Basingstoke Rugby club’s junior teams have had an incredible 2022-23 season.

On Sunday, April 23, the club are holding the Annual Kids-First (Minis U6-U12) festival and they are hosting 60 teams from across the county at Down Grange.

On Sunday, April 30, the club finish the season with an annual Colours Day where awards are distributed, speeches given, and the kids have a lot of fun with water guns and bouncy castles.

Here is a round-up of all junior teams:

Under 6s

BRFC U6s have welcomed a new group of mini-athletes and a fantastic team of volunteer coaches. The season started off with a focus on key catching, running, and passing skills, and it didn’t take them long to get the hang of things. 

The whole group has progressed to playing mini-games. They’ve also learnt the importance of teamwork, all while having fun. 

It’s safe to say that the cold mornings, grass stains and scraped knees were worth it as it’s been a successful and entertaining first year of “big” rugby. 

Under 7s

The U7s squad have had a wonderful year and have made big steps forward with the development of their ball-handling skills. 

This year the team experienced joint training with other clubs for the first time, both home and away. 

The team saw the players respond positively to alternative sessions and they have successfully made the transition from team building and ball skills to competitive matches. 

The real highlight of the season was taking part in the first competitive tournament at Richmond where three teams worked hard, played some great rugby, and were rewarded with burgers and medals.

Under 8s

The U8 Tag rugby team made their coaches very proud as they competed at two festivals against some strong opposition. 

Not just in the performance of the players individually but how in the last eight months they’ve come together as a team, working together, and supporting each other. 

The coach said training this group of players has always been fun and rewarding, but this season has been the best year. 

The team has emerged with smiles on faces, a developing understanding of the game and knowing the importance of teamwork. 

Under 9s

It was a tough season for the U9s with tonnes to learn, but they’ve turned up every week each taking a turn. They’ve learnt to pass, tackle and pop with amazing skill, even though on occasion they’ve taken a spill.

Under 10s

The U10s ended the season with their first-ever tour. Twenty-nine players and eight coaches survived a weekend away in Dorset. Saturday was spent at Osmington Bay Activity Centre abseiling, buggy building, problem-solving and experiencing the giant swing. Sunday morning brought matches at Dorchester Rugby Club, which were a fantastic end to the weekend away.

The coaches were proud to see them forge new friendships, bond as a team and overcome their fears. The late nights and early mornings were worth it. The team are looking forward to further end-of-season celebrations and seeing what 2023/24 will bring.

Under 11s

The U11s had a festival with nine other teams and a joint training session with another local club.

Under 13s

It was a transition season on and off the pitch for the U13s, with the squad progressing from Kid’s First section and starting their Junior rugby journey. It has been an interesting learning curve, with the boys developing both physically and mentally, finding their own levels and working hard to succeed. In addition to number of friendly fixtures, the U13s competed in their first waterfall cup competition, which concluded with the boys beating New Milton in the third/fourth place play-off to secure a strong finish to the competition. 

Under 14s

The U14s team gained two new coaches, and three of the coaches gained their England Rugby Coaching Award. The squad has grown from 23 boys to 32 boys this season. Some have played from a very young age but more recently the team have had many first-time players join from some of the local secondary schools. The boys have promoted the team within their school communities. 

Under 15s

The U15s competed in two divisions with 44 players across two teams. The U15 boys have grown in confidence, capability, and physical stature.

“Kaizen” is the team ethos, the Japanese for continuous improvement. It recognises that you do not have to be perfect, just constantly striving to do a little bit better even when you think it’s perfect. The year group has seen continued success with three of its original players getting into the London Irish DPP.

However, it’s not about just individual success, this year as the club continued to grow ranks, taking on and training new players to the sport of rugby.

The team have given a rugby home to a number managing Autism, ADHD and Dyspraxia, boys who have sometimes struggled in school and for which rugby provides a fantastic outlet. 

Under 16s

The U16s had a great season with 34 players, including four new players joining who had never played rugby before.

The strong team of lads ended the season in Hampshire Division Two and many of them will transition into Colts over the summer. 

Girls

Currently, there are 85 girls playing across U12, U14, U16, U18 teams. This season, the club wanted to reward the girls’ teams by taking the whole squad on tour. The total cost was £33,000. The club raised the amount, thanks to the generosity and team spirit of parents, players, local businesses, and partner groups.

have filled the trophy cabinets with silverware from the National Cup and Inter-County Leagues, have girls involved in County Representational sides, Centres of Excellence, and these talented players take their love of the game with them to play for their university teams, Premiership Women’s teams, and in some cases, the England Women’s Pathway.