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Sully gains player sponsorship for 2018 season…

Recent signing Rob Sully gains player sponsorship from AC Auto Air Con.

We are a mobile air conditioning regas and recharge service which operated within the Wiltshire area.​

Our business has been running since 2009, and both engineers are fully qualified with the  Automotive Refrigerant Handling (to current regulation 307/2008)

We specialise in all makes and models of cars, vans, lorries and tractors.

we are available seven days a week and will come to you at home or work, at your convenience.

 

 

For more details visit www.acautoaircon.co.uk/

​

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Player Sponsorship for Prop Ball

Bath Rugby League Prop Brandon Ball has secured player sponsorship for the 2018 season.

Based in Bristol Elite Tyre & Autocare have years of experience in the motor industry. We have two depots one in Thornbury and the other in Yate, both of which are fully equipped with the latest technology.

 

We supply and fit all well known brands of tyres including Roadstone, Michelin, Pirelli, Goodyear, Dunlop, Primewell and Bridgestone – all at extremely competitive prices. Our services also include vehicle repairs and servicing. Please contact us for a FREE no obligation quote.

Visit https://www.elitetyreandautocare.co.uk/   for more information.

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Hooker Luc Thomas secures Player Sponsorship for 2018

New signing Luc Thomas has secured Player Sponsorship for the 2018 season

C2C Fitness offers personal training at our fitness studio or at your home or place of work. We also offer Sports Massage Therapy in South Wales as well as London.

We offer Dry Needling as part of the massage therapy in Wales and Hot Stone Massage as an alternative.

In addition, Ruth one of our trainers offers Pilates Classes at venues across South Wales.

Let us help you achieve your fitness goals. For more details visit: http://www.c2cfitness.co.uk/

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Bath Rugby League agree to play home fixtures at Melksham’s Oakfields for 2018

Bath Rugby League have gone through some changes during the close season in terms of their training base and playing venue. After playing at Chippenham RFC in 2017, they have switched to Melksham RFC for 2018 home fixtures and training at Avonvale RFC in Bath, Thursday evenings from 7pm currently.

Chris Chatten, Club Coordinator said “I would like to thank Chairman of Melksham RFC Pat Holtom for his support in facilitating this arrangement and making it possible. Pat and his team at Melksham have been really accommodating and helpful in bringing League to the excellent facilities which they have. I would also like to thank Martin Bath, Chairman of Avonvale RFC and Kevin Moggridge for their support in allowing us to train at their facilities, which is very welcomed.

I would also like to thank members of Chippenham RFC which was excellent for the club in 2017. I would particularly like to thank secretary Phil Read and Grounds Chairman John Beacham for going the extra mile to give Bath Rugby League a great experience at the venue. Chippenham is a great place to play Rugby League for lots of reason, and would certainly not rule out playing Rugby League fixtures there again. I believe Melksham is also a great facility from lots of perspectives and should give us the stability we need in 2018.”

The club are also keen to develop arrangements with other facilities across the Bath and surrounding area. If your club would like to host a Rugby League fixture please get in touch.

On Saturday 26th May Bath Rugby League utilised the free week to take part in Westbury 10’s, with a large percentage of the squad unavailable due to the bank holiday weekend, Bath finished a creditable 5th out of 9 teams taking part in the men’s event.

The club now look forward to getting back into Rugby League action with an away trip to Cardiff (Blue Dragons) on Saturday 2nd June 2018. Training continues at Avonvale RFC in Bath on Thursday’s at 7pm. The club have the ambition of setting up a development side this season to feed the 1st team and really keen to welcome more prospective players to the club. The Cardiff game is an ideal opportunity to get involved as a friendly fixture where everyone will get a game and can try out in different positions.

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Fight back to late as Bath lose out in Home fixture

Bath welcomed Somerset Vikings to The Oakfield Stadium on Saturday in the sides first home league fixture of the season. With good preparations during the week and a beautifully sunny day Bath hoped to get the ball moving in what was set to be a tough encounter.

However it was the visitors that were on the score sheet first with an early try from No.13 Marcus Brooker following a loose ball that was collected within the opening minutes. Somerset appeared to have caught Bath napping and the home side were deemed to be offside and the subsequent next set saw Brooker score once again.

