Bleater's Blog
  1. The Autumn Internationals are Here!
  2. Season 24/25 is HERE!
  3. The Summer Break - Finally
  4. Summer and The Tours
  5. Cups and Playoffs
  6. The Season Run In
  7. It’s Six Nations Time!
  8. 2024 Has Arrived
  9. It’s Nearly Here…… January
  10. Countdown to Chri….. January!
  11. RWC 2023 - The Final Approaches
  12. The Summer Break
  13. Rugby World Cup 2023 Plus
  14. The Rugby World Cup Approaches
  15. The Final Countdown
  16. The Summer Tours Up Next
  17. Rugby Continues Thankfully
  18. The Six Nations - Happy Days
  19. 2023 Has Arrived
  20. The Halfway Point of the Season
  21. The Season Continues into Autumn
  22. Here we go! A new season
  23. The Twilight Zone
  24. The Season is Nearly Over
  25. The Six Nations and Some
  26. The 6 Nations Begins
  27. 2022 and All THAT!
  28. Christmas is nearly upon us!!
  29. We’re Still Waiting
  30. The Season Progresses
  31. At Last - We are back
  32. The New Season is Nearly Here
  33. Lions Tests are Here!
  34. The Lions Up next
  35. Now It’s Europe
  36. 6 Nations Beckons
  37. 2021 at last! A year of renewed hope!
  38. A New Premiership Season
  39. Still NO Grassroots Rugby!!!!!
  40. It Continues - NO GRASSROOTS RUGBY!!
  41. No End In Sight To The Madness
  42. Autumn Internationals BUT Still NO Crowds
  43. We're Back - In Part At Least
  44. The Restart is Still a Long Way Away
  45. When will we play again?
  46. Time for a beer and a haircut!!
  47. It's easing apparently???!!!
  48. Behind Closed Doors or ...... ??
  49. Lockdown or not to lockdown
  50. The Debate Continues
  51. Yet another new page
  52. The Nightmare Continues - the blog
  53. The Season Grinds to a Halt
  54. The Season Moves On
  55. It's Official - The Drought is Over
  56. 6 Nations Starts
  57. Another New Page - Sorry
  58. 6 Nations Beckons
  59. Welcome To A New Decade
  60. It'll soon be over. Xmas that is
  61. Xmas is Coming
  62. Back to the Grassroots Game
  63. Bleater in Japan
  64. The Grassroots Season Starts
  65. Not Long Now!
  66. Japan Still Beckons
  67. Japan Beckons
  68. Nearly Time To Look Ahead
  69. The Summer Break is Here
  70. The Final Countdown
  71. Yet another section of drivel
  72. The Season Continues for a Little Longer
  73. The 6 Nations Continues
  74. Six Nations and More
  75. It's RWC Year!!
  76. Its Definitely Winter
  77. Winter is here. Brrrr!!!
  78. Its the Autumn, soon to be Winter
  79. We Are Off And Running
  80. The New Season Approaches
  81. Still the Summer Tours Go On
  82. The Summer Internationals Plus, Plus
  83. The Season Climax Approaches
  84. Summer is Coming
  85. Another Section, More Drivel
  86. 2018 Already!!!! It'll soon be Xmas
  87. The Season Approaches the Half Way Point
  88. The Season Takes Shape
  89. The Season Starts
  90. More Pre-Season Build Up
  91. Pre-Season and Other Stuff
  92. The Lions Tested
  93. The Lions Roar
  94. We Are Still Counting Down
  95. It's All About The Lions
  96. The Countdown to Season's End
  97. The Season Continues Apace
  98. It's Time for the 6 Nations
  99. 2017 - Let The Fun Begin
  100. The Big Man Will Be Here Soon
  101. Let's Countdown to You Know What
  102. It's Time For Europe
  103. The Season Is Well Underway
  104. At Last Let The Competition Begin
  105. Not Long to the New Season
  106. Not So Much Rugby Now
  107. Still Plenty of Rugby to Debate
  108. The Summer Break
  109. Here Comes Summer
  110. They Think It's All Over
  111. Jones - A New Era
  112. It Was A Grand Slam!!!!
  113. 6 Nations - A Grand Slam??
  114. Six Nations 2016
  115. A New Captain, A New Start
  116. Welcome to 2016
  117. The Countdown to Christmas
  118. Winter Has Arrived
  119. November Movember
  120. The World Cup Is Over
  121. Rugby World Cup Quarters
  122. Rugby World Cup into the knockout stages
  123. Rugby World Cup Day 9 to Day 24
  124. Rugby World Cup Day 1 to Day 8
  125. Sept 9th to Sept 17th
  126. August 24th to September 7th
  127. August 11th to August 23rd
  128. July 16th to August 9th
  129. July 1st to July 15th
  130. June 17th to June 29th
  131. June 2nd to June 16th
  132. May 19th to June 1st
  133. May 7th to May 17th
  134. April 28th to May 6th
  135. April 22nd to April 27th
  136. April 13th to April 21st
  137. March 13th to Aprill 11th
  138. March 5th to March 12th
Bleater's Blog
