Firstly, let me apologise for the length of this update, there is a lot to cover off, so please do try and read it all, it is all about your special rugby club after all ?.

With a sharp chill in the air, and the arrival of persistent rain (and even hail) this week, it is beginning to look a lot like Winter already!

The gloomy nights are drawing in quickly, and the brief window which seemed open for “normal” rugby to resume in, was firmly slammed shut by Boris’s recent announcement of effectively a partial lockdown, which could well last for the next six months, if not longer.

Well, even with my rudimentary level of mathematics, (an unclassified grade at O Level allegedly!), six months of being unable to play rugby would take us to the end of March 2021, almost the end of the current season, the season that we won’t have actually had that is!

From the very beginning of this pandemic, I have always had the view that we would not see a return to community rugby until after Christmas. The PM’s announcement has, unfortunately, not only confirmed this, but also kicked the can further down the road into.

This gloomy view I am afraid has been reinforced by Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO, who Immediately the tightening restrictions was announced, met with the Government and laid the RFU cards clearly on table: if there are no Autumn Internationals or Six Nations games possible with crowds in attendance, then the effect on the RFU’s finances will be nothing short of catastrophic - a loss of £260 million in revenue is predicted. Without the Government’s financial support, I think we can safely say the RFU will not survive.

I take absolutely no pleasure in sharing this with you, it is what it is, but as Chairman of our wonderful rugby club, we have to face up to the likelihood that no competitive rugby will be played this season, and plan accordingly and do what we can, within the confines of making sure we are fully protecting all our players and supporters from the ravages of COVID-19.

Whilst we may not be able to enjoy the full benefits of full on competitive rugby, we can still get on with rugby in other ways at Barnes.

And despite the storm clouds gathering, we have already been doing that, rallying the Barnow troops around, and having a lot of fun at the same time too.

Since July, we have been gradually taking the club out of mothballs, dusting off our boots, balls and kit, and getting together regularly.

So now I would like to share with you some of that brilliant rugby-related stuff that we have been doing during the Summer months.

COVID-19 - our reality
It is important that I first reinforce that we are fully COVID compliant when training, all across the club, in all age groups, and we are also adhering to all of the COVID hospitality regulations when inside and around the clubhouse.

It has taken a lot of work to get everything in place for this to be so, and you need to play your part in this too of course. Please make sure you wear a mask when you are asked to do so, if you don’t have one when you visit the clubhouse, then you can buy a Barnes RFC branded one, the brainchild of the new Vets skipper, Rich Mayson. By the way, the Vets is now called The Originals, more of that later!

Social distancing needs to be practised, not just preached, and if you don’t comply you will have the wrath of President Dave Doonan, Zoe Rand, Jack Heald and Peter Thomas to contend with and, believe me, I would not advise that!

Special thanks to President Dave O’Doonan, to be sure he has grasped the COVID nettle and is ensuring that we are fully up to date on all things COVID. T’ank you very much yer man!

Further special thanks to Mark Jankovich. Jankers was a ferocious Barnes 1st XV back rower in the 90’s, and now he runs a successful eco-friendly cleaning products company called Delphis. Jankers has very generously agreed to supply all of Barnes RFC with a huge amount of hand and kit sanitising products, both for the clubhouse, and for all of the players pitch side during training. This is incredibly helpful for our COVID compliance, particularly for the Minis and Juniors, and a wonderful gesture, so if you want to make sure your balls, or any other sports equipment, are clean of COVID, then here is Jankers’s company website: https://delphiseco.com

The Barnes RFC Clubhouse Bar and Barbie
They say an army marches on its stomach and, if that is true, then Barnes RFC marches on its beer, (and soft drinks ?), burgers and hot dogs!

I am incredibly proud of the efforts made by Zoe, and her own army of amazing workers, to get the bar open, COVID compliant, and ready for bar action so, as soon as we were allowed to in July, we reopened the clubhouse, and over 120 of you turned up on that first Saturday. Table service and social distancing was brilliantly enforced and observed ?

There were superb culinary contributions made by those twin legends of tong twizzling, Ian “Bubba” McBride and Jason “Veggie” Bacon, they have taken barbequing to new levels!

And, of course every barbequing duo needs their platers to serve the gathered throngs, and at Barnes RFC we had not one, but two: Head Plater Si Curran and his sous-plater, and understudy, Rich Fenech. A quartet to die for but hopefully not from (their food!).

One person deserves a very special mention here, and that is Kenny Worrall. K-Dubz quietly, and effortlessly, ensured all our clubhouse guests registered in the week leading up to each Saturday and, successfully, herded all of the Barnow sheep into, and out of, the clubhouse and surrounding premises safely.

The last word on this of course goes to Zoe and her magnificent army, their excitement at being able to open the club again after lockdown knew no bounds.

The Vets are dead - long live The Barnes Originals!
The Vets have been going through several significant changes over the last year. Firstly, the Maltese Marble, (aka Rich Fenech), handed over his Captain’s baton to Rich Mayson, a brilliant choice of leader to take the team forward.

