COMMITTEE MESSAGES

Players and members wanted.

Are you a rugby player living in the Keynsham or nearby areas of Bristol, or someone who would like to take up the game ?

Then why not join Keynsham RFC; a friendly, vibrant Club, which runs 3 Senior Teams, a Vets Team, a Colts Team and Junior Teams for all age groups.

Keynsham RFC boasts 4 pitches ( 1 floodlit ), a superb clubhouse and ample parking. Our facilities compare favourably with those of any rugby club in Bristol or Bath.

Keynsham RFC is very much a Community Club, sponsored by many local businesses, and we stage numerous events, throughout the year, for the community at large.

So, come along and see for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

Dennis E Cockbaine M.B.E.

It gives me great pleasure to confirm that our Club President, Dennis Cockbaine has been awarded the M.B.E. in the 2006 New Year's Honours list. I set out below a precis of the basis upon which this achievement is richly deserved:

I have known Dennis Cockbaine for almost 30 years, and he is a quite remarkable man who has dedicated his life to the service of others. Professionally, he worked in personnel management, retiring in 1980. However, it is his voluntary work which readily attracts attention, and which, in the view of many observers deserves public recognition.

He served throughout the Second World War with the 5th Royal Tank Regiment, rising to the rank of major. His constant concern for the welfare of those he commanded is best illustrated by his collation, at the conclusion of hostilities, of their personal details in order to maintain contact and be a source of support for the future. That support has manifested itself by way of an annual reunion, which Dennis, as President of the regimental Old Comrades Association organises. The year 2005 saw the 57th consecutive reunion organised by him. However, support is by no means confined to this annual event, as Dennis continues to be a point of contact for advice and support for all those with whom he served. This includes assistance with health, finance and bereavement issues.

Upon demobilisation, Dennis Cockbaine returned to his native Somerset where he played rugby for the re-formed Keynsham Rugby Football Club. His well developed organisational and administrative skills were soon put to good use. He has served the club in a number of leading roles. As Chairman and subsequently President, he has been instrumental in seeing this thriving community sports club grow from a single team in 1946 to one that can boast superb community facilities catering for 5 senior teams plus sporting opportunities for youngsters from 7 to 17 years. Dennis is now in his 34th year as President of Keynsham R.F.C.

In 1973, his expertise in the personnel field was put to further voluntary use when he helped to establish the Bristol and District Retirement Council, which was set up to provide advice and guidance to those facing redundancy or early retirement. He has been Honorary Chairman of the Council since 1983, and under his guidance and leadership, it has developed into a valuable resource for Bristol and the surrounding area. It constantly provides seminars, workshops and short courses, which given the changing nature of employment, are increasingly relevant to today's workforce.

The foregoing summarises the diverse nature of the voluntary work undertaken by Dennis Cockbaine over six decades, and I believe that it is worthy of some public recognition.

The energy and enthusiasm of Dennis Cockbaine for his fellow beings is best illustrated by the fact that in his 84th year, he is as active as ever in pursuing the voluntary work highlighted herein.

Ian Tweedie
Chairman, Keynsham Rugby Football Club. Jan 06.

Endorsement

Keynsham Rugby Football Club was one of the first clubs in this area to resume playing after the Second World War, being reformed in November 1945 and playing for the rest of that season. By 1946, many of the servicemen had returned, among them one Dennis Cockbaine.

Dennis made his playing presence felt and went on to represent the strong Bristol 2nd XV. The following season (1947/48) he was elected Keynsham Club Captain.

He very soon became involved in the club administration, and in 1950/51 organised a match versus an International and County XV to raise funds for an extension to the dressing rooms. At committee level, his professional advice and sound common sense were fully appreciated.

In 1961, he became Vice-Chairman, and in that year, due mainly to his efforts, his desire to promote junior rugby was achieved when the Colts XV was formed. In 1963 he was elected as Chairman of the Club, and led it through great changes in the 1960's, culminating in the purchase of the club grounds in 1968.

In 1971, upon the retirement of the existing Club President, there was only one candidate to replace him and Dennis was elected unopposed. In 2006, Dennis will enter his 35th year as President of this thriving sports club.

