Just a little longer to wait for the season to start. It has been a very long time and much has changed in the world since grassroots rugby last passed a ball in anger. As you know we start with the visit of Deal & Betteshanger. I don’t think anyone is under any illusion at CRFC that this will be a tough season, not only because of the quality of the teams we face but the extensive travel. It seems only Calais and Boulogne have missed out on hosting the men from Steel Cross. It is not all about the 1st XV the 2s and the Crows will be getting under way soon too. Best of luck to all.

The big boys start tomorrow and yes I will be watching Bristol v Saracens. What a splendid way to start the Premiership season. Leicester take on Exeter and Sale host Bath on Saturday. These will be good games ......... I hope. There are many who have commented that the new season must continue how the last ended with plenty of high quality, entertaining, high scoring rugby. If we see more of the turgid stuff offered up during the Lions series the game will whither and die on the vine within five years some are saying

The Rugby Championship continues tomorrow with a repeat of last weeks fixtures. The Springboks will be smarting after defeat so the game against Australia could be a cracker. The Kiwis will beat the Pumas.

Elsewhere TJs host Sale FC and Canterbury and Worthing go head to head in their league. In London Premier Sevenoaks, Brighton and Tunbridge Wells are all on the road against CS Stags, Sidcup and Tring respectively. Battersea Ironsides is the destination for Horsham with Chichester hosting Cobham in London 1 South

In our league I would suggest the pick of the other fixtures are Beccehamian v Gravesend and Dartfordians v Beckenham. In London 3 South East my picks are our good friends The Greenies v Crawley and Pulborough v Vigo. Finally in Sussex 1 which looks as if it could be a competitive league this year East Grinstead v Eastbourne and Uckfield v Seaford are my picks but Burgess Hill v Lewes could be the game of the day.

It should be great. I for one am excited to be heading for Steel Cross on Saturday for what undoubtedly will be a cracking lunch and watching a fiercely fought encounter on the pitch that Drew, Damper, Gus and Max have lovingly prepared for the season ahead.

The new revamped United Nations of rugby or whatever it is called doesn’t start until next week.

Going back to the Premiership it will be interesting to see how clubs perform with many players missing following the Lions tour. Saracens for example have five players missing. Also many clubs will be without their South African contingent who are in Australia for the Rugby Championship. That buggers up Sale me thinks.

That’ll do for today except to comment on Boris’s cabinet reshuffle. It seems akin to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. Can’t say much more than that except to confirm that someone who confuses Marcus Rashford for Maro Itoje deserves to be sacked.

The good news is it has taken Covid off the front pages. Don’t worry though the Covid propoganda service, aka the BBC will be back with your daily dose of dodgy statistics and your regular diet of self-serving scientists with their fairy tales of doom.

Wednesday 15th Sept: 09:30

Where to start? At the top I guess. The RFU have announced Tom Ilube will be its new Chairman. He becomes the first black person to head a major sport. He has a strong rugby pedigree and has set himself a tough agenda. Reigniting the grassroots game by having a successful England side is good but I sincerely hope that doesn’t mean even more money thrown at the top of the game only to see it wasted through failure. He is absolutely right the game must look at safety and no I haven’t joined the woke warriors. The game is getting too physically demanding to be safe. Diversity needs to improve and no this isn’t about ticking the race box this is about inner city schools, about large academies where rugby is nowhere to be seen. The game is in good hands with the clubs but when it comes to schools it is awfully elite at times. Then there is the women’s game. I have been smitten by women’s cricket. I want to be demanding that women’s rugby is on TV, terrestrial TV, much as women’s cricket and soccer is. Good luck to him.

English Clubs will be able to ditch mask wearing and social distancing if their vaccine take up goes beyond 85%. Clubs will still have to undertake lateral flow tests “to stop the spread”. Sorry folks but it is farcical. STOP TESTING!

Boris the Buffoon will not rule out vaccine passports for major events. This is driven by a craving for power and nothing else. Even the scientists are saying this does absolutely nothing to stop the spread of the virus. Fully vaccinated people are just as likely to spread the virus as non-vaccinated. This is about forcing those who haven’t had the jab to get it. Yes but it is also discriminatory in so many ways. It is wrong, and by the way it won’t need those scientists whose forecasts have been so wide of the mark as to be comical to tell people how to find ways around counterfeiting vaccine certificates.

England are set to bid for the 2031 Rugby World Cup. That’s brilliant news. New Zealand and Australia might have opened their borders by then and we will have just about finished Lockdown v.85.2

Former Wales B lock Paul Jones passes away at the very tender age of 49. I only mention this as he ran out for Newport and Caerphilly, the latter a side I have played against on several occasions. Sad news indeed.

Lots of rugby this weekend as the season starts for real. The big boys and the bulk of the grassroots game get underway on Saturday with Bristol v Saracens a mouthwatering opener on Friday night.

We host Deal & Betteshanger. Two teams that have contributed to some enjoyable encounters. The pitch should be perfect after recent rain and it is not too late to book yourself in for lunch. Kick-off 15:00.

I will pick out the other games “to follow” tomorrow.

Bizarrely for someone who has been retired for some time I have a lot to do today so that’ll just about do it.