Bath began to get themselves back into the game and some strong carries from Elliott Bowler & Brandon Ball gave the home side some great territory. This time it was the Vikings that were caught offside and Bath were able to get themselves deep into the oppositions half. With quick plays of the ball it was Hooker Luc Thomas who spotted the gap and dived over the line, Lawrence Haywood adding the extras.

Somerset Vikings continued to look threatening Bath giving them too much time on the ball, another attack close to the home side try line saw Brooker come up again for another try.

With stern words being spoken under the sticks the home side came back out eager to get back on top of the game – Some fast hands and hard running lines from the backs caught the Vikings offside again and a bulldozing run from Bowler saw him crash over the line for the second Bath try of the afternoon, unfortunately the follow up kick going just wide.

The game which kept swinging both ways was evident when the Vikings looked to punish Bath again this time with Jacob Hill scoring for the visitors, and from the following kick off Bath were able to capitalise on a loose ball with Luke Cador going over for his first try of the day. With a few minutes remaining on the clock the Bath back line was able to put the ball wide with Rob Sully going over in the corner.

A good fight back from Bath in the first half bringing the score to 22-28.

Half Time Score: Bath RL 22 – 28 Somerset Vikings RL

The heat of the sunny afternoon was beginning to take its toll and Bath were able to advantage of some sloppy plays by the visitors to gain multiple penalties and get themselves into good position. It was Brandon Ball who would get onto the scorecard next when a superb running line opened the defence for him to dive over, the kick being added to level the scores.

Bath took the lead shortly after when centre Mike Rutt challenged the line holding the defence and gave an offload to to Geoff Taylor who ran a superb line to cross over, the kick being added.

The lead was to be short lived after an error at the kick off Somerset regained the ball and were able to challenge the line from 10 meters out and eventually crossed the line. Bath however continued to apply the pressure and following a knock on Ben Thyer ran form his own 20 deep into the opposition half before being brought down, the referee also awarding a penalty but the following kick at posts went just wide.

The ever dangerous Somerset back line found a gap wide and crossed over this time by Jacob Hill with the conversion being missed and The Vikings retaking the lead with 10mins left on the clock. The game was certainly not over and Bath were able to regather and after some strong carries from around the park it was Kieran Harvey who was able to catch the defence static. Unfortunately the kick going short of the posts and Bath & Somerset were levelling once again.

With the dying minutes of the game Bath would have to dig deep and would have to hold out the final set of the game. The ball was played wide and put through the hands before a grubber kick back into the middle of the pitch saw Jacob Hill collect and go in under the posts.

A hard fought game which could have seen the scoreline go either way by equally matched sides ended with heartache for Bath as the final whistle was blown.

Final Score: Bath RL 38 – 44 Somerset Vikings RL

We caught up with Bath Head Coach Alex Burns after the game commenting “the end result was a very difficult one for the squad after fighting there way back into a game that many would have seen as over much earlier on. It’s a real credit to the belief in the ability within this squad to put ourselves in a position to win the game. Plaudits to Vikings though who shot out of the blocks, and managed out the game excellently. In the last two games we have won both second half’s convincingly. Moving forward we need to discover how to get that level of play right from the off. As I’ve said before we are trying to do something special with this Bath squad and I have full faith we will with patience & understanding of what our long term goals are. We are moving in the right direction 100% and everyone in the club can feel that.”

Following the sad news that Bristol Sonics RL have had to withdraw from the West of England league (we wish them the very best of luck and hope to see them again next season) Bath’s next Pool A fixture is on June 9th at home to Swindon St George. The club will continue training on Thursday at Avonvale RFC from 7pm – All news players welcome. The Club is also looking at options for friendly fixtures in the midweek and weekends.

Bath RL squad.
Chester 2. Parks 3. Thyer 4. Warnock 5. Cador 6. Haywood 7. Sully 8. Bowler 9. Thomas 10. Randall (c) 11. Ball 12. Frost 13. King
SUBS: Harvey, McConnell, Culshaw, Burnett, Rutt, Taylor, May

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Bath RL push current West of England Champions Swindon St. George close on the opening day of the season!

