OHA Rugby set to Launch!
2017 marks the 50th anniversary of Haileybury joining the APS Rugby Union competition, at a time when Haileybury Rugby is in great shape – with 110 active players across all age groups, fielding two Senior XVs and back into the VSRU 1st Division – and with a broad and experienced coaching team to take the sport to a new and sustainable level at the school.
We therefore thought it the ideal moment to officially launch your OHRUFC – welcome aboard! Past Senior XV Player whom the OHA has current contact details on, receive automatic and complimentary membership and will be invited to all future events, whether they be purely social (retired Rugby players are experts in that endeavour) or playing for your Club. Like most such clubs, it will kick off with a simple format, with the aim for those involved to build it into something more substantial over time – especially when there will be at least 20 new OHA members welcomed into its fold each year.
As a newly-minted OHRUFC Member, members are cordially invited to our two signature events for 2017:
Saturday August 19th: Haileybury 1st XV versus Old Haileyburians Match played on Rendall Oval
Played in the ‘Barbarian style’ and with no points for penalty kicks, this will mark the official launch of the OHRUFC (and those attending can decide whether it just gets called OH Rugby!). This inaugural match is to be held on Rendall Oval, with a team most likely picked from the 2012-2016 years – though ones from a few years prior to that may also be considered.
If you played Senior Rugby during the 2012-2016 seasons and would like to play in this match wearing the jersey featured below, please email your details to [email protected].
There will be refreshments served and so we very much welcome OHRUFC spectators to come along to cheer along at the match and witness some interesting post-match awards – in all likelihood, some off-campus fellowship amongst the old Rugby-playing fraternity will continue afterwards.
Friday August 25th: Haileybury Rugby End-of-Season & 50th Anniversary Dinner at The Brighton Savoy
In this commemorative year, we will be combining a special 50th Anniversary Dinner with the usual End-of-Season Dinner – to be held at the Brighton Savoy on the evening of Friday 25th August. For the time being, please just save the date and we will send you an official invitation in due course.
The organising committee is reserving tables at this event for each ‘playing decade’, with the aim of having representation from across the history of the game at Haileybury – so come and join us to recount old playing stories (that sound better each year they are told), player awards, special guest speeches and fellowship – we would very much enjoy your company.
Neil Sutcliffe
Rugby Parent & OHRUFC Coordinator