Except I can’t go without commenting on how horrified I am by the return of the Brothers of Doom. Their Project Fear has had more sequels than Charles Branson and the Death Wish franchise. Rest assured we are going to be bombarded by horror stories. PLEASE read the information yourself. PLEASE don’t just follow the narrative as given to you by the media. We are not sheep, we have minds of our own. Use them! Your minds that is not the sheep. Most of you are not Welsh or Kiwi!!!!!!

I also see the Eco-mob have closed the M25 again today. Climate change is a massive issue. A much greater threat than Covid. We cannot however let a a bunch of anarchists bring this country to a standstill. It is not traffic they are holding up it is also nurses and carers and teachers and firemen and paramedics and drivers of urgent supplies and equipment. It doesn’t help that they are all middle class well to do people living in comfortable homes whilst they are often affecting the poorest and hardest working in our society. Go and live in cave if you want to but stop this nonsense. You are causing more pollution by your action than solving the problem.

Finally congratulations to Simon and Francis on the arrival of Casper, their third grandson.

Monday 13th Sept: 09:40

It turned out to be a reasonably nice weekend. Pleasant enough to barbecue yesterday. Sadly the two games of rugby yesterday morning didn’t set the pulse racing however. New Zealand v Argentina was so one sided as to be boring. Whilst the Pumas defence was good, in fact against anyone else very good, it wasn’t good enough to hold off a ruthless All Black side. There was the occasional glimpse of magic, that Beauden Barrett out of the back of hand pass for example, but generally it was doing the basics well until the Pumas could not hold out any longer.

The second game had more twists and turns but it wasn’t exactly edge of the seat, can’t take your eyes off it stuff. The South Africans brought plan A, which of course is the same as plans B, C & D; brute force and ignorance with the ball as much in the air as it is in the hands. Handre Pollard kicked away so much good ball it was almost criminal. The Aussies scored an outstanding try which did set the game alight but otherwise it was a game of chess trying to get past that green wall of buffalo. Quaid Cooper was back and yes he did make a positive impact and yes that final second pressure kick was something to behold. He still can’t get Aussie citizenship though!!!! This was a good win for Australia who are struggling to bring back fans to the union game. It could turn out to be a good win for the game in general. The South Africans will certainly need to rethink their game plan.

As mentioned yesterday, in National League 1 TJs lost to Rams. It was never going to be easy for the Kent side but easier games lie ahead. Rams are 3rd on points difference with Roslyn Park heading the table and Taunton Titans the jam in the middle.

In National League 2 North Stourbridge remain unbeaten after two games with a win over Hull. In National League 2 South Worthing are also two from two after beating Bury St Edmunds 29-21. Henley’s game against Hinckley was postponed as a mark of respect for Dave Hyde who sadly collapsed and died after last weeks fixture with Old Albanians. It was OAs who beat Canterbury leaving the Kent side, albeit early days, in the relegation zone.

In the London Premier League Brighton lost by a couple of points at home to Havant. Sevenoaks got their season up and running with a home win over Westcombe Park. Sadly Tunbridge Wells are still to get out of the starting gate losing at home to Sidcup in a high scoring affair. It is worrying to see two HWOs in a league of this quality after just one fixture. Tring conceded against Dorking and CS Stags forfeited their game at Sutton & Epsom. I would have guessed that if it was Covid related a postponement would be permissible. Research is required!!

In London 1 South Horsham lost at home to Chichester 12-38. Chi top the table. In a throwback to the 70s London Irish (Wild Geese) lost at home to London Welsh. The Welsh are 2nd in the table. Medway were resting this weekend.

In the Women’s game Saracens, Quins, Exeter and Wasps were all big winners. I can’t find any of this on TV which is a shame as the quality can often be much better than the men’s offering.

The Top 14 is well underway and I believe if you have SKY you can find a rerun of two of the matches this very afternoon on FreeSports channel 422.

Other snippets. The GREAT Shane Williams says he is “uneasy” about the World 12s echoing the concern of others about divided loyalties, self-interest and rugby’s “fraught politics’.

Gareth Anscombe made a welcome return to the game after a long injury layoff. Playing for his new club Ospreys at Northampton was welcome news for followers of the Welsh game. He still has a long way to go before he is in contention for the Welsh 10 shirt but at least he is back playing.

George Kruis has indicated he might return to the UK sooner than planned to reignite his international career. I bet Sarries are on full alert with that news.

Talking of Sarries they were well beaten by Ulster this weekend, losing 33-8 I believe.

Sergio Parisse has confirmed he will retire at the end of this season. The man is a legend.

Couldn’t not mention that crash in the Italian Grand Prix. What a mess and thank heavens for the “halo” device and all the work over many years to make F1 safer.

That’ll do. Back on Wednesday at some point.

Sunday 12th Sept: 08:35

There is only one place to start and that is Flushing Meadows, New York. What an amazing performance by an amazing young lady. Emma Raducanu wins the US Open, the first British women to lift a Grand Slam trophy in 44 years and the first person, man or woman, to win a major title as a qualifier. The doubters who questioned her “robustness” after suffering a panic attack and pulling out of Wimbledon have well and truly been put in their place. This came on the 20th anniversary of the appalling acts of terror on the 11th September 2001. Whilst we celebrate Ms Raducana’s fantastic achievement we cannot forget the fallen from that day and many days and years later.

