CURRENT NEWS 

Updated 26/01/12

The next committee meeting will be at 8pm Wednesday 29th February at 8pm.

FINAL DAYS FOR REDUCED PRICE MEMBERSHIPS

Memberships NOT paid before 31st January 2012 will incur a £5.00 administration fee. 

There will be a committee member at the club on Wednesday 25th January & Thursday 26th January between 7.00pm and 9.00pm to take your payment. 

EASTER SUNDAY CONFIRMATIONS NEEDED

I have now updated confirmed player status and confirmed seats on the bus.

Quite simply, if you have not emailed me to say you are playing and/or travelling you are not on the list, if you are not on the list you are not playing/going on the bus.

Sorry to be so pedantic (not really) but it is essential to get this right for no of buses, kit, catering, beer etc.

There is a possibility of a marquee, barbeque etc but we must have numbers

The cut off date of 28th of February. I will send some reminders out before then.

Regards

Bill

william.white@baesystems.com

The next committee meeting will be at 8pm Wednesday 25th January at 8pm.

Easter Sunday over 35's game against Windermere (away) is a 2.00pm kick off, any questions see Billy White. More info soon.

Images courtesy of North-West Evening Mail

Captain Andy Graham receiving the nomination certificate

The squad receive the award from John Woodcock MP, evening hosted by Tony Callister

Junior Team of the Year Winners were Hawcoat Park Rugby Union Junior Colts and

 Sports Club Chairman Jack Charnley was awarded the Pat Ryan Service to Sport Award

THANKS & FAREWELL TO MARK HARPER

Most at the club will already know but earlier this week Mark Harper contacted me to advise that, with regret, he would have to resign his position as our club coach.  He has already found the travelling difficult this season after securing employment in south Lancashire.  However, he had been offered an improved position with this company and one that will necessitate disposing of this property in Barrow and relocating to south Lancashire.

Since he first came to the area in his role as the South Cumbria Development Officer, Mark has shown a tremendous amount of commitment and dedication to our club.  Firstly assisting Jason Meadows in the development of the Colts side, many of whom are showing up so well they are now the first team.

Mark's knowledge and coaching skills will be greatly missed and it goes without saying everyone at the club would like to thank him for the many hours of volunteer service he has shown and wish him all the very best in this new position.

He will always be made most welcome to join his many friends at the club for a pint whenever he is in Barrow.

John Horne

CLUB WIN AWARD FOR 'FAIRPLAY'

John Horne receiving the Cumbria Referee Society's 2010/2011 Golden Whistle award from Tim White from the Society

John Horne thanking Mike Kittley for his services to the Referees Society following on from his recent retirement.

John Horne presenting John Richardson, Director of Doosan Babcock, the club's generous kit sponsor with a club shirt.

Following their tremendous victory against Littleborough Tim White, Development Officer and Committee member of the Cumbria Referees Society presented Hawcoat Park Rugby Union with the Season 2010/2011 Golden Whistle award. The award is voted on by all the Cumbrian referees and was witnessed by John Richardson, the Director of Doosan Babcock the club's very generous shirt sponsor.

Hawcoat Park Chairman, John Horne, commented 'this award really is something that the committee, players and all involved at our club can justifiably feel very proud of, communication, welcome and hospitality are important criteria and I am delighted, in particular, that all the hard work of Tony Skelton, as our Match and Fixture Secretary, have also been recognised from outside the club in this way. As we continue to enjoy our rugby outside the Cumbria set up, I have stressed before the importance for everyone travelling to Hawcoat Park that they should enjoy their day out. No referee - no game so right up there in terms of importance is the referee. I am therefore proud of our lads disciplinary record and the respect that they have shown to referees and it is fantastic the Cumbria Referees Society have recognised the club's efforts and collectively indicated the long trip to Barrow (in some cases) can be enjoyable. Long may that continue'.

Also in attendance was Mike Kittley, the former Furness player and very long serving referee within the Cumbria Referee Society, who retired at the end of last season.

John Horne thanked Mike for all the tremendous service he had given to grass root rugby over many years, mentioning in particular Hawcoat Park's appreciation that he would regularly offer to do a double header over a weekend and referee the Hawcoat Park's Colts games on a Sunday.

For anyone who really thinks they know the laws and have a few minutes to spare please take a look at this: http://www.learnrugbyunionlaws.com/index.asp

Ciaran

Cumbria RU Referee Society's Golden Whistle Award

Slats and myself were delighted to receive a congratulations notification from the Cumbria RU Referees Society during the week advising that Hawcoat Park Rugby Union were voted winners of the Society's Golden Whistle Award for the season 2010/2011 at their recent AGM.

This really is something that the committee, players and all involved at our club can feel very proud of.

Communication, welcome and hospitality are important criteria and I am delighted, in particular, that the work of Tony Skelton, as Match and Fixture Secretary, have been recognised from outside the club in this way.

As we continue to enjoy our rugby outside the Cumbria set up, I have stressed before the importance for everyone travelling to Hawcoat Park that they should enjoy their day and even in defeat in the case of opposing teams!

