys, you will see that in the very near future starting for the 1st XV. Our challenge now is to keep the flow of players coming to the club and that work never stops!

EVOLVE, DEVELOP AND CREATE OPPORTUNITY.

I have to mention our Portuguese lads who have embraced the club's culture and have absolutely added to the style and cohesion of the Hawks. Unfortunately, Vince has returned to Lisbon and Fran will be leaving after the game on Saturday. On a personal note, and I'm not so sad that they are going home to pursue opportunity for Portugal U20's world cup home. I am happy that they came to Fylde and shared their talent and they both go with our blessing and we will keep an eye on their progress and hopefully they will return!

Hawks stats to date, 2024-25 season

Played 11 games with 1 concede
Scored 498
Against 177
Points diff 321
Won 10
Lost 1
Tries 81
Conversions 54
Penalties - 0

Number of players used: 31
Number of players walking "Across the corridor" 9
Averaging 10 tries per game

Top try scores
Macauley - 16
Slawson - 14

Conversions
Slawson - 25
Pissarra - 13

Top points
Slawson - 110
Macauley - 80
Pissarra - 36

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16/12/2024

🌳 Another busy week at The Woodlands. 🌳

📻 Listen out for the BBC Radio Lancashire sports show being broadcast from our Arthur Bell Room. Live from 6pm with interviews from Fylde coaches and players before the big local derby. 📻

🚎 We still have some spots left on the bus heading to Hoppers on Saturday - book now to avoid disappointment! Email: [email protected] 🚎

🏉 If you're not going to Preston but need your rugby fix, the Mighty Vandals have a match against Orrell at The Woodlands - 2.15pm kick-off. 🏉

16/12/2024

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Fylde has long term aspirations to grow rugby union, in terms of participation and in developing a big and loyal support base in the community.

Saturday's game against Wharfedale, with the help of a decent number of visiting supporters, attracted a crowd of 1,178 people to the Woodlands.

This placed the Club 6th highest in English rugby on Saturday, including 3 European Cup games, the championship and women's premierships and the highest in the National Leagues.

Top attendances in England, Saturday 14th:

Leicester Tigers v Sharks 17168
Harlequins v Stormers 12863
Cornish Pirates v Coventry 1553
Ealing v Cambridge 1317
Doncaster v Caldy 1199
Fylde v Wharfedale 1178

The Clubhouse was packed and rocking after the game, both with enthused supporters who had witnessed a very exciting match that went down to the 80th minute, and with the help of a performance by Chairman of Rugby Mark Nelson, an accomplished singer and guitarist, alongside drummer Brendan Coe.

This is the 3rd time this season that we've exceeded 1,000 people at the Woodlands following on from the crowds watching the visits of Preston Grasshoppers and Chester earlier in the campaign. When The Rugby Paper reporter Will Judd has filed his reports, including the attendance figures, immediately after these games he has had queries from the editorial staff "have you got these right?". They find it hard to believe that this club based in a small town, with 180 degrees of our local environment the Irish Sea, can attract such a following.

But without alternative attractions of televised 6 Nations games, we can generate a very special and dynamic support base. Building a loyal base in the community is incredibly important to us and to see young and older people enjoying the match day atmosphere is so rewarding.

The Clubhouse was packed, upstairs and downstairs, and remained very busy late into the night with people enjoying the hospitality provided at the club and the entertainment from Nelson & Coe. The photo shows them in full flow with some guy looking over their shoulders!

"Great win & a lovely afternoon at the club with family and friends" said one female spectator on social media on Saturday evening amongst many other favourable comments. We must be doing something right!

15/12/2024

Fylde sn**ch victory with final kick of the game after super comeback: report by Will Judd

Fylde 31 Wharfedale 30

Fylde faced Wharfedale on Saturday on a cold, overcast and miserable day… but there was nothing miserable about the game that unfolded.

The boys from the coast were eager to build the Woodlands back into the fortress it has been for most of this season. However, it would be tough against an opposition that were level with them in the table heading into the match.

And Wharfedale proved just how difficult an afternoon it would be for Fylde with a try only two minutes into the game. Their first moments of possession resulted in an optimistic line break. The initial try-saving tackle was super, but it was deemed futile as lock Elliot Stockton bundled over the line only a matter of phases later. The conversion was good which gave Wharfedale an early 0-7 advantage.