In the world of rugby those supporting the World 12s idea have claimed there is already great interest with approaches from potential sponsors and broadcasters. I’m sure there has but I’m not convinced it is going to be good for the game. You only have to read the papers to find accusations that the cancellation of the test in Manchester had nothing to do with Covid but everything to do with the money that flows from the IPL. That said cricket seems to be on a crest of a wave right now with renewed interest in the game as a whole.

Plenty of pre-season action which I’ll try and catch up on tomorrow. In the meantime a brief look at some of yesterday’s results. TJs, as expected, came away empty handed from the Rams. In the National League 1 Stourbridge and Worthing enjoyed wins, Canterbury didn’t.

In the London Premier League Brighton and Tunbridge Wells lost but with bonus points, Sevenoaks won. Surprisingly there were two HWOs in this league. More on this tomorrow I hope. In London 1 South Chichester left Horsham with the spoils.

Ok, that’ll do as I’ve been trying to write this and watch the All Blacks v The Pumas. Sorry but the live rugby takes precedent.

Thursday 9th Sept: 09:10

As the song says “what a difference a day makes”. Yesterday it was like being on the Italian Riviera, today it is back to good old Blighty; damp and miserable. Anyway less of my Carol Kirkwood impressions, lets talk rugby.

Jordie Barrett has a big grin on his face as his red card was overturned and expunged from his records. I can’t quite get my head around that as in my mind his foot was in an unnatural position and it made contact with the head of the opposition player. Hey ho, I guess the law makers aren’t trying to make the game safer after all. Strange in some ways as that announcement came on the same day NZRFU made a raft of changes to the junior and mini levels which included “not jumping to catch a high ball”. Yes the NZRFU are tinkering with the laws yet again but when it gets hidden behind “safety” it is hard to argue against.

Interestingly WalesOnline carry an article about how the constant tinkering with the laws, or as they put it “shamelessly stealing ideas from rugby league”, is actually doing more harm than good. I can see their point but in my opinion something has to be done about the persistent aerial bombardment and reset after reset scrum. These are sucking the life out of the game.

Exeter’s Rob Baxter is first to put his head above the parapet and state the proposed World 12s is an idea too far. He is concerned about player loyalty, the lure of filthy lucre and of course player welfare. I agree with him, as do WalesOnline who in the same piece mentioned above consider it, and I paraphrase here: “tinkering and a money making gimmick”. Both go onto say how strange such an idea has been put forward with virtually no consultation. This is where NZs Steve Hansen comes in as he has a plan to “break the resistance for change in the Northern Hemisphere”. Basically for us all to jump to the All Blacks tune!?

Talking of the All Blacks they play Argentina on Sunday with the Wallabies taking on the Springboks in the second game. As expected the Aussies have got the joke; “in order to beat South Africa we have to keep moving the ball around, keep them moving”. As I said previously its not rocket science, its common sense. Mind you the Boks do have Duane Vermeulen back. I believe both games are live on SKY.

What else is happening this weekend? Let me tell you what isn’t happening first. Pulborough v Crowborough is not happening. Due to unforeseen circumstances, and a load of injuries already we have had to put our pre-season in the WPB and regroup ahead of Deal & Betteshanger on the 18th. Don’t forget the lunch. Book your place now!

What is happening then! TJs travel to Rams (Old Readinsians or something like that). They’ll be keen to get a win under their belt but I think Rams will be a tough nut to crack. Chinnor don’t travel anywhere as they were due to face Old Elthamians. Not that you are vaguely interested in National 2 North but Stourbridge travel to Hull. In the Southern version Worthing host Bury St Edmunds and Canterbury travel to Old Albanian.

In London Premier Brighton host Havant, Sevenoaks host Westcombe Park and Tunbridge Wells host Sidcup. In London 1 South Horsham and Chichester go head to head whilst Medway have the week off. Finally for your delight and delectation Bridgnorth host Broadstreet in the Midlands Premier Inn.

That’s the rugby stuff for today. The world is going mad. The Winston Churchill charity has removed the name “Winston” and all images of the great man from its site and renamed itself the Churchill Foundation. Why? Simply because the woke warriors have been in touch and insist we ignore all the amazing things he did such as stopping us living under the jackboot of tyranny (like Scotland) and focus only on his misdemeanours. Absolute nonsense.

Then you have, and here I refer you back to my comment on NHS bureaucracy of yesterday, the Government passing the bill to raise taxes to fund the NHS and social care just as the NHS advertise for 42 Chief Executives with seven of these posts earning a projected salary of £270,000 EACH. You really couldn’t make this stuff up.

And finally the media are still giving us the daily quota of Covid paranoia inducing information including the terrifying statistic that 933 people were admitted to hospital with Covid yesterday. Don’t you find it strange that the OFFICIAL figure for people IN hospital with Covid actually fell by 85 yesterday. So using a little bit of common sense and some year 5 maths that means 1,018 people must have been discharged, although sadly up to 191 might have died.

Friday Club tomorrow and sobering up on Saturday so back on Sunday with a results round up and of course news on how Sarries did against Ulster.