Bath Rugby League kicked off Round 1 of their season campaign with an away trip to last seasons Champions Swindon St George (SSG) in The West of England Pool A. The side have been preparing well in preseason with Head Coach Alex Burns taking charge and a final preseason fixture held last Tuesday against the current Army Lawson Cup Champions, the Royal Signals RL squad.

It was the home side that kicked off and gave the visitors the first attacking set of the game, SSG showed some fearsome defence in the opening contest and on their returning attacking set showcased some speedy play at the tackle to release Prop Sam Collins who crashed over with Captain Conner Tomley adding the extras.

Bath kicked off well and were soon pressing deep into the home sides half with strong carries from Prop Elliott Bowler and Captain Stevan Randall and were able to shift the ball wide through the hands of Mike Harrison and Morgan Lewis to put new signing Kieran Harvey over in the corner, Leigh Wheatley adding the kick.

Swindon St George always looked dangerous on the ball and threatened across the park, and began to find gaps in the Bath defence which had held strongly. Swindon scored a few tries in quick succession catching the visitors napping with Hooker Stewart Hannah and centre Florin Palcau crossing over. The whistle went for half time and Bath would go into the break 20-6 behind.

Half Time: Swindon St George RL 20 – 6

After a talk from the Head Coach Bath started the better of the two teams in the second half and continued to press into the SSG half, Fullback Ciaran Chester caused constant headaches for the home side as he ran from deep and broke multiple tackles gaining some much needed territory. From the resulting plays and speed of the ball Prop Brandon Ball found a gap to sprint over for Bath’s second try of the day, Wheatley adding the extras.

Bath continued to look dangerous and carried well into the oppositions half but when SSG were given the opportunity they showcased why they were the current Champions and wasn’t long until Fullback Josh Williams broke the defence to cross over. However the visitors continued to apply the pressure and with Fullback Chester breaking the line once again he was able to put Jamie Hall through the gap and the Centre stepped the last defender to score near the posts, Leigh Wheatley adding the kick.

In the last 10mins of the game Swindon St George looked for another score but would be held up against a strong Bath defence, however Bath were penalised and SSG took the opportunity for a kick at the sticks and take the score further from Bath’s reach. In the dying minutes Bath were desperately looking to find a break for another score but time had run out and the final whistle was blown.

Full Time: Swindon St George RL 26 -18 Bath RL

Head Coach Alex Burns commented “Hugely proud of our performance against what we know is one of the best sides in the South West. In an immensely physical and demanding game, we fronted up throughout and with Ball in hand showed the danger we have right across the park. It’s a testament to where we want to be that we were disappointed after the game knowing we let a chance of a victory slip by. Credit to Swindon St George RL though as their class and groundwork through pre-season told. This group of players for Bath RL has great potential going forward and the awareness to know where we need to improve if we want to be fighting for silverware come the end of the season. As a club we are aiming to build something special and sustainable over the coming years and for us this was a massive leap forward in the right direction”

On Saturday Bath RL will welcome Somerset Vikings RL to their home ground (based at Melksham RFC) in Round 2 of the West of England Pool A, kick off 2.30pm.

Bath Rugby League Squad 1: Chester 2: Wildman 3: Harrison 4: Sully 5: Warnock 6: Wheatley 7: Lewis 8: Bowler 9:Talbot 10: Ball 11: Taylor 12: Harvey 13: Randall (C) Subs: Noott, MacPherson, Dare, Culshaw, Hall.

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Alex Dare-M’Connell secures Player Sponsorship from Oldland Electrical

Alex played for the club in the inaugural RugbyFest exhibition fixture at the end of September 2017, and comes from the Bristol area. He has previously played for rivals Bristol Sonics in 2008 and 2012. In between and prior to playing League Alex has also played the Union code for Bristol, Clifton and even in Australia for Adelaide Falcons. His union position is prop, but has played second row in Rugby League.

The club would like to thank Alex for sourcing his own player sponsor and we thank Oldland Electrical for their generous support and partnership with the club for 2018.

 

The club still have a number of sponsorship opportunities available at all levels, please email: info@bathrugbyleague.co.uk or call 07810 552196 for further details. We are interested in developing mutually beneficial partnership to aid in the development of Rugby League as a relatively untapped sport across the Bath and surrounding area. A huge opportunity for the sport.

