FURTHER SQUAD ADDITIONS
July 29, 2010
We have now been back in training for nearly one month & I can report that training has gone very well. Sessions have been well attended & we have seen over 60 players attend sessions during this period.
In addition to those that have stayed from last season we can announce that we have been looking at a small group of Fijian players who are based locally in the Army. There are all proving to be good additions to the squad.
We have also arranged for Laurent Chaffre to join us from French Federele 1 club Tournefeuille. Laurent has also played for Blagnac & had a period playing rugby league for Olympic Toulouse. He plays centre & in his first session (on Tuesday) showed that he was very strong in contact but had an eye for a gap! Laurent has come to Newbury, as our first French rugby player, to experience English rugby & to learn English at the same time. We really pleased that he has chosen Newbury as the place to fulfil both of these objectives. Laurent is looking for work & accommodation in the area & if anyone can help with either or both please contact Andy Widdop.
Another addition to the squad is Chris Thomson. Chris is on a year out from Loughborough University & is working in Slough. Chris plays in the back row & is proving to be another good addition. He has represented Scotland U20 & this experience will prove useful in this very competitive league.
We are also looking at a fly half to fill the shoes left by Mitch Burton & hope to make an announce very soon as to who that would be.
We continue to get new players all the time. We are beginning to establish links with Oxford Brookes, Reading & Bath Universities. We are still in contact with Bath Rugby & their Academy for the use of players during the season.
The aim within the club is to produce a system that sees us encouraging & producing players from our own Junior ranks to make the move to our 1st Team. This is beginning to bear fruit with a good number of former Colts now within the squad & many current Colts attending training & showing what they are capable of.
Many of these players are young but gifted & capable of playing a style of rugby that will be exciting, enjoyable & successful.
We will be fielding a 1st XV & 2nd XV on most Saturdays & the numbers that have been attending training will allow us to fulfil all of those fixtures.
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