Director of Rugby, Mike Saxton with his roundup.

ALL WHITES

Thank you to everyone at the club for your continued support. I am sure you are all aware of the run of unsuccessful first-team results. We could use the excuse that being promoted into this league was a year too early, and that would be an easy get-out. However, we were ready with the squad we had and the end of last season, along with the handful of strong colts transitioning up this season.

Our consistency with availability meant that we were left with some of our key players not available, whether down to travel or injury. We have missed the likes of Jake Monnington, Harry Allen, Jake Symes, Max Snowden, Alfie Lang, Josh Gale, Reuben Brinkly, Matt Wreyford, Joshua Vickridge, Jon Lacey, Rob Snowdon, Ryan Partridge, Ed Brown and now Josh Davey and Mat Dowrick: all great players and huge losses from the first 15.

Consistency creates results. We are still very competitive and often just on the wrong side of the result. Rarely do we not come away with bonus points. This weekend we need the win and would encourage as many of you to come and support us as possible.

I’d also like to congratulate Charlie Dore on his captaincy for the All-Whites. He’s set the example on and off the field this season. Also, 18-year-old Ben Rockey is now Vice Captain and was recently selected to play for Devon U20 along with Reuben Brinkley.

🏉 All Whites vs Sidmouth
📅 Saturday 11th March
⏰ KO 14:30
📍 Westaways Pitch

Download Your Match Day Programme

Matchday Programme

Prior to the All Whites game against Sidmouth on Saturday you can enjoys a Match Day Lunch in the JMV Solutions Marquee with Former England Rugby and Exeter Chiefs Official player Don Armand

You will enjoy:

🥪 A glorious buffet lunch
🍻 A fully stocked bar
🗣️ Don Armand as your Guest Speaker from 13:00pm
🏉 Plus watch the All Whites vs Sidmouth RFC with a 14:30 kick off

🎟️ Tickets are £10 each and doors open at 12:00pm

https://narfc.co.uk/event/partners-match-day-lunch-with-guest-speaker-don-armand/

SPARTANS
Spartans are having a strong season, we started the season having 20 players selected for a match and 8-10 players missing out on the selection process. Due to the knock-on effect of the above unavailabilities, we have pulled up the standout players from the Spartans to play for the All-Whites. Their match against top-of-the-league Plymouth Arygaum could only go ahead as the first team didn’t have a game. We went on to win that game by one converted try. Only two of those playing that game hadn’t played for the Spartans this year, so it was a mainly Spartans team, even though the Plymouth Gazette made out like we had acquired the players dropped from the England camp.

The team that faced Dartmouth on the weekend was made up of by calling on old heads, players that would normally consider themselves retired, and five colts, showing the impact of the missing players. I even found myself playing flyhalf which I am still recovering from, playing 70mins of rugby, as the referee mistakenly binned me for off-ball antics. A case of mistaken identity, but I needed the rest at the time.

🏉 Plymstock Albion Oaks II vs Spartans
📅 Saturday 11th March
⏰ KO 14:30
📍 Horsham Playing Fields

ALL WHITES COLTS
Our colts have a fantastic run, reminding us of our junior section’s strength progressing to the senior teams. Recognition of Alex Rundle, who is in the Devon Selection and played for our first 15, and Ben Ellis-Jeavons, who has represented the Exeter Chiefs. The Colts are sitting second in the top tier of the Devon Merit Cup. A win against Sidmouth this Saturday at home will see them in the final and likely against group leaders Ivybridge, who we have won against away at their place and drawn at ours. I watched the game at home and was impressed with the defence’s tenacity. I come away from that game feeling like Ivybridge was lucky not to come away with a second loss to the Colts. Good luck.

🏉 All Whites Colts vs Sidmouth Colts
📅 Saturday 11th March
⏰ KO 14:00
📍 Homers

ALL WHITES U16s
Our u16s are now ten years in the making, and their journey has been immense. Already winners of the Landrover cup against Ivybridge at U’12s, the squad headed to Twickenham, giving them a taste of success and insight into their ability. They now find themselves at the end of their Sunday fixtures and could finish with the greatest accolade with an opportunity to be crowned champions of the Devon (Fishermans) Cup final against Ivybridge on the 23rd of April,

This team is brimming with talent. It’s easier to list their success than put them in a paragraph:

Exeter Cheifs Academy
Henry Gascoyne
Harvey Willis
Devon RFU – Developing Player Program (DPP)
Aydan Shaddick
Henry Gilbert
Fred Horn
Oisin Malone
Louis Nichols
Ben Rusden
Harrison Shaw
Ben Smale
Noah Sutton
Edward Winslow
Our Future looks Amazing
We currently have 50 Junior U5-6’s filling the hopper early as been an instrumental part of the bigger plan.

We have 460 Junior U7’s to U18’s Boys and girls. We have one of Devon’s biggest girl’s sections and will continue to recruit actively using our current strategy of running taster classes at schools and other clubs. We have 38 senior ladies members and 70 senior Male members. I am sure you will all agree that this is such a good result for rugby at NARFC.

Ladies and Girls Rugby
Next week’s letter will detail the Ladies’ and Girls’ Rugby. But before I sign off, a huge congratulations and good luck to our very own successful players, Abi Cannings, Freya Moye, Lois Burry and Darcy Thomas, who have been selected to represent Devon in the U16s festival at Exeter Saracens.

The All Whites Ladies will be travelling to top of the table Crediton for a fiercely competitive game in the Women’s NC 1 South West (West). The ladies have had a solid season so far and I would like to wish them luck on their travels.

🏉 Crediton Ladies vs All Whites Ladies
📅 Sunday 12th March
⏰ KO 14:30
📍 Crediton

Kindest Regards
Mike Saxton
Director of Rugby