THE Institute of Cricket will be holding a Performance Satellite Camp at Lord Williams School, Thame, on Thursday, October 29 – Friday, October 30.
Performance Satellite Camps include:
Full details on the I.O.C. Performance Satellite Camp website HERE
FOLLOWING the reduced length of the 2020 cricket season, Thame Town Cricket Club’s 1st XI played eight matches in the HCPL (Home Counties Premier League) of which they won 5, lost 1 and had 2 rained off.
After comfortably putting Banbury to the sword last week, they have qualified for a play-off match in the John Goodman Plate against Horspath on Saturday, September 12.
Start time 11:30am. Bar open from 12:30pm. Church Meadow, Thame
Mike Beard, 1st XI captain, said: “I’m absolutely buzzing for one of the biggest games in the club’s history. The Chairman’s dynasty deserves a trophy and we fully intend to deliver one.” (Ed. Club Chairman, Matt Swain, retires at the end of next season)
If they beat Horspath, Thame will go through to a final against Henley or Aston Rowant on Saturday, September 19.
We hope to see as many people as possible down at the ground to cheer the team on who will be sporting their new, coloured kit sponsored by J Bennett & Son and KUBOTA.
CHINNOR RFC Thame are holding a Festival of Rugby on Friday, September 18, and while they are unable to play rugby union in its natural form at the moment, that is not stopping the Club from enjoying the sport.
Under the Rugby Football Union and government guidelines, the club is still able to play their great game in some form and on September 18, they’ve planned a fun-filled with three events taking place between 7pm-8:15pm.
O2 Touch
Walking Rugby
Girls Recruitment Event
Chinnor’s Media Manager, Jack Johnsn, explained: “We have been able to run our O2 Touch sessions at Kingsey Road since August 10, with around 30 people attending every Friday.
“With our changing rooms and showers closed to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, players have been turning up ready to play. We ask everyone to download the O2 Touch app and register before the session for Track & Trace.
“Walking Rugby is an exciting addition to our social rugby offering and September 18, marks its first session at the Club. This has been made possible following grants from The National Lottery Awards For All Community Fund, and Tesco Bags of Help COVID-19 Communities Fund. Walking Rugby is a simplified version of rugby. A competitive passing game, it is ideal for ex players, injured players, non-players of all ages, abilities and gender, but there is no running at any time, no tackling and no kicking!”
Chinnor RFC Thame Head of Community, Matt Goode said: “We are really looking forward to the first Walking Rugby session at the Club on Friday, September 18. This is a great opportunity for people to lace their boots up again and to be active without having to do any running. It’s also a fantastic chance to catch up with some old friends, meet new people, get back to holding a ball again and reliving some of old memories.
“However, it’s also for people of all ages who have never played rugby before and it’s a great way to keep fit.
“Our Girls Recruitment Event is all about players in the Under 12 (Year 7) – Under 18 (Year 13) age brackets getting a taste of girls’ rugby at Chinnor which is based around having fun and inclusivity – no previous experience is needed. Starting their second season of girls’ rugby, we currently run Under 12/13 and Under 14/15 teams. It is a supportive environment with all players coached to reach their potential. Our girls team coaches and Kites players Ellie Angove and Alice Biba will be on hand to lead training, with special guest appearances from our Kites Head Coach, Fran Ronan and former Tonga international Soane Tonga’uiha, who is our Men’s Senior Squad’s Forwards Coach. Government and Club Guidelines will be followed at all times.“
The Clubhouse will be open for toilet use only, with a one-way system in place. Players should bring their own water bottles, use hand sanitiser before and after training and maintain a two-metre distance as best as possible.
FOLLOWING several recent and continued incidents by various groups and individuals who have been littering, drinking under age, taking drugs, dealing drugs, urinating on the ground, damaging property, playing loud music, shouting and swearing late at night, Thame Town Cricket Club (TTCC) has consulted with the Police and the Town Council and has put in place the following rules with immediate effect:
Thame Town Cricket Club and Thame Town Council reserve the right to take legal action against anyone found trespassing or not adhering to the rules set out herein.
Thame Town Cricket Club is located on land leased from the Town Council next to St Mary’s Church in Thame in a conservation area. It comprises of the Cricket ground, clubhouse, service yard, nets and Car Park. Thame Town Cricket Club is enclosed by a fence along the Aylesbury Road, St Mary’s Church burial ground wall, fences / hedges at the top and bottom of the ground and surrounding the car park.
