Millwall RFC
Founded in 1995, Isle of Dogs based rugby club

News

Urgent Call for Volunteers

Much like the other 1,800 grassroots rugby clubs around the UK, our club is fully run by volunteers.

A great example of Millwallian’s giving their time to make things happen is the Clubhouse. If you don’t know the history of our home under the arches (and what it looked like before!) click here. Long story short, the entire place was fundraised for, built out and fully fitted by those who were willing to give a few hours here and there over many years to support the dream of building the only rugby club in Tower Hamlets. 

Most of the existing volunteers at Millwall are fulfilling two, three, or even more roles; they do it because they enjoy it, but to support our three playing sections and realise many of the great ideas suggested at the AGM, simply put, we need more people to help. 

Please share this information with your partners, pals, and parents who live in London. It is so key for us to grow our volunteer base beyond players and coaches who already do so much on match and training days.

   Volunteer Roles    Click the links below to find out about each role:

  • Bartender

  • Cook - As an incentive, anyone who signs up as a cook and completes their Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering Certificate plus their Level 2 Allergy Awareness Certificate will receive a personalised Millwall chef apron.

  • Duty Manager

  • First Aider - If you already hold a first aid certification of some sort, it might be valid for use at the club, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

  • Minibus Driver - We are looking for any drivers, but if you passed your driving test before 1st January 1997, definitely do get in touch.

FYI:

  1. You can do more than one volunteer role.

  2. Free training and support will be provided for all roles.

  3. Volunteers get preferred access to international tickets offered to the club by the RFU.

  4. In terms of time commitment, it generally means being available in person for approximately 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon (Men’s), Sunday morning (Youth), or Sunday afternoon (Venus) once or twice a month at most but we can adjust as needed if you are interested.

 Volunteer Open Evenings -  With funding support from the England RFU, we are also hosting two Volunteer Open Evenings this August.

Pop in the Clubhouse on either date below for a 10-minute chat where you can ask questions or discuss any of the roles. There will be complimentary snacks and drinks on offer for those who swing by.

  1. Wednesday 07 August from 19.00 to 21.00

  2. Wednesday 21 August from 19.00 to 21.00

   Other Ways to Support Millwall    We understand that volunteering isn’t possible for everyone, but there are many things you can still do to help, including:

  • Socialising at the many events we hold throughout the season.

    • We have our first Thirst Thursday of the season tonight! Join us from 18:30 onwards at Munich Cricket Club, West India Quay. All are welcome and extra points for anyone repping Millwall stash!

  • Sussing out if you have employer-supported volunteering (ESV) at work. Some businesses give employees time off or even donate towards volunteer hours matched.

  • Supplying spirits for the bottom shelf. Bring back a bottle from your travels to support the Jengaaaa and other clubhouse games. 

  • Supporting and attending matches.

  • Sharing social media posts and tag us so we can share yours.

To join our amazing team of volunteers, where you can give a little and gain a lot, just reply to this email to indicate your interest. We’ll be in touch to chat further about what works for you and we’ll count ourselves lucky to have you.

I’m also happy to share that all fixtures have now been released and preseason is in full swing. Check out the Millwall Rugby Club Calendar | Season 2024-2025 for the matches and training sessions this upcoming season.

Viva Millwall, Kate

Millwall RFC
Pre-Season Update - July 2024

Hello Milwallians,

As the Club kicks off its milestone 30th season, I’m thrilled to be part of this journey in my new role. This is certainly not a solo endeavour, and we are so lucky to have a great team of volunteers who have stepped up to help write the next chapter of Millwall Rugby Club’s remarkable story together. More confirmed role holders will be shared soon, but here is a reminder of your Club Management and Wider Committee for Season 2024/25 so far:

Club Management Committee (CMC)

