Opportunities and Dreams

Well, after a fairly lengthy sabbatical, I  thought it best to get ' back in the saddle! '  August 1st, maths was never my best school subject, 50 days until the opening Eliot Champ Rugby game at promoted National One Champions, Rotherham Titans.  Should be an interesting game.  They look to be recruiting quite strongly, including a couple of players we, Cov, have crossed swords with fairly recently, Russ Bennett from nearby Doncaster Knights and Nuneaton born lock, Alfie Bell, latterly from the Pirates. The opening game is on September  19th, a CRSC coach will be running, details nearer the time.

Prior to that, CRSC have a coach travelling to RGC for the first of our only two pre-season fixtures, away at RGC on August 29th followed by the , possibly, first and only visit of The Ospreys on Friday 4th September.  I say might be the last , if rumours are correct , Ospreys could be the sacrificial lamb due to WRU ' reorganising!' Who knows?  Possibly an even worse run governing body than ours! 
Other events to keep a keen eye on are a Fans Forum later this month, date TBA, at the NNS,  the launch of the new merchandising and retail operations, I have heard  on or around the aforementioned Fans Forum , both a newly branded shop and online sales.  The new shirts will also be launched. The away shirt is strinkingly different. 
The players have finished their first block of pre-season training, ' hard' ' demanding' are just some of the players comments to me. , But they have a week off for some R and R now. 

I shall be at the NNS later , catching up on the Academy U18's as they entertain Leinster and Ealing Trailfinders U18's respectively in a three team day of youth rugby. The Academy continues to prove its worth.  This season's Senior Academy players have, according to reports,  fitted in well and we are likely to see some, if not all , in the upcoming season.    Today's games are all free entry  to go and see some of the game's brightest talents.

On the Academy, and this might have passed you by, Harley Barnett signed for London Scottish, yesterday.  Harley was one of the very first players for the Academy, his mum, Becky, was a strong part of the Academy start-up, admin and organising. Harley moved on and has found his way into the semi-pro game. If you need convincing of the Coventry Rugby Academy's worth, I think this could be a pointer. 

Let the season begin......