Wednesday 8th Sept: 08:20

The big story hitting the papers is the proposed World 12s tournament. It appears the success of cricket’s IPL and The Hundred has inspired the rugby world to have an equivalent tournament. Eight franchises with players drawn from all over the world. Six forwards and six backs per team, 15 minute halves, a round-robin tournament over three weekends before a knockout phase and some adapted laws. The men will kick it off in the summer of 2022 and the women will launch their series in 2023. At the moment it seems this has not been endorsed by World Rugby and according to the articles only “informal” talks have been held with the relevant parties such as unions and clubs. There are a number of big hitters supporting the initiative led by Ian Ritchie former main man at the RFU.

I am not sure where I sit on this but can confirm that my interest in cricket as been reawakened by the IPL and The Hundred. Anything that is going to breathe new life into our game gets my approval. The caveat however is the pressures on leading players is already immense and with the focus on reducing long term health issues as a result of playing top flight rugby I struggle to see how this fits in. It also seems a money making scheme for the organisers and the players with little flow down of benefit to the grassroots game. Yes more interest could mean more players but the grassroots needs more than that right now. Anyway lets see how this pans out and take it from there.

In other news England Women suffer a huge blow with Emily Scarrett suffering a broken leg on Sunday. She will be out for some time and with the World Cup on the horizon that really is a blow for the English Roses.

I find it somewhat hypocritical that Eddie Jones has come out saying the Rassie Erasmus rant could set a dangerous precedent. Is this the same Jones who constantly snipes at referees, the opposition and the media, often with impunity. By the way why is it taking so long for the blazers to decide Erasmus’s fate?

Toby Flood finally hangs up his boots after a glittering career. Richard Wigglesworth isn’t quite there yet but does join the Leicester Tigers coaching team.

Lots of games this coming weekend but I’ll preview those tomorrow. Crowborough travel to Pulborough on Saturday for their final pre-season game. There is a coach and supporters are most welcome to travel with the team. Contact Ian Geering for details.

Would you believe it is ten years ago this week that I started writing this drivel. Yes on September 7th 2011 Mrs Bleater and I were heading to New Zealand for the World Cup. That was the starting point and I guess it has gone down hill from there!!!

The news is less Covid thank goodness and more tax and tax again. Social Care and the NHS are in crisis but is more cash the answer. In my very humble opinion no it is not. The whole system needs a root and branch reorganisation. The NHS wastes millions and millions of pounds on bureaucracy alone, let alone the money wasted due to inefficiency and complexity. We cannot lose it but things have to change in a changing world.

I will mention the “C” word as I am expecting the paranoia to start to build again as the kids go back to school. Cases will go up because testing will go up. STOP testing and the problem goes away. You manage this the same way you manage any other ailment: hospitalisations and deaths. Testing serves no purpose other than to make people rich. By the way it has also become the best excuse for shirkers ever and the worrying forecasts about the economy and the social impacts are now coming to fruition. This could have been managed so much better ....... in my opinion. One thing is for certain we cannot go back from where we are now. No more lockdowns or draconian rules or paranoia.

Right, that’ll do.

Monday 6th Sept: 09:40

It’s been a while.... what a gorgeous day yesterday and what a brilliant start to today. Ideal weather yesterday for the minis and juniors to head back to Steel Cross and if the comments from my neighbours kids were anything to go by they were delighted to be back. No washing of balls, no wringing of hands, just good old fashioned kids rugby. Hoorah for that!

The Australia v New Zealand clash was entertaining stuff. Plenty of running rugby with a high level of skill on show. Yet again the Aussies pressed the self-destruct button with two interceptions that led to tries. The vision of TJ Perenara was outstanding with that deft kick across field to set up George Bridge for his try. The Jordie Barrett red card was a major taking point. For me his foot ended up in an unnatural position and therefore red was the right decision. Where I struggled was after 20 minutes a replacement was allowed on the field. Barrett has put his boot into the face of the outstanding Marika Koroibete and the punishment was just 20 minutes being down to 14 men. Sorry but in my mind that cannot be right. I know all the arguments about level playing field, the paying public and a seeing a fair contest but it is wrong. In some respects you could argue it is a recipe for more dangerous play rather than less.

Moving on let’s have a quick review of the weekend’s results. It is sad to see Old Elthamians c-c Caldy in amongst them. TJs first foray into National League 1 saw them draw 18 all with Bishops Stortford. Something to build on. Chinnor beat Sale FC 34-21, a good result for them. Of the teams in National League 2 North that I keep an eye on Stourbridge beat Sheffield Tigers 31-27. In the Southern version Worthing beat Guernsey 22-33 but Canterbury lost to Bury St Edmunds 30-22. Too early to worry about tables but Clifton’s 71-0 hammering of Barnstable puts them top.

In the London leagues Brighton got off to a good start away at CS Stags but Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks failed on their travels away at Dorking and Hertford respectively. Both came away empty handed. In London 1 South Chichester got off to a flier with a bonus point win over London Cornish. Sadly Horsham came home from Guildford with nothing to show for their efforts. Medway put KCS Old Boys to the sword winning 30-0. Sad to see London Irish Wild Geese without a game following Haywards Heath withdrawal from the league.

Elsewhere England Women must be worried as talisman, or should I say talisperson, Emily Scarlett was stretchered off in Loughborough’s defeat to Harlequins.

Really upsetting to read that following Henley’s match against Old Albanians in National League 2 South Henley’s second row Dave Hyde collapsed and later died in hospital. I am sure the whole rugby family will have his family and friends in their thoughts today. Life is so unfair and so very short. Make the most of it.

