Firstly, as mentioned in the June newsletter, the AGM unanimously agreed to increase membership fees across the board. We will publish on the Club website the presentation I gave to AGM, but a short synopsis is;

Now we are a charity we are not allowed to have a ‘social membership’ category (Charity Commission rules). There are many reasons for the increase including the fact that Membership fees have not increased for 4 seasons. Like yours at home, our energy costs are soaring, but as we are regarded as a commercial enterprise, we have no protection and our costs have gone up by over 110% and increasing. Our food costs have increased and continue to rise. Grounds maintenance costs have risen by a staggering 150%. We need to continue to invest in the clubhouse and grounds. We wish to invest in our mini and youth coaching volunteers. We wish to enhance our medical provisioning.

The average increase amounts to £3 per month.

The new membership fees are due from 1 September 2022. Membership is an annual fee which you can pay in one lump sum or spread the cost over 12 months. If you cancel your membership at any time during the 12-month period of 1 September to 31 August and then re-join you will still owe the monies for the months you did not pay, you can’t just dip in and out. We continue to look at every way we can cut costs to minimise any future membership fee increases.

We now have 4 ways of being a member. We will also be re-introducing Life Membership for a one off payment of £2000 or 4 quarterly instalments of £500 from 1 September 2022 through to 31 August 2023. Life Membership gives you all the benefits of a Playing membership, but for life. It is not transferrable though.

We have agreed to a new finance system which amongst other things means new tills and new membership cards. Your current membership will NOT be valid after September 1 and Kevin will be available any Tuesday, Wednesday of Thursday evening during July and August from 7.30pm through to 9pm to assist you in renewing your membership. However, it be best to just phone the Club first just to make sure Kevin is there. Kevin will process your new membership and issue you with new membership cards. He will explain all you need to know when you renew your membership. You just need to decide which of the 4 membership categories you wish to take up.

So, please come along during July and August to renew your membership so your card works from September 1 onwards. The software that is being installed amongst other things will allow you to put credit on your membership card to save having to use other cards or cash if you wish.

Your new membership card will also allow you to pay for lunches, tickets for events and many other things. A full list will be given in the August newsletter.

The new season fixture list for the 1st XV has been released and listed below are the dates and opposition for the 1st XV. The full fixture list will be on the website.

HOME FIXTURES 2022/23

10-Sep-22 Rochford Hundred v Westcliff
24-Sep-22 Rochford Hundred v Worthing
15-Oct-22 Rochford Hundred v Sevenoaks
05-Nov-22 Rochford Hundred v Bury St Edmunds
26-Nov-22 Rochford Hundred v Guernsey
10-Dec-22 Rochford Hundred v North Walsham
07-Jan-23 Rochford Hundred v Blackheath
21-Jan-23 Rochford Hundred v Dorking
18-Feb-23 Rochford Hundred v Barnes
25-Feb-23 Rochford Hundred v Canterbury
11-Mar-23 Rochford Hundred v O Albanian
01-Apr-23 Rochford Hundred v Henley
22-Apr-23 Rochford Hundred v Tonbridge Juddian

AWAY FIXTURES 2022/23

03-Sep-22 Tonbridge Juddian v Rochford Hundred
17-Sep-22 Blackheath v Rochford Hundred
01-Oct-22 Dorking v Rochford Hundred
22-Oct-22 Barnes v Rochford Hundred
29-Oct-22 Canterbury v Rochford Hundred
12-Nov-22 O Albanian v Rochford Hundred
03-Dec-22 Henley v Rochford Hundred
17-Dec-22 Westcliff v Rochford Hundred
14-Jan-23 Worthing v Rochford Hundred
28-Jan-23 Sevenoaks v Rochford Hundred
04-Mar-23 Bury St Edmunds v Rochford Hundred
25-Mar-23 Guernsey v Rochford Hundred
15-Apr-23 North Walsham v Rochford Hundred

The Rochford Hundred Vixens have now joined a league and they to have a full fixture list, see below. They are looking to play some games scheduled for a Sunday on the previous Saturday when the 1st team are away. Notices will go out informing people. When the Vixens do play on a Saturday it will be 3pm ko and we will look to have a pre match lunch for those games as well as of course the pre match lunches for the 1st team games.