Despite the blow of losing wing Cam Smith to injury very early on (to be replaced by Jordan Dorrington), Fylde were close to bouncing back moments later, but a knock-on metres away from the line was a sign of things to come in the first half.

The gap was extended by Wharfedale at the quarter-of-an-hour mark as fly-half Rob Davidson converted a penalty kick, given thanks to their scrum which rocked the Fylde forwards for much of the game due to the influence of the Greens’ prop Jake Armstrong.

Fylde’s second chance to open their account came minutes later, but the ball was held up on the line, adding to the list of everything that went wrong for the boys in the opening 40.

The list was added when some neat, sharp passes from the Wharfedale’s backs opened the gap for the pacy left wing Rian Hamilton to dive into the left-hand corner for the away side’s second try of the game. A solid conversion extended the Wharfedale lead to 17 points.

As residents of the Fylde Coast will know, when it rains it pours, which is exactly what happened to the home team in the first half. Another line break at the half hour mark came after some sloppy Fylde play gifted the visitors the ball and Hamilton repeated the treatment to score a try in the corner. No conversion, although the home team still had a monumental mountain to climb with the score being sat at 0-22.

A glimmer of hope was shown to the Woodlands though, as in the dying moments of the first half, Wharfedale’s Jack Pinder was sent to the bin. Some strong halftime words were needed though as Fylde had not shown up to the game in the first half.

Whatever was said seemed to pay off as the second half began. Fylde began their comeback through Freddie Reader who made a clever inside step to lead several defenders grasping at thin air on his way to the try line. A neat conversion by Patrick Bishop put Fylde on their way.

In the 49th minute they were back again as another clever bit of footwork allowed Fylde into the opposition 22. It was Ben Gould that eventually touched down a few phases later with a clever finish.

The comeback was almost complete when Jordan Dorrington burst down the left touchline from halfway in the 61st minute scattering defenders, after a superb one handed lineout claim from Matt Garrod and then an evenly classy offload from Freddie Reader. So good was Dorrington’s 50m run, he was able to run all the way over to between the posts before touching down for a try. The conversion was made simple for Bishop and with 20 minutes left to play Fylde were only one point behind.

This scoreline didn’t last thanks to Toby Harrison driving over attempted tackles on the opposition try line, scoring emphatically. After yet another successful Bishop kick Fylde finally had the lead in the contest, unimaginable given the first half performance. They also picked up a 4-try bonus point on the way.

But the game was not over yet. The visitors replied immediately up the other end with Harry Bullough flying over the tryline clinching a try scoring bonus point in the process. The conversion was missed however which left Wharfedale only one point behind with ten minutes to pay.

Indeed, the final 10 truly was one for the ages. It began with Corey Bowker being carded for the home side due to constant scrum penalties, something which Fylde simply could not get a grip on all game.

Wharfedale began to use this man advantage well and pressured Fylde, eventually resulting in them securing a penalty kick directly 25m out in front of posts. In a most unlikely outcome, Rob Davidson hit the upright and the opportunity was wasted.

Luckily for Davidson, he was given a second chance a few minutes later with another penalty which he made no mistake in slotting away for a 28-30 lead. With only minutes left it looked as though the visitors had done it. All that was needed was to keep the ball for a few phases after kick off and the win was theirs.

Even the Wharfedale coaches were celebrating, but the rugby gods had other ideas. Miraculously, a cataclysmic effort from the Fylde defence saw them win a turnover just shy of the Wharfedale 22 in the dying seconds.

The job of winning the game fell to one man, Patrick Bishop. The entirety of the Woodlands Memorial Ground looked on as he prepared for the kick. With the crowd perfectly silent, fans and players alike waiting with bated breath, he puffed out his cheeks and kicked the ball.

Despite all pressure being on the young man’s shoulders, he struck the ball as straight as an arrow clean through the posts, resulting in the Woodlands erupting. They’d done it. Somehow and someway Fylde had come back, not only from 22 unanswered points in the first half, but also from the jaws of defeat seconds away from the final whistle. It truly was a Christmas miracle… or just part of the plan, right?