My good friend and Saracens correspondent Paddy O’Fez tells me not only do Tunbridge Wells have Dave Strettle coaching but French international Benjamin Kayser is there too. Wow! Needless to say he advises that Saracens beat Ulster in a packed Kingspan Stadium in Belfast last Friday. “It bodes well for the season” says O’Fez. He also advises that Ealing beat Gloucester in one of their warm up games. Oh dear, another tough season for the Cherry & Whites ahead? There was plenty about the truly turgid approach of South African rugby to the international game, but that is old news. Plenty of not so favourable comments about Exeter but that is the Sarries eye-patch at work me thinks ;-) Finally Paddy makes a comment about Covid testing to travel. Yes Paddy it is a disgraceful money making, subjugating act which surely is against our human rights.

Isn’t it sad when decent, hardworking and sensible human beings say “thanks goodness for the Afghanistan state of affairs. The government and media are no longer trying to brainwash us about Covid”. It is sad but it highlights people have had enough which is why the emergency Covid powers cannot be extended and why in my mind vaccine passports should not be implemented. I stress here “vaccine passports” because if the government is allowed to extend its powers then it won’t just be Covid it will be flu and anything else they wish to control us with.

I laugh when I here people justifying vaccine passports with the “I don’t want to sit next to someone who hasn’t been vaccinated. They might infect me”. Paranoia at its best. A double jabbed person is just as likely to pass the virus on as someone who is unvaccinated. The anti-vaxxers are the ones most at risk. I also throw my hands up in despair when the other trite comment is thrown out there: “are but we are saving the NHS with vaccine passports”. You ask the many millions of people languishing on waiting lists whether the NHS is being saved and you’ll get a very straight answer. Mine has “off” as the second word.

Time for a breather. Back on Wednesday if I haven’t been “cancelled”.

Sunday 5th Sept: 08:25

It was brilliant to be back at Steel Cross yesterday watching proper rugby with a beer in my hand which I got from the bar without having to sign in, wear a mask, socially distance or give my inside leg measurements to do so. Sadly the promised sunshine failed to materialise but that didn’t detract from the occasion. The pitch looked great but was very hard and the comments regarding how good the place looked was very satisfying.

Croydon in their black & red shirts played their part too. They brought a squad of 20 plus and whilst they came off second best against a very well drilled mainly second XV Crowborough outfit they had plenty to offer. If I was their coach thinking about next weeks training priorities it would be basic handling drills. Their set piece look solid, their defensive ability was there to be seen and their work in the tackle area/ruck was fine. It was with ball in hand, or all to often not in hand where they let themselves down.

The boys from the ‘Borough looked pretty sharp. With several old and wise rugby brains such as Andy Walters and Ben Martin on the field and a few young pups trying to catch the eye of the coaches there was some pretty slick stuff to enjoy. The forwards set the platform and the backs took the glory. That’s rugby for you. In attack there were a few occasions where the ball could have gone wide but didn’t, there were a couple of occasions when it did go wide and the overlap was ignored but overall the open play was pretty sharp. Defensively it was a 7/10 day. If Croydon had been able to hold onto the ball we might have found ourselves in trouble as tackles were missed. This needs to be rock solid by the time Deal & Betteshanger come to town on September 18th. By the way places for the league lunch are going quickly. Get your name down now.

A word for the referee. One John Gibb did very well. It was a full-on contest and in a very understated way he managed things extremely well. He, like many on the side, did get caught out by the new drop out law but that is only to be expected. Well done Mr Gibb. If this the standard for the season the game is going to be in good place.

Finally a word for Louise and Jacqui. As always without their unstinting hard work the place would not be the welcoming Steel Cross that it is.

IT WAS GOOD TO BE BACK!!!! Which is why we can’t let the clowns, whether they be government or scientists take us back from this point. We cannot allow the emergency Covid powers to be extended and we have to fight against vaccination passports. Both are the thin end of a very dangerous wedge. More on this during the week.

Whilst our game was a pre-season friendly the season started in earnest for the National leagues, London Premier Inn and London 1 leagues. There were wins for Brighton and Chichester but Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Horsham all suffered defeats. In the National League Worthing started with a win, Tonbridge Juddians drew. I will do a full round up tomorrow.

Some news you might have missed. Richard Cockerill joins the England set-up. Good move. England will use the same Jersey training camp pre-Autumn Internationals..... this despite the RFU spending millions on a state of the art training base of their own!!! Bristol, Saracens, Worcester and Hartpury all win on day one of the Women’s Premiership.

Right, that’ll do for now as I am off to watch the Aussie’s lose to New Zealand but before that a quick word on the Paralympics. Great Britain & Northern Ireland finish an amazing second in the medal table ahead of USA and Russia. The games have been brilliant. As I have said before simply heartwarming, tear-jerking, sensational. These young men and women who have often been dealt a shitty set of cards have done the nation proud and are an example of dedication and respect and decency that we could all do a refresher course in. I for one stand and salute every one of them and their families and support teams. BRILLIANTLY INSPIRING.

Back tomorrow. Spread the word. Oh and thanks Paddy O’Fez. I will respond later and use some of your pithy and erudite stuff then.

Friday 3rd Sept: 17:00

Firstly Steel Cross looks a picture. The Friday Club have worked magic and Jacqui and Louise have been tireless in getting the place ready for tomorrow. If you haven’t been to the club for a while try getting there tomorrow and see how good the place looks.

