It is with great sadness I bring you news of the passing of Alan Sallows. A name many of you won’t recognise, but for others you’ll have fond memories of Alan’s association with Crowborough RFC. He acted as treasurer for a number of years and organised a number of memorial matches with high profile stars in attendance.

He was a long time member at Uckfield RFC, during which time he also contributed massively to Sussex Rugby and Sussex Referees Society. Ever present at Sussex Rugby social events, he will be sadly missed. Our thoughts are with his family and his many friends.

‘Thank you my friend. I have many happy memories, and some great stories as a result of knowing you. Rest in peace’.

The weather continues to dominate the news, as you would expect with us being British. Right now looking out of the window my little close looks more like an ice rink than a road. Be careful out there.

As is always the case there is a paucity of rugby news across the media. This despite the game moving into the next round of the European tournaments. One piece I’d like to pick up on, especially as my good friend Pratty brought it to my attention, is the retirement of Stephen Jones, rugby correspondent of The Sunday Times. A former Bassaleg Grammar School boy like myself I have had the pleasure of spending time with him at certain points across his many years in the media. Three occasions jump out. We bumped into each in Dunedin, in Newcastle, NSW, and on a long flight back from New Zealand following the 2011 Rugby World Cup. On each occasion we caught up on Bassaleg, Newport RFC, the state of the game and our various experiences across the game. There was an excellent final piece in The Sunday Times which sadly I don’t have access to. What I have read is an equally erudite piece about Jonesy written by Robert Kitson in The Guardian. That is well worth a read.

Graysey tells me there is a lunch planned ahead of the Sevenoaks II fixture. If you are interested get in touch with Louise. I’ll be at the game but missing from the lunch I’m afraid. I will of course keep you updated on the state of the pitches.

Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple has berated Welsh Rugby for poaching Danny Wilson at ‘the 11th hour’. He claims that has been a key factor in Quins poor form this season.

Exeter’s Campbell Ridl has been banned for two matches following is badly mistimed clash with Harry Arundell in the game against Bath.

I know most of you are not vaguely interested in the state of the game in Wales but I am. It seems that the dinosaurs have managed to garner enough support for an EGM to proceed. At this meeting it looks as if said dinosaurs are keen to reestablish their right to control the game, keeping it in the dark ages. What they seem to forget is the professional game, especially the international side is what keeps the game in Wales afloat. You need people who understand the professional game, and business, running it. What you don’t need is some geriatric from Postman Pat’s club, Pontypandy RFC involved when his only interest is the gravy that comes from the gravy train.

In the proper news the Maduro affair is well covered. What is troubling is Russia is now sending its warships to escort oil tankers out of Venezuela.

The sabre rattling over Greenland continues. What right does Trump have to behave in this way.

Finally, while limp-wristed Sir U-Turn is sitting on the fence with regard to Trump and Venezuela he is quietly acting as a despot himself. He is plotting to get us back into Europe by the back door without reference to Parliament or us the people. All this while crime spirals because money that could be spent on policing is being spent on woke vanity projects by councils, or on gold plated Civil Servants pensions, many of whom are a waste of taxpayers money in the first place.

Tuesday 6th Jan: 09:55

As mentioned yesterday we hope to host Sevenoaks II on Saturday. Right now the ground is like that you would find across the Siberian tundra, covered in snow and concrete hard. Whilst the overhead conditions are glorious there would be no rugby at Steel Cross if the game were today. Whilst the forecasts can be notoriously inaccurate, currently the expectation for the next few days is rain or snow. I suggest if you are planning on going to Steel Cross on the weekend you keep a close eye on this website, or your various WhatsApp groups for updates.

I’ll look at the other fixtures in detail tomorrow but we now have to think about getting something out of each game we play. Picking up points is not yet crucial but certainly would be beneficial to staying in this league.

Plenty of talk about Exeter’s Greg Fisilau. He has been making quite a mark on the game of late. Welsh qualified but likely to pin his colours to the English mast, especially as Steve Borthwick has called him up to join a pre-Six Nations ‘alignment’ day with the bulk of the expected squad. A smart move by Borthwick which again highlights why England should be ruling the rugby world with the talent they can call upon.

It isn’t long now before the Six Nations gets underway, always a brilliant tournament. I give you my prediction here:-

6 Wales, 5 Italy, 4 Scotland, 3 Ireland, 2 France, 1 England.

The only caveat is, if both France and England get to the final match unbeaten I would go France to win in Paris therefore reversing the positions of 1 and 2.

If I dream, with Wales playing both Italy and Scotland in Cardiff, two wins could see them off the bottom, but as I say, that is a wild dream like hoping to win the lottery.

