We’ve had nearly a month of pre-season training and I’d like to reflect briefly on how it’s gone. Lawrence has given us the figures for attendance and in all honesty, every session bar one has been massive. Even on the one night where numbers were slightly down, Lawrence was contacted by 14 guys who had a reason why they couldn’t make it (they heard it was a sprint session and so on!). I think everyone now realises how important communication is to a squad and that without it, we can’t progress.

As last nights players meeting demonstrates, progress is what we all want and you will be fined for standing in its way - even for wearing cheap white boots!  It’s great to see so many new faces at the club and likewise development squad players stepping up to senior rugby.

I think, as I hope you all agree, the structure of the training sessions so far has been fantastic. They are fun but hard work, short but intensive and they are already showing us what we can achieve if we remain committed and focussed. There will be no team fitter or better prepared than us come late August. We are going to be a force this season - from 1st XV through to the Development XV - of this I have no doubt.

On the social side, we’ve set up a Players Social Committee which had its first meeting last Thursday, 26th June. Our next meeting is at the end of July after which we will be announcing some events and dates for the coming season. Lawrence has already mentioned the training session followed by BBQ on 23rd August and please make your best efforts to attend. Watch this space for there are numerous things on the cards…!

The important thing now is to keep our levels of effort and morale as high as they are. This has to run right through pre-season and into the season proper through to April next year. We will reap the rewards.

I am proud to have the opportunity of captaining a great bunch of lads and I want to thank you for your support and effort to date.  We must continue to take advantage of the opportunity we’ve been given and take great pride in Ripon RUFC because, the fact is, we are it and it is us.

With six session now under our belts I am sure that those attending are enjoying it and feeling fitter already. For those not attending perhaps you should take a look, as rest assured you are now playing catch up. Only twelve sessions to the first pre season game. Come on down don’t let those putting in the hard yards down.

We are averaging over 30 players per session with other players letting us know when they are unavailable and if they all turned up we would have 40+ players every session. It would be great if that number were 50+. By missing training you are also missing information about forth coming events being organised on the players behalf. Please don’t use cricket as an excuse.

I’m still looking for pictures of Ripon “on tour” over the summer.  I’ve just received this picture of Nicky Watkinson proudly wearing her Ripon colours as she tackles the famous Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in County Antrim.  Click on the image to see the full picture.  Please send your picture to info@riponrugby.co.uk.

A solid effort was given by the lads who were at training tonight, you’re really setting a benchmark for the season. Well done Dan for winning the t-shirt!  I’m disappointed in the numbers tonight though, we’ve done very well so far and i know some people have certain commitments, fair enough, but i don’t believe everybody who wasn’t there tonight really couldn’t be. Simon and all the coaches are putting a lot into getting it right for us, let’s show some bloody back-bone and hold up our end of the bargain. See you next Tuesday, and on Thursday after training there’ll be a players meeting, with food and (if we work hard enough) the odd beer. Mossy

I’m struggling to get Hayden our kiwi back-rower to and from training because he lives and works in Aysgarth.  If you live or travel near there on a Tuesday or Thursday, or you know somebody who does, please let me know asap. Whether you can pick him up and bring him down or drop him off after training, either would be a great help! Any other ideas would be appreciated. Cheers, Mossy - 07904 617488 or smb@holisticifa.com

A reminder to all, training has started on Tuedsay and Thursday evenings starting promptly at 7pm.

Can all players remember to bring boots and training shoes to all sessions.

Ripon rugby club has done its bit to help promote rugby in non-traditional playing countries thanks to the efforts of U16 Adam Thompson.  Adam recently visited Poland as part of a school exchange and took a rugby ball, complete with Ripon logo, as one of his gifts.  Adam’s report is below:

“On the 26th of April I, along with nine other students from Ripon Grammar School, departed to Lubliniec, Poland, as part of the European unions Comenius trip. The aim of the Comenius project is to forge links between schools from different culture and geological backgrounds. In our Comenius group there is a school from Poland, Germany and Norway as well as RGS.

We were advised to take gifts from Yorkshire for our host families; I took a packet of Yorkshire tea and Yorkshire tea loaf, but my best present was, by far my best gift was a Ripon rugby ball, generously donated to me for the trip by the club.

My project was to make a PowerPoint presentation on weird English sports and sports which are historically British. In the historically British PowerPoint I, of course, included rugby.  After I made my presentation on the 29th, everyone involved in the Comenius project went into the schools new sports hall and played weird and wonderful games from every country. It ended up with me teaching them all how to play touch rugby and we had a little tournament. My team ,of course, won but it was very close. “

We’ve got pre-season off to a great start.  Fantastic numbers down training again tonight and the endeavour shown was massive - there were a lot of people who dug really deep in tonight’s session.  There iss also a real sense of teamwork and camaraderie that bodes well for the upcoming season.  Well done to Tony on his first session at the club and getting recognised as the night’s best trainer.

The effort and commitment shown so far is exemplary - let’s keep that work ethic going now.

Thanks to everyone who came along and enjoyed Saturday’s camp out at the club. The weather was kinder than expected meaning we were able to enjoy a pleasant afternoon, evening (and night!) outdoors including an excellent campfire.

Highlight of the evening was Dan “The Rake” Watson tending to the fire with his special tool. Thanks to Mairead for cooking breakfast for everyone on Sunday morning.  We hope to repeat this event soon making it bigger and better. Photos from Saturday can be viewed here.

The clubhouse will be open tomorrow morning from 8.15 for the New Zealand v England game.  Plans for the “camp out” later in the day are still in place even though he weather forecast is not brilliant.  We will be open for the South Africa v Wales game and through the afternoon and evening.  England A play Ireland A in the Churchill Cup at 19.00 tomorrow, televised on Sky.

Will try and persuade Mrs. Hurley to cook some bacon tomorrow morning for those coming down early!