Dear Member,
Well, what a year! We have managed to finally get a season of competitive rugby played here at Lockwood Park. The highlight being, able to meet up again with friends and enjoy some wonderful food, drink and great company.
This coming season sees a new league structure for our 1st XV moving from two leagues to three at National 2 level. There will be 14 teams in the league. Hull are being promoted to National 1 and Loughborough Students, Bournville, Stourbridge, and Luctonians are going in to either the other South East and South West divisions. This enables Otley, Preston Grasshoppers, and Sheffield coming in to make up the 14 teams. The league has a very localised feel with some enticing derby’s to enjoy.
Gareth (Gaz) Lewis will move into the Director of Rugby role working alongside fellow coaches Neil Ryan and Rob Anderson. Lewis Bradley and Tom Hodson will also continue as 1st XV Captain and Vice Captain respectively. A special mention to Club stalwart, Nick Sharpe who passed the 350 games for HRUFC last season. I’m sure there’s still some fuel left in the tank for many more to follow.
Unfortunately, we were unable to field a Falcons team last season. However, it is our utmost priority to reinstate the team as a development team to support our Player Pathway. As such, It is our intention to recruit a Falcons coach who will work alongside the coaching staff listed above and also with our Academy coach Michael Stancliffe. Club Legend Joe Shiel has agreed to manage the Falcons in this venture and we wish him all the best in his new role.
The A-Team have managed to rebuild following a number of retirements following the COVID pandemic and much credit must go to Captain, George Hinchliff and Manager, Steve Parry for a tremendous effort. They will also continue their roles for the new season.
The Academy (under 18) squad continues to grow under Michael Stancliffe and looks like we will have a bumper squad this season. So much so it is our intention to play some under 17 fixtures to ensure maximum player participation. The squad will be managed by Age Grade Chair, Tracy Davis.
Jess Bunyard will continue her role with the Women’s and Girls rugby which has blossomed this past season. Her commitment and enthusiasm just keeps on going and it was great to see the Women at the Club presentation evening. Well done to all concerned.
What can I say about the Age Grade? It seems to have come back from the pandemic stronger and stronger. The organisation of the mini and junior festivals were rapturously received from all the visiting clubs. The commitment of the coaches and managers really bodes well as they are the future of the Club. Tracy Davis has agreed to continue as Age Grade Chair to ensure continuity for what promises to be a great season ahead.
As you all will be aware, the Astro-turf pitch was completely destroyed following the floods last year. It is our intention to replace the pitch with a FIFA / RFU certified 3G pitch. We are currently in negotiations with the insurance company and things are moving on. There may be additional costs involved to get what we want. However, we believe it will be most beneficial.
Further developments are being worked on:
• The levelling and resurfacing of Pitch 2 has been approved.
• The installation of LED floodlighting (especially due to energy cost increases).
• New car parking, behind Pitch 1, beyond the viaduct and the road from the Stable Block.
• New staircase to the balcony
• Upgrading the Wade Stand with new seating and flooring.
Our Club Staff continue to work hard on the Clubs behalf. General Manager, Stuart and his team; Nicola, Anisa, Mark, Martin, Lee, Liam, Almaz, Nitsuh and of course our hard-working bar staff. Thank you all for your hard work year on year.
Major dates for your diaries is our LockFest event. Our first ever “Beer, Music, and Food Festival” on 8th, 9th and 10th of July. We will have 40+ cask beers on hand, plus lager and prosecco as well as numerous bands throughout the weekend. Come down and enjoy a great summer bash. Buy your tickets online at: www.huddersfieldrugby.com/shop
Details of your membership application, full benefits and costs are set out on the forms below. To enable you to renew automatically or spread the cost of membership we offer payment by annual or 10 monthly direct debit which is very simple to set up and access.
As always, our members are the lifeblood of our Club, so please help by paying your subscriptions as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Mark H Birch
Chairman, Huddersfield RUFC
The annual subscription for the 2022/23 season is as follows:
Download the membership form for 2022/23 season here
| Membership category | Price | Monthly Payment link | Annual Payment link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playing member | £110 | GoCardless | GoCardless |
| General member | £110 | GoCardless | GoCardless |
| Partner | £35 | GoCardless | |
| Club Patron (Borough Club) | £220 | GoCardless | GoCardless |
| U19-21 Playing Member | £65 | GoCardless | GoCardless |
| University Student | £10 | GoCardless | |
| Women’s Playing | £10 | GoCardless | |
| Age Grade 1 Member (1 parent, 1 child) | £105 | GoCardless | GoCardless |
| Age Grade 2 (1 parent, 2 child) | £140 | GoCardless | GoCardless |
| Additional Child | £35 | GoCardless |
For any other membership combinations please contact the office.