Player sponsorship is available for £120 per player for the season. Player sponsors will:
– be promoted on the club website www.bathrugbyleague.co.uk
– be promoted on social channels Twitter: @BathRugbyLeague – 1,081 Followers, Facebook: www.facebook.com/BathRugbyLeague – 1386 likes, Intsagram: @bathrugbyleague_ – 966 followers to date
– mentioned in media releases in relation to sponsored player
– featured in match day programme/teamsheet

The club has also been featured in the trade Magazine Rugby League World and been reported on Rugby Leaguer and League Express trade weekly paper on a fairly regular basis.

 

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BATH RUGBY LEAGUE HEARTBREAKING DEFEAT TO GLOUCESTERSHIRE WARRIORS

With the West of England domestic season now completed, which saw Bath Rugby League qualify in there first season, they travelled to Gloucester for the competitions Plate Semi Final, the winner going through to the Final the following Saturday to be played at Portway Rugby Development Centre in Bristol.

The game started well with Bath Rugby League building the sets and defending well against a large Warriors pack, It was Bath’s Josh Frost who opened up the scoring after spotting the gap and brushing off would be tacklers to go over out wide in the corner, Alex Burns was unable to add the extras (0-4)

Bath continued the attack and it was a few minutes later when Fullback Cieran Chester ran at pace through the defensive line to break free, with only a few meters short of the line he found Prop Ryan Willcox who had supported fantastically to cross over under the posts, Alex Burns added the extras (0-10).

Josh Frost showcased his agility once again to gain valuable yards and caught just short of the line, the next play saw Club Captain Tom Plance use his football skills to carefully put the ball behind the defence and follow through to score under the posts, Alex Burns who has been on fine form this season was able to convert (0-16). Burns continued this with a well worked play after a penalty using his strength to barge his was over the line, unfortunately he was unable to add the extras (0-20)

The Warriors continued to apply the pressure and the following kick off bounced to reach touch and Bath were under pressure 20 yrds from there line, Bath’s defence held firm after continuous barrage of large Warrior forwards, eventually finding the gap and crossing the line with a Matt Jones try, Ash Lewis converting (6-20) shortly after Bath’s Chris Mee was taken off after a poor tackle saw him sidelined for the remainder of the game.

Gloucestershire now had there tails up and with the game being controlled by Ash Lewis he dropped a kick through to put Bath under pressure once again, but pressure around the ruck meant Bath would regain possession. Bath were able to get the ball wide from the scrum and Josh James showed pace outside to get into the Warriors half, ill discipline at the tackle meant Bath would gain more yards with a penalty – unfortunately the field possession could not be capitalised on and the Warriors gathered a loose ball.

Centre Josh Frost showed his skills once again when he stepped through multiple would be tacklers to dot down over the line, Burns unable to convert. (6-24)

The Warriors continued to use there large forwards and gained great yards from this, after a tackle close to the Bath line it was Sean Roberts who caught the markers napping and darted over (10-24) Leigh Wheatley was able to command some great plays shorty after getting Bath back into the Warriors half, a break from Burns saw the Warriors concede another penalty which Bath capitalised on, this time Frost stepping to put Cieran Chester through the gap who stretched out to score, the extras just going wide. (10-28)

A restart from under the posts saw the Warriors carry strongly and get back into Baths’ 20, another Sean Roberts pick and go from the tackle saw him cross again with Ash Lewis again adding the extras. (16-28) Gloucestershire continued there rally and were able to build on pressure again to see a Bath player put into touch, a Jordan Smith try and Ash Lewis conversion brought the score to 22-28.

With the final minutes of the half Bath were awarded another penalty after a high tackle on Cieran Chester, the side opted to play the ball rather than a shot at the posts but unfortunately the ball was put wide with Matty James being put into touch. A kick up field from Ash Lewis saw a clean take from Chester and the half time whistle being blown.

The second half kicked off with Bath now playing up the slight slope, shortly after a great return catch and run from Frost saw Chester work his way back up field only to be tackled poorly by Ash Kocerhan who received his second yellow card resulting in red. Bath now look to get back to the form that saw them start so well began to build momentum, only for the ball to go wide and a Bath player to be tackled into touch.