Kick-off is 14:30
Croydon RFC the opposition

It should be fun.

Two dates for the diary
Sept 11th there is a coach to Pulborough to where a large squad will travel for two games. Spaces are still available

Sept 18th we host Deal & Betteshanger. There is a league lunch. Places are filling quickly. Contact Louise - louise@crowboroughrugby.com to book your place.

Now rugby is starting in earnest I’ll be back on Sunday with a look at the results and of course with a rant or two about the Queen of Alba and the news that the Government intend to keep the possibility of draconian Covid lockdowns on the statute book for evermore. Muppets.

Wednesday 1st Sept: 09:30

I love my grandchildren but boy oh boy they are exhausting, hence the late start this morning. Not much in the way of rugby news except to say there will be rugby at Steel Cross this weekend. The wonderful Mr Ian Geering has organised a mixed warm-up fixture with Croydon RFC and as I type that is set to go ahead from around 2:30pm Saturday. The final details are being worked on but if there is rugby at Steel Cross then lets get there, even if its just for the Harveys. I’ll confirm tomorrow or Friday.

I also believe our wonderful minis & juniors kick off again on Sunday. Brilliant news.

I know many think the game is going soft. I don’t! I think it has become too big for its boots, By that I mean the obsession with size and power. With that comes turgid contests but more worryingly more injuries, especially relating to head trauma. Several of the papers carry an article that highlights the concern that even after just one season in the top flight players can and do suffer permanent brain impairment. We need to support the game by not bah humbugging the new tackle and contact laws but embracing them and most definitely from this Sunday with our minis and juniors focus on good tackle technique and good body positioning in contact. The Guardian carries the story.

Super Rugby has been shaken up with the South African franchises now included in the Pro 14 set up or whatever it is called now. Down under there will be 12 teams, 5 each from Australia and New Zealand and 2 new franchises, one from Fiji and one covering the remaining Pacific Islands. The tournament organisers have hailed this as “ground breaking”. The commentators and supporters have said it is a recipe for mediocrity. This latter comment based more on the format than the teams involved. If you want to read more then stuff.co.nz.

I thank my good friend Gordon H for sending me details of our neighbours new head coach. David Strettle is the man in charge. Not for me to say but I will......... that can’t be cheap. On a positive note, with Ross Chisholm at Horsham, Strettle down the road and Stuart Thresher with us it is brilliant top flight players are putting something back into the game at grassroots level.

Special mention to the Friday Club who have kept the grounds at Steel Cross in pristine condition throughout this Covid nonsense. Led by “Damper” and our Head Groundsman Drew Pratt, the place will look a picture this weekend when rugby returns “home”. The old farts had a BBQ a week last Friday. A splendid affair it was too. Not too much dribbling and thankfully most of the old duffers remembered who each other present was. SPECIAL thanks to Jacqui and Louise for making it all happen. These two will be at the heart of our off field activities as the season progresses and we are extremely lucky to have them.

Right that’ll do for now as Mrs Bleater is stirring and I can be assured she will have today’s list of tasks ready to be ticked off.

Before I go I read with great interest that hospital admissions with Covid have reached the 1000 per day figure. You might find it terrifying. I find it bizarre that yesterday the official number in hospital rose by just under 200. What you are not being told is that most are being discharged on the same day and at least 40% of those who are admitted went to hospital with something other than Covid and many of the remaining 60% were either unvaccinated or with underlying other health issues. This constant obsession by the media of throwing mis-leading and paranoia inducing statistics at us has to stop. Covid as reported last week but quickly removed is way down the list of killers in this country. If you are over 18 and you can be vaccinated then get vaccinated. We cannot allow these self-serving scientists and incompetent politicians take us back into lockdown to feed their thirst for power and notoriety.

I see the Prince and Princess of hypocrisy have finally got their self-pitying diatribe on the shelves. I for one wish they could be like Ronseal and do what is says on the tin. “We want privacy” good then disappear and shut up.

The want to be Queen of the People’s Republic of Alba is refusing to relinquish the emergency powers given to her as a result of Covid. The one trick pony wants to keep her people subjugated and follow the fine example set by Kim Jong-un.

That’ll do for now. Back on Sunday for sure but I’ll post a quick confirmation of the plans for Saturday when I have them.

Monday 30th Aug: 09:50

As soon as I returned to the keyboard and posted a missive so the complaints arrived in my inbox. No worries, there is a very long line of people who disagree with me, and by the way Mrs Bleater leads the way. I have been corrected by Liberty who quite rightly points out that the President of the RFU is Jeff Blackett not Hackett. It doesn’t change the fact that I raised the issue of clubs paying players.

The game is professional and has been since the 1990s so clubs are allowed to pay players. However my issue is the guidelines are consistently flouted but more importantly in many cases even at the top of the game the level of funding is unsustainable without the largesse of a benefactor. If the RFU wants to see clubs climb the slippery ladder of promotion only to go down the even slippery back of the snake when the benefactor pulls the plug then so be it. If the RFU wants to see clubs who consistently do the right thing nurturing mini and juniors for the longevity of the grassroots game have their youngsters heads turned by the offer of money to play only to find those clubs on the brink of collapse as the senior sides become untenable. Please don’t call me naive as I know its a dog eat dog world. All I ask is the guidelines/regulations are adhered to and those who transgress are punished. We all know clubs in the South East who pay and do it openly and allegedly above board. It doesn’t take long when you do the maths to come to the conclusion that something isn’t all it seems to be. By the way there have been cases would you believe of clubs luring players away from club A to play at a lower level with club B. Can’t be right can it?

