Author Archives: Paul Clarke

REPORT: Ealing Trailfinders 43 – 19 Newport

Ealing Trailfinders marked the start of Ben Ward’s era as Director of Coaching with a seven-try win over Newport at Vallis Way.

The side took full advantage of the new 3G synthetic turf to play a slick, expansive style that gave full reign to their attacking instincts.

Chris Kinloch had the honour of scoring the first try on the new pitch; he raced home after little more than a minute and the scoring didn’t let up for the remaining 79 minutes.

From kick off Kinloch’s fellow wing Sam Wardingley became the first Ealing Trailfinders player to touch the ball in a match on the new pitch when he caught the kickoff.

The ball was quickly recycled and Matt Jarvis put James Love into space. The fullback twice broke Newport tackles, found Kinloch free outside him and the wing race home from just over halfway.

Ealing Trailfinders’ pack were beginning to enjoy superiority at the set piece and after twice trying to drive over for a scrum try on the third effort the referee blew for a penalty try that Love had no problem converting.

Newport found some rhythm just before the half-hour mark and fly-half Matt O’Brien broke beyond the Ealing defence with a show of deft feet, but once again the home team’s defence swarmed round the breakdown and cleared the danger.

Number 8 Sam Feehan and fullback also Geraint O’Driscoll also made incursions as the Welsh side stepped up their intensity.

After a number of changes at halftime Arthur Ellis showed a good turn of pace to race clear. He put fellow flanker Danny Kenny away, but Newport’s defence got back to halt the danger.

Moments Andy Reay pierced the Newport defence with a scything run that took him close to the line and from the breakdown Alun Walker barrelled his way over. Soon after Matt Jarvis added a fourth try to put the match further out of the visitor’s reach.

Broad chipped and collected his own kick to pull a try back for Newport that O’Driscoll once again converted, but soon after slick hands from Ben Ward and Carwyn Jones put Reay free in space to cross for a try.

Danny Kenny dotted down from the back of the scrum, Phil Chesters then raced in after he had collected a weak clearance kick and Newport scored a third when Broad swept up a loose ball and raced into the corner.

Ealing Trailfinders
James Love, Chris Kinloch, Ronnie McLean, Tom Wheatcroft, Sam Wardingley, Matt Jarvis, Alex Walker; Will Davis, Alun Walker (captain), Nathan Buck, Carwyn Jones, Llewelyn Jones, Danny Kenny, Alex Bradley, Sean O’Connell.
Reserves
Jamie Kilbane, Kevin Davis, Alex Penny, Paul Spivey, Mike Walker-Fitton, Arthur Ellis, Tom Parker, Ben Ward, Andy Reay, Phil Chesters

Newport
Geraint O’Driscoll, Jamie Murphy, Nathan Edwards, Dominic Franchi, Owen Broad, Matt O’Brien, Andrew Quick; Sam Feehan, Ollie Griffiths, Brendan Lampitt, Dan Partridge, Adam Brown, Craig Davies, Will Evans, Liam Jenkins
Reserves
Dai Pattison, James Greenfield, Andrew Brown, Evan Whitson, Dale Rogers, Adam Frampton, Sam Cross, Owen Davies, Julian Mogg, Codey Rees

Referee – James Sullivan
HT – 12-7

U16 FAQs

What does the name Ealing U16 Academy mean for me?

Irrespective of your experience in rugby you are welcome in the Ealing U16 Academy. It is not an exclusive band of players in a single small team. We hope to run a squad of 50+ players and dependant on attendance, we aim to run teams in Hert’s/Midd’x Divisions 2 & 7 and push for promotion from each.

http://www.hertsmiddxleagues.co.uk/l/fg/1_175562432.html

http://www.hertsmiddxleagues.co.uk/l/fg/1_499041775.html

See below for the Emerging Player Group (Ealing Academy U16 EPG player group).

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When do we start training?

Sunday morning 09:45 to 12:00 from the 31st of August onwards. Mid-week training is every Wednesday 18:45 to 20:00.

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What fixtures do we have?

Please follow the link to the u16s calendar:

https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=tse416vp9h8dccs4ah23q4e870%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Europe/London

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Where does the Academy funding come from

Our budget came from the youth pot last year and this year our budget comes from the Academy pot.

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What about the coaching structure?

Please follow the link for more info about this year’s coaching set up:

https://ealingrugby.co.uk/?p=11326

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Do we still need to organise fund raising activities?

