Category: Sports News

FROM 12 – 4pm – If you lose, the money goes to the Matt Hampson Foundation.

More information HERE

FROM 12 – 4pm – If you lose, the money goes to the Matt Hampson Foundation.

More information HERE

THAME Swimming Club members were in action at the Leighton Buzzard SC gala in Stantonbury on May 12, where they picked up a creditable crop of medals and PBs.

Hallam Cozier took Gold in the boys 50m Butterfly and William Finch took Silver in the boys 50m Breaststroke. Lauren Gibbs took three Silver medals in the girls 100m IM, 50m Backstroke and 50m Freestyle. Dom Holmes took two Silvers, 50m Breast and 50m Backstroke. Clemmie Jackson won Silver in the 100m IM and Daisy Laye took Silver in the 50m Backstroke. James Maclaron took Gold in the 50m Freestyle whilst Maisie MacDonald took Gold in the 100m IM and Silver in the 50m Backstroke. Rachel Newton took Gold in the girls 50m butterfly and Rory Price took home a Gold and two Silvers in the 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly and 100m IM. Maisie Randall took home a Gold in the 50m Freestyle. Jessica Russell and William Simpkins took home Bronze in the 50m Backstroke and Silver in the 50m Butterfly respectively, whilst Elizabeth Smith took Silver in the girls 50m Breaststroke.

Rebcecca Smith hauled in two Gold medals and one Bronze in the 100m IM, 50m Freestyle and 50m Breaststroke respectively. There must have been arguments in the Williams?s car on the way home as Ben took Bronze in the 50m Breaststroke but brother Josh took Gold in the 50m Butterfly, and bronze in the 50m Breaststroke. Caitlin ‘Woody’ Woods took bronze in the 50m Backstroke.

With many swimmers out due to exams and Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions in the Chilterns, we still fielded a strong squad which brought home the medals. Well Done To All!!

SOURCE: Contributed by Ian Goetz

THAME racing driver, Jonny Kane, is to be included in the Honda-powered Silverstone based Strakka racing team, that will be on the starting grid of this year’s Le Mans, 24 hour race.

Strakka’s will be the only all-British team in the field of 56 car entries for what will be the 80th Le Mans 24 Hours race, on June 16-17.

The rest of the team will be made up of Nick Leventis from London and Danny Watts from Buckingham. They will be racing a Honda Performance Development ARX-03a in what is considered to be the world?s most gruelling motor race.

SOURCE: Aboutmyarea.co.uk – See Paul Evans’ full article

PHOTO; Courtesy of Strakka Racing

RACQUETS Fitness Centre in Thame is celebrating this week after regaining the Men’s Oxfordshire Squash League Championship this season, and winning the Ladies’ equivalent.

Simon Martin, for Raquets Fitness Centre, told Thamenews.net: “For the men, this victory is particular sweet as they have regained the title after being runners up for the past five years to Abingdon and Wallingford.”

THAME Racquets ladies? team report, contributed by Sandra Kessell:

A significant 120 points separated Thame Racquets ladies? team from their nearest rivals, Banbury West End, as they romped home to win the Oxfordshire Squash winter league. The team triumphed in all 14 of their matches, overall taking 181 games for, 61 against.

Stepping up to the number one slot, 15-year-old Aisling Guerzoni, of Aylesbury High School, visibly grew in confidence and resilience as she claimed notable victories. Losing in just three of her 23 outings, only county senior players Julie Peachey and Helen Knowles were able to hold their own against the promising youngster.

Veteran Anne Terry had her own battles against long-standing adversaries, and as if to prove her fitness, took seven of her 20 matches to five sets. She emerged victorious in 15 overall.

Captain Lorna See dropped only two of her games, one of those after retiring with an injury from a stray stroke, while Mary Woods played steadily mid-team ? she and Sandra Kessell lost only three matches out of 19 and 24 respectively. Jane Cahill, whose season was cut short by a broken finger, held her own in all but two of her challenges.

Key to success this year was Racquets Ladies? new-found strength in depth. Lorna was able to call on Rachel Humphreys (victorious in 3/8 outings), Tessa Bradon (4/7) and newcomers Christina Gamble (2/3) and Kathryn Tyler (1/1), while Sally Orris and Sarah Hadley also won their single outings.

