Fellow Millwallians,
First and foremost, I hope this message finds you safe and well, and I’m sure I speak for all Millwallians when I extend sincere thanks to the key workers among our membership.
I had hoped to be writing to you all to mark the end of the season and outline the exciting summer of events taking place to mark the Club’s 25th anniversary. Coronavirus has, of course, intervened to cut the season short and means the clubhouse is closed for the time being. This update will therefore focus on the changes we are having to make. For those wanting to know how things went on the pitch there are brief summaries below from the three playing chairs.
Cancelled and Delayed Events
Given the current situation, we will be unable to hold the Rest of the World games which had been scheduled for 16 May. The Houses of Parliament have recently cancelled all upcoming events, which includes our end-of-season dinner that had been booked for 13 June. Everyone who purchased a ticket will receive a full refund. I know that many of you were looking forward to the occasion and we have asked to be pencilled in for the same venue in June next year.
The AGM had been scheduled for 6 June, but the Committee has decided to delay this until August, which is provided for in the Club’s constitution. The latest information from the Government is quite vague about where we are expected to be in August, so we will monitor the situation in terms of social distancing and make a decision closer to the time about what form the AGM will take. We will also send out information on all the roles which are up for election at the AGM so you can decide whether to stand.
The Financial Position
Under the new arrangements introduced at the start of the season, our membership year runs from September to August. This enables members to spread the cost over 12 months of direct debits rather than 8, and it also means that the Club has an income stream during the off-season to pay for overheads. With the clubhouse shut, we are unable to generate income from the bar so please keep your direct debits active.
The Club made a loss in the financial year to April, primarily due to a drop in income rather than a rise in expenditure. In order to balance the budget, our treasurer Gareth Hargreaves has been working with the playing chairs to set the membership prices for the 2020/21 season, which will be communicated to you once we have a firmer idea of when the season will start. Gareth has also been working hard to reduce our outgoings during the coronavirus-induced closure and to pursue Government grants and insurance claims. Needless to say, the Club is in very safe financial hands during these turbulent times.
Season Wrap Ups
Millwall Venus
Playing in a tough NC1 league, Venus have had a challenging season. However, with 20 new recruits this season, the team has developed hugely, giving every opposition a run for their money.
Season highlights include a close 10-7 win against Rosslyn Park and a strong team try ending our last match of the season against Chesham at home. Most impressive of all is the significant progress that many of our newer players have made. You would struggle to pick out those in the squad who had never picked up a rugby ball before this season. Credit goes to the team’s commitment to training and to our fantastic dedicated coaches CJ, Si and Hayley.
With the aim of continuing the recruitment drive and to keep playing rugby in the off season, Venus have launched a new 7s team called “The Vicuñas”, part of the Llama family. Fingers crossed “The Vicuñas” will soon be seen competing in some of London’s 7s tournaments. After a season of re-building and growth, Venus is ready to take on the next challenges of the 2020-2021 season.
Rachel Castola, Ladies Chair
Millwall Men
The Men’s Squad have had a really positive season under new head coach Andre Louw. The 1st team bounced back convincingly from a tough relegation season last year, with plenty of fresh faces quickly cementing their place in the side. Some strong performances on Millwall Park at the start of the season meant we were competitive from the off. In the end, our season was sadly cut short as we pushed for a top 3 finish in Essex 1, but finally placed 4th.
The Llamas managed to punch above their weight in a challenging Merit Table 3, despite the occasional difficult week for availability. The squad pulled together to grind out some results alongside a couple of ‘jouer’ performances, testament to the effort of all of the players, finishing in 6th. It was especially encouraging to see so many new players integrating into both squads, and both Men’s sides being united both in our game plan on the pitch, but also in our off the pitch antics.
Unfortunately, at the start of this season we had to make the difficult but correct decision to pull the 3s from the Merit Table. Steady growth in our numbers of players meant we saw the return of the 3s, but with a couple of match weekends killed by named storms.
We look forward to next year, to continue the resurrection of the 3s, and to the 1s and Llamas building on solid seasons around a core squad of players. It’s going to require plenty of hard work, but we hope to challenge at the tops of our respective tables once again.
Shek Palit, Men’s Chair
Millwall Lions
A very positive year for the Youth as our numbers increased throughout the season. We had great results across all of our fixtures with all age groups taking part.
We have been given the opportunity to take part in fixtures with plenty of different teams for the new season and with the progression of numbers we have had we will be looking to enter a few festivals throughout the year.
The coaching and volunteer team has grown and created a much better environment for the players to learn rugby. We enjoyed a surplus of volunteers from the partnership with Amos business school and from the Men’s & Women’s teams which all of the youth section was great-full for.
Scott Vinnicombe, Youth Chair
Returning to Rugby
In the best case scenario, we will have a curtailed pre-season with a return to play in September, but as rugby is a full-contact sport in which social distancing is all but impossible, there is a distinct possibility that next season will also be impacted by coronavirus.
The RFU has been working on protocols for a safe return to playing and competition and has asked for the views of club officials and members. If you can find 10 minutes to spare, please complete this survey.
As soon as we hear anything concrete from the RFU, we will communicate it to the club membership via email and our social media channels.
I’d like to finish on a note of optimism. We face a testing time in the next few months, but the spirit and determination that saw this club evolve into what it is today will see us through it. Thank you to all those who were a part of Millwall Rugby Club this season, whether as a sponsor, volunteer, coach, player or supporter. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Toby Sanders
Chairman
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