This continued to spur the home side on and another barrage of heavy forwards saw Bath caught short and Kirk Lewis dive over from close range, his son Ash Lewis adding the extras. (28-28), the pressure continued as the now 12 man team ran hard towards the visitors line, a deft kick over the defensive line and regather by Matt Jones saw him cross the line, Ash Lewis again adding the extras and taking the lead for the first time in the game. (34-28)

Bath now under pressure forced too many errors and were finding it difficult to gain any momentum, but there stern defence held tight as the Warriors continued to run hard form close out. Bath were able to force the error and gain some breathing space, although this was short lived after a Warriors player was tackled into touch and play stopped following an altercation on the sideline. Play resumed and Gloucestershire continued where they had left off, and a hard running line by Ryan Tanner saw him go over under the posts, Lewis adding the extras. (40-28)

With 17 minutes left on the clock it was Gloucestershire who scored next when Ash Lewis chipped through and after multiple deflections regathered and crossed over in the corner, he followed up by adding the extras. (46-28) Bath had not given up and needed to build momentum to get themselves back in the game, from the restart the warriors made an error, Leigh Wheatley was able to dart over and score with Frost adding the extras. (46-34)

A superb run back from the kick off saw Vice Captain Stevan Randall get back deep into the Warriors half evading many would be tackles. A quick play of the ball by Plance from the resulting tackle saw Cieran Chester run through a tired defence to close the gap, Frost adding the extras. (46-40)

Bath would get back into the Warriors 20 but firm defence held them out, another great play saw Burns just miss out on crossing over when the ball was just in front and a knock on deemed by the referee. With the final minutes closing it was a tight contest between the two sides with both now looking to score, an error with hands from Bath saw the final whistle blown and Gloucestershire Warriors making the Final.

Club Coordinator Chris Chatten commented “It is disappointing not to make the final after all the hard work we have collectively put in to get the club up and running this year and make it a success, we had plenty of chances to win the game. However, we have come a long way in our debut season with notable wins against Bristol Sonics in our inaugural game. We have played all scheduled fixtures and also arranged a number of friendlies to give the developing squad more game time in what for some is still a very new sport, but one which is highly exciting to play and watch, if you like running with the ball in hand, tackling and being involved in an enterprising sport this is for you”.

The club would like to thank all stakeholders involved in making our debut season a memorable one, club sponsors, volunteers in particular James Fox (Coach), Andy Burns and Ryan Stewart who share the vision of how the club can develop into something really exciting, more exciting developments planned in the close season, watch this space.

WARRIORS:
Josh Llewelyn; Darren Collier, Ryan Tanner, Dean Cooper, Justin Lee; Ash Lewis, Matt Jones; Gareth Morris, Sean Roberts, Ollie Cooper (Capt); Jake Thompson, Sam Handcock; Jordan Smith; INTERCHANGE: Nico Tarantino, Tom Collier, Ash Kocerhan, Dale Cooper, Kirk Lewis, Alex Mahoney, Gavin Tippins.
Scorers: Tries; Jones (2), Roberts (2), Smith, K. Lewis, Tanner, A. Lewis
Goals; A Lewis 7 from 8.

BATH:
Cieran Chester; Josh James, Josh Frost, Matt Warnock, Matty James; Leigh Wheatley, Alex Burns; Luke Dobson, Chris Mee, Ryan Willcox; Tom Culshaw, Steven Randall; Tom Plance; INTERCHANGE: Rich Carlisle, Jordan Talbot, Arron Schofield, Alex Mallon, Kieran Storey, Nathan Burd, Morgan Lewis
Scorers: Tries; Frost (2), Willcox, Plance, Burns, Wheatley, Chester (2)
Goals; Burns 2 from 5, Frost 2 from 2

Referee: Malcolm Holmes

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BATH RUGBY LEAGUE LOOSE OUT TO STRONG SWINDON ST. GEORGE IN THE LAST POOL FIXTURE OF THE SEASON, WITH THE EXCITEMENT OF PLAY-OFFS STILL TO COME!