  1. The Autumn Internationals are Here!
  2. Season 24/25 is HERE!
  3. The Summer Break - Finally
  4. Summer and The Tours
  5. Cups and Playoffs
  6. The Season Run In
  7. It’s Six Nations Time!
  8. 2024 Has Arrived
  9. It’s Nearly Here…… January
  10. Countdown to Chri….. January!
  11. RWC 2023 - The Final Approaches
  12. The Summer Break
  13. Rugby World Cup 2023 Plus
  14. The Rugby World Cup Approaches
  15. The Final Countdown
  16. The Summer Tours Up Next
  17. Rugby Continues Thankfully
  18. The Six Nations - Happy Days
  19. 2023 Has Arrived
  20. The Halfway Point of the Season
  21. The Season Continues into Autumn
  22. Here we go! A new season
  23. The Twilight Zone
  24. The Season is Nearly Over
  25. The Six Nations and Some
  26. The 6 Nations Begins
  27. 2022 and All THAT!
  28. Christmas is nearly upon us!!
  29. We’re Still Waiting
  30. The Season Progresses
  31. At Last - We are back
  32. The New Season is Nearly Here
  33. Lions Tests are Here!
  34. The Lions Up next
  35. Now It’s Europe
  36. 6 Nations Beckons
  37. 2021 at last! A year of renewed hope!
  38. A New Premiership Season
  39. Still NO Grassroots Rugby!!!!!
  40. It Continues - NO GRASSROOTS RUGBY!!
  41. No End In Sight To The Madness
  42. Autumn Internationals BUT Still NO Crowds
  43. We're Back - In Part At Least
  44. The Restart is Still a Long Way Away
  45. When will we play again?
  46. Time for a beer and a haircut!!
  47. It's easing apparently???!!!
  48. Behind Closed Doors or ...... ??
  49. Lockdown or not to lockdown
  50. The Debate Continues
  51. Yet another new page
  52. The Nightmare Continues - the blog
  53. The Season Grinds to a Halt
  54. The Season Moves On
  55. It's Official - The Drought is Over
  56. 6 Nations Starts
  57. Another New Page - Sorry
  58. 6 Nations Beckons
  59. Welcome To A New Decade
  60. It'll soon be over. Xmas that is
  61. Xmas is Coming
  62. Back to the Grassroots Game
  63. Bleater in Japan
  64. The Grassroots Season Starts
  65. Not Long Now!
  66. Japan Still Beckons
  67. Japan Beckons
  68. Nearly Time To Look Ahead
  69. The Summer Break is Here
  70. The Final Countdown
  71. Yet another section of drivel
  72. The Season Continues for a Little Longer
  73. The 6 Nations Continues
  74. Six Nations and More
  75. It's RWC Year!!
  76. Its Definitely Winter
  77. Winter is here. Brrrr!!!
  78. Its the Autumn, soon to be Winter
  79. We Are Off And Running
  80. The New Season Approaches
  81. Still the Summer Tours Go On
  82. The Summer Internationals Plus, Plus
  83. The Season Climax Approaches
  84. Summer is Coming
  85. Another Section, More Drivel
  86. 2018 Already!!!! It'll soon be Xmas
  87. The Season Approaches the Half Way Point
  88. The Season Takes Shape
  89. The Season Starts
  90. More Pre-Season Build Up
  91. Pre-Season and Other Stuff
  92. The Lions Tested
  93. The Lions Roar
  94. We Are Still Counting Down
  95. It's All About The Lions
  96. The Countdown to Season's End
  97. The Season Continues Apace
  98. It's Time for the 6 Nations
  99. 2017 - Let The Fun Begin
  100. The Big Man Will Be Here Soon
  101. Let's Countdown to You Know What
  102. It's Time For Europe
  103. The Season Is Well Underway
  104. At Last Let The Competition Begin
  105. Not Long to the New Season
  106. Not So Much Rugby Now
  107. Still Plenty of Rugby to Debate
  108. The Summer Break
  109. Here Comes Summer
  110. They Think It's All Over
  111. Jones - A New Era
  112. It Was A Grand Slam!!!!
  113. 6 Nations - A Grand Slam??
  114. Six Nations 2016
  115. A New Captain, A New Start
  116. Welcome to 2016
  117. The Countdown to Christmas
  118. Winter Has Arrived
  119. November Movember
  120. The World Cup Is Over
  121. Rugby World Cup Quarters
  122. Rugby World Cup into the knockout stages
  123. Rugby World Cup Day 9 to Day 24
  124. Rugby World Cup Day 1 to Day 8
  125. Sept 9th to Sept 17th
  126. August 24th to September 7th
  127. August 11th to August 23rd
  128. July 16th to August 9th
  129. July 1st to July 15th
  130. June 17th to June 29th
  131. June 2nd to June 16th
  132. May 19th to June 1st
  133. May 7th to May 17th
  134. April 28th to May 6th
  135. April 22nd to April 27th
  136. April 13th to April 21st
  137. March 13th to Aprill 11th
  138. March 5th to March 12th
Bleater's Blog 130 of 138