The European stuff gets underway again on Friday. As you know I don’t have Premier Sports so will hope some of the Welsh games are covered by S4C. For those who do, Castres v Bath kicks it off on Friday. On Saturday in the secondary competition I like the look of Benetton v Dragons, Cardiff v Racing 92 and Stade Francais v Exeter. Whilst I am jaundiced because I opted out of paying extra to watch these tournaments, I continue to ask what benefit do the South African sides bring. Not a great deal in my mind. Unsustainable costs and ridiculous travel, and all that to play in empty stadiums in the summer heat in South Africa, or freezing stadiums here in the north where the atmosphere is non-existent due to the lack of travelling support.

If you have any rugby stories, or opinions (any subject), you wish to share then get in touch: bleater@crowboroughrugby.com

In other sport, who would want to be a football manager. Manchester United sack their boss, Chelsea sack theirs, despite both clubs in contention for European football next season, and Celtic sack their boss after just 33 days. It is high stakes musical chairs. That said, Ruben Amorin and his wife didn’t look too concerned after receiving a multi-million pound payoff yesterday. In fact, it almost looked as if he had engineered his way out.

The Ashes series continues down under with Australia on top again. Due to the time difference this series hasn’t captured my imagination in any way shape or form. I only mention it now because there is little else in the sports news.

Oh, except Leicester City snatching victory with a sensational late winner last night. It was a cracking goal.

In the proper news the weather, being British, is the headline with the Maduro affair following closely behind. I still cannot see how the US can justify such action. There is a piece hidden away about how Gatwick airport have hiked the drop-off charge to £10. That without doubt is a money-making scam. 1000 cars a day would net close to £3.7m with no underlying costs associated with the scam.

Oh, and if you are over 70, despite young people accounting for more road deaths and accidents, the Government are coming after your driving licence. Apparently 24% of deaths on the road were over 70s, meaning 76% weren’t. 12% of all casualties were over 70s, meaning 88% weren’t. I have been on the roads a lot lately and let me tell you, the old folk are not the problem. The entitled in their Chelsea tractors, the young kids who think they’re Lando Norris, and the downright stupid who don’t give a damn about any rules, on the road or otherwise, are a much bigger problem.

Monday 5th Jan: 09:30

Leicester Tigers find themselves in 6th spot in the Premiership after a reasonably convincing win over star studded Saracens. A late Bracken try for the visitors gave the scoreline a sense of respectability. Was it as exciting as the Saints v Quins game? No! It was however well worth watching. A packed house at Welford Road will have left the ground happy with the result and reasonably happy with the contest. There were times when I couldn’t resist the temptation to scream: ‘stop kicking the ball away’. There was also plenty of times when I groaned out loud at scrum reset after scrum reset. Still, on a freezing Sunday afternoon, the last day of our festive season behaviour, in essence drinking and eating, and drinking and eating, it was better than no sport at all.

A couple of additional comments. The commentary team wasted no time in discussing Matthew Carley’s decision to wear gloves during the game. I have no problem with that. There is nothing worse than being desperately cold and struggling with decision making.

The second point was well made in the build up to the game by Emily Scarrett. It seems that Aaron Wainwright is to join the Tigers next season. Whilst there are many in Wales gnashing their teeth at that decision, Scarrett pointed out that playing in the best league, alongside the best players (and earning a decent wage) can only be good for them, and ultimately the game in Wales. Yesterday Oli Cracknell, Nicky Smith, Nick Tompkins and Rhys Carre all made considerable contributions for their respective sides.

The Premiership goes into hibernation for a couple of weeks with the European stuff returning. The disjointed nature of the rugby season is something that needs to be resolved. Removing the South African teams from both the URC and Europe would free up time to restructure. Add a couple of teams to the Premiership and then have a longer block of games. This two weeks on, two weeks off is disruptive. My view anyway.

There is a good piece in The Torygraph about how Northampton Saints are on a roll right now with lots of home grown talent coming through their system, the books almost balancing, with great crowds enjoying a great game day experience. Well worth a read for the simple reason it could all be blown out of the water if the game goes down the franchise route. Look at Newcastle, now with new cash rich investors. They are not bothered where the talent comes from, they want a return on their investment, and that comes from the sponsoring (litter generating) brand being front and centre and associated with success. Well worth thinking about. You’ve only got to look at any Premier League side and their team sheets. Having an English player is a rarity. Having a locally grown English player is even rarer.

The grassroots game returns next weekend. Weather permitting. The 1st XV are home to Sevenoaks II. The 2s are away at Horsham 3s. I’ll keep you updated as things become clearer. Right now, the forecast doesn’t look great. The cold snap staying with us before rain/snow as the weekend approaches.

The NFL goes into the knockout phase with the play-offs starting next weekend. The Saints made a fist of it in the latter stages of the season but still finished bottom of their conference. Hey ho.

Leicester City play West Bromwich Albion tonight. Yep, I’ll suffer that.

The proper news is dominated by Trumps decision to kidnap the President of Venezuela and his wife. It is all about oil and China. Whilst the country is a source for drugs, was run by a corrupt far left regime, and its oil was propping up China and Cuba, that is still not enough for the US to carry out such an attack on an independent sovereign state. The sabre rattling about Greenland is a cause for concern. Trump is just daft enough to invade there too. That’s any chance of me getting a visa to the US up in smoke.