Banbury and Abingdon 1 came second and third in the league respectively – a particularly bitter blow for Abingdon who pushed Thame Racquets during their encounters, but who were awarded an eight-point penalty which resulted in second and third places being reversed.

?No doubt our rivals will be out to exact revenge in the forthcoming winter season,? said Lorna. ?But while our senior players are getting more senior, we?re delighted to watch youth progress and improve and so we pronounce Aisling our player of the year and look forward to the challenges of 2012-13.?

Want to join Racquets?

Squash and racquetball players who would like to join Racquets Thame should contact Simon Martin, tel: 01844 261754. The friendly sports club in the centre of town has four squash courts and a gym, fitness classes and social events.

Special thanks for sponsors

Simon Martin also expressed the club’s appreciation for the support of JPreis Ltd, the company run by Greg Collins, the son of the Partner who sponsored the men’s 1st team to Victory. Greg also played in the winning team that won the Oxon league 10 years running between 1979-1989. Simon also thanked Savoy Sharm & Meritus Hotels for their support, as well as all the team Captains:

Men’s 1sts Oxon- Champions div 1 – Alex Preston
Mens 2nd team- Oxon Runners up Div five – Dave Rushmer
Mens 3rd Team – Oxon Div seven 3rd place – Roger Ridler/Nick Wynd

Ladies 1st team – Oxon Ladies Champions Div one – Lorna See

Congratulations are also due to the Men’s Racketball team (2008/09 National champions) who are now in the Quarter finals of the National team championships.

Racquets runs sessions for all ages from 4-80 years of racketball & squash so if you would like to learn a new fun/healthy/indoor sport see the centre’s website: www.racquets-fitness-centre.com for details about all coaching. Rackets and balls are supplied.

THE Rotary Club of Thame is seeking participants for its first Rotary Swimathon, to raise money for the Air Ambulance and other local charities.

The Swimathon will take place at Thame Leisure Centre on Sunday, October 7, 2012, between 10am and 3pm, and is a fund-raiser for the Thame & District Day Centre, Chiltern and Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and other local charities.

Marius Ciortan, Chair of the Rotary Swimathon Steering Group, said: “The event is possible due to the generosity of several local businesses. ALR Systems, ASM Auto Recycling, Nexus, Park Street Dental Clinic, Racquets Fitness Centre and Vale Life Magazine will cover the cost of hiring the pool, whilst PSG Trophies will cover the cost of producing the medals.

?We are looking for teams of up to six swimmers. Each team is given a lane of the pool and will swim for 55 minutes ? with only one team member swimming at a time.

?On average this means that each swimmer does about 10-20 lengths during the 55 minutes, but there is no need for each team member to swim the same number of lengths.

?Teams will seek sponsorship for taking part in the Rotary Swimathon by raising a lump sum or based on the team?s total number of lengths swum – which can be up to 100 lengths or more.

?The benefits are for everyone, as local charities get money to help with their important work and the swimmers have lots of fun trying to swim as many lengths as they can. At the end all participants will get a Rotary Swimathon medal.?

Marius added: ?Everyone over the age of eight can take part: Families, Friends, Churches, Charities, Businesses, Public Sector Workers, Shops, Scouts & Guides, Cubs & Brownies, Swimming Clubs, Health Clubs, Schools, Colleges etc.?

The teams should apply now as the slots are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Team entry and sponsorship forms can be downloaded from: www.thame.rotaryweb.org or by ringing Rotarian Peter Hook on 07836 651174 or e-mail: peterghook@hotmail.com

THAME swimming club aimed to ‘Swim a Mountain’ and instead ended up swimming between them all the way to America – well, not literally obviously!

The club recently held a sponsored ?Swim a Mountain? and the combined distance of all the swimmers stretched across the North Atlantic almost to America.

?It?s a staggering distance in just one evening session!? said Greg Smith, the event?s organiser. ?I would like to give a huge thanks to all the swimmers and the volunteers who made it possible and all the parents who put so much time into supporting the club.”