  • Club Chairman – Kate Roy

  • Secretary – Megan Roy

  • Treasurer – Amedeo De Vincentis

  • Ladies Chair – Helena Shaw

  • Men’s Chair – Seb Villard

  • Youth Chair – Charlie Andersen

  • Clubhouse Officer – Adrian Williams

  • Communications Officer – Marcus Mitropoulos

  • Club Safeguarding Officer – Dr James Taylor

Wider Club Management Committee (Wider CMC)

  • Venus Team Managers – Amy Kavanagh & Megan Conquer

  • Men’s 1st Team Managers – Daniel Cundy & Dave Hayward

  • Men’s 2nd Team Manager – Mike Taylor

  • Fixture Secretary – Mike Beech

  • Social Secretaries – Dale Sewell & Giorgio Annecchini

  • Assistant Club Safeguarding Officer - Julie Andoh

  • Bookkeeper – Nigel Webb (Flex)

  • Disciplinary Chair – Seamus McGowan

  • Membership Secretary – Seb Villard

  • Merchandise Officer – Charlotte Paler

July CMC Update   

We’re currently in a transition period with two-thirds of the committee new to their roles. However, the CMC, Wider CMC, and our amazing volunteers are working hard to get everything ready for the new season.Over the coming weeks, we’ll keep you updated on all the latest happenings, but I am pleased to share some updates following the CMC meeting on Tuesday, 16 July.

Clubhouse Repairs & Refresh - If you’ve visited the Clubhouse recently, you might have noticed we’re hard at work clearing out and cleaning up the space for the new season. We’re arranging repairs and service checks and reviewing storage spaces with relevant parties. We appreciate your patience as we freshen things up.

Fundraising Ideas & Sponsorship Opportunities - Some new and novel ideas were considered to fund Club activities, and the various levels of sponsorship packages we offer were also discussed. If you’re interested in discussing sponsorship opportunities for the upcoming 2024/2025 season, email me. We’d love to partner with you to support and promote your business while continuing to develop our community rugby club. Opportunities include team-specific sponsor packages, advertising in the Clubhouse, weekly comms emails, on our website and social media, and more.

Volunteer Recruitment - A call with information on various volunteer roles we’d like to fill, including First Aiders, Bar Staff, Duty Managers, Cooks, and Minibus Drivers, will go out next week. Free training and support will be provided for all roles, and we ask that when the email comes out, you share it with your partners, pals, and parents who live in London and might be able to help out too.

Senior Pre-Season & Fixtures - Wednesday night pre-season training for all senior squads has now begun! The fixtures for our Men’s 1st XV and Venus teams have been announced and can be found linked here. We are waiting for the Men’s 2nd XV info to be released to set plans for a Start of the Season Party and other socials. 

Youth Training - After a well-deserved summer break for our coaches and players, our youth section will return to training on Sunday, 8 September in the park.

The Club Calendar - After what felt like a never-ending season, decisive action was taken to lock down some key dates for S2024/25 in the diary: 

  • Thursday, 1 August 2024 - Thirst Thursday in Canary Wharf from 18:30. Exact venue details to follow and all are welcome, so invite partners, friends, and colleagues.

  • Saturday, 26 April 2025 - The Annual England vs Rest of the World Match & Social

  • Wednesday, 7 May 2025 - Millwall Rugby Club AGM S2025/26

  • TBC | Saturday, 17 May OR Saturday, 07 June 2025 - The Annual Dinner & S2024/25 Awards Ceremony

A reminder that members are welcome to attend the CMC meetings, but to help the flow and timekeeping of the meeting, as well as to ensure that queries can be answered effectively, you must submit any questions or proposals via email to Megan at secretary@millwallrugby.com. We will communicate the dates/times of the next meeting soon.

Season 2023/24 Annual Awards Winners   

A simply lovely night was had at the Annual Dinner and S2023/24 Awards Ceremony on 6 July in Greenwich. We are very proud to share the winners for last season and thanks to photographer Anna (@shilonos.photo on Instagram) for capturing it all. Pics can be viewed here.

