CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME A warm welcome to all our supporters and visitors at Eccles RFC today. We’re already a month into the new season with three fixtures under the belt for all three of our Senior teams and with our Ladies, Colts, Junior and Minis teams also enjoying competitive games each weekend, the long suspension of rugby during the Covid lockdown is beginning to feel like a distant memory. Our 1XV men started their campaign in a positive fashion with an away win at Ormskirk, but since then have struggled to score tries and secure victories against West Park St Helens and Widnes. They’ll be looking for an improved performance today against Wigan who arrive at Gorton Street in similar form to Eccles with 1 win and 2 losses from their opening fixtures in the ADM Premier Division. Our 2XV meanwhile have a well earned day off today, having achieved back to back confident victories over Manchester 2s and Warrington 2s and our newly invigorated 3XV also enjoyed a home win last weekend over Aspull so I hope to see many of them down at the club today ‘encouraging’ their team mates from the touchline and balcony today. Our ability to field three teams at all in the current playing climate is something we should celebrate and is due in no small part to the enormous weekly personal effort that goes on, off the field and behind the scenes, from our Director of Rugby, Club Captain, Fixture Secretary, Fossills ground crew and numerous Committee Members to get teams assembled, games organised, referees arranged, pitches and changing facilities ready so players can enjoy rugby. The disruption of the coronavirus pandemic has certainly hit community rugby hard with many players failing to return to their clubs or renew their previous commitment. Following the news of a collapse at Broughton it was announced this week that Burnley too have dropped out of the league due to a lack of players. My conversations with other local club officials leads me to believe that Eccles are not the only club missing many of our experienced names from team sheets and facing a weekly wrestle to raise teams. We have to accept that players no longer wish to or are able to play every Saturday and inconsistent availability on a weekly basis will result in inconsistent team line ups and results. A positive outcome of this situation for Eccles has meant a very youthful 1XV with many of our homegrown former colts stepping up for their first taste of first team rugby in a Navy and White hooped shirt and it’s an exciting time for us as we look to the fruits of our own well established mini & junior section to become our future home-grown talent. Age grade rugby at numerous North West clubs appears to be struggling, but the effort we invested here at Eccles during the lockdown to keep players active and engaged is paying off with increasing numbers of new recruits being reported every Sunday from many of our teams and our U16s and Colts teams playing exciting attacking wining rugby. As always, non of this would be possible without the continued effort and dedicated commitment of a very small group of over burdened volunteers. Donating your time to support the club's growth can be very rewarding so if you’d like to get involved and put something back in please do step forward. I look forward to seeing you all in the bar after the match, where you can enjoy a glass of first class ale from our match sponsor and local brewer First Chop. I hope you enjoy your match experience here today and you keep returning throughout the season to support our teams. All things prosper with effort. Let’s get stuck in! Chris Gaffey // Eccles RFC Chairman
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