Whilst Finchy will still play when required, (and further develop his barbeque plating skills), Mase has been focussing on attracting a new generation of player, not in their late 40’s or early 50’s. Part of this has been a rebrand of the name. After a between-the-season dabble with calling themselves The Purists, after a recent period of reflection the team formerly known as the Vets is now called (drum roll please): The Barnes Originals, which ties in wonderfully with our heritage, dating back to 1862, and how we talk about playing in the original spirit - simples ?.

Did you know that our Ladies are actually Women
Talking of rebrands and name changes, Barnes Ladies have become Barnes Women, following in the footsteps of England Women. The Women’s Committee is currently working on a full rebrand to reflect so watch this space, it is going to be incredibly exciting for this fast-growing section of the club.

Training at Barnes RFC
With strict adherence to the COVID-19 regulations at all times, Barnes RFC is back at training, with the Men and Women training at selected times on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 7pm and on Saturday Mornings at Barn Elms.

The Minis train on the BEST pitches on Saturday mornings, whilst those over 12 (the Juniors) train there on a Sunday morning too. Contact details for the various sections can be found here www.BarnesRFC.org or contact your normal team representative or coach to check the starting times.

The Nat West clubhouse clean up weekend
Early in September, Barnes RFC took part in the Nat West clean up weekend, with over 75 people joining forces across the club to spruce up everything from the clubhouse to the containers at Barn Elms that needed painting after being covered in graffiti.

President Dave Doonan presided over the day of many actions. These were some of them:
• The adult men and women players took on a vast array of activities, including:
o Gardening their socks off, whilst clearing and weeding all the pathways around the clubhouse;
o Cleaning the loos, and the kitchen, to within an inch of their lives;
o Vacuuming, scrubbing and removing 100’s of grimy cobwebs and piles of dust;
• The Originals who threw everything out, wiped everywhere, and hung lots of rugby memorabilia and pictures back up in the clubhouse;
• The Minis & Juniors who painted over the graffiti on their kit container at Barn Elms and tidied it up too!
• The Colts who worked particularly hard to help Ken MacRae discover lots of things that he didn’t know he had in his secret stash cupboard;
• And last, but by no means least, the assorted army of fridge and freezer cleaners, the window wipers, the gutter clearers, the skip fillers, the painters, and in particular the two special ladies who spent hours practicing for their new painter and decorators careers!

These are Jonathan Knight’s photos of the day:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17_DOL22RuODK0vdFVesNMJ-9YhOg_Nxs?usp=sharing

Having looked at JK’s photos, and spoken to Dave Doonan, I am incredibly proud of the passion, banter, joy and sheer hard work shown by all that took part.

From the youngest to the oldest, an utterly brilliant Barnow day, thank you all for helping out!

Pitch Up for Rugby
Following hot on the heels of the success of the Nat West day, we recently supported the RFU’s Pitch Up For Rugby Day, designed to encourage players of all ages and abilities to take part in the new form of the game, Ready4Rugby, part touch, part 7’s (but 10-a-side) and part rugby skills.

It was an amazing day, and so good to see so many players from across the entire Barnes RFC demographic running in their green and gold Barnes shirts on the hallowed turf of Barn Elms and the BEST pitches.

Over 400 Minis pitched up to train and play and over 100 Men, Women and Colts also took part. The RFU’s film crew were there all day too and their memory of the day can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialEnglandRugby/videos/679666442928407/

As an advert for Barnes RFC, it was great that this all took place under the watchful eyes of next year’s RFU President, Nigel Gillingham, who drove all the way up from Stroud to be with us for the day and was full of praise for all that we do at the club.

After the rugby there was the now legendary Bubba and Bacon barbie, and I was delighted that Yolanda Garrett was able to come to the club, with Jack and Verity, and Yolanda’s grandchildren, Freddie and Phoebe, so we could all raise a glass or two to Garry’s memory.

And finally!
For those that have been involved, whether playing or just coming to the club, thank you so much.

To those making it happen, thank you to you too, we simply can’t operate without you!

If you have not yet been down, to either train or just chat, please do come and play - on and off the pitch.

Our Barnes RFC clubhouse is open from midday to late afternoon/early evening each Saturday, so there really is something for everyone at Barnes RFC.

We are doing all we can to keep Barnes rugby activity alive and well, however long it takes us to get back to playing competitively again. With your support we will weather the Winter storm and come out raring to go in 2021.

Please continue to support your club, it is incredibly important, and we need you!

If you would like to help out in some way (any way!) and/or simply donate some money (any amount!) to Barnes RFC, please feel free to contact me personally:

Michael@thepinkrhino.com

Thank you for taking the time to read this

Onwards and Upwards Barnow!

#YourClub #OneCLub

In the words of the late, great, Dame Vera Lynn…we’ll meet again!

Rhino x

Michael “Rhino” Whitfield - Chairman Barnes RFC