Under his guidance and leadership, the Club has taken momentous steps forward. It has acquired, through lease, ground for two additional pitches, thus allowing four matches to be played on a Saturday. Mini and Junior Sections have been formed, providing healthy sporting activity for boys and girls aged from 7 to 17 years, in addition to 4 senior teams and Colts.

During the past 10 years Dennis, whilst President, has also chaired the Club Development Committee. Under his guidance, a new clubhouse and changing rooms complex has been built which will accommodate 8 teams. Additionally, the club car-park has been extended to facilitate off-street parking for members and visitors.

On Christmas Eve 1992, a fatal accident occurred on the main road adjacent to the club entrance when a driver under the influence of drink ploughed into a group of club members leaving the annual festive disco. Two young adults were killed and nine others seriously injured. As President, Dennis took personal control of the club's response, calling an emergency meeting of the Management Committee on Boxing Day. Subsequently, he chaired a fund-raising committee, which, through a variety of events raised over £21,000 for those injured and/or affected by the accident. He also took personal charge of the subsequent distribution of funds.

In 2000, he made a personal appeal to members and friends of the Club, as a result of which, a further £3,500 was raised to erect a set of memorial gates at the Club entrance (site of the accident).

Dennis Cockbaine has been associated with, and fully committed to, Keynsham Rugby Football Club for the past 57 years. His enthusiasm for the game, which he still follows weekly from the touchline, even in the foulest of weather, and his dedication to the Club, is an inspiration to all members, who hold him in the highest possible esteem.

Knowing of his work in other walks of life, I submit on behalf of Keynsham Rugby Football Club that Dennis Cockbaine's contribution to his fellow beings is worthy of public recognition.

Jon Bishop. Jan 06.

Presidents message.

We are fast approaching the new season which will this time be in South West 2 East; after several seasons of just missing relegation.

Much has happened since the end of last season:

John Bishop, our Chairman retired after four very difficult years in which he did his very best to stem the tide. Our new committee is chaired by Ian Tweedie with Steve Barker as Vice Chairman, Daniel Fox as secretary and John Hoyle as Treasurer. The new members are "doers" rather than "talkers".

This committee faces enormous problems which arise mainly from us being an amateur club in a professional scene where the costs are increasing every year.

On the playing side there is tremendous talent coming through from the juniors and colts sides due to the splendid work being done by the adult coaches purely on an amateur basis.

To all of you I wish a good season with plenty of good, open rugby to watch and play.

Dennis Cockbaine ~ President K.R.F.C. Aug 05.

Chairman's message.

It is a very great privilege for me to have been elected as Chairman of this wonderful club of ours. I will do my best to ensure that it continues to be successful in all its various roles.

It would be pointless to deny that there was a significant hiccup on the financial front last season, but I am confident that we now have the necessary structures in place to move forward. There is a Financial Sub-Committee which currently meets weekly, a Book Keeper has been appointed and a system of ordering has been implemented. With regard to the latter, please note that the club will not honour expenditure which has not been authorised in advance by way of an order form.

On other fronts, there have been successful developments:

Floodlights: Thanks to a grant of £5,000 from the Rugby Football Foundation, and the success of the Xmas Draw (see later), the upgrade of the floodlights has been completed thus improving the lighting and also creating additional space for training.

Community Amateur Sports Club (C.A.S.C.) status: The Club has now registered with the Inland Revenue, and whilst I won't bore you with the small-print, it means that we are entitled to mandatory rate relief of 80%, and equally important, can benefit from tax relief via Gift Aid in the same way as registered charities. For every pound donated, the Club will be able to claim an additional 28% from the Inland Revenue, i.e. if someone donates £100, the Club will benefit by an additional £28. Enclosed with this newsletter is a "Gift Aid Declaration" which I would encourage you to complete and return to the Club either by post or personally. Having completed the form, there is no obligation upon you to make a donation either now or in the future, but should you do so, it will make the administration very much easier.

Patio Railings: Thanks to the generosity of members buying sections at £50 a time, railings will shortly be constructed around the patio. Donors' names will be displayed appropriately on the railings.