Bath Rugby League played there final West of England Pool 2 fixture of the season last Saturday when they welcomed already pool winners high flying Swindon St. George Rugby League.

A tough home fixture at Allington Fields was on the cards with Bath looking to make amends for there first encounter earlier in the season which saw Swindon run a way with the game convincingly.

With a large crowd of both travelling Swindon fans and Bath home supporters the game kicked off, it was Swindon St. George who crossed the line first following a penalty kick to touch that fell short but Bath knocked on and the ball was gathered by Blinkhorn, the conversion being missed. (0-4)

Bath tried to regather and build the sets but lapse in defence saw the travelling side cross over again when Swindon were able to offload out of the tackle to put Bonichelli in the corner – this time the kick going over by Tomley. (0-10) Unfortunately this set the tone for the next 15 mins with Bath unable to get a grip on the game, the kick off going straight out it was Swindon who took advantage and another try by Bonichelli under the posts with a successful kick by Tomley. (0-16)

Bath started to build momentum with strong carries from second row Mike Rutt and prop Henry Beer but strong cover tackles kept the home side at bay – another ‘knock on’ meant Bath were under pressure and St. George went over out wide with Daynes going over, and Tomley adding the extras. (0-22)

Bath were able to regather and build good sets of play and looked dangerous when the ball was put through the defensive lines, Centre Cieran Chester making great yards and setting up Bath’s first points of the day when after a good build up Henry Beer was able to carry strongly and with multiple tacklers stretch out and touch down, Alex Burns was able to add the extras. (6-22)

Bath had to defend an intensive barrage from Swindon for the next few minutes and although some big tackles came in from across the line Swindon’s Tuckett was able to crash over from 5m, this time Deal converting. (6-28) Bath however hadn’t given up and Captain Leigh Wheatley demanded more from the men and it wasn’t long until Bath crossed over with some great sets of play and Tom Culshaw carving a great line to go over under the posts, Alex Burns again able to add the extras. (12-28)

HT score: Bath Rugby League 12 – 28 Swindon St. George

Bath unfortunately put themselves back under pressure when Swindon kicked off and the ball bouncing into touch. Bath were able to continue the pressure but a break in play following a disagreement between Bath’s Henry Beer and Swindon’s Jack Daynes saw the pair take 10 mins on the sideline.

It was Swindon who took the momentum for the next part of the game with Swindon’s Bonichelli once again showcasing his skill and scooting over from 5m, Tomley converting with a quick return try by Blinkhorn, Tomley again on form adding the extras. (12-40).

With the defensive plays taking there toll Bath struggled to keep possession and a quick play by Swindon saw Kinentt cross over, again converted. (12-46) Bath saw same time on the ball for sets and were able to showcase what the can when when they have the ball in hand – hard carries towards the Swindon line there were gaps starting to show and Bath’s Rob Davies was able to crash over from 2m out, Alex Burns was able to add the extras. (18-46) The final few minutes of the half Swindon opened up and were able to cross over multiple times, showcasing why they have dominated and winning Pool 2.

The Final Score: Bath Rugby League 18 – 58 Swindon St. George

Bath now look to regather and build through the week with the upcoming playoffs, Bath travel to Gloucestershire Warriors on Saturday 5th August as they finished 3rd in the other West of England League group, and Bath finished 4th in their pool so travel away in the play offs looking to cap off the season and progress to the final being played at Portway Rugby Development Centre, Bristol on Saturday 12th August.

Chris Chatten, Club Coordinator, commented “We always knew it was going to be a tough game against Swindon St. George who had already been confirmed as pool winners, whatever team they put out they are always strong. After putting ourselves under pressure in the first quarter of the game we showed Swindon we could match them man for man in the second quarter. The scored probably flattered Swindon slightly but our guys will have been tired having to do a lot of defending. We will now look forward to the play-offs where a win next week will secure a place in the West of England plate final. As a new club we have already been highly successful fulfilling all league fixtures and getting some notable wins against Bristol and Oxford, along with more recent high scoring home victory against Southampton, we aim to further develop the club in the forthcoming close season so please keep your eyes on all media channels for updates, exciting times ahead, come and get involved on and off the field.”