Old Alleynians RFC

The Ballad of the Devs - by Joe Knight

I can honestly say that Rugby changed my life. As a youth, I was, at times, incredibly frustrated and hot tempered. When a friend invited me along to the local Rugby club a whole new world suddenly opened up to me. ‘The game’ gifted me the opportunity to release my energies in a fun and organised environment. ‘The club’ offered me a foundation, a community.

A successful community is built on core values. The most valuable of which are:

Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment and Discipline.

Alongside ‘Sportsmanship’ these values are the RFU’s vision for each and every club in the land. At Old Alleynians, it is clear to me that this vision is passionately upheld and protected.

This is something that we should all be incredibly proud of. Furthermore, we must try our best to transfer these values into our wider lives as an example for others to follow. The World will subsequently become a better place. As Mother Teresa reminds us:

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples. “

It can be a daunting experience to join a club where you don’t know anyone but I am extremely proud to say that everyone was very welcoming towards the host of new faces that joined us this season. Thusly, our retention rate of players was extremely high. On occasion, our team sheet featured as many as thirty eager players. Furthermore, I was humbled to see everyone pitching in on game days to facilitate these numbers. There were no sullen faces from lads who were asked to sub off for a teammate or even when they were asked to play for the opposition which happened on numerous occasions.

In terms of attainment, the development squad has enjoyed another hugely successful season. It started in the summer at the Hastings 7s where we emerged as winners of the plate competition – overcoming Rye in the final. We then went on to win our league by a clear margin of 10 points. We came up against some strong competition in the process; KCH, Southwark and Guys were particularly strong adversaries. There are rumours that we may be promoted to a higher league next season which is a challenge that we all relish.

Looking back on memorable matches, my thoughts are drawn to an away game in November. This game can be remembered for a myriad of reasons but most notably for our sterling defence against wave after wave of attacking phases from a sizable pack as we defended our try line. Come the eighth or ninth attempt to breach our lines, I could sense an overarching feeling of camaraderie amongst the fellas. It wasn’t just one or two people doing all the tackling; everyone got involved! The lads were enjoying themselves and truly playing for each other. After a while, we managed to steal the ball thusly preserving a clean sheet and a brilliant win on the day.

Now another talking point from that fixture could be the aggression that we endured from the opposition. First and foremost, I was extremely proud of all of the lads for not reacting to the endless goading and provocation that transpired throughout the game. It is important to remember that we all, at times, contend with anxiety and hardship; we have no way of knowing what challenges our opponents are facing in their personal lives. Therefore, rather than kicking a man whilst he is down, we will continue to encourage all players to try to react in a calm and dignified manner in the face of such a situation. An individual’s greatness, in my opinion, is measured by the strength of his or her compassion.

Now, speaking of great people…

I’d like to thank each and every member of the club who has supported the Devs this season. This includes Pam and the guys in the café for doing the food, Sam Twyman for looking after our equipment and arranging the washing, Steve Twyman for looking after the pitches, the main committee for their continued support and guidance, Spike and the academy coaches for their support from the youth section and Mark the mini bus dude for always being on hand to take us to away games.

Also, I’d like to thank all of the other senior skippers, coaches, managers, Tom Wooster and Andy the Fixtures Secretary for your tireless efforts. For those of you who don’t know, as a group, we typically start talking about selection, refs, pitches and general logistics on Monday or Tuesday. The conversations continue apace right up to game day. It is a supreme effort and we would be lost without these guys.

Finally, I’d like to thank Jules, Max, Evan and John for your continued support in the management of the Devs. You are truly special guys.

The Devs Player of the season is Aidan Wickham for exceptional character and commitment to the Club both on an off the pitch.

Please look after yourselves during these difficult times. Let us know if you ever need a helping hand. Our community will always be there to support you.

Player of the Season – Aidan Wickham
Newcomer(s) of the Season – Barnaby Wilks & Charlie Meehan