There is no better time to welcome existing, new and prospective members to CRFC than when the international game and global attention to rugby is as prominent as it is now. Following a hugely successful British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia we are currently enjoying the excitement and outstanding prospects for the English Rd Roses in the Women’s World Cup.

Not just the girls and ladies but entire families gather around TVs in their homes and rugby clubs, like CRFC, to watch, cheer on and learn from the skills of a truly brilliant England team. Our club has experienced a 100% increase in participation at all ages in Ladies rugby since 2022, and we are gearing up and planning for the future in the certainty that this dimension of the game is on a steep upward path. Girls and Ladies – if you haven’t done so already, give it a go!

Coaching has and will be at the heart of developing young players of every diversity along the path of their rugby futures. CRFC is blessed with a large coaching team at mini, junior and senior level and the benefits have been made apparent in recent seasons with the increasing number of our 1st team players who started in the lower age groups, and have been brought to maturity by excellent and successful senior coaches. Last season the reward was one of the most successful seasons for Crowborough’s 1st for many years.

A critical part of coaching development is fitness and whilst this is a responsibility for the individual player CRFC strongly emphasises the importance of training sessions and having the discipline to attend as many as possible. These sessions may be demanding and exhausting but fitness is essential for health and safety objectives as well. The physicality of rugby is an obvious part of the game and player welfare is a priority for the club.

A good coaching structure makes sure that the laws and integrity of the game are well understood. New or developing interpretations of the laws of rugby around tackling and scrummaging don’t make this easy and world rugby needs to be aware of the pressure that this puts on community clubs, like CRFC, to ensure that they are understood at all levels of the game. Rugby is an exciting game to play and watch, but nobody ever claimed it is easy!

Getting to grips with these features of the game are part of the teamwork that accompanies being in a community sports club. Providing a community offering in East Sussex is a top priority for CRFC and consistent with our maintenance of amateur status.

Our internal community comprises not only of players, supporters, coaches and kitchen and bar staff, but also volunteers. We are rich in volunteers and they will testify that whatever they do enhances their enjoyment of being a club member. There is something for everybody in volunteering – just ask the Friday Club!

Enjoy the 2025/26 season in a great atmosphere.

David Clark
President Crowborough Rugby Club