Written : Friday 2nd Jun 23Guildfordians RFC had a thrilling experience at the Rugby Rocks festival held on the first May Bank holiday 2023. The event brought together more than a thousand passionate rugby enthusiasts from various teams across the country. Our club formed strong alliances with other clubs and to showcased some remarkable rugby skills. The dedication and determination of our boys and girls on the field made us immensely proud. The festival provided an excellent platform for our team to demonstrate their prowess and foster a sense of camaraderie among the rugby community.
Amidst the electric atmosphere, Guildfordians RFC made their mark as they engaged in intense matches and displayed exceptional sportsmanship. The event served as a celebration of the sport, with players from all backgrounds uniting to compete and share their love for rugby. The festival not only showcased the talent and skills of our team but also provided valuable opportunities for players to learn and grow. The festival was truly an unforgettable experience for Guildfordians RFC, leaving us with lasting memories and a stronger bond within our team and with other clubs across the country.
Also a special shout out to Herbie B who was the only Guildfordians U9 to attend the festival. He joined Canterbury RFC team and scored the first try in his first game, Canterbury RFC were delighted. Amazing confidence to walk in alone and also then smash it with man of the match! Well done Herbie.
Gina
Rugby Rocks u11s
My experience with Rugby Rocks started early on Saturday morning. I had originally planned to get to the site on the Friday night with my son Noah, but work got a bit crazy so we decided to get there early doors on Saturday morning. Our hosts for the festival were Swanage and Wareham RFC – and what hosts they were! Unfortunately, we didn’t have a full squad of players to field our own full team so we joined up with the hosts’ U11 team. Both the team and their coaches were fabulous – I really can’t say enough about how great they were and how welcome they made us feel.
Prior to the matches, it was a tad disconcerting to watch our players get on the bouncy castle for a “warm-up” of sorts as I was slightly paranoid about injuries, but I crossed my fingers that everything would be OK. I bet Steve Borthwick doesn’t have to force his players to get off the bouncy castle before a match (“Oi – Farrell! Off! Let Manu have a go!” etc.)…
Fortunately, the weather was superb (even, dare I say it, a bit toasty?!) and when we weren’t playing there was plenty of rugby to watch from different age groups and ice creams to eat! Music was pumping from the DJ at the clubhouse and the atmosphere was great.
Although our team had a tough first day with some heroic performances against some teams that had some rather large players, the “Swanfordians” gelled well on the second day over Haribo and Refreshers and we couldn’t stop scoring tries! All of our Guildfordians got at least one try each in all their games!
All in all, it was an impressive event and I would say that the club itself was very friendly and helpful (I wish they were closer to us, in fact!). It was a really stunning part of the world and it was an enjoyable event where we got to play a decent amount of rugby, dance to tribute acts and “classics” on the dance floor and go to the beach!
Peter
