Jan Hume Memorial Day - 28th February

By Towcestrians
February 26 2004

Towcestrians RFC will be staging a memorial match between Tows 1st and a 'Latter Day Saints’ XV, consisting of ex Saints and International players as an integral part of a special Memorial and Benefit Day arranged at the club, in memory of Jan Hume.

Wellingborough RFC 3rd XV have kindly agreed to kick off their fixture with the Towcestrians RFC 3rd XV at 12.30pm on 28th Feb 2004. The last time these two sides met was on 13 September 2003, when 10 minutes after finishing a 3rd XV match at Towcestrians, hooker Jan Hume, tragically collapsed and died in the changing rooms. Jan was 37 and left his wife, Carrie, and two children under 5.

The above match will fittingly commence the special Memorial and Benefit Day arranged at the club, in memory of the former Towcestrians player.

John Woolley, Club Chairman said:‘’Jan was a gentleman both on and off the pitch. He was a true clubman, he loved rugby and he played for the club for over 8 years. He was a journeyman player in every sense and was always on hand to step in when asked to play hooker for the 2nd XV or 3rd XV teams. He was popular amongst his fellow players, he was the type of clubman who is at the heart of every successful club and this is our way of showing our thanks for his contribution to Towcestrians RFC’’.

Towcestrians RFC aims to raise a total of £10,000 and they have a number of fund raising activities and an auction, which they hope will attract a large number of people to the club. There has already been a very warm and supportive response from rugby clubs in Northamptonshire, with around £2000 already received from bucket collections at many clubs and grounds

Club Secretary, Richard Titmuss went on to explain: ‘’On 28th February, we have a very full programme for the day.

At 12.30pm we have the Grand Prize Draw at the clubhouse. We have already distributed 10,000 raffle tickets for this draw, with an allocation to every rugby club in Northamptonshire. There are excellent prizes including a signed ‘Jimmy White’ snooker cue, a full set of golf clubs, DVD players, TV’s, Digital cameras and so on.

At 2.30pm the Towcestrians 1st XV will play a fascinating fixture against ‘The Latter Day Saints’, which we are sure will offer a wonderful opportunity for autograph hunters together with a third team match against Wellingborough RFC 3rd XV. We have already distributed 10,000 raffle tickets for a Grand Prize Draw, with an allocation to every rugby club in Northamptonshire.


At 5.30pm, there will be a Grand Auction featuring an England shirt signed by the winning England Rugby World Cup 2003 squad, a number of very collectable signed shirts from Zurich premiership sides, plus numerous other items (see STOP PRESS below). Bidding for all the items at the auction is welcomed from members and non-members alike and visitors will be warmly received at the clubhouse anytime during the afternoon. It all promises to be great fun with something for all the family - and all in a good cause’’.

Towcestrians coach and former Northampton Saints player Frank Packman has arranged a fascinating fixture, which gives rugby fans the opportunity to see some of their favourite former Northampton Saints and International players in the Jan Hume Memorial match at Towcestrians RFC.

Frank said: ‘’I have had 100% co-operation from the guys I have called up. The team is taking shape and there are still a few names yet to confirm. Some of us play very little rugby nowadays, but this is an occasion when everyone feels the need to support the Towcestrians club. We have some very well known international stars of the rugby fraternity playing and attending on the day and it will be excellent for many of us to play together again and a wonderful opportunity for young autograph hunters to capture some of the great names of world rugby’’.

Current Squad
Gary Pearce, Wayne Shelford, John Thame, Vacey Pocklington, David Elkington, Clive Burns, Chris Allen, John Steele, Ben Ward, Lenny Newman, Seb Tubb, Andy Beales, Justyn Cassell, Barry Burgess, Frank Packman.

John Woolley, said: ‘’Frank has done an amazing job getting this team together which we hope will attract a big crowd to the club on the day. We are very grateful for all his efforts’’

STOP PRESS (Richard Titmuss)
Thank you all very much for your support, I know that we will have a great day.
Last night I took delivery of an England World Cup shirt and a very nice print of Martin Johnson holding the world cup, both signed by the man himself.

We have signed shirts from - Harlequins, Leicester, Saints, Edingburgh, Bath, etc.
We have tickets for Saracens and Newcastle home games and also tickets for the Saints.
We also have been given a Williams pit crew shirt signed by Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya and a Tottenham Hotspur away shirt, framed and signed by Jamie Redknapp.

I look forward to meeting lots of you on Saturday and hope that you enjoy your visit to us at Towcestrians RFC

Regards,

Richard Titmuss
Hon. Secretary.

DIRECTIONS TO TOWCESTRIANS RFC

From M1:
Leave at Junction 15A (Rothersthorpe Services), take A43 towards Oxford. Follow for approx 6 miles to the Towcester roundabout, where the A5 crosses the A43 (Wayside VW Roundabout). Take the third exit signed Greens Norton. The club is 300m on the right.

From Northampton:
Leave Northampton on A43 signed to Towcester and Oxford. Follow for approx 8 miles to the main Towcester Island, where the A5 crosses the A43. Take the third exit signed Greens Norton. The club is 300m on the right.

From Oxford:
Take A40 north to M40 Junction 10. Follow A43 signed to Northampton for approx 12 miles, passing Brackley, Syresham and Silverstone until you reach the second island at Towcester, where the A5 crosses the A43. Take first left signed to Greens Norton. Club is 300 m on right.

From Buckingham:
Take the A413 to Towcester. Turn right onto the A43 and continue to the second island at Towcester, where the A5 crosses the A43. Take first left signed to Greens Norton. Club is 300 m on right.

From Milton Keynes:
Take A5 North to through Towcester to main island where the A5 crosses the A43. Take second exit signed to Greens Norton. Club is 300 m on right.

Be there!