In short YES!

In recent years Karen Barry and Paul Stewart have been instrumental in organising tours, and with the assistance from handful of others, throughout the year, the age-group put on a few fund-raising events to: a) ease the cost of going on such tours and b) contribute to a target income- required of each age group. The target is always daunting but through the hard work of these ‘event’ organisers we have contributed each year.

The Academy status brings no change on this front. Things like coach or minibus hire might become a ‘norm’ this year. Certainly paying for match referees and after match meals will continue as last year so we will have to organise fund raising activities.

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Can a person or Business Sponsor the Age-Group?

In short YES!

Please contact Annie Lyndon (Academy Manager) or John Lacey (Director of Academy) if you would like to specifically sponsor the U16 age-group.

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How all encompassing is the Academy?

The Academy now caters for rugby players from ages U16 to U18 and the Senior Academy U19 to U23 players.

The U16 to U18 section is open to all abilities, with the U19 to U23 group (Senior Academy) being specifically for players looking to improve their skills with view to playing semi-professional rugby. The U16 and U18 (A and B sides) play in Hert’s/Midd’x Leagues.

The Senior Academy play fixtures against select opposition such as: Army, Combined Defence Forces, London Scottish, Bedford Blues, Nottingham and more…

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What if I want to continue playing at U19 for Ealing RFC but either think it unlikely I will be invited to join the Senior Academy or simply have no wish to play semi-pro rugby?

Every year players leaving the Ealing U18 Academy (not heading on the Senior Academy pathway) are able to join one of the 4 adult rugby sides which Ealing RFC Run. This year again there are a handful of last years U18s who have decided on this pathway and are enjoying pre-season training with the senior Amateur sides.

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What is the Ealing Academy U16 Emerging Player Group (EPG)?

The U16 U17 and U18 age groups all nominate 7 or 8 players each year based on close-season discussion between the coaches.

Some of the considerations by the coaching body (Bill Miller; Paul Hoban Dave Frewin Paul Johnson) at the end of the 2013/14 season included:

· Whether the player was showing signs of moving to the next level in their rugby.
· Whether the player had recently trialled for County, and the outcome of that.
· Whether the player had the right attitude in training and in competitive games.
· Whether the player was beginning to show signs of being hungry enough, that the coaches could see a future for the player in semi-pro rugby.

The EPG train for an hour each Tuesday with either or both the Academy Director and/or the Head of U18 Academy, together with U16 Lead Coach Paul Johnson. The U16 group are joined on a Wednesday by the players from the U15 EPG.

Being a member of the EPG requires a high level of commitment; both to attend the EPG sessions and take an active part in the age group training and fixtures. A player taking part in neither or aiming to ‘just do enough,’ is not likely to improve his skill-set at the desired rate.

Players may be asked to join or leave the academy during the season- the EPG is a centre of excellence and all members of the Group are expected to improve at the desired rate.

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Can I work hard and join the (EPG) during the season?

Yes!

If a candidate is outstanding during the season the Lead Coach will, on advisement from other coaches, consider the candidate and, if appropriate, approach the Academy Director to have the player join the group.

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“I feel I have missed out on County selection… If I work hard can I have a shot at County?”

Each year county invite clubs to nominate players for trial. The timing for this can vary. If you have an outstanding season you put yourself in a good position to be nominated by the coaching body for a trial.

In truly exceptional cases the Lead Coach could make contact with the County Coach and ask that a scout watches the player in a competitive fixture for Ealing U16 Academy- probably in a League Game.

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I have a Question: Please email Jerry Woolford on w0lfo1@yahoo.co.uk and if it is a commonly asked question we’ll pop it here on the FAQ section.

Ealing Trailfinders link up with Velocity Sports Ltd

Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce a sponsorship deal with sports pitch construction company Velocity Sports Ltd.

Velocity Sports Ltd were responsible for the design and installation of the new all-weather 3G synthetic turf on the 1st XV pitch at Vallis Way and they will now be the official sponsors of the pitch.

“Using Velocity Sports Ltd for our new pitch has been effortless. They arrived mid-June and the pitch was ready for training by the end of July, which was a fantastic turnaround. Our new pitch means our new squad get to deliver the fast running rugby we like to play,” Ben Ward, Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Director of Coaching said.