For the sponsored event, swimmers aged from 9 to 18 years-old could swim the height of various mountains. The mountains available ranged from Mont Blanc in Europe at 4810m, which was 192 lengths, to the mammoth Mt Everest at 8850m and 354 lengths. Swimmers had four hours to complete the challenge and almost every participant achieved their goal, with the fastest time coming from club captain, George Finch, who swam Mt Everest in under just two hours!

As well as being a tough endurance challenge, Thame Swimming Club is aiming to raise

FOLLOWING one of the most successful season?s in the club?s rich history, Chinnor Rugby Club is celebrating after retaining the Oxfordshire Cup and winning promotion to the fourth tier of English Rugby – and very appreciative of local support.

Henley and Thame MP,John Howell, has been among those who have congratulated the club. ?I am delighted by the news that Chinnor RFC has been promoted to the National 2 South League,” said John. “It is much deserved. As we approach Chinnor?s 50th anniversary we can all look back with pride at what the club has achieved. This is more than just a rugby club. It is a club which takes families seriously and one which takes community seriously. So, we can all share in the delight of this promotion. There is always such a great atmosphere at the club and a sense of real friendship. It is a pleasure to support the club.?

Community support

In a statement today, the club has extended its thanks to the local community for all the support the club has received this season, which has culminated in the club’s promotion and cup win, as well as the Colts also making it to the semi finals of the National Cup.

“We have continued success in our youth section with our under 15?s winning an international tournament in France,” went on the statement. “Without the support of the local community- residents and businesses- Chinnor RFC would not be the position we are in approaching our 50th anniversary next year.

New facilities

“Not only have we seen development on the pitch, but we have also seen development off it as well, with a new car park, disabled lift and disabled toilet, kindly funded by a host of local organisations, including Thame Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council. This financial support is imperative to the continued success of the club, as we look to develop our club and become more community-focused in the process.

‘Team effort’

“As an amateur sports club we rely heavily on volunteers to get jobs done around the club, from organising the fixtures, coaching our youth section, to managing the club and keeping the facility and grounds maintained. It is a big team effort and one which constantly needs people giving up their time for us to succeed.

What of the future?

“As we look forward to next season, we also look to the challenges of continuing to develop the club within the community, recruiting volunteers to assist the club on a weekly basis, and finding support from local businesses to meet the financial demands that the next level brings us. It is certainly an exciting time to be involved in Chinnor Rugby Club and we want to invite the local community to share in this with us. From coming down and supporting the team, to helping volunteer, or sponsoring the club, we are always looking to welcome new faces.”

NATIONAL 3 SW & London Play off: FOLLOWING a titanic struggle in the wind and rain, Chinnor Firsts end the rugby season with promotion to National 2 South, with their 19-8 victory over Tonbridge Juddians.

“Organisation, defence, determination and the golden boot of Cathcart” are behind Chinnor’s triumph on Saturday, says Dave Winpenny in his match report:

“For the first 20 minutes, Tonbridge had all the ball and all the territory as they pounded Chinnor in their own 22. Chinnor could not escape but, significantly, Juddians could not make a significant score from all their pressure. 6 minutes into the match, Chinnor?s Gilbert was yellow carded for a deliberate knock on ? putting even more pressure on the home defence.

“Tonbridge Juddians eventually scored from a penalty goal from Charlie Harding to put the visitors 3-0 up in the 13th minute. The match continued to be played mostly in the Chinnor half. The occasional foray into the Tonbridge half usually ended in a penalty against Chinnor allowing the visitors to clear their lines.

“Tonbridge Juddians, who had the stiff breeze at their back for the first half, went in 3-0 ahead at the break.

“Just one minute into the second half, Tonbridge Juddians transgressed at the breakdown (a bit of a free-for-all generally during the match) and Chinnor?s James Cathcart stepped up to slot the goal from 45 metres to square the match at 3-3. Just two minutes later, Tonbridge Juddians? replacement prop, Carl Ambrose, was yellow carded for coming in from the side to give Cathcart another opportunity from the same spot as the previous kick. This sailed over to put Chinnor ahead for the first time in the match 6-3.

