Rugby Club Issue 73 | Page 23

Blackbrook ranks. We currently have numerous open age and junior sides in both rugby and football. Our plans are for continued growth and success. We have our annual music festival coming up on the 5th August, which is now in its 3rd year, which is vital in terms of generating revenue for the club to plough back into continuing to operate and improve the fantastic facilities that we have here.” Youth “Youth rugby is an integral part of the club, and has always been since day one. We currently have 17 junior rugby sides, operating under the guise of the Blackbrook Royals. These range from cubs (ages 4-5) up to and including under 18’s. We also have two open age sides. The club has a great ethos in terms of bringing young players all the way through the ranks into the first team. There are numerous players who step up through the ranks and progress year on year. We also have great success in terms of players going onto scholarships with professional clubs and have had numerous professional players come through the ranks of Blackbrook. James Roby, Adam Swift, Gary Wheeler, Josh Ganson to name but a few.” Community “We are very much a community club. The club is at the heart of the community and has been for the last 50+ years. We welcome everyone and don’t discriminate on any basis. The club is open to the whole community, both in terms of sport and socially.” Challenges/Ambitions “The biggest challenge all pubs and especially clubs are facing is the challenge to keep the doors open. There are so many pubs and clubs closing day in day out, for varying reasons, mainly as a sign of the times and change in people’s drinking habits. We as a club and committee need to work closely with all of our individual sections (open age rugby, junior rugby, open age football and junior football) to ensure that as many people as possible use the club and its fantastic facilities. Ultimately that’s what all the hard work which we carried out on a daily basis is for. We need to keep growing and moving forward, improving facilities wherever we can. Our main ambition is to continue to offer and provide facilities which are second to none in the amateur game. We aim and strive to be as successful as we possibly can.” www.rugbyclubmag.com 23