130. June 17th to June 29th


Monday June 29th - 08:00

The only place to start is Tunisia, everything else pales into insignificance. A murdering thug has taken over 38 innocent lives in the name of what? Quite frankly I don't know. If this is religion then there is something wrong in the world.

I applaud those who have remained in Tunisia in defiance but more importantly give my condolences to those that have lost friends and family.

These lunatics cannot be allowed to win, unless of course you want to go back to the dark ages where women are second class citizens, freedoms of speech, freedom of actions and human decency are assigned to history, a history that these thugs are trying to wipe from the face of the earth.

Life quite rightly goes on. The AGM was well received on Friday. I have had some good feedback on the content and the openness of the feedback. Of particular note for many was clearly outlining our objectives for next season. All the details will be on this website soon.

The Nat West Rugby Force weekend was well supported and much was achieved. It was knackering, and I for one am struggling with the horse fly bites. Thanks go to 'Damper' Sayer for organising, all the members for their support and a special thanks to T&T and Steve Edwards for the loan of equipment. T&T for all you DIY needs. Thanks to all of you.

Ominously for RWC 2015 two New Zealand sides will face each other in the Super 15 final highlighting the strength in depth they have and the form their players are in.

Martin Johnson states England must learn the lessons of 2011. Sadly he was part of the problem in 2011 and I think Lancaster has already taken on board the lessons.

Gatland is laying down the law in terms of selection. Basically he will select who likes when he likes so the press and all other pundits can shut up. Alex Cuthbert will be in the squad but far from guaranteed to start.

Finally Tigers coach Phil Blake gets a six-month ban for betting. Hope he wasn't following any of my predictions as he will be severely out of pocket right now.

Thursday June 25th - 08:30

I don't know about you but I remain frustrated by the lack of hype around RWC 2015. Have you seen any form of TV schedule from ITV yet? No? Nor have I.

I bet you've seen lots of hype about those talentless wanabees wanting to be on the next Britain's Got No talent (unless you are dog).

We are only 85 days and about 11 hours away from the kick off. Come on guys, lets help rugby and us the grass roots of the game, get some hype going. Allegedly the trophy is touring the UK. Yeah sure.

Our plans are taking shape regardless.

Wales have a new injury concern. The star of last season Liam Williams has had foot surgery and is a doubt.

As predicted Ireland lose Rhys Ruddock.

Lancaster has said he is not imposing a booze ban or curfews BUT what he hasn't said is his strict regime will be maintained which is akin to a booze ban and a curfew.

There is a heart-warming story about Joost van der Westhuizen and his fight with motor neurone disease in the Organ of Truth.

The semi finals of the Super 15 are on Saturday. Sadly you won't see them as you'll be at the club for the Nat West Rugby Force day.......won't you?

Another former All Black Norm Berryman has left this mortal coil way too early. Just 42 he suffered a heart attack at his new home; Australia. Life is not a rehearsal. Make the most of it while you can.

Leicester Anthony Allen has been forced to retire at just 28 with a chronic knee injury.

No political comment today just some social adverts.