Eagle-eyed fans will also have noticed brand new first XV pitch post protectors and on pitch-side sponsorship boards.

The club are looking forward to a great partnership over the forthcoming season as they climb back up to the GK IPA Championship.

“We worked closely with the club to evaluate the options available to them and to ensure we delivered a high quality and sustainable solution. The project has been a huge success for all involved and we are very proud to sponsor Ealing Trailfinders in what I am sure will be a fantastic season for the club,” said Joe Boniface, Sales Director of Velocity Sports Ltd.

Walker leads Ealing Trailfinders in first pre-season clash

Alun Walker will captain Ealing Trailfinders as they play the first of their three pre-season matches, against Newport at Vallis Way on Saturday.

The Scotland ‘A’ hooker joined the Club from Nottingham Rugby over the summer and he will pack down between props Will Davis and Nathan Buck as the team plays their first match on the new 3G synthetic surface.

The match against the Welsh side kicks off at 15.00 at Vallis Way and entry is free. There will also be a barbeque and a chance for fans to meet the new players and catch up with those returning to W13.

“It is our first game and an opportunity to see how well the guys have gelled so far,” Director of Coaching Ben Ward said. “I expect it to be quite frantic at the start but hopefully we can settle into our patterns and shapes.

“It is also a great opportunity for our supporters to see the new pitch and meet the players after game.”

Alex Walker and Matt Jarvis form an all-Welsh half-pack pairing and their fellow new boy James Love starts at fullback.

The three-quarter line is made up of four familiar faces; Tom Wheatcroft and Ronnie McLean begin in the centres, with wings Sam Wardingley and Chris Kinloch outside them.

In the pack twins Carwyn and Llewelyn Jones form the second row and behind them number eight Sean O’Connell is flanked by Alex Bradley and Danny Kenny.

Following the match against Newport, Bedford Blues visit Vallis Way on 23 August and a week later Ward and his team complete their pre-season preparations away to Moseley on 30 August.

Ealing Trailfinders v Newport, Vallis Way, 15.00
1 Will Davis
2 Alun Walker (captain)
3 Nathan Buck
4 Carwyn Jones
5 Llewelyn Jones
6 Danny Kenny
7 Alex Bradley
8 Sean O’Connell
9 Alex Walker
10 Matt Jarvis
11 Sam Wardingley
12 Tom Wheatcroft
13 Ronnie McLean
14 Chris Kinloch
15 James Love
Reserves
Jamie Kilbane
Kevin Davis
Alex Penny
Paul Spivey
Mike Walker-Fitton
Arthur Ellis
Tom Parker
Ben Ward
Andy Reay
Phil Chesters

New boss excited by start of new era at Vallis Way

It has been a summer of change at Ealing Trailfinders, not least for Ben Ward who has been promoted from head coach to Director of Coaching and General Manager. Here the new man in charge provides a taste what he and the club have been up to over since the team last played in April.

To say I’m excited for us to be running out for our first game of pre-season this weekend is an understatement.

Although last season ended like it did, that is in the past now and it has been a summer of fresh starts, excitement, optimism as well as a lot of hard work behind the scenes from everyone involved. The continued support from Mike and Fiona Gooley and Trailfinders has been instrumental in building for this season and it is very much appreciated.

The players were back training at the start of June with a lot of new faces and some familiar favorites as well. On a side note I must just add that in our squad, we have Owen Bruynseels and Steve Neville who have made over 200 league appearances for the club and Phil Chesters who has made over 100 league appearances. Loyalty is pretty rare in sport nowadays but these guys have done a lot for the club and know what it means to wear the shirt with pride.

Pre-season is never easy, nor is it meant to be, and the players have all worked very hard to get in peak physical shape to be able to last a grueling season. Our next free Saturday from matches is after Christmas. The coaches have done their bit putting in place systems and structures to give the guys the tools to play what’s in front of them and heads up rugby.

With new players integrating into the squad, the team bonding and social side has played an important part of our pre-season with Kinners (Chris Kinloch) and his social team putting on numerous events to bind the squad together. From pub golf to paintball to team meals the guys have really brought into what we are trying to build.

Off the field we have seen some changes too, most noticeably the new 3G surface. This will be a huge benefit to us as it will allow us to train on a perfect pitch all year round and also help us play a fast running brand of rugby I know you all enjoy watching. So even when we have those winter Saturday afternoons when it is pouring with rain, you know you will be able to watch running rugby at Vallis Way.

