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BATH RUGBY V SALE SHARKS

BATH RUGBY LADIES v BUCKINGHAM SWANS LADIES

By Bath Rugby

March 25^th, 2022

WELCOME TO THE RE

Dear supporter,

Welcome back to the Rec for what is set to be a special occasion.

Not only do we have our Round 21 Gallagher Premiership match between Bath Rugby and Sale Sharks to look forward to, we also welcome Bath Rugby Ladies for their Championship South 1 fixture against Buckingham Swans Ladies.

The latest double header reinforces our commitment to the growth and sustainability of the women and girls’ game in our region, a core objective for us in which we have made great strides during the 2021/22 campaign.

Whilst strengthening our relationship with Bath Rugby Ladies, we have recently formed an exciting partnership with Bath College to assist in the development of promising young female rugby players in the Bath Rugby catchment area.

The partnership provides the first female pathway to the elite game in the region and mirrors the well-established and successful existing partnerships that Bath Rugby has developed for boys in particular with Beechen Cliff, along with various other independent schools.

A Bath Rugby Women’s Academy is the start of a long-term commitment with Bath College to create a best-in-class Women’s Academy and facilitate the growth of the female game throughout the region.

Another significant milestone is the formation of Bath Rugby Women’s Sevens who will compete at top-flight Sevens tournaments this summer. Whilst working with grassroots clubs and schools to drive participation remains paramount, creating elite playing opportunities to talented female players in our region is an important step towards building our professional squad.

These steps the club is making continue to build the foundations to support and grow the women and girls’ game as set out in our plans last year, and we look forward to sharing further news on progress over the coming months.

Since the turn of the year, we have seen a significant improvement in the men’s performances in the Gallagher Premiership. Our last encounter at the Rec, the West Country derby win over Bristol Bears, was a tense and ultimately brilliant match. The team delivered on the field, and all of you - our supporters – played a massive part, roaring the team on until the very end. Your support this season has been amazing – from everyone at the club THANK YOU!

With a number of players returning from international duty and injury, we have a great opportunity to finish the season strongly in both the Premiership and the European Challenge Cup.

Finally, whilst we look forward to two exciting games today at the Rec, events in Ukraine cannot help but put everything in perspective. Bath Rugby stands together in solidarity with Ukraine and its people. We strongly condemn the invasion, and our thoughts are with those affected by this crisis.

We will show support at the match for the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal to help those affected by the invasion of Ukraine. Details of how to donate will be shared on our big screen ahead of kick-off and we encourage donations where possible.

Enjoy the games.

Tarquin

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COACH'S CHECK IN: BRENT JANSE VAN RENSBURG

In this week's Coach's Check In with Compeed, Brent Janse van Rensburg talks momentum in the Premiership following two bonus-point wins.

DE CARPENTIER COMMITS TO BATH RUGBY

Richard de Carpentier is relishing his next chapter with Bath Rugby after committing his future to the Blue, Black and Whites.

The versatile forward joined the club last summer after impressing on trial and has been an influential character within the squad.

Making his Bath Rugby debut against Harlequins, the former RPA England Sevens Player of the Year has made 10 appearances to date in his maiden season at the Rec and he is happy to be settled after what was a turbulent period in his career.

“After being made redundant from England Sevens, I didn’t know which way my career was going to turn,” de Carpentier said.

“It was an extremely tough period for me and my family. I was incredibly grateful to be afforded the opportunity by Bath last summer to show what I could do and whilst it’s been a difficult season, I have absolutely loved my time at the club so far.

“There’s a great group of lads here with a lot of talented young players coming through which is exciting. I’m buzzing to have extended my contract and to have the chance to contribute to such a great club.”

A durable player with excellent skills at the breakdown, de Carpentier’s value to Bath Rugby is more than just on the field.

The 31-year-old has made an impact on the young forwards at the club due to his professionalism and application to training.

“Chippy is an infectious character within the group and his past experiences have had an impact on a number of players at the club,” Head Coach Neal Hatley explained.