The Cricket ground, clubhouse, nets and car park are for use by Cricket Club members, authorised clubs, associations and guests only. Allocated spaces in the Car Park are licensed to the Barns Centre for their clients to use. The only public access to the ground is via two kissing gates which are located:
The only public usage of the ground is the footpath which runs around the playing area of the ground between the two kissing gates.
CHINNOR RFC Thame have announced that the club has secured funding to begin Walking Rugby at the Club.
Grants from The National Lottery Awards For All Community Fund and Tesco Bags of Help COVID-19 Communities Fund for the project have been awarded from applications by the club’s Head of Community, Matt Goode.
Walking Rugby is a simplified version of Rugby, suitable for all ages, abilities and genders. It is a competitive passing game, ideal for ex-players, injured and rehabilitating current players and those interested in the sport without any experience. Sessions will have an emphasis on socialising and having fun, with refreshments also provided.
“We will announce in due course when Walking Rugby will begin at Kingsey Road and we hope it proves a popular addition to our offering,” said Matt.
“This is a great opportunity for people to lace their boots up again and to be active without having to do any running. It’s also a fantastic chance to catch up with some old friends, meet new people, get back to holding a ball again and reliving some of the memories they had years ago. However, it’s also for people who have never played rugby before and it’s a great way for people to keep fit.”
Walking Rugby What you need to know
CHINNOR RFC Thame has announced the signing of German prop Jonas Humbert. The 22-year-old joins from fellow National League 1 side Darlington Mowden Park, adding further power to the front row for the club’s 2020/21 campaign.
Jonas, who grew up in Hannover, is a tighthead by trade and made six appearances in the third tier of English rugby last season. An energetic, aggressive player, Humbert is as comfortable with the ball in hand as he is in the scrum, offering 117kg to the pack. Jonas only started playing rugby at the age of 16 at his local club Hannover 78, before travelling to Australia and packing down for the University of Queensland and Sunnybank. He is now excited to be a part of the new chapter at Kingsey Road.
Jonas said: “It feels great to have signed. Richard Thorpe told me about his vision for the Club and I really liked it. I enjoyed my time at Mowden Park and I want to thank them, but I was also looking for a new challenge and I just feel like this is a very family-orientated Club with a great community which I want to be a part of. Another big factor is Soane Tonga’uiha being here as player-coach – if you’re a prop and you don’t know of him, you’re probably in the wrong sport. With all the experience he has, I’ll be like a sponge and trying to learn as much as I can from him. There are not many better guys to learn from.”
Chinnor’s Director of Rugby, Richard Thorpe, said: “Jonas has really impressed since his arrival at Kingsey Road. An impressively strong tighthead, he will add significant firepower to our scrum, and his stand out work ethic will ensure he continues to develop into an all-round high-level player.”
CHINNOR RFC Thame have announced the launch of a women’s team, with Fran Ronan appointed Head Coach.
In a statement, a club spokesperson said: “It has been more than a decade since we were able to field a senior ladies side and this move reinforces our commitment of providing inclusive rugby for our community. The women’s team further builds on the success of our girls Under 12s & 13s, who enjoyed a successful first year last season.”
Although only 24-years-old, Fran joins the Club with a wealth of experience, having played county rugby for Northumberland as well as for Oxford Brookes University and the Adjutant General’s Corps while she was an officer cadet. Most recently, she has been Head Coach at Oxford, as well as holding a coaching role with Oxford University. She is also the Head Coach of Oxfordshire Women. Fran will be assisted by Karl Crockford, with Chinnor due to play in the Inner Warrior Series.
Fran herself said: “I’m delighted to become the Women’s Head Coach at Chinnor RFC Thame. I’m very excited; it’s quite a big thing to be a part of. The Club has an amazing community and I’ve never really felt quite a welcome as big as the one I got here. This Club has put in a lot of work to move forward and grow, and it has the potential to be one of the biggest clubs in the country if it continues the way it is.
“It’s a very appealing environment for someone to play rugby, be part of the community, while still having those values around the sport and desire to develop. I’m so passionate about making sure people enjoy rugby because it’s a crazy sport. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Amanda Pearce Higgins, Chinnor RFC Thame Board Member with responsibility for Community Engagement, Equality and Diversity, said: “I’m very excited about the new women’s senior team at Chinnor RFC Thame. I’m truly passionate about getting as many people as possible playing and enjoying sport, in particular women and girls. This is a big step forward in Chinnor’s recent history and demonstrates our commitment to being a community sports club open to all.”