This weekend we face tough opposition in the form of Newport RFC. They have already played two pre-season games so it will be a real test as they will be starting to look sharp and polished. It is an exciting day at the club with all squad members about, a barbeque and a chance to see the new pitch.

After the game the players will be in the clubhouse and it will provide a great opportunity to meet the new lads and catch up with players from last year. Your support makes a huge difference to the guys on the pitch and we want to make Vallis Way a tough place for opposition teams to come and get a result.

Finally congratulations must go to last season’s captain Mat Evans and his partner Alice who recently got engaged. I look forward to seeing Mat down this season as a supporter and having a beer after the game.

After a long pre-season rugby is back… see you Saturday at 3pm.

Ben

Non-member season tickets on sale

With the new season nearly upon us everyone involved with Ealing Trailfinders want as many of you as possible to help us fight to return Back to the Championship.

With six weeks to go the preparations of Director of Coaching Ben Ward and his team are going very well. The players are coming to the end of a seven-week cycle where the majority will then have a week off before they are back and into the pre-season games.

The players have focused heavily on their skill levels; working under pressure and putting in place the systems and patterns for how they want to play. There has also been a big emphasis on the squad coming together and being a tight knit group.

National 1 is a fantastic league with 30 league games and lots of attacking rugby. With our new synthetic pitch, we are excited to play an attacking brand of rugby all year round and look forward to seeing you there too.

Non-Member Season Tickets 2014/15
• Huge savings on match day prices, tickets £130 saving over 40%
• Entry to all 1st Team Squad Home matches
• Eligible to vote for the Supporters Player of the year at the end of the season.
• Keep up to date with all the news and offers in our Weekly Newsletter.
• Buy your Non-Member Season Ticket before 1st September and be in with a chance to win a STORM Watch, supplied by our official Man of the Match sponsors.

Contact sue.chandler@etprm.com to purchase your ticket

Chesters’ Chat – Close to kick off

Ealing Trailfinders’ wing Phil Chesters is providing fans with an exclusive behind the scenes look at the build-up to the coming season; this week the man who ran in 13 tries last season talks holidays, weddings and pre-season friendlies.

Feeling refreshed and revitalised from our week off I thought I would update everyone on what has been happening and what is coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Over the past seven weeks I have tried to give you more of an insight into what the squad gets up to on a weekly basis. We have integrated very well as a unit and this is really helping push up the quality of our training sessions. It is starting to show on the field with everyone understanding their roles and what is required of them both individually and collectively.

Confidence is building with every training session and this improves communication, something that will be crucial to us being successful this year.

Returning from the week off you can see some have enjoyed the break more than others – they are the tanned individuals stepping nervously onto the scales for weigh in.

The next phase of pre-season now starts with the three warm up matches this month. We will be familiarising ourselves with the new 3G pitch (which the backs are more excited about than the forwards) and the coaches I’m sure will be looking for a step up in intensity during game week, making sure preparation is no different to that of a league match. I know everyone is looking forward to putting all the training and hard work into practice.

I have to quickly give a mention to a few of the boys who have got hitched this summer. Wardy (Ben Ward), Stevo (Steve Neville) and Papey (Steve Pape) all managed to tie the knot over the last month or so without any of the boys causing too much mischief. It has been a busy ‘wedding season’ for the Ealing Trailfinders boys past and present and I’m sure you will all join me in saying congratulations and wish them all the best for the future.

As one ‘season’ finishes another begins, and if you supporters are half as excited for September as we are down here at the Club then it is going to be a fantastic year.

However if you can’t wait that long then get yourselves down to the club this Saturday for our opening pre season game versus Newport. There will be a BBQ and some good rugby on show, but it also gives us as a squad a great early opportunity to meet all of our loyal supporters.

Jack – Finally I just wanted to mention Fish.

The Jack Fishwick Sevens fundraising event was a roaring success and I know some of the boys and a few members of the green army were down showing their support. Jack had a fantastic day seeing everyone and cannot thank everyone enough for their continued generosity and support.

We as a squad have been working hard behind the scenes to show our support for Fish and the Jack Fishwick Discretionary Trust Fund. There will be something exciting revealed in the coming weeks – and I promise it won’t disappoint.

Hope to see many of you on Saturday.