As we head into September, where has the year gone, so the season starts. First up are the National Leagues. Tonbridge Juddians who have several players who have been through the Crowborough system host Bishops Stortford in their debut appearance in National League 1. Old Elthamians are still down to play Caldy but I believe that is not going to happen. The other team I intend to keep an eye on is Chinnor. A club from who we stole the Friday Club idea and a club with some Crowborough connections. By the way a club with a very generous benefactor, allegedly. They host Sale FC

In National 2 South Worthing travel to Guernsey and Canterbury travel to Bury St Edmunds.

The Top 14 also starts on Saturday. The pick of the fixtures is Toulon v Montpellier. I mention this because the benefactor of Montpellier and the shirt sponsor of the French national team has done a long term shirt sponsorship deal with, would you believe, the All Blacks. Yes Mohed Altrad has shelled out millions of NZ dollars for a six year deal. It is not the deal itself that has raised eyebrows it is the conditions attached to the deal that have made people sit up and look. There are things like coaching assistance for Montpellier, player pathways into the French game, fixtures against “suitable” French opposition. stuff.co.nz for the exact details.

The top of the Scottish pyramid starts on Saturday too, as does the English Premiership Women’s league. The women’s game has improved exponentially so I hope there will be some TV coverage for us to enjoy.

The Paralympics continue. It is truly amazing what the athletes are delivering. First or last everyone of them is a hero. The wheelchair rugby yesterday was brilliant. Well done GB & NI. Gold!

The Belgium Grand Prix was farcical yesterday. The organisers can’t be held responsible for the weather and it would have been irresponsible in the extreme to allow the race to go ahead but it was poorly managed.

In other news I have a keen eye on the events unfolding in New Orleans. Hurricane Ida is battering the city right now and with family in the heart of it we are obviously concerned.

The terrible events in Afghanistan continue to occupy the pages as does the nonsense about Covid. We should have been living with this since day one so after 18 months enough is enough.

Finally the woke warriors have been at it again. They are demanding Paw Patrol, one of the best kids cartoons, be taken off the air because it glorifies the work of the police. The world really is going mad.

Back on Wednesday. I was going to close by saying enjoy the Bank Holiday but looking out of the window that will be a tough ask.

Saturday 28th Aug: 09:00

Thank you to my good friend PK for asking so succinctly: “are you still alive?” Yes, I am. With little rugby to write about and the Covid thing getting me down, or should I say incandescent with rage due to the continuing twisting of statistics and the media’s obsession with a virus which is now endemic and here to stay. While I am on a roll the woke bull also continues unabated with children’s book’s now a target for the woke warriors who want us to live in the beigest of society where free speech and common sense is assigned to the same waste paper bin they wish to assign our history to. It is pathetic, truly pathetic. The hiatus in blogging wasn’t all anger management, stress management or management by Mrs Bleater. We have had the grandchildren to look after too. Now, that has been wonderful, if not extremely time consuming and somewhat loud. Finally I have a role volunteering with Sussex rugby and that has eaten into my time, but that is fine and very rewarding.

Less of my moans and groans. There has been some rugby matters to digest. The boys from Steel Cross travelled to Cranbrook for a pre-season friendly last Saturday. I watched three of the four quarters. It was full on stuff with both sides playing some decent rugby despite the long layoff and several absentees from the side that will kick off the season in a few weeks time. Cranbrook, newly promoted to London 3 South East will do well I think. They have a decent squad and look well drilled. We, like them were rusty in parts and some of the accuracy I am sure we will see as the season starts was missing. There were more positives than negatives for the few of the “faithful” who travelled, by comparison to what awaits, the short trip to Cranbrook.

During the game we got a taste of the trial laws that have been introduced for this season. The goal line drop out will be the most obvious and the new laws on hinging and binding will improve safety. I am not sure the 50:22 will be much in evidence at our level but I think this is a good innovation. Anything that is going to stop the constant aerial bombardment is ok by me. The Englandrugby.com website has the details.

After a demolition of the Aussies in the second Bledisloe Cup game the tournament was thrown into chaos with the neurotic Kiwis refusing to travel after one case of Covid in New Zealand put the country back into lockdown. The way it was handled was appalling and Dave Rennie was rightly “bloody angry”. It seems the Kiwis will now travel and play in a revamped set-up based in Queensland. South Africa beat an ill-disciplined Argentinian side in the game that went ahead last weekend.

Two clubs made waves. Old Elthamians pulling out of National League 1 which was covered in The Times being the highest profile. Money can buy you success but like snakes and ladders once that money dries up the snakes are very slippery and the ride to the bottom can be swift. Over the last few weeks I have raised the issue of money in our game with Jeff Hackett, the President of the RFU. Until the regulations have teeth clubs will continue to flout the rules often at the expense of others. I guess those with the money don’t care but I would remind them to remember who you have crapped on on the way up. Don’t expect sympathy on the way down. The other club is Haywards Heath. Sadly they have had to pull out of London 1 South. Their plight highlights the shifting sand all clubs are standing on right now.

