I trust you all enjoyed your rest weekend and England fans have probably spent the last two days fuming over the laws of the game and trying to work out how it all works.
After a lifetime of being involved in this fair sport - I always remember what one flanker told me as he smashed my face into the mud from the most off-side position possible:

"Mate if the referee doesn't call it - it's not off-side"
Yeah - cheers for that!

Cracking result for Scotland though and the Calcutta cup looks like being a cracking day out.

Best wishes go to coach Nick Evans who took a nasty knock whilst playing for Quins on Friday against Leicester. We wish you the speediest of recoveries mate!

This week however - it's all systems go for a full club run out as we return to league action!

This Saturday sees the 1st XV at home against Guildford, the 2nd XV away to Ealing Trailfinders, the Mavericks at home against Sutton and Epson and the Strollers away to Old Ruts.
Not to be outdone the Ladies XV are at home on Sunday against the Swindon Supermarines. Support for all these fixtures is actively encouraged - and Shaun will, as usual, be putting on excellent fodder for supporters as well as competitively priced beverages ..... just ask Baggers!

Quiz Night to Comedy Night

A massive congratulations to all who ran and took part in last Friday's Quiz Night and to the U7s winning team..... I do believe this was the parents and coaches of the U7s - not the players themselves..... at least I hope that is the case.

Our next big fundraiser is the Comedy Night and we need you to dive in and make this another success. This is on March 24th and you can see the fab line up of comics here: http://wmrfc.co.uk/social

Tickets are £20 individually or £16 for groups of ten or more as well as U18s and U21s. There will be free bar snacks for early arrivals. Doors open at 7.30pm and showtime is 8.30pm. These events are always a great success so book now to avoid disappointment.

Mental Health

On a serious note - the rugby world was shocked and saddened the other week by the death of Australian international Dan Vickerman.
Depression and anxiety are very real problems that can affect anyone at any time. As someone who has spent years dealing with this issue I can assure you it is not fun.
However - it is not to be shied away from. In light of this the Rugby Players Association has put into the place the Lift the Weight programme in association with Mind - the mental health charity.

Have a quick look at this link:
https://therpa.co.uk/lifttheweight/

You don't have to be a player - you could be a parent, a coach or a supporter - or someone who lives with someone who has these issues. The modern world is changing and there should be no stigma around this illness. Rugby is a family, so if you, or someone you know is suffering from this - look for help. You can find it through the links on the webpage - or by reaching out to a friend. My door is always open to any of you and I can attest that the friendships I have from this group have helped me in the past.

Look after your mates gang.

Onto lighter matters - the sun is shining and birds are singing. I will be away with work for the end of this week - so Anna "hop-along" Yeardley will be taking over email duties for weekly teamsheets and updates on Friday. Many Thanks to her as always!
I have a tour of rugby clubs in Devon to get to. I will be using the ever-trusted Terry Bagworth Guide to Local Ales and Where to Find Them as my tourist reading. Lord help me!

Have a great week all

Big Love

Badger