If you are out and about today, be careful. The roads are still treacherous.

Sunday 4th Jan: 09:50

The New Year has started brightly. Yet another gorgeous winter morning, clear blue skies and bright sunshine. There is still snow on the ground, making life difficult for some, a joy for others. On that subject all activity at the club has been cancelled. I walked the pitches yesterday and whilst there were patches that were playable, there were many, many more that were positively dangerous. After last night’s sub-zero temperatures I am sure the situation will have worsened.

Before I get into the latest round of matches can someone help me please. I know I am not the brightest pin in the box so can you explain to me how it is right for Donald Trump to send troops into Venezuela and kidnap the President and his wife. All this at the same time as berating Putin for his invasion of Ukraine. What right does Trump have to now state that the US will run the country and take control of its oil reserves. Perhaps I’m missing something but this seems like hypocrisy of the highest order. What next? An invasion of Greenland, and what does he do when China invades Taiwan. The man is out of control. He berates anybody who challenges free speech, but then tells his border agency to ban anyone who criticises him or his country. You can’t have it both ways.

OK, let me get back to rugby. Some cracking games over the New Year period. The Welsh derbies threw up some surprises. The Dragons beating Scarlets with a fine display of rugby, albeit the men in red were well below par. The Ospreys put Cardiff back in their place with a impressive win at the Brewery Field in Bridgend. As an aside, what a great idea to move to Bridgend from the Swansea City stadium. Playing in front of a full house instead of in a half empty stadium makes sense.

I enjoyed Bristol’s narrow win over Sale on Friday but I understand Newcastle’s win over Gloucester was a good watch too. At last Newcastle get that losing monkey off their backs, but what has happened to Gloucester. The wheels really have come off the wagon. Yesterday’s two games were a contrast. Bath opened strongly only to let Exeter back in to the contest. In fact for long periods it looked as if Exeter were going to snatch an unlikely victory. There were long periods in this game that were pretty tough to watch. Kick after kick, after kick. The scrum was a shambles. At one point it was close to five minutes to get one scrum set. It was farcical.

Next up was the Saints versus Quins match up. This was highly entertaining and beautifully managed by the excellent Sara Cox. Free flowing, fast paced, sometimes brutal rugby. Saints look the real deal and their style of rugby is ripping sides apart. Yesterday it was Quins, last week it was Bath. That said, Quins looked bereft of ideas at times.

Later today it is Leicester v Saracens. I still have high hopes this will be a good watch.

Going back to the Welsh derbies, having watched all four games, it is hard to justify cutting a region. There has to be a way to make it work. I mention this because the dinosaurs across Wales who still think they should control the game are calling for an EGM to oust the Chair, Richard Collier-Keywood. This soap opera is even longer running than Eastenders.

One other story caught the eye: Tony Rowe in an interview with The Torygraph saying he can no longer bankroll Exeter Chiefs. He has over the years ploughed millions into the club. If he walks then the club could find themselves going the way of London Irish and Wasps. Having read the article realising how much Exeter have been reliant on Rowe, it begs the question what would happen if Bruce Craig walked away from Bath. The RFU are keen for the game to go down the franchise route. Surely this is the same as being reliant on a single benefactor and therefore a very risky strategy.

That’ll do for today. The planes heading to LGW are coming in thick and fast. Plenty to keep my goldfish like brain active. The TAP flight from Lisbon up next.

Thurs 1st Jan: 08:45

Well, here we are, 2026 already. Where has the time gone? Here’s wishing you and yours a HAPPY NEW YEAR. Let’s hope for a better year ahead putting the horrors of 2025 behind us.

Last night’s Hootenanny with Jools Holland was a splendid way to bring in the New Year. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?

Here’s a few from the Friday Club…….

Not getting up twice in the night for a wee. VERY good luck with that!!
Being more tolerant of other road users. That’ll last until about 07:55 tomorrow.
Not heading to the wine rack quite so often. Yep, getting it down to once a day is not a bad idea.
Not shouting abuse at the TV every time the news comes on. That’s probably already busted.

The big questions that lie ahead….
Will the WRU ever solve the problem of the game in Wales?
How long into the New Year before we see Starmer and Reeves getting their P45s?
Will there ever be peace in Ukraine or Gaza?

I can answer the last one. No! Not as long as Putin and Netanyahu are in power.

A couple of messages.

A very Happy 60th Birthday to my previously famous brother.

An update on John Pemble’s funeral. His service is at TWells Crematorium at 12:30. All are welcome. Don’t forget those club blazers.

Enjoy today. Friday Club tomorrow so I’ll be back on Sunday.

Once again, my very best wishes for a great 2026. I can’t wish you a prosperous one whilst we have this Government in power, but I can wish you a happy and healthy one. Kick it off with a double dose of rugby from Wales this afternoon!!! S4C and BBC2 Wales.