VIXENS FIXTURES 22/23

25-Sep-22 Vixens v Dartfordians
16-Oct-22 Swanley v Vixens
23-Oct-22 Vixens v Witham
13-Nov-22 Stanford Le Hope v Vixens
20-Nov-22 Vixens v Cheshunt
04-Dec-22 Hackney II v Vixens
15-Jan-23 Vixens v Swanley
22-Jan-23 Witham v Vixens
12-Feb-23 Vixens v Stanford Le Hope
26-Feb-23 Cheshunt v Vixens
12-Mar-23 Vixens v Hackney II
02-Apr-23 Dartfordians v Vixens

If you have been down the Club recently you will have noticed the new concrete slab has been paid down for the new stand to sit on. As previously mentioned, the new stand will be erected around 3rd week of August. We are yet to decide who and what to charge to sit in the 107-seater stand. We will publish what this is going to be asap.

The contract for construct the new changing room will be let very soon and we think will be ready by October, not September as we hoped.

Pre-season training has already started or will start very soon for all teams except the mini’s, who start in September.

As I have said before we have lost some key players from the 1st team for next season and are busy trying to recruit new players. We have signed some very promising young players and are hunting for some more experienced players, but this is proving to be a difficult task right now. But we are all confident we will be very competitive next season.

So, our first home game for the 1st team is against our biggest rivals, Westcliff. We hope the weather will be kind to us and we attract a large crowd. When we played them at home last December, we had a lot of volunteers come forward and help. We will need volunteers again to help for this game. It is the biggest game we have, and we want to make it a success all round. We will want help with car parking, BBQ, and bar work to name but three tasks. We will need help at different times doing different jobs from 11.30 onwards. Most jobs will stop at 3pm so you can watch the game but there will be some jobs that will entail working at half time and after the game for a while.

If you think you can spare couple of hours to help out, please let me know, CHAIRMAN@ROCHFORDRUGBY.COM. Without volunteer help we will fail badly, and I am sure none of you want that.

Prior to that Westcliff game we have some warmup games, one being a home game against Tring on August 13th, 1.30 ko.

Alan Harvey, our Club Coach Co-ordinator (CCC) has been working hard to kick start our Mixed Ability rugby and we have now had two well attended sessions. The next session is on Saturday July 9th from 9 to 11. If you know someone under 18 years old who you think might enjoy joining the team, then please do bring them along. The sessions are held fortnightly. Some young players from our Mini and Youth Teams joining in too as assistants to Alan and they are Tadgh Walsh, Jamie Hallums, Thomas Phillips, Tom Sams, Harry Warner, and Henry Yelland so a big thank to them. The Roosters welcome mainstream boys and girls from across the Club to help out/take part at mixed ability sessions and can even sign players off as part of their D of E. volunteering section.

A big shout out to SEETEC, who for the fifth season the Club’s main sponsor and we thank them and all our other sponsors for their support.

After 35 years of dedicated service to the Club, mainly as our Head Chef, Sarah Guiver has decided to call it a day. Also, our current Head Chef, Femi Laguna, has also decided to call it a day. He has been doing this for almost as long as Sarah. We are now looking to recruit a new Chef to cook our pre match meals, of which there will be 13 next season. There possibly will be more other meals to cook. We are offering what we think is a competitive salary and if or you know someone who might be interested in this role, please contact me, CHAIRMAN@ROCHFORDRUGBY.COM.

I would like to take this opportunity through this newsletter to thank Sarah and Femi for all their hard work and dedication through these years in providing the best pre match food I have ever eaten at any rugby club.

Thanks,

Ray Stephenson