Chris Farrow's excellent photo album is available here. https://bit.ly/49Ic5m6

FYLDE: 1 C Bowker, 2 T Davis, 3 P Altham (O Trippier), 4 M Walton, 5 M Garrod, 6 L Quinn (S Parker), 7 T Harrison ©, 8 D Fairbrother; 9 B Gould, 10 P Bishop; 11 C Smith (J Dorrington ), 12 A Clayton, 13 S Stott, 14 B Turner; 15 F Reader.

Non playing replacements: C Rudkin & G Morgan.

WHARFEDALE: 1 B Patchett (S Dickinson 16), 2 D Stockdale (Collinson 72), 3 J Armstrong, 4 J Burton (S Borrill 61), 5 E Stockton, 6 J Pinder (A Weston 69), 7 J Fawcett, 8 T Beresford; 9 O Kaup-Samuels (O Riddiough 54) , 10 R Davidson; 11 O Bullock, 12 O Cicognini, 13 J Prell, 14 R Hamilton; 15 H Bullough.

15/12/2024

's Peter Altham names his Dream Team in today's The Rugby Paper: 1 Tonga'uiha, 2 Millea, 3 Cole, 4 Lawes, 5 Rawlings, 6 Baldwin, 7 Solomi, 8 Lamprey; 9 Collins, 10 Davies; 11 Brennand, 12 Malherbe, 13 Briers, 14 Royle, 15 Robinson.

Some interesting choices! Read the detail in TRP purchasable from your local newsagents.

15/12/2024

Those Fylde supporters who've followed the Club in the last 40 years or so have been privileged to see some very fine goal kickers - Steve Burnage & Steve Gough in the 1980s & 1990s, Mike Scott in the Noughties, Chris Johnson in the 2010s and Greg Smith in the 2017-2024 period. As good as they all were they rarely exceeded 80% success ratios.

In the summer of 2024 a young former student of Royal Lancaster Grammar School who had played very successfully for Durham University agreed to join Fylde. In the first half of the 2004-5 season, Patrick Bishop has shown himself to be a clever and calm playmaker at fly-half.

But it is Bish's goal kicking that has proved quite exceptional. He has attempted 53 kicks at goal and has been successful in making 47 conversions and 2 penalties. This is an extraordinary rate of 92.5% which must put him towards the top handful of professional and semi-pro players in England so far this season. Of course, we have another 14 National Two (North) games to face before the end of April so many more kicks to come.

As he nervelessly converted the winning penalty kick in the 80th minute to beat Wharfedale he must have braced himself for the huge celebrations of the supporters in front of the Woodlands Clubhouse. Whether he was ready for all his team mates to bury him in a huge pile of humanity is another matter! This was Patrick's 100th point kicked for the season so far to add to his three tries.

We spoke to Patrick to get his reaction to his current run of kicking form. He said: "I'm not sure how it’s happened to be honest but I’m happy to just keep riding the wave. I never reached these sorts of percentages in my time playing BUCS rugby for Durham and I actually wasn’t the primary choice for kicking for the posts in my last 2 seasons there. I put in some practice over summer but nothing too significant, I stripped everything back to make sure I was nailing the basics. There's no secret, just enjoying the good fortune and I’m as shocked as anyone else at the moment."

Predictably, Patrick was awarded Fylde's Man of the Match. Great work Bish!

14/12/2024

14/12/2024

It had to be didn’t it!

14/12/2024

Some turnaround! Second half tries from Reader, Dorrington, Harrison and Gould all converted by Bishop who also added a last minute penalty.

14/12/2024

Disappointing first half with much to do in the second period to get anything from the game.

14/12/2024

Warm-up ✅
Kick-off 5️⃣ Mins
Fylde to receive playing away from the clubhouse

14/12/2024

IT’S MATCH DAY!
🆚 Wharfedale
🏟️ The Woodlands FY8 4EL
🕒 Kick Off 3PM
🍻Bars open 12pm
🍷 Free mulled wine on entry if you’re wearing a Christmas jumper!
🗣️ Match updates on X

14/12/2024

Get to the Woodlands early to support Fylde Hawks who entertain Manchester Rugby Club at the Woodlands today (ko 14.15). Hawks Coach Steve Gough has chosen a very strong squad based on the players who have taken them to 2nd in the NOWIRUL Premiership plus others returning from injury.