Lots of player movement in the papers to digest and tickets are on sale for the Autumn Internationals and the Barbarians double header at Twickenham.

Right, that’ll do for now except to mention the horrendous events in Afghanistan. The sacrifice made by our brave men and women in the military, and those of other nations too, cannot be in vain. That said I don’t see what other option there is to leaving the country and evacuating as many as possible. Joe Biden has a lot to answer for but it isn’t all his fault. He is unfit for office however. His mental health looks to be on the slide toward dementia.

The other thing to mention is the heartwarming, tear jerking, absolutely amazing performances coming out of the Paralympics in Tokyo. Be inspired. I have been. Nothing is impossible.

Sunday 15th Aug: 09:05

Where have you been Bleater? Taking a few days off from writing this drivel is the easy answer. The more complicated reply relates to the lack of rugby to write about and the continued lies, deception, and bull surrounding (the reporting of) Covid.

Anyway, there was rugby yesterday and some articles of note to comment on. The Bledisloe Cup encounter between New Zealand and Australia was thoroughly entertaining. Whilst the energetic basketball style of play might not appeal to the purist I was enthralled. Even towards the end when the heavens had opened the handling skills were mightily impressive. Australia started strongly and looked as if a rare home defeat for the All Blacks could be on the cards. That was until the self-destruct button was pressed with a long looping pass intercepted by Ioane. Ultimately Australia suffered their biggest ever defeat at the hands of the Kiwis but they did cross the whitewash on three occasions and at times their rugby was mesmerising. When you have players like Retallick and Taylor in your ranks, forwards who can handle and run and support like wingers, mesmerising rugby is not enough. This was a pretty impressive statement by New Zealand scoring eight tries and 57 points. I thought Michael Hooper was brilliant for Australia, not taking a backward step in adversity and brilliant around the park. Richie Mo’unga was the man of the match, a little magician pulling the All Black strings.

For the record I thought there was more entertaining rugby in this game than the three Lions v South Africa tests combined.

Next up came the Springboks v Argentina clash. This was, as expected, nowhere near as entertaining. The Boks had made a significant number of changes with only five players who faced the Lions in the final test starting. The Springbok game plan was unchanged with the ball being kicked skyward at regular intervals forcing the Pumas to attack from deep. To be fair to the Argentinians they tried to open the game up but the home defence was its resolute best. In the tackle area the Springboks constantly turned over the ball with the Pumas unable to match them in this crucial aspect of the game. The Springboks took their try opportunities well and were worthy winners. The result highlights the strength in depth available to Nienaber to select from.

By the way I thought both games were well refereed however the scrum is sucking the life out of our great game. Collapse after collapse, reset after reset. The time it takes to get a single scrum competed is killing the game. Something has to be done.

Talking of which there was an article this week that highlighted the incredible risk of brain injury from even one major head clash in our game. This wasn’t from one of the rugby haters who’d like to see the game abolished. This was a well funded, well researched and balanced piece that reinforces the message that we have to reduce the number and intensity of contacts with the head. The article also highlighted that the issue is being compounded as the size and power of players continues to grow. Wingers well over 6ft and weighing up to 17st is a long way from Shane Williams and Gerald Davies and the Underwoods. I agree, something has to be done.

Sir Ian McGeechan and others have come out and said the law has to change with regard to substitutes or someone will die on the field. Sam Warburton has been vociferous about this for some time. The forces now being exerted by top flight players on opponents is incredible. It is terrifying to think that as you tire on the 60 minute mark a 6ft 5in 18stone leviathan who has been chomping at the bit for 60 minutes is about to plough into you. The answer is simple. Reduce the number of substitutes. I have bleated on about this over and over again. Not only will it reduce the injury risk I think it will open the game up making it a better spectacle than it is now. Sir Ian wants to go back to just three subs and changes for injury only. I think three subs is right but tactical changes would be acceptable. At the very top of the game there could still be eight substitutes on the bench but only three can be used. Will it be easy to implement with blood replacements and HIA? No! The bottom line is the game has to change to reduce the risk of serious injury and it has to get back to being an entertaining contest. Greco-Roman wrestling or watching rutting stags is not what our game is.

Right, that’ll do for now except to say I attended the club AGM on Friday. The Exec and all the volunteers have done an amazing job in keeping the club afloat and when activity was permitted it was delivered with excellence. Well done to them. Well done to the Friday Club who have got the pitches and grounds into an amazing state. In my nearly 36 years at the club I have never seen the place looking so good.

Apparently there was a fascinating article in The Times about the rise and fall of clubs thanks to the arrival and departure of a sugar daddy. I don’t subscribe so can’t read the article in full. More on this maybe tomorrow.

Until the season gets underway I intend only to blog on an intermittent basis. As I trawl through the papers for stories I am becoming increasingly horrified and annoyed and frustrated at how the Covid thing continues to be played out. It is a disgrace in my mind. I am equally horrified at the rampant wokism. Scotland saying 4 year olds can determine their own sex. Do me a favour. You can no longer use the term curry. What the f**k is the world coming to. People are being shot and stabbed and murdered on our streets daily and we are worrying about the name “curry”. Yes, I do think I am losing the plot and need to keep a lid on my blood pressure!