Phil

Ealing Trailfinders ticket prices for 2014-15

Ealing Trailfinders have announced their ticket prices for the upcoming 2014-15 season.

New Director of Coaching Ben Ward has been busy over the summer bringing in players for the team’s assault on the National 1 title. With many new faces and a 3G synthetic pitch to play on, there are likely to be lots of thrills and excitement on the pitch in the coming season.

For non-member season tickets please contact sue@ealingrugby.co.uk. Information for members will be made public in the coming weeks.

Confirmed Ticket Prices 2014/15 Season

Type	Cost
Non Member	£15
Non Member Concession	£10
Non Member Season Ticket	£130
Member	£10
Member Concession	£5
Member Season Ticket	£95
Under 16	FOC
Programme	£3

Concessions – Over 60 and student card holders

Loughborough Students first up for new season

Ealing Trailfinders will begin their new season at home to Loughborough Students on Saturday 6 September.

It means that the Students will become the first team to meet Ben Ward’s side on the new 3G synthetic pitch in National 1 and Ealing Trailfinders will also close their season away to the East Midlands side on Saturday 25 April.

A week later on Saturday 13 September the team will travel to Hertfordshire to take on Old Albanian, while Blaydon at Home and Wharfedale away complete September’s fixtures.

Old Albanian will be the Christmas fixture on December 20, by which time the team will have already faced London derbies against Blackheath, Richmond and Rosslyn Park.

Blackheath travel to W13 on 6 December, Richmond cross Kew Bridge on 24 January and Rosslyn Park visit for the final home match of the season, on the penultimate weekend of the season, 18 April.

There will be two long away trips to the north-east for matches with Tynedale on 7 March and Blaydon in the first match of 2015 on 3 January.

Ahead of the new season Ealing Trailfinders will play three friendly matches at home to Newport on 16 August, home to Bedford on 23 August and away to Moseley on 30 August. The match against Bedford costs £5 entry, while Newport is free.

All home matches will start at 15.00 on Saturday, unless advised. Ticket prices will be announced in the next few days.

2014-15 National 1 fixtures

6 Sep 2014 Loughborough Students (Home)
13 Sep 2014 Old Albanians (Away)
20 Sep 2014 Blaydon (Home)
27 Sep 2014 Wharfedale (Away)
4 Oct 2014 Cinderford (Home)
11 Oct 2014 Richmond (Away)
18 Oct 2014 Macclesfield (Home)
25 Oct 2014 Esher (Away)
1 Nov 2014 Hartpury College (Home)
8 Nov 2014 Darlington Mowden Park (Away)
15 Nov 2014 Tynedale (Home)
22 Nov 2014 Fylde (Home)
29 Nov 2014 Coventry (Away)
6 Dec 2014 Blackheath (Home)
13 Dec 2014 Rosslyn Park (Away)
20 Dec 2014 Old Albanians (Home)
3 Jan 2015 Blaydon (Away)
10 Jan 2015 Wharfedale (Home)
17 Jan 2015 Cinderford (Away)
24 Jan 2015 Richmond (Home)
31 Jan 2015 Macclesfield (Away)
7 Feb 2015 Esher (Home)
14 Feb 2015 Hartpury College (Away)
21 Feb 2015 Darlington Mowden Park (Home)
7 Mar 2015 Tynedale (Away)
14 Mar 2015 Fylde (Away)
28 Mar 2015 Coventry (Home)
11 Apr 2015 Blackheath (Away)
18 Apr 2015 Rosslyn Park (Home)
25 Apr 2015 Loughborough Students (Away)

Senior Academy names Sam Lunnon as Captain for coming season

Ealing Trailfinders Academy are pleased to announce back row forward Sam Lunnon as Senior Academy captain for the 2014/15 season. Sam joined the club last season and spent some time with the Championship squad which really improved his skill set before returning to the Development set up where he produced some impressive performances including a great night at the Rosslyn Park Floodlit 7s.

Sam said “It’s an honour and a privilege to be captain of the Academy. I will expect high standards from all of the squad and try to lead by example and encourage everyone to achieve our vision of a successful season.”

Centre Matt Killeen and last years Academy U18 skipper Will Day have been named as vice captains, Academy Director John Lacey said “We have a spread of age grade fixtures this season which means we will need a varied leadership group, Matt brings international experience and Will was an impressive leader last season, I believe they will help Sam greatly through the programme and grow a succession of strong leaders for the Academy going forward.”