Despite a shaky and losing start away to Barnstaple in early September, our squad of mainly local youngsters fought back admirably to gain a play-off position to Old Elthamians on Saturday, 26th April. Interestingly, this was the contest between the best defence in all National III leagues (us) and the second best defence (Old Elthamians). So it was unlikely to be a match of end to end scores and so it proved. Two tries a piece, but with Old Elthamians kicking 7 extra points to give them a 17-10 home win.

There are many people that I need to thank for contributing to a fantastic culmination to the year. Firstly, our supporters were absolutely brilliant. They turned up en masse, enjoyed the bar and barbecues, and got right behind our young Rams team. Thank you to everyone that made the trip.

Thank you also to everyone that sent in messages of congratulations and commiserations. To say the players and coaches were distraught would be inadequate to describe their disappointment. Some very tough men were barely able to speak which showed just how much that game, and their efforts for the season, meant to them. Our senior squad, their coaches and all the managers can be very proud of their efforts this year.

In the modern game a successful team needs more than just good players. We have a fantastic Club and back-up team that deserve recognition, so I would like to thank Mike and all the senior coaches for their efforts in putting-out not just a successful 1st XV but four other successful senior teams throughout the year. I would also like to thank Mike Hopkins and all team managers for their tireless efforts in ensuring that the logistics needed to play rugby were all in place, Janette for her work as Squad Secretary and counting the money, and Vicki and the Medical Team for working so hard to keep our players fit, and return our injured players to fitness. The Medical Team were very busy this year, I hope it is a little easier for them in 2014/2015!
I have always believed that the seeds for successful senior seasons are sewed a decade earlier in the Minis and Juniors. We have a very well-run Junior section with many dedicated coaches, managers and supporters. I would, however, like to specifically thank David Paradise and Paul Clark for the work they have done in managing their respective sections, and Bill Gornall-King for overseeing the whole.

In this short message I have not had the opportunity to mention everyone by name, but whether you support, coach, manage, heal, report, organise, cook, build, repair, drain or perform any other of a vast range of tasks for the Club I would like to thank you for your efforts and hope that you can take some pride in what we achieved last year.

So where to now? I was also bitterly disappointed that we didn’t manage to secure promotion to National III. On Sunday after the play-off game, I engaged in my normal round of reflective contemplation as I marched Rocco (my dog) around the woods and fields of Crazies Hill. Later that morning I decided to drive up to the Club to watch our Colts play Maidenhead. The game had just started and as I climbed out of the car and walked around the pitch I watched our young Rams string together several phases to culminate with a crafty off-load from our Fly Half, James Duncan (the President’s grand-son) to Joe Norman (our strong and very talented number 8) to score under the post, and at that moment a little voice in my head said “just look at the possibilities”. So on Sunday morning, I watched lots of prospects for the future in us and Maidenhead, two first-class local teams that are extremely well coached. The future for Berkshire rugby should be very bright. For the Rams, we can look forward to some excellent 1st XV rugby next year from our young and improving squad which, having come so close to promotion this year, will want to ensure it gets the job done in 2015.

My thanks again to everyone for their efforts in the 2013/2014 season. I hope I will see as many of you as possible at the ball and awards dinner on Friday, 9th May. It will be a terrific occasion and there will be many much deserved awards presented.