U3A, the organisation keeping our fabulous senior citizens active and mentally challenged by offering fun and interesting groups to be involved in held their annual forum at the club yesterday. I think we did them proud. If you have elderly family this is a good organisation to steer them towards.

Blood. We all have about 8 pints of the rich red stuff. There are times when some in society need blood urgently. The Blood service is continually under pressure for supplies. Give donating a thought. It is easy and very rewarding. Several club members already do so. Why not join us. I am A+ by the way....... and no it isn't easier to get blood out of me than getting me to open my wallet.

Wednesday June 24th - 07:45

Don't forget the AGM on Friday. It's your club. Have your say

Saturday and Sunday sees four Nat West Rugby Force work parties. Pick a session and support the club with much needed work around the grounds.

David Strettle pulls out of England's World Cup squad. An interesting one. I can understand, to a degree, his point of view but this is the third biggest sporting event in the world and to pull out is a major decision. At the back of his mind must be the fact he might not make the cut for the final squad and therefore why bother.

Cipriani is at training camp but the Sword of Damocles still hangs over him.

Jonathan Davies treatment to repair his ruptured ACL is progressing well.

The papers are full of the problems caused by yesterday's strike in Calais. The unions are striking over the EU's instruction to Eurotunnel to sell of its ferry business MyFerryLink. The ruling is based on monopoly concerns. Closing the operation is not going to solve the problem. It will in fact exacerbate the situation. I make this comment based on my view that there are zero companies lining up to take over the service.

I have a view on the immigration situation and have a recommendation on how to solve it. I'll keep it to myself for now. The one thing that does hack me off is the French mayor of Calais saying it is all our fault. Monsieur Mayor, it was not us that removed border control from Europe. It is not us who is refusing to process claimants for political asylum. It is not us who is ignoring the guidelines on repatriating economic migrants from non EU countries. je dit: tesez vous s'il vous plait.

Now talking of clowns and trouble makers I see Nicola is flexing her muscles with her Scottish anarchists refusing to honour their commitment to fund our glorious Queen. Well Nicola, perhaps we here in England and Wales will stop subsidising you. Scotland gets a very good deal under the Barnet Formula. Cut it, cut it, cut it. North Korea might be a nice place for Wee Jimmy Crankie and her acolytes.

Got to go....... another function at the club. The U3A are holding a seminar at our wonderful facility.

Monday June 22nd - 13:00

Oh what a night.

Saturday's Summer Ball was a cracker. I will be amazed if anybody walked, or more likely staggered away on Saturday night dissatisfied with any aspect of the ball.

I have thanked the key organisers and players. Sean at Purple Pumpkin, Charlotte of Kitch, Ginger Hicks, Graysey and Sandra and staff.

Another example of when we get it right we really get it right.

Congratulations to the Baby Blacks for lifting the Under 20 World Championship. They overcame a good England side. The England coach was rightly proud of his charges and as he says the future of English rugby, if they all stay in England, is bright.

Jamie Roberts could play in the Varsity game in December and Taulupe Faletau could be on his way to Bath. Money, money, money.

Ireland could lose Welshman Rhys Ruddock for RWC 2015. A big blow.

Congrats to the Brumbies and the Chiefs in reaching the Super 15 semi-finals.

Significantly sadder news comes from Rugby League with the death of James Ackerman, 25, who suffered a head injury during a game on Saturday in Australia. A tragedy which highlights some of the risk of our great game(s)

Thankfully this is a very rare occurrence.

The Italians have settled their dispute with their governing body and have returned to training. Money, money, money.

In other news a driver has been fined nearly £1000 for hogging the middle lane on the M62. Good.

Even better is the news that hypocritical Muppet Russell Brand has been told to get lost (actually to .... off!!!) by anti-austerity protesters. The light is coming on about these self publicising clowns. Charlotte Church should be next. Another hypocrite.

Friday June 19th - 08:30

The Champions Cup draw has been made and Pool 5 can be called the group of 'death'. Always over the top as it is a game of rugby after all. Battling serious illness means you are in a group of death so come on, less of this unnecessary hyperbole please.

Sam Warburton says England will not be worse off with the absence of Tuilagi and Hartley. They won't. England will win the tournament........ based on my fantastic track record of predictions.

I erroneously said the Southern Hemisphere Championship starts this weekend. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!! 17th of JULY it starts.

The Super 15 continues today and through the weekend.

30,000 more RWC 2015 tickets go on sale next Thursday, including matches at Twickenham. Please buy from official providers only.