Lounge Chairs: With the above in mind, I wonder whether we may be able to provide some new chairs for the lounge on a similar basis, i.e. £50 a chair which would display the donor's name. The existing chairs have taken some stick over the past 12 years, and desperately need replacing. In view of our C.A.S.C. status (see above), for every £50 donated, we will be able to claim an additional £14 back from the Inland Revenue.

R.F.U. Seal of Approval: We recently submitted a file of evidence to the R.F.U. setting out the way in which the club is administered, particularly in respect of the Junior and Mini Sections. I am delighted to inform you that the R.F.U. has granted the Club its "Seal of Approval", and a formal presentation will be made early in the new season. It is likely that in the future, the Seal of Approval will be a pre-requisite for any application for financial assistance.

The club's file of evidence includes a 5 year Development Plan which the Development Sub Committee has drafted. I emphasise that it is in "draft" form, and the Sub Committee intend to hold a briefing evening to enable interested parties to make a contribution to it.

Those of us who sit on the Management Committee find it very frustrating that the majority of meetings are taken up with administrative matters e.g. health and safety, child protection etc. They are, of course very important, but we do need to remind ourselves that we are here to support the playing of rugby.

The 1st XV despite a vast improvement towards the end of last season left their "run-in" too late, and will be competing in South West 2 East this coming season. This will mean a whole new set of fixtures which should be interesting. With continued improvement, I am confident that they will make an impression. Despite the constant difficulties of a changing team, the 2nd XV acquitted themselves well, and will, I am sure, do so again. A club with Keynsham's reputation needs to have a 3rd XV, and I appeal to all of you to encourage players of all ages and abilities to come and join us. When we are able to field a side, the standard is very good.

We almost take the Colts, Juniors and Minis for granted because of their considerable success over the past 2/3 years. We should not do so, but knowing the calibre of the coaches, helpers and parents, I am sure they will continue to go from strength to strength.

Finally, one area of activity which I would like to see improved is "communication". There is so much activity at the club that it is important that "those who should know do know". For example, it is essential that all activities are entered in the club diary held in the office. Changes in fixtures or cancellations which affect catering etc. must be notified to everyone who will be affected.

It is impossible to know everybody by name, but I will try and get around as much as I can, and I have asked those who are responsible for arranging meetings, to let me know so that I can have the opportunity to sit in.

Have an enjoyable season!!

Ian Tweedie ~ Chairman K.R.F.C. Aug 05.

Junior Section Report

As the new season gets underway, the first thing that must be done is to welcome John Packer, his squad and their supporters, as they make the transition from the Minis to Junior's.

The 2004/05 season, under the Chairmanship of Brian Ballinger, proved to be a particularly successful one for the club's Junior's section, a fact confirmed by the impressive set of results posted by each of the age groups on the KRFC website (www.keynshamrugby.co.uk). Hannah Sage who maintains the Junior's site is always looking for new material so please help her by providing match reports, team or 'action' photographs, events, etc. As well as being very informative, the site has proved a very good advert for the Junior's section attracting a number of new players and 'touring' sides.

KRFC continues to enjoy strong representation at County level with players selected for U17, U16 and U15 squads. In addition, the Bath & North East Somerset U16 and U15 squads drew heavily on players from the club, and went on to win their respective 'Super 6' tournaments for the second successive year. Keynsham will in fact be hosting the U15 Super 6 tournament on Friday 30th September, and all support for what, to date, have proved very entertaining evenings would be welcome.

The success of Keynsham players, both at club and county level, does come at a 'price' however. Last season saw a number of players offered awards and scholarships from various rugby acadamies and private schools. A fantastic achievement for those concerned, and a real feather in the cap of the club. As a consequence, however, these players will undoubtedly be limited in the amount of rugby they are able to play for Keynsham over the next two years. We therefore need to keep welcoming and recruiting new players and all efforts on this front will be very welcome.

As well as a full 'friendly' fixture list for the 2005/06 season, the Junior's section has cup commitments to look forward to. All age groups are entered in the Bristol Junior Combination Cup which gets under way in September. The U17, U15 and U13 age groups will play in the Somerset Cup competition which starts in January.

