Just two big games last weekend, our Originals travelled to Weybridge Vandals on Friday and came second against a strong opponent 48-19 but on Saturday our winning travelled away to Hammersmith and Fulham (not far) and against all odds, and after a highly challenging season, won 10-17. A fantastic result for our Women.

Both match reports are below.

Before we look at this weekend's games please stick 3rd May in your diary, we are throwing a 20 year celebration of Women's Rugby at Barnes RFC from 12:30 in the clubhouse - more details to follow

This weekend we have three games for you to enjoy.

Our Men’s 1st XV travels away to Bury St Edmunds. After two losses on the bounce to Westcombe Park OA’s, our band of seriously wounded warriors will assemble, patched up and bandaged one more time for this seriously tough encounter.

Yes, we are battered and bruised but we are proud and will dig deep for this one. With only three games left nothing will be left in the tank, but you can bet your bottom dollar that our Barnow lads will give it everything and do themselves and us proud.

The Men’s 2nd XV is away on Saturday to Bishops Stortford, a touch one for them too, same rules apply though, and those that do pull on the green and gold for this gamer will give it their all for Barnes Rugby.

On Sunday, our Women’s 2nd XV is at home to Tabard, as it is the only home game this weekend how about a stroll in the sunshine down Queen Elizabeth Walk to watch our women play? They will love it!

Onwards and upwards Barnow! To infinity and beyond!

Michael “Rhino” Whitfield - President Barnes Rugby Club

Saturday 5th April Fixtures
• Bury St Edmunds 1st XV vs Barnes Men’s 1st XV - 3pm KO
• Bishops Stortford 2nd XV vs Barnes Men’s 2nd XV - 2pm KO
Sunday 6th Fixtures
• Barnes Women’s 2nd XV vs Tabard 2nd XV

Hammersmith and Fulham Ladies 10 - 17 Barnes Women’s 1st XV - words by Captain Naomi Roycroft

SUPER SUNNY SATURDAY and what a performance from our Women's 1st XV.

The ground was like the Sahara, the kick-off early, the journey there avoiding Fulham Fans treacherous, but this did not stop this bunch of win-hungry women.

After a gruelling nine games on the bounce, Hammers Away saw us pull out the stops, reminding us that when we play our rugby, we're a challenge for any side within the league.
Hammers brought a very physical game, with their 10 using the boot wisely from the off. After about 20 minutes Hammers managed to get through some intense Barnes defence scoring on the outside; their kicker unable to convert, leaving Barnes trailing 5-0.

A knock-on from the kick-off saw Barnes camped out in Hammers 22 for what felt like forever; after some speedy back’s hands, Jeanette went racing down the sideline, only to be clothes-lined within a meter of the tryline. Penalty Try for Barnes saw us take the lead going into half time!

Sun beaming down, faces glowing and the fans rallied up, Barnes applied the pressure from the start of the second half, sticking to our structure the game felt very evenly matched. After what felt like a zillion turnovers back & forth, hammers saw an opportunity out the back & kicked for the line. After some excellent pressure they managed to score shortly into the second half. Score 12-10.

Some super scrummaging from our forwards, enabled the backs to do their thing, executing that final pass (coaches be proud!) with Viktoriya tearing up the pitch for Barnes second try. A conversion from Izzy saw the score 10-17.

The remainder of the game saw heart racing rugby back and forth, ending the final minutes of the game with Hammers chomping at our try line. Some outstanding defence from our own try-line saw Hammers knock the ball on and the game was done.

A fantastic end to a difficult season! Thank you to Jerry for the photographs, the coaches and all our supporters.

Fear not, you can still get your Sunday fix, as the Women's 2 XV continue on until the end of April!

Weybridge Vandals 48-19 Barnes Originals - words by Captain Charlie Frost
First Half Highlights: The match kicked off with Vandals immediately asserting their dominance. Just two minutes into the game, Vandals struck first, breaching the Barnes defence through the centre. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 5-0. The pace of the game was frenetic as Vandals continued to press, and they soon added another try, again missing the extras, extending their lead to 10-0. Barnes struggled initially but found their rhythm with a breakthrough from Woody, followed by a determined run from Crofty. Charlie capitalised on the momentum, scoring a try that was successfully converted, bringing the score to 10-7. However, Vandals retaliated quickly with another try out wide, and once again, the conversion was missed, making it 15-7.

As the half progressed, Barnes began to find their footing. Kurt showcased his speed and skill with a powerful run, finishing off with a try after a brilliant setup by Rich P. Unfortunately, the conversion was missed, leaving the halftime score at 22-12 in favour of Vandals.

Second Half Highlights: The second half saw Vandals continue their assault, scoring another try in the corner, followed by yet another missed conversion, extending their lead to 27-12. A controversial moment arose when a goal-line drop was deemed legal despite their own players still being in front of it. This allowed Vandals to sprint the length of the field to score, with the conversion finally successful, pushing the score to 34-12.

In a spirited response, Bambi scored a much needed try for Barnes under the posts, and the extras were added, narrowing the gap to 41-19. However, Vandals were relentless and responded with one final try and a successful conversion, sealing the match at 48-19.

Despite the final scoreline, Barnes Originals showed flashes of brilliance and determination.
The Vandals, however, proved to be a formidable opponent, capitalising on their opportunities and maintaining pressure throughout the match. As Barnes look to regroup, they will surely take lessons from this challenging outing as they prepare for their next encounter.