“On the 50th minute, Tonbridge Juddians again transgressed on the half way line and Cathcart slotted the penalty goal with ease. Just two minutes later, the Chinnor backs, prompted by Colver, slipped Seymour on a powerful run for the corner. Just held up, the ball was quickly recycled across the park for left-winger, Mark Chase, to score the first try of the match in the corner. Cathcart again unerringly slotted from the touchline to extend Chinnor?s lead to 16-3.

“On the 60th minute, Tonbridge Juddians? full back, John Tabrett, was quick to spot an undefended tiny gap on the blind side of a midfield ruck and dashed 40 metres for Tonbridge Juddians? first try of the match. Unconverted, Tonbridge Juddians had reduced the deficit to 16-8.

“On 69 minutes, centre Matt Goode made a powerful break in midfield discarding tacklers at will. The ball was recycled to Sam Stoop 20 metres out from the posts who was high tackled. Cathcart stepped up to make the penalty goal a formality and the Chinnor score 19-8. Chinnor continued to press for another score in the last five minutes but were happy to hear the referee?s whistle at full time for a 19-8 victory and promotion to National 2 South next season.

“Chinnor won this match in the first 20 minutes with unflappable defence. Their determination not to let the opposition score was evident and their organisational skills gave them a great psychological boost for the rest of the match. All players will have pride in their contribution, particularly the back row with Waddingham again leading the tackle count.

“Tonbridge Juddians? opening salvo was powerful and committed and they tried everything to score but were held out by a committed defence. They would have hoped to make better use of the strong wind but a three point lead at half time never looked enough. Tabrett?s try showed that Tonbridge Juddians? backs could be dangerous but they had few opportunities to get going.

“Chinnor made much better use of the elements in the second half and James Cathcart?s three long-range penalties early in the half turned the match around for the home side. There were some fleeting moments of Chinnor back line play, particularly leading up to Chase?s try, but the conditions and importance of the match reduced opportunities to run. Defensively, the Chinnor midfield was rock solid with Goode and Stoop impregnable. Goode threatened on the few occasions that he had clean ball. This was a tight match won by tight organisation, lack of panic, determination and the metronomic boot of James Cathcart.

“Chinnor has made many new friends this year in Nat 3SW and looks forward to making more in National 2 South. A great season for the Firsts and a great season for the club.”

Scorers:
Chinnor: Chase T; Cathcart C, 4PG
Tonbridge Juddians: Tabrett T; Harding PG

Chinnor team:
Colver, Seymour (Gray), Goode, Stoop, Chase, Cathcart, Jones, Winpenny (Stock 75), Tattersall, Pickett (Whelan 60), Mowbray (Harrison 60), Smith, Jackman, Waddingham, Gilbert
Replacements: Whelan, Stock, Harrison, Gray

THAME Bowls Club is targeting youngsters from Lord Williams’ School to try their hand at the game of Bowls this year. They are currently working with Sports teacher, Christine Daplyn at the School to try to get a teaching module at the Bowls Club this summer, which will go towards a GCSE in Sport.

The Chairman of Thame Bowls Club, Bill Giles OBE, the former head of the BBC Weather Forecasting, is very keen to promote the game of Bowls within the younger age groups locally.

Last summer 21 year old Natalie Melmore, the current Commonwealth Gold Medal winner in the Singles competition, visited the Club in Thame to demonstrate her skills and pass on knowledge to some eager teenagers from Lord Williams.

INVITATION FROM BILL GILES & THAME BOWLS CLUB

You are invited to try your hand at the game of Bowls at Thame Bowls Club’s Annual recruitment evening, in Queens Road, Thame, on TUESDAY, MAY 1ST & TUESDAY MAY 8TH from 6pm onwards.

Experienced Club Coaches will be on hand to demonstrate the basics to those people trying the game for the first time, and other Club members will be there to help and advise. All equipment, including Bowls and Shoes, will be provided, although if you bring your own flat-soled shoes to wear that will be fine.

Free Refreshments & Licensed Bar.

Come along and join in the fun and find out more about the great game of Bowls. We look forward to meeting you.

Bill Giles, Chairman and Vic Brooks, Club Captain.