“He leads by example with how he conducts himself around the club and his desire to be the best version of himself each and every day is a credit to him.

“We are really pleased that Chippy and his family will be staying with us beyond this season.”

ACADEMY TRIO SIGN EXTENSIONS

Rising stars Nahum Merigan, Frankie Read and George Worboys have all extended their contracts with Bath Rugby.

All three players have come into the Senior Academy through the Beechen Cliff School pathway, a close partnership which develops promising young players within the Bath Rugby catchment area on and off the field.

Hailing from Taunton RFC, Merigan joined the Blue, Black and Whites’ Academy aged 14 and debuted for the senior side in the 2019/20 Premiership Rugby Cup alongside several homegrown players including Tom de Glanville, Miles Reid and Max Ojomoh.

European and Premiership caps have followed for the Number 8 whose intelligence and power with ball in hand, combined with subtle offloading skills, are among his key attributes.

Read converted from centre to back row ahead of the 2019/20 season. Joining Bath Rugby aged 14, the 20-year-old excelled in schoolboy rugby at Thomas Hardye and Beechen Cliff and has the opportunity to continue his development by playing BUCS Super Rugby with University of Bath next season alongside his Sports Performance degree.

A standout in BUCS Super Rugby, Worboys has scored over 110 points in seven games for University of Bath as well as collecting a 10-point haul Premiership Rugby Cup haul against Gloucester, including a smart finish.

The fly-half, who can also play full-back, attacks at the line and is excellent at putting people in space. He will use next season to push his strengths to the next level.

On the trio’s extensions, Academy Manager Craig Lilley said: “We are extremely proud of Nahum, Frankie and George’s journey at Bath Rugby.

“Nahum performed really well with England Under-20s last season and was a big part of their U20 Six Nations Grand Slam achievement. He has been working hard on his physical development and we have seen good signs of what he can do both sides of the ball, both in gaining momentum in attack and denying defence on the gainline.

“Frankie’s opportunities over the past two years have been restricted due to covid and injury, but we are really looking forward to seeing him play BUCS rugby next season. He shone in schoolboy rugby, and we are excited to see him take the next step.

“George has produced some outstanding performances from fly-half in BUCS this season and has shown great leadership. Next season will provide him with an opportunity to further develop his qualities.

“All three have been with the club since the start of the DPP and we are looking forward to maximising their potential.”

LADIES MATCH TO BE LIVE STREAMED

Bath Rugby Ladies' match against Buckingham Swans Ladies at the Rec on Saturday will be live streamed on YouTube.

The stream will begin just before kick-off at 17:30!

LIVE STREAM

PRTV LIVE TO SHOW BATH RUGBY V SALE SHARKS

Bath Rugby's upcoming match against Sale Sharks in the Gallagher Premiership is available to watch on PRTV Live!

If you don’t have a ticket for the match, you can watch the game via PRTV Live – Premiership Rugby’s new pilot service streaming directly to fans.

PRTV Live will show the Bath Rugby games that are not broadcast by BT Sport or ITV and started with the win over Newcastle Falcons and then the home derby victory against Bristol Bears.

This weekend’s match against Sale will be available to purchase via the Premiership Rugby website NOW with our very own Tom Ellis on co-commentary duty!

PRTV Live is now available via desktop. A match pass will cost £4.99, and a full round pass will cost £6.99.

Watch on PRTV Live

VISIT YOUR RED CAR

ROAD TO 2023/24: WOMEN AND GIRLS

In May this year, Bath Rugby unveiled the club’s commitment to the growth and sustainability of women and girls’ rugby in the region.

Since the announcement, there have been several exciting developments that will help guide the club through the three-year roadmap culminating in an application to the Allianz Premier 15s. The following four transformational objectives were established in May, which will need to be achieved by the 2023/24 season.