Right up there in terms of importance is the referee and I am proud of the players disciplinary record and the respect they have shown to referees and under the circumstances it is fantastic the Cumbria Society have recognised the clubs efforts and collectively indicated the long trip to Barrow (in some cases) can be enjoyable.  The award will be presented to us at one of the early home games next season.

Please remember there can be no complacency, we apparently won the award in the 'show of hands' after tying with Aspatria.  Lets look to retaining this title outright next season!

Well done to everyone at the club.

John Horne

On Behalf of JOHN HARRISON

To all the Friends, Families, Colleagues, Players - past and present

Words will never really express how touched and overwhelmed we have all been by the huge amount of hard work and effort you put into arranging such a fitting  tribute to raise funds for John. It was never expected and it goes without saying that the dinner and the rugby game exceeded all expectations in more ways than one. It brought everyone together and they all had a brilliant time over the weekend, and it is still being talked about now.

It was a perfect and wonderful tribute to John and he would be so very proud and humbled, yet it would be the exact thing he would have loved to have participated in.

Willie, Stuart, George and Mike called around to the house and handed over a huge cheque for £24,000 to John in person (we managed to get him home for short visit), and we had a couple of drinks together. (Guinness/Stella – no surprises there!) The phenomenal amount raised in such a short space of time is truly incredible and will contribute massively to improving ‘quality of life’ issues for John. The Specialist Acquired Brain Injury Team are   researching and advising us as we speak as to what will be the best use of funds to benefit John in his present condition.  

On behalf of John - Mary, Sara, Naomi Liam and Ben thank you all very much for the enormous generosity, care, support and love that has been shown to us all. We do know that we are not alone. As a family we're all so very grateful and glad that John has such truly good friends; just knowing that, means the world to us.

Special thanks have to go to Willie White for his innovation and organisation, and also to his Committee of George, Stuart, Michael, Terry and John. Also, John and Ian (Furness RUFC) for conducting the auction and managing the opposing team, and of course all the talented young men who gave up their time to play in a really entertaining game of Rugby. We are very proud to be associated with Hawcoat Park Rugby Club and the local Rugby community in general, and will always regard it as one big family.

As sensitively as we can we would like to give a very special mention to The Steele family.   At a time soon after the event, whilst dealing with their own sudden, tragic loss, they actually considered John with a deeply compassionate gesture by having the proceeds of Jims Funeral added to the fund. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them.

 With Great Sincerity and All our Love – Thank you All very much indeed – X

A group of the Colts and their coaches helped out with marshalling at the Keswick to Barrow Race last weekend. The boys had to be up extremely early, which is a big thing for a teenager to do!! We are very proud of them all.

THANK YOU

Just a little note to thank everyone for the thoughts, cards, calls, visits, emails, text (even the Steve Miles dodgy ones) and offers of help, that Cheryl, Shannon, Brendan and I received during my recent weeks stay in FGH.

I’m now home and hopefully recovering.

For the record, and so I don’t have to repeat the story every time I see you all, I was admitted suffering from high blood pressure and numbness down LHS of my body.

Doctors believe I suffered a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) or mini stroke.

After a week of scans, blood tests, pills and good food in FGH they’ve paroled me.

Bottom line is I was overdoing it, I’m old and need to take life a lot easier.

I won’t be reffing for the foreseeable future and may have hung up my playing boots?( neither of these activities had a direct effect on my condition, never say never!!!!).

Look forward to seeing you all up the club in a couple of weeks

Ciaran

HAWCOAT PARK RFC AWARDED £1,000 IN QBE RUGBY PRO COMPETITION

Hawcoat Park RFC today celebrate the news that they have won £1,000 worth of training kit after QBE announced the runners up of its Rugby Pro competition.

QBE, Official Business Insurance Partner of Premiership Rugby, awarded the prizes to innovative clubs who demonstrate how they contribute to improving their local community. Hawcoat Park RFC is one of ten runners up across the country to be awarded with £1,000 worth of training kit.  The judges were impressed by the hard work shown by the Hawcoat coaches and their tireless efforts to raise the profile of rugby union in the area and drive to attract new, young players to the game.

Jason Meadows of Hawcoat Park RFC said: “We’re so happy to have won this fantastic prize.  Sponsorship is hard to come by in this tough economic climate and this much needed training equipment will be a huge boost to our players.”

Antony Broome, Commercial Manager of QBE’s Manchester operation, said: “We are delighted that Hawcoat Park RFC has won and hope that the contribution of new equipment will help the club to develop and introduce more people to rugby.”

The competition received 150 entries in its inaugural year and was judged by a panel which included Paul Morgan, Editor of Rugby World; Corin Palmer, Head of Academies and Development at Premiership Rugby; Nicholas Mott, QBE European Operations Sponsorship Manager and Pete Graham QBE European Operations Underwriter.

QBE Rugby Pro is part of QBE’s Developing Talent programme, which sees the business insurer encourage development of the game at a grassroots level.  Six clubs won a training session with Premiership Rugby players and ten runners up were awarded with £1000 worth of kit.   

For more information on the winning clubs and further details on QBE Rugby Pro visit www.qberugby.com.

MESSAGE FROM FLEETWOOD 3rds

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