Good evening Millwallions,

The playing sections had an absolute fire cracker of a weekend, with more excitement to follow tomorrow. In today's newsletter, we'll be covering results from last weeks matches (Big shoutout to Venus), fixtures for this weekend, our upcoming socials for all, and some clubwide house keeping. We need your help!

Results from Last Weekend:

Millwall Men’s 1st XV staged an incredible comeback against Kings Cross Steelers, securing a 24-19 victory. The gents came back down 19-0 at half time, showing heart and spirit among a rowdy crowd at home. Special mention to Toby Woods, who was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance and out of this world scrummaging. 

Millwall Llamas put up a great fight in their game against Romford but were edged out with a final score of 40-7. Max Lopez was named Man of the Match for his relentless effort on the field.

Millwall Venus kicked off their season with a solid 26-17 victory over Stanford Sirens!!!! Venus were persistent throughout the match, scoring a fun mix of team tries with a few full field runs sprinkled in. Player awards were given to Emma Deley (Back of the Game), Eva Carazo (Forward of the Game), and Kitsy De Recourt Byfield (Coach’s Player).

Upcoming Fixtures:

Millwall Men’s 1st XV were set to face South Woodham Ferrers, but the opposition has conceded a walkover due to a host of injuries. Happy 5 points gents! They are still playing against South Woodham on Saturday, but Millwall will be fielding a development team for their 3pm away match.

Millwall Llamas will take on Thames at home this Saturday, with kickoff at 2pm. The 1st team really benefitted from a rowdy crowd last Saturday, so let's get down and give our Llamas the same energy. 

August & September CMC Update + Upcoming Socials

Our most recent monthly meetings have been long but productive. We’ve tackled a lot of administrative tasks and policy work. The day to day, reactive stuff did tend to take over as we prepared for the start of the season but we did also find time for strategic thinking to ensure another thirty seasons of Millwall!

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. The next meeting is on Tue. 15 Oct. 

Clubhouse Refresh Continues - Our Clubhouse Officer Adrian has been busy ensuring our Club is a safe and welcoming space for all. Deep clean of the floors, kitchen and bar area. Check. New fire extinguishers and accessible first aid cupboard installed. Check. Regulatory inspections of the Gas Boiler and PAT tasting. Check. We are currently scoping some new suppliers for things like the Wi-Fi, live sports broadcasters and EPOS and will keep you updated. 

Welcoming New Sponsorship - Conexus Tuition Canary Wharf has now joined as our first Millwall Media Sponsor for this season. We are happy to have Pauline and Conexus onboard and more info about their tutoring services for English, Maths and Science can be found on display in the Clubhouse and on their website. If you’re interested in discussing sponsorship opportunities, visit our website. Opportunities include team-specific sponsor packages, advertising in the Clubhouse, weekly comms emails, on our website and social media, and more.

New Merchandise Supplier - Charlotte, our Merchandise Officer, has been hard at work meeting with and shortlisting suppliers over the summer. After much deliberation, the CMC has selected Akuma as the sole provider of all playing, training, tour and leisurewear until October 2027. More info on playing bundles, updated merch designs and 30th Season stash will be shared very soon...

Volunteer Learning & Development - Much like the team on pitch, the team off it also need to train and our Youth Chair, Charlie has been integral in ensuring Millwall is organised and up to date on all of this. Volunteers have attended Youth DM & Bar Training and The Essex CB Safeguarding Conference. Coming up within the next few weeks, we have our new volunteers on the extremely important RFU DBS Safeguarding Course and the RFU First Aid Course. 

Volunteer Recruitment - Thank you to all who put their hands up following the call to volunteer went out. We have welcomed some new faces to the squad but still need more help, especially on match and training days. If you have any time to give, information on various volunteer roles we’d like to fill can be found here. 

Party Time! Excellent! - A big thank you to our Social Secretaries, Dale and Giorgio, for arranging a couple of lush Thirst Thursdays and the 90's Social tomorrow. We are taking a TT break for October as we have lots on (Alumni Day: Sat. 12 Oct & Triple Header Halloween: Sat 26 Oct.) but are back with a Thirst Thursday - Pub Quiz at The Clubhouse on Thu. 07 Nov. 

Hook Us Up - The committee is currently scoping some opportunities and new ideas. Nothing set in stone just yet but if you or someone you know could help with any of the following, please email chairman@millwallrugby.com.  

• Annual Dinner Venues 

• Professional AV Set Up / Installation

• Minibus Hire or Minibus Purchasing

• Grant Writing

• Musicians or DJs

Best regards, 

Communications Officer

Millwall Rugby Club

Hi Millwallions,

Your favourite weekly email is back! You can expect updates on results from our senior playing sections, along with upcoming fixtures. The latter half of the email touches on our upcoming clubwide socials and a media day for all playing members. Viva!

Fixture Results:

A big congratulations to the Millwall Men's First Team for a hard-fought victory against Old Brentwoods! The final score was 27-22, with Vince Chan earning the well-deserved title of Man of the Match. Well done, Vince!

Weekend Fixtures:

Here’s what’s lined up for this weekend:

Millwall First Team: Home match against Kings Cross Steelers on Saturday, kicking off at 2:00 PM.
Millwall Second Team: Away game against Romford's second team, starting at 3:00 PM at RM7 0EP.
Millwall Venus: The women's team will be playing Stanford Le Hope at home on Sunday, kicking off at 2:00 PM.
Social Event:

Don’t forget, next Saturday, September 28th, we’re hosting our Back to the 90s event at the clubhouse! There will be drinks, music, and games, and we encourage everyone to come dressed in their best 90s-inspired outfits. There will even be an award for the best dressed, so get creative! It's going to be a night full of fun, and we can't wait to see you all there.

On October 6th, the Communications Officer will be hosting another clubwide media day tailored to playing members. Players of all ages can come down, get dressed up in kit and have headshots and actions shots taken of them to aid our evergrowing social media presence. Kit will be provided, just bring your smiling faces.

Our Millwall Alumni day will be hosted on Saturday, October 12th following both mens games.

Best regards,
Communications Officer
Millwall Rugby Club

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

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

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.