  • Venus Best Newcomer - Olivia Curtis

  • Venus Most Improved Player - Libby Meredith

  • Venus Player’s Player - Martha Savage

  • Venus Player of the Year - Dale Sewell

  • Men’s Best Newcomer - Gareth Fitzpatrick

  • Men’s Most Improved Player - Ian Needham

  • Men’s Player’s Player - Chris Prowse

  • Men’s 2nd Team Player of the Year - Adrien Malen

  • Men’s 1st Team Player of the Year - James Ampherlaw

  • Youth Volunteer of the Year - Tomomi Guillochon

  • Club Person of the Year - Kate Roy

  • Honorary Life Membership Award - Adrian Williams

A Tribute to John (Sean) McCann

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Sean McCann’s passing. Sean was a member of our first-ever Men’s squad in 1995/96, earning 92 caps. He was a Level 2 Accredited Coach who trained the Venus and Youth teams, a referee, and even met his wife Monica in the Clubhouse. A true Millwallian who will be greatly missed.

The funeral service will take place tomorrow, Friday, 19 July 2024 at 1:00 pm, in Northern Ireland. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support Cancer Focus Northern Ireland. Details can be found on Sean’s tribute page linked here. His family has arranged for the service to be livestreamed should you want to join from afar. Platform Link: https://watch.obitus.com / Username: puqi8379 / Password: 141992

 I look forward to seeing you at future events, matches, and training this upcoming season. For the most up to date info, check out the Millwall Rugby Club Calendar | Season 2024-2025

As ever, don’t hesitate to reach out should you have any questions, ideas, or concerns.

Viva Millwall,

Kate

Chairman

Millwall RFC
Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental health awareness week shall see a series of posts about the impacts that physical activity, sports injury, and being a part of a team can have on Mental Health.

The first of these is a resource produced by @looseheadz about steps you can take to improve your mental health.
Looseheadz is an organisation committed to #TackleTheStigma of Mental Health in the world of rugby.

Looseheadz, in partnership with Shout, provide a 24/7 text support service for players struggling with their mental health. To access this, you can text 'Rugby' to 85258 to speak to a trained volunteer.

Millwall RFC
Harwich and Dovercourt Coach Trip & Jamie Smiths 200th cap

What better way to start bonfire night than a trip away with your favourite first team to one of our favourite teams of last season?

The H&D fixture was a highlight both home and away and this year we are offering spectator places for £10.

Meet at the clubhouse by 10:45 Saturday 05/11. Return expected around 19:30. Contact Seb menschair@millwallrugby.com for more information.

Bonus features –  Jamie Smiths 200th cap.

Jamie Smith has been with us as long as most of us can remember.  Joining us as a young player we have been privileged to have him grow up in front of our very eyes into one of the often-unsung cornerstones of the club. Anyone who has followed the men’s game knows just how integral he is to our scrums - and as a club personality there genuinely are not many more people that care about the club as much as he does.  I can say without any hint of irony that he bleeds red, white and black. 

Upcoming fixtures:

Saturday 5th November

Harwich and Dovercourt v Millwall 1s KO 14:30 – League game

Eton Manor IV v Millwall Llamas KO 14:00 – Merit Table

Saturday 6th November

Millwall Youth hosting Blackheath Youth from 10:00 on Millwall Park

Millwall RFC
Millwall Rugby Club S2021/22 Award Winners

Congratulations to all the award winners from our end of season dinner:

Men's Best Newcomer: Antoine Malen

Men's Most improved: Doug Lowe

Men's 1st XV Player of the Year: Adrien Malen

Men's 2nd XV Player of the Year: Mike Taylor

Men's Player's Player: Sam David

Women's Best Newcomer: Naomi White

Women's Most Improved: Shannon Moriarty

Venus Player of the Year: Jess Wilson

Women's Player's Player: Jennifer Mason

Youth Volunteer of the Year: Murray Keig

Unsung hero: Gareth Hargreaves

Clubwoman of the Year: Charlie Andersen

You are all amazing and thoroughly deserve your awards, we are very proud of you all!

Millwall RFC