We must aim to build on previous seasons' successes, that have seen the club's Junior section maintain its enviable reputation both on and off the pitch. In doing so however it is essential that the primary focus is to do everything possible to ensure that players, irrespective of their ability, enjoy their rugby and are proud to represent their club. Maintaining this approach and significantly improving the integration of the Senior section with those of the Minis and Juniors, is vital if there is to be a long term future for KRFC.

Finally, I would appreciate as much feedback as possible about our club. Inevitably issues will arise from time to time and I need to know about these if I am going to be effective as a Chairman; please note that positive feedback is also very helpful.

Have a great Season!

Craig Whetton ~ Chairman of Junior Playing. Aug 05.

Mini Section Report

Another hugely successful season which again is testament to both the determination of the players and the commitment of the parents and coaches.

A great deal of thanks to John Packer for his role as joint Chairman over the last year and we all wish him well as he moves with his team into the juniors.

I wish everyone an enjoyable season in which we can look forward to contesting our own Mini tournament at the Crown Fields on Sunday 16th October.

Shaun Thompson ~ Chairman of Minis. Aug 05.

Senior Playing Report

Following the disappointments of relegation last season it is heartening to see our young squad eagerly attending pre season training in large numbers.

The successes in the second half of last season prove the rapid development made under the tutorship of Matt Shepperd and Matt Skuse. This new league will present an excellent opportunity to continue player and squad development before pushing for promotion once again.

Much thanks must go to Ian Thomas for his captaincy last season under the most trying of circumstances and we have great hopes under the new leadership of Danny Baker.

Again this season we will rely on the team managers to keep everyone sane. Sammy continues to work tirelessly to ensure the first team can concentrate on purely playing rugby whilst Steve Deere, Malcolm Crew and Andy Weston will look to steer the youthful second, third team
and colt sides through an ever changing fixture list.

Many thanks to everyone who enables us to simply turn up and play rugby every week.

Daniel Fox ~ Ex Chairman of Senior Playing. Aug 05.

The RFU compulsory Accidental Death and Total Disability Insurance which is paid for by the Club has been increased this year to a maximum pay out of £500,000. There is a facility for individuals to increase this cover to £1 million and separate information sheets will be distributed. Any player not receiving a leaflet can obtain one from Ian Tweedie, Honorary Secretary.

It is the Management Committee's view that it is the responsibility of individual players to obtain cover for loss of earnings due to lesser injuries e.g. broken wrist, concussion etc.

Paul Andre Blundell.

As mentioned in the last newsletter, a charitable trust has been set up by P.A.'s family and friends with the object of raising funds for research into spinal injury rehabilitation. This is fully supported by the Club which has raised significant sums during the past year, including £4,000 at a Charity Dinner, £2,300 in the Paving Slab Draw, and £1,000 by Jim Brooks undertaking a sponsored walk. Anyone wishing to make a donation should send a cheque to the Club made out to "Trust PA".

More information on the charity etc. can be found on the website "TrustPA.com."

Sports Club Thefts.

Match day walk in thefts are still the simplest method of attack. Don't be shy about asking for confirmable ID from an unknown person in the changing room, office, bar area. How can they complain if you are protecting your club.

Recently criminals have adopted the persona of team / club officials and been very helpful to visiting teams prior to the match, even offerring to safeguard valuables until post match. You can guess the result. If you are offered ID check it, look at the photo, ask a known official to confirm it. An elaborate deception resulted in severe embarrassment for Newbury RFC when the clubs " Head of Security" made off with the Bristol United valuables. No such position existed.

A little vigilence will go a long way to putting someone off trying.

Encourage a known responsible adult to take possession of valuables prior to the team leaving the changing room. Better still discourage children and youths from bringing valuables to the club. They CAN do without their phones for a morning!

Mark your age groups equipment appropriately and ask someone, other than a coach - they've got enough to worry about with the match, to keep an eye on tackle bags, balls and drinks bottles during the game. PARENTS DO WANT TO BE INVOLVED.

Mike Sage.

KRFC CLUB RULES.

The Club Rules are contained in this attached 16 page MS Word document. Be patient and make a cup of tea while it downloads!

click here for document