Dear Senior Players,

Your Playing Chairs will have been in touch with you regarding off-season training but please contact them directly should you have any questions or comments on the below.

Ladies Chair - ladieschair@millwallrugby.com

Men’s Chair - menschair@millwallrugby.com

Guidelines for Optional Rugby Training

Please find below the guidelines that must be followed during training sessions. These guidelines will be regularly updated in line with RFU guidance and any updates with be communicated with you. Please ensure you read these guidelines carefully. By attending training, you agree to understanding and following these guidelines. Please feel free to get in touch to ask any questions or raise any issues.

Key principles

1.      Do not attend training if you are displaying any symptoms of coronavirus or have been in contact with anyone displaying symptoms. Training will be cancelled if a member attends with symptoms.

2.      You must sign up for training by Tuesday night. If numbers exceed 24 attendees, a first come first served system will be used. If your availability to training changes after Tuesday night, you must get in touch with the Playing Chair directly.

3.      You should not use public transport to travel to training. Please use other forms of transport such as personal car, bike, or foot.

4.      Non-compliance of the guidelines outlined in this document will result in you being asked to leave the session or the session being cancelled.

Arrival to training

1.      Please bring hand sanitiser and use this before and after the session. We will have hand sanitiser available, however it is preferable that you bring your own to minimise possible contact to shared surfaces.

2.      On arrival, you will be directed to a marked-out box alongside 5 other players. Do not congregate with other players at the start of training. Please stay 2m away from others at all times.

3.      Any bags or items should be placed at a 2m distance from others to prevent getting close to others when collecting items/drinking water. The clubhouse will not be available to store items or bikes. Bike racks are available outside the DLR station to be locked.

4.      A register will be taken each session to assist with contact tracing if needed.

During training

1.      Keep 2m away from other players at all times for all activities. For some activities that require heavy exertion, you may be asked to keep a 3m distance.

2.      Do not touch your face during the session.

3.      Please bring a towel to wipe off sweat. This is to minimise potential spread.

4.      Please bring your own water bottle and maintain a 2m distance during water breaks. Water bottles will not be provided by the club.

5.      Sharing equipment (e.g. ball passing) will be minimised. Balls will not be shared between groups. Please bring your own ball if you have one.

6. After any drills that involve minimal equipment sharing (e.g. ball passing) you will be asked to hand sanitise and the equipment will be sprayed down. Please bring your hand sanitiser or use the hand sanitiser provided.

7.      In the event of a need for first aid, St John’s ambulance measures will be adhered to. You can consult these by following this link. Please note access to the clubhouse for First Aid items will be limited (please bring your own tape or plasters if needed).  

8.      Access to the clubhouse should be avoided. In the event of needing access for the toilet, this will be possible upon request with the Playing Chair. Toilets will need to be cleaned after each use by the Playing Chair. 

Leaving training

1.      Make sure you continue to maintain a 2m distance when leaving the session.

2.      Do not congregate. There will be no huddle at the end of the session.

3.      Make sure to use hand sanitiser.

4.      All equipment used (e.g. cones and balls) will be sprayed down with disinfectant at the end of the session and stored securely by the Playing Chair.

*Founders Day*

Today we celebrate those who started it all 25 years ago! After watching that legendary '95 RWC Quarter Final on 11 June 1995, this group of mates decided that the time had come to band together into a team and form a rugby club…

- Chris Underwood
- Larry McCabe
- Michael Marques
- Perry Munton
- Phil Antenbring
- Simon Fletcher
- Toby Underwood

Thank you, too, to the many who at different times and in different ways have made Millwall Rugby Club what it is today.

Here’s to another 25 - Let’s go to work!

#rugby #rugbyunion #rugbylife #essexrugby #essexrfu #london #isleofdogs #canarywharf #greenwich #eastlondon #towerhamlets

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

chairman@millwallrugby.com

Stay in Touch

Web Site

• www.millwallrugby.com

Instagram

• @millwallrugby

• @millwallvenusrugby

• @thevicunas7s

Facebook

• @millwallrugby

• @venusrugby

• @millwalllions

The RFU want to be prepared to get rugby back up and running when government guidance allows, and it is safe to do so. A great deal of work has been undertaken in recent weeks to establish protocols around a safe return to training and ultimately competition.

As part of their preparations, they are conducting a short survey across the rugby community and would appreciate your views to help shape and guide the plans. The RFU would like to ensure that the plans align with the sentiment in the rugby community and that rugby restarts at a time when there is a will and desire to have it played again.

This survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and your thoughts will be invaluable over the coming weeks.

Click here to take the survey.

Below are a couple more things for the virtual diary: 

- Venus Social Mondays at 8pm (Social held weekly to play games e.g. Pictionary and have a chat).

- Virtual training on Wednesdays at 7pm

All are welcome to join these events (training for women only) but will need to email Ladies Chair for the link.