Oadby Wyggestonian
Oadby Wyggestonian
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
It has been a positive season for Oadby Wyggestonian RFC this year with plenty
to look forward to in the future. Rugby Club Magazine recently caught up with
Club Representative Chris de Luca to find out more about how they have been
getting along lately.
He told us, “I have been involved with the club since 1980
as a player, captain, coach and, for the last twenty years, the
chairman. I had graduated from Leicester University and
joined the Wyggs as I had Uni friends playing there.”
“As everyone who is involved with an amateur club/group
run by volunteers knows, it is the people who are both the
most challenging and rewarding! The atmosphere at the club is
buzzing! The 1st team enjoyed a positive season and the Colts
finished their season strongly and there are some age groups
coming through the Sunday Section who are looking like very
exciting prospects.
“The 1st team were promoted last season and the normal
wish is to consolidate our position. Although not a promotion
candidate, we find ourselves very much at home in this league
and in the chasing pack - and all done with our existing squad.
What has also been an unexpected boon is that the Leicester
Tigers have spent £500,000 on putting down a new 4G surface
with an inflated dome over it so training can continue for
everyone through the worst winter months. When lit up in the
evenings it looks like a UFO!
“We need to try to settle down our 2nds/3rds more quickly
at the start of the season as well as integrate the two age groups
which will make up the Colts for 2019/20 - this is a continual
learning curve! More excitingly is to build on the work we are
doing this year to establish a Womens and Girls team at the club.
We have been working with the Leicester Tigers Community
team in schools as well as developing links with the Womens’
teams of both universities to that purpose and both our County
RFU and Twickenham have offered their support.
“Almost 80% of our league registered players have come
through our Sunday Section - so youth rugby is essential.
The Colts and Senior Coaches and Captains work together to
drop Colts into senior teams where appropriate based on their
ability while still fulfilling Colts fixtures.
“We have also introduced a club tie which can only be
won by Colts who have played at least 10 senior games before
the end of their U18 season; over the three seasons we have
done this so far half-a-dozen have been awarded so it is a
very exclusive club! Too often, Colts can be seen as a natural
conclusion to playing - especially if the university club is a
bit of a bearpit but, having experienced mens’ rugby, they
continue to play at a club local to their Uni (which we know
several have done) or with us.
“With so many other demands on time - exams, work and
family - plus distractions (!) and the way people just pick up
and drop things at a whim, our biggest challenge that we
can do something about is player recruitment, retention and
regular availability - it is a numbers game. With that in mind
our ambition over the coming years is to continue with our
work with Leicester Tigers Community in schools and with
the two universities.
“We aim, through sponsorship and other forms of funding,
to create a full-time coaching role going into local schools
banging the Oadby Wyggs drum. This should help us with
player numbers (boys and girls) from the base with the positive
knock on effect as they get older.
“We also want to have a viable Womens and Girls team,
still be running and senior teams and an occasional Vets as
well as seeing if our strictly amateur 1st team can hold their
own in the league above where that is definitely not the norm.”
www.rugbyclubmag.com
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