Here we go again; Mass shooting in the US, immigration and a tube strike.

We in the UK are seeing more gun crime, and violent crime seems to be in the headlines everyday. Thankfully however we remain firmly committed to strict gun control and have heavy jail terms for gun crime. This is opposite to the US where the right to bear arms allows nutters to carry out hate crimes murdering innocent church goers with impunity. Surprise, surprise the Bush dynasty support the NRA. What a family of bankers. (More on them shortly)

A certain follower of this drivel has written asking me not to castigate ASLEF for calling its members out on strike over 24 hour working and not to have a go at the RMT and TSSA. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. I can empathise with the fact that consultation on the working hours and shift patterns might not have been carried out as effectively as it could have BUT.......

Tube drivers earn around £55,000 a year. MORE than teachers, nurses, firefighters and policemen. Give me £55k for driving a tube - DAY or NIGHT and I'd bite your arm off for it, especially as I would get 43 days holiday and family travel concessions. Ask me to patrol the streets of Toxteth or Peckham or even Crowborough for what a police offer earns you can bugger off. Things are the wrong way round. Why do these people get away with it? Simple, because they can hold the city of London to ransom at will.

The said writer advises me that ASLEF haven't been on strike for 10 years. Aarrrr, isn't that sweet. I didn't go on strike in over 40 years of work and only took a few days off work sick (three of those after playing against Tunbridge Wells).

There are thousands of immigrants from Eastern Europe and farther afield now sleeping rough on our city streets and committing crime. Here is a radical solution. Why not tell them that they going to be trained to drive tube trains, paid £35,000 per annum and get 25 days holiday a year and working 24 hour shift patterns. If they don't accept they can get the next bus from Victoria back to their original port of embarkation. A double benefit whammy me thinks.

Now, before I go, I have been accused of supporting the bankers, that excludes the Bushes and that lying tow-rag Blair. There is an announcement in today's papers that Deutsche Bank is relocating 4000 employees across the city to Canary Wharf. Why are these bankers in the UK? Simple because we are the pre-eminent finance management country in the world. Banking and bankers add significant value to GBC Plc and we should not forget this contribution.

Now, before I get slaughtered, there ARE some rotten apples in the banking barrel. Some very rotten apples indeed. Until now they, like the gun toting lunatics in the US have got away their heinous crimes. These apples should be brought to book and put where rotten apples go....... into pig swill. This and my dear reader is where we are aligned. Crime is crime and the fact the men at the top of the banking tree appear to have got away with it is wrong, WRONG, WRONG!!!

Time for a lie down.

Wednesday June 17th - 09:00

Let's start with Mathieu Bastareaud and his failed suicide bid six years ago. Here is a classic case of how professionalism in rugby is catching up with soccer. Young fit men with lots of energy to burn along with lots of money in their pockets and lots of spare time on their hands. Most, thankfully, can balance life and productively fill their spare time. Some sadly follow the reasonably well worn path to the bookies and the pub.

The Islamic international rugby tournament aimed at building solidarity across the Islamic rugby world spiralled into controversy with a mass brawl when Algeria met Malaysia. The savage melee resulted in an assistant referee with broken teeth and a neck injury. Ten players were treated for broken bones and cuts. The incident erupted in part due to dissatisfaction with the referee and not only involved players but spectators and coaches as well.

This is not a great advert for rugby. Let's put aside any comments about peace loving Muslims as this is irrelevant.

However, it is fair to say that in the rest of the free world women are free to play rugby as equals to their male counterparts. In some parts of the Muslim world women are treated no better than serfs under house arrest fit only for spawning radical offspring..... aren't they Saudi Arabia and you thugs in ISIS.

The end of the world is nigh. Donald Trump is planning to run for President. Great news indeed as his running mate is Homer Simpson.

As England prepare for the Baby Blacks in Saturday's Under 20s World Championship it has been announced that next years tournament will be held in Manchester. Sale, Salford and Manchester City's academy ground will be the venues.

Wasps are splashing their cash with more high profile names heading to Coventry for next season. I guess they are ignoring any notion of a salary cap. Money, money, money.

Our man in Brazil has been in touch. Life remains great for Marissa and Richard Lambert and he'll be over in September and joining us at a league lunch. The Sevenoaks game me thinks.

Finally the posh and the pampered are on show in their full glory at Ascot this week........ and that is just the hats. What a lot of pompous tosh.