Something for everyone at Witney RFC
Witney RFC in Oxfordshire have added two new sections to their thriving club partly thanks to their clubhouse extension.
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Eighteen months ago, they celebrated the grand opening of their extended clubhouse. The extension backed by our wonderful sponsors and, funded by grants and an RFU loan, helped grow the club’s membership and added two new sections: a girls’ section and a walking rugby team. This sees the club now catering to all their rugby community.
A Game for everyone
The walking rugby team, set up by Derrick Fox, has around 20 men and women who turn up each week. This season, they’ve played fixtures against Sailsbury and Didcot, as well as their weekly training sessions, and they always enjoy an after-session meal in the clubhouse.
“The walking rugby team has been a great success. Having played two fixtures this season, they have the return legs to come but most of it is internal and friendly. The group have brought a lot of rugby related experiences from their past back to the club,” said Chairman, Robert Fisk.
Witney have also added girls’ teams at U12s, U14s, U16s and U18s.
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Fisk said: “We had girls playing in our mini and junior teams and we wanted something for the girls as they mature. So a big thanks to Katy Nichols, Sarah Dunbar, Andy Bee and James Gillies who step to provide a structure for the girls team and now we have had over 50 girls join in the space of six months. Many of the girls are new to playing so we have mostly training sessions while they learn the game, but they absolutely love it. They are there come rain or shine!
“Our new teams have helped us to represent the ethos of rugby: it is for everyone regardless of age, gender, shape or size.”
Warm and welcoming
As well as their new teams, the club has three senior men’s sides, a veterans’ side, a ladies’ team, Touch rugby and teams in each age group up to U18s, and the Witney Wolves, their SEN side.
The club believe that their renovated clubhouse has helped grow numbers.
“The impressive, improved clubhouse and good facilities help to draw people in. Years ago, we were lucky if we had a warm shower and a light in the changing room! But now, we have a warm and welcoming clubhouse that caters for everyone,” Fisk added.
Hard work of volunteers
As with all community clubs, the volunteers are the backbone of Witney RFC.
“Our success is purely down to the hard work of the volunteers. We look after them as best as we can, and we try to be inclusive and encouraging. We listen and accommodate as many ideas as possible because we want the club to be as good as it can be.
“We are a pioneering club too; we were one of the first clubs in the county to set up a ladies’ team 25 years ago and our SEN side is 14 years old.
“The most important thing for us is to see everyone enjoying rugby at Witney!”
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