Newsletters

Welcome & RGSHW Rugby Philosophy

At RGSHW, we strive to create an ambitious, engaging and challenging environment where every player, regardless of experience in the game, is given the time and support to maximise potential on and off the field. 

For us to be able to do this, we take a needs-centred approach to training and fixtures, allowing players to make their own decisions, learn from those experiences and have autonomy over their own development. The foundation of RGSHW Rugby is based around good behaviours; a strong work ethic, a positive attitude to learning, with a desire to seek mastery of the sport. These characteristics will be the foundation for their future development.

With RGS rugby, we see success as:

• Enjoyment
• Maximising every player’s potential
• Lifelong participation
• Creating elite sportsman

Competition is at the core of everything we do, competing intrinsically to challenge ourselves consistently, competing with each other to bring the best out of team mates, as well as externally against some of the best schools in the country.

As parents, we welcome you at our games, supporting the players through their 7-year RGS rugby journey. Fixtures usually take place on a Saturday morning, running as many as 6 teams, so that wherever possible we can try and give every pupil the chance to experience the match day with their friends and team mates. 

I am looking forward to meeting you all over the coming weeks at our Saturday training sessions. The training is optional and open to any pupil who wishes to attend.

James Honeyben
Head of Rugby & Strategic Lead for Sport

Year 7 Lead Coach & FRORGS Reps

Olivia Caesar is the Lead Coach for the Year 7 group. Olivia’s ability to form key relationships with the students and patient approach to coaching allows her to create a superb environment for each pupil to fall in love with the game in their own time. She will be supported at each session by Luke Huelin (Head of PE & Level 3 RFU coach) and myself, as we see the Year 7 group as a hugely important squad. Olivia’s email address is ofc@rgshw.com.

Any logistical information that is sent out to the parents is usually done so via the year group parent reps, that form part of the ‘Friends of Rugby’ (FRORGS) Committee. We look to have two reps per age group, supporting with logistical communication and the organisation of our fundraising events. Claire Filer, a new Y7 parent, has already kindly agreed to fulfil one of those roles, so we would be grateful if one more parent was able to support.

If you would like to volunteer as a FRORGS Rep, it would be great to hear from you, so please contact me at jjh@rgshw.com if you are interested.

Any parent who would like to be added to the Y7 distribution list for notifying parents about teams, fixtures and other information FRORGS and rugby related, can they please email rgsrugbyu12@gmail.com with your name, contact number, your son's name and confirm you are happy for this information to be used to add you to a WhatsApp group. If you don't want to be added to the WhatsApp group and would prefer emails only, please could you let Claire know.  Claire’s number is 07734 968670, if any parents need to contact her.

Training Schedule & Parent Morning

The first Saturday morning training will begin on Saturday 9^th September. The details for this are:

Pitch - Nick Duncombe

Meet time: 8.20 am
Start time: 8.30 am
Finish time: 9.30 am

There will be members of staff on hand to show you exactly where to go when you arrive.

Parent Morning

We will also be looking to run a presentation for all parents alongside the training session on Saturday 16th September at 8:30am. This will also be held by the Nick Duncombe pitch and it will give you a chance to ask any questions regarding RGS Rugby. 

The extra-curricular training sessions are open to all pupils but are optional. We would love to see as many pupils there as possible.

After School Training

After school training for the Y7 rugby squads will be every Wednesday (3:45pm - 5pm) and these will begin on Wednesday 13^th September.

Please see the Half Term 1 schedule in the link below.

All sports fixtures can be found below or by clicking on Training & Fixtures on the main school website.

A huge welcome to Y7 Pupils and Parents to the RGS Rugby Family

Dear Y7 Rugby Parent,

On behalf of the Friends of Rugby of RGSHW committee (FRORGS), welcome to the 2023/24 season and welcome to the RGS rugby family!

RGSHW aims to be the best State school at rugby in the country. We play all over the south of England and the Midlands against top independent schools such as Brighton College, Warwick and Whitgift and the odd state school who can compete with us, like Campion. This year, for the first time since 2018 due to Covid, our Senior Squad toured and 45 boys headed off to South Africa. This is something every RGS rugby player can aspire to when they get to the Senior Squad. There is also a short domestic tour for Y9 each year.

The highlight of last season was the 1st XV winning the Continental Tyres National Schools Plate final against Barnard Castle at the StoneX Stadium having beaten Epsom College and Monmouth along the way. A great achievement and our first national senior final since Mr Honeyben was in his RGS uniform!

FRORGS is a group of volunteer parents who:

(i) help with communication between School and parents in relation to rugby and

(ii) organise fundraising events during the year. Each year group has a representative who is the first port of call for questions and queries and the channel of communication from School to parent.

We already have a volunteer for Y7, Claire Filer, and she will be in touch with you shortly. It is great to have two reps per year-group to spread the load so, if you are the parent of a keen rugby player and keen to get involved yourself, please let Claire know (07734 968670).

As to fundraising, in short we need to raise around £65,000 a year to put on the current rugby programme. Many of our parents donate subscriptions to the rugby section at RGS. Subs are the second biggest revenue stream for FRORGS after the Sportsman's Dinner (see below) and are essential to the rugby programme. Most parents donate by monthly direct debit but there are those who make annual payments. We will have a presentation to Y7 parents in September where we will talk about this in more detail. There is a link below if you would like to donate.

You will have seen in School comms about our biggest fundraising event of the year, the Sportsman’s Dinner, which we are holding on 2 November 2023. This is a great evening led by ex-England international and renowned presenter and pundit, David Flatman. Flats will be joined on stage by Harlequins and England scrum half Danny Care for an interesting and entertaining Rugby World Cup debrief. Please come along if you can as it will get you into the swing of what being a rugby parent at RGS is all about. Please come along on your own or in twos and threes and Claire will sit you with people in your son’s form and year.

We have other events planned: Burns Night on 27 January 2024; an end of season Awards Night for Y7 - 9 on 27 March 2024 and a Touch Rugby & Beer Festival on 22 June 2024 (the Saturday after the last A Level exam). Please put these dates in your diary and come along and support them. Further information will be available in School comms.

If you have any comments, issues or suggestions, feel free to contact me. 

That's it, so all the best for the new season and the new school year!

Francis Kucera7 September 2023 
Chair, Friends of Rugby of RGSHW

rgshwfrorgs@gmail.com
07917 436260.

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