Earthblog

Players blog
By
Garry Holmes

We are well into the summer break and to be honest it is quite boring. The fact is, I am not spending each week day recovering from the Saturday just gone! Work has kept me busy all the same. We held a district tag rugby Festival at Kirkby Lonsdale with 29 teams involved. The all - day festival was all to find a qualifier for the Regional tag festival and 4 teams for the county finals. St Marks Natland won the festival and represented the district in Manchester last week (15th June). Ghyllside, Vicarage Park and Heron Hill all qualified for the county finals, where all 4 teams made the quarter finals of the competition. Ghyllside managed to go on to the semi finals and missed out making the finals on a golden try.
The district festival, which is the highlight of my year, was a massive event this year. I also had a special visit from President of the RFU, John Owen, as well as the Chief Constable of Cumbria Police.

I’ve been attempting to keep my fitness up this year, although according to certain members of the alacadoo’s that shouldn’t be hard as I've never been fit. I have been playing plenty of touch rugby this summer on a Wednesday night down at the club. There are about 40 people turning up each week and it is there for everyone and anyone to take part in. If anyone is interested, turn up on a Wednesday night at 7pm. You don’t even have to know how to play rugby, and its non contact.

My summer work programme for adults finished with 2 touch rugby festivals, the Kendal fancy dress festival and a festival at Windermere. These are both great days out.
Pre season training begins soon and how the summer has passed - 2 months off for 10 months of rugby! I know that Lucy is already not looking forward to it. Personally, I can’t wait to be back playing! I’m just not sure on the 6 weeks of fitness leading up to it.

I have seen that we have matches against Dundee and Vale leading up to the clash for the Peter Kremer Memorial Cup against Wharfedale. Now we know Vale have heavily recruited this last year and Wharfedale are always strong, but Dundee will throw up something of an unknown - should be an interesting match.

Garry Holmes