Chinnor RFC Thame Director of Rugby, Richard Thorpe added: “I’m delighted to begin working with our new women’s team. In delivering our vision of becoming the outstanding community club in Oxfordshire, our new women’s team will be playing an important role within it. It’s my personal ambition to see our senior women and senior men not only share the training field, but to share a matchday as well. Whilst our senior men’s team are role models for the rest of our community, the same goes for our senior women’s team, who will undoubtedly directly influence our girls teams. I have no doubt that in the years to come we will see more Oxfordshire ladies and girls pick up a rugby ball here at Kingsey Road.”
Prospective new players of all abilities are welcome and are encouraged to email Fran on:
women@chinnor-rfc.com
LEISURE centres in South Oxfordshire will begin a phased re-opening from Saturday, July. 25, including Thame Leisure Centre, in Oxford Road,
The Centre, which is run by Better, will re-open to the public with gym, fitness classes and swimming.For full details of what equipment and facilities will be in use, and the special measures being taken to keep users safe, visit the Thame Leisure Centre website: HERE
THE long-awaited start to the club Cricket season will commence in Thame this weekend, following government approval.
The ECB has confirmed that 11-a-side cricket matches can now be played provided several safety measures are adhered to. Amongst the measures are – ‘hygiene breaks’, which should take place every six overs or every 20 minutes and should include hand sanitisation and the cleaning of the ball; no sweat or saliva is to be applied to the ball at any time; players to remain socially-distanced at all times; batters are to run along distinct running lines to ensure they are not within 2m of the bowler or other batter; players should bring their own food and drink for ‘teas’; water bottles or other refreshment containers should not be shared; spectators should remain socially-distanced at all times and refrain from all contact with the ball e.g. returning it to the field-of-play and spectator groups must be restricted to discrete groups of six people and spread out, in line with wider UK Government guidance.
Matt Swain TTCC Chairman said: “The start to the season has been long and eagerly awaited and we are raring to go this weekend with some adult, warm-up games followed by league matches from Saturday, July 18. Thanks to the continued hard work of our ground team over the last three months, the pitch has been well maintained and prepared in readiness for this start-up.
“Our games this Saturday are against Aston Rowant (at 1st and 2nd XI level), who we naturally socially-distance ourselves from anyway, and on Sunday, the squads of the 3rd and 4th XIs will play a warm-up match.
“I would like to thank our principal sponsors, J Bennett & Son, Field Sales Solutions, Kubota and Farol for their continued support this year during a very difficult time for everyone. Their contribution to this club and in turn our contribution to the community of Thame is hugely valued, and we look forward to welcoming them, our other sponsors, supporters and spectators to the club once again.
“The bar will be open to the public from 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, with everyone welcome, provided you adhere to the safety guidance which has been put in place.”
CHINNOR RFC, based at Kingsey Road, Thame, have completed several resignings to the club this past week.
Chinnor started the week with the re-signing of a product of its youth system in Seb Scott. The homegrown winger, who first joined the Club as an Under 13, has become the sixth player to commit for the 2020/21 National League 1 campaign.
Scott, who returned to Chinnor last summer following his degree at Bath Spa University, impressed throughout pre-season to earn a spot in the 2019/20 squad. The 23-year-old is still awaiting his first XV league debut, but excelled for the Wildboys as well as producing brilliant performances in the Oxfordshire Cup semi-final and Lauren Cyster Megabowl Trophy.
The club’s second re-sign is Kieran Goss, a firm favourite with members and supporters. The popular South African will be staying in Thame for a fifth season.
A thorn in any side whether playing at full-back or on the wing, Goss originally joined Chinnor on loan in 2015, from Cornish Pirates before making the move permanent for the 2016/17 campaign. A club spokesman said: “The 28-year-old has made quite an impression at Kingsey Road, scoring 38 tries in 111 appearances, and is now looking forward to pulling on a black and white jersey again.”
And, just today, Chinnor announced the club’s seventh re-signing with Oscar Heath committing to the Club. The talented winger becomes the latest player to agree terms for the 2020/21 season, adding to an already exciting back line.
Heath is set for his sixth campaign at Kingsey Road, but injury has limited his game time in recent years. Capable of playing at full-back and as a half-back, he has an impressive record for Chinnor, scoring 26 tries in 31 games.
For full details of all Chinnor’s re-signings, visit the club’s website HERE