Great to see the return of Adam Lanigan who broke his leg playing for Lancashire Rugby back in May and also to Alex Gaughan who has impressed at scrum-half for the 1sts this campaign. Charlie Smith is at lock whilst his cousin Cam is on the adjacent main pitch for the 1st XV v Wharfedale. Welcome to KGS & The Sale Sharks Academy product Sebi Krippner who makes his debut for the Club on the wing.

Meanwhile, The Mighty Fylde Vandals - Social Rugby, the only team in NOWIRUL Div 3 (North) with a 100% win record travel to Vale of Lune 3rds in a meeting of the 3rd v 2nd in the Division.

Good luck to both squads!

13/12/2024

We are pleased to publish the Fylde v Wharfedale match programme ahead of Saturday's game at the Woodlands (ko 3pm).

Click here: https://bit.ly/3ZNvvTc

Cover star is Patrick Bishop, in 2nd place in National Two North's leading points table in his first season in senior club rugby.

Our latest of 'Retro pieces' describes the first ever game between the two clubs, in December 1995.

Other highlights feature the 1st XV and Vandals this season, match reports, current league tables, scoring and appearance stats etc.

We include news of the Fylde Rugby Community Foundation's initiative of a Girls Rugby Open Training Session at the Woodlands and the January Holiday Rugby & Multi-Sports camp in conjunction with the Wooden Spoon Charity - all working so hard to promote rugby participation amongst young people.

* Nelson's Column: a fierce challenge to the English game authority about the role and contribution of grassroots clubs
* Briersy’s & Lono’s Programme Notes
* Girls Rugby by the Fylde Rugby Community Foundation
* A message from Fylde RFC's President
* Fylde v Wharfedale, 20th January 2024: photo gallery
* 1st XV appearances and scorers
* FRCF : January Rugby & Multi-Sports Camp
* Potential development of the Woodlands; Legacy Project
* Big Match Preview – Fylde v Wharfedale
* Today's squads
* Last time out – Fylde v Leeds Tykes
* The Locker Room
* Focus on the Mighty Vandals
* Club News: Old Boys Boxing Day game; 250 Club
* 1sts, Hawks & Vandals fixtures
* The League Tables
* Dec-Jan Rugby Schedule
* Preston Grasshoppers Bus Trip, 21st Dec

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Many thanks to all contributors and, in particular, to advertisers and sponsors without whom this programme would not have been possible:

Evolve Document Solutions, Clifton Homecare, Jones Melling, Dickinsons Solicitors, Roland Whitehead & Daughter, Beaverbrooks Jewellers, Duckworth Group, Aardvark, AKS, O’Neills, Questa, Ludlow, LWC Drinks, Fylde PrivateGP, English Lakes Ice Cream, Lancashire Tree Services, Cole the Jeweller, Gadsden Coupe, On Call Doctors & Guy Penn Insurance.

Please come to the Woodlands on Saturday to cheer on the Fylde guys in an important game (ko 15.00). Fylde is one of the best supported clubs in the National Leagues and it really does encourage the players and contributes to a great sporting atmosphere!

This interactive flipbook is created with FlippingBook, a service for streaming PDFs online. No download, no waiting. Open and start reading right away!

12/12/2024

On Saturday Wharfedale visit The Woodlands for a traditional Roses battle. Kick off is 3pm, get down and enjoy the festivities. Don't forget your Christmas jumpers for a FREE mulled wine and mince pie. Live music from 5.30(ish).

Not just "Live music from 5.30'ish! There's to be a performance by “Nelson & Coe“ in the Bill Beaumont Bar. Nelly, who made a guest appearance with The Milltown Brothers this week, and Atticks drummer Brendan Coe, will be performing live in the Clubhouse after the Wharfedale game as part of the post-match entertainment. Be there!!!

11/12/2024

🌹 For Lancashire! 🌹

Next up Wharfedale visit The Woodlands for a traditional roses battle. Kick off is 3pm, get down and enjoy the festivities. Don't forget your Christmas jumpers for a FREE mulled wine and mince pie. Live music from 5.30(ish).

09/12/2024

📣 WHAT'S ON AT THE WOODLANDS 📣

Another host of private events and parties at The Woodlands this week.

Are you looking for a premium event space to host a birthday, meeting or party?

Contact us now for available dates in January.

01253 734733 | [email protected]