PLAY - To double the number of registered players across our region, supported by the appointment of a new Women’s Rugby Development Lead

SUSTAIN - To develop a sustainable and inclusive pathway to the elite game across our region for players and coaches; achieved through partnering with clubs, schools and universities, and supported by the appointment of a new Pathway Lead

PERFORM - To form a professional women’s team, partnering with Bath Rugby Ladies, with the ambition of being ready to join the Allianz Premier 15s in the next licence cycle

PROMOTE - To promote female role models and raise the profile of the women and girls’ game across our region, leveraging the club’s marketing and communication channels and those of our commercial partners to effect positive change

Read about the three-year strategy

EXCITEMENT BUILDING FOR DOUBLE HEADER

The double header returns on Saturday as Bath Rugby and Bath Rugby Ladies are set to host opposition at the Rec on the same day for the second time this season.

The Blue, Black and Whites take on Sale Sharks in the Gallagher Premiership at 15:00 looking to build on their positive league results of late while John Gould’s side take on Buckingham Swans Ladies (17:30 kick-off) in the Women’s Championship South 1.

Over 3,000 fans stayed behind to watch the Ladies in action following the men’s match against Saracens last October and centre Max Ojomoh is calling for those in attendance to stay behind and make some noise once again.

“It was incredible to see so many stay behind after our match against Saracens to watch Bath Rugby Ladies last time,” he said.

“Given the nature of our result, it would have been easy for supporters to end their day out at the Rec early, but it really shows the appetite for women’s rugby in our region.

“It’s important for female rugby players in and around Bath to have the opportunity to play on bigger stages and experience things we as men’s players can sometimes take for granted.

“Hopefully they will get another big crowd on Saturday and fingers crossed for two positive results!”

One player who is hoping to feature for Bath Rugby Ladies on Saturday is Bath Rugby Schools Coordinator Hannah Meek.

The wing has been in fine form for the Ladies this term, scoring 13 tries, and is relishing another chance to run out at the Rec.

“It was such a momentous occasion for women’s rugby," she said of the October win over Supermarine Ladies.

"It was amazing to be involved with such a fantastic team. We absolutely loved running out on the Rec and to have 3,000 people watch us represent the city was up there with the best feelings I’ve had on a field.

“The partnership between Bath Rugby and Bath Rugby Ladies is continuing to go from strength to strength and as a group of ambitious women, we can’t wait for what the future holds.”

Access to the women’s game is FREE following the men’s fixture with the link to sign up for free tickets below*.

TICKETS

Furthermore, Bath Rugby Ladies v Buckingham Swans Ladies will be live streamed to increase visibility of female rugby in the region and to support the ever-growing rise of the women’s game.

LIVE STREAM

*Bath Rugby v Sale Sharks ticket holders do not need to register for the additional game. Your ticket provides access to both.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS WEEKEND'S DOUBLE HEADER

Bath Rugby's Jonathan Joseph and Bath Rugby Ladies' Hannah Meek talk about this weekend's double header and describe how significant moments are like this for young girls aspiring to be rugby players.

BATH RUGBY 33-32 SALE SHARKS

Makeshift fly-half James Wilson held his nerve to kick Bath to a narrow victory over Sale, converting Zach Mercer's try with 30 seconds remaining.

Wilson was only wearing the 10 shirt with Rhys Priestland, Freddie Burns and Josh Lewis all injured but he kicked 18 points as Bath snuck home at the Rec.

Sale looked on course for victory after winger Denny Solomona went over either side of Marland Yarde's try.

But Mercer and Josh Bayliss scored for Bath before Mercer's second won it.

BATH RUGBY LADIES 44-13 SUPERMARINE LADIES

Bath Rugby Ladies treated a crowd of approximately 3,000 with a stellar performance, seeing off Supermarine Ladies 44-13 on their last outing at the Rec.

In their first competitive fixture at the Rec following a men’s fixture, Lucy Peters scored the opening try for Bath with Supermarine’s Natalie Williams and home fly-half Sarah Holloway trading penalties in a nervy first quarter.

Trish Brown had the fans on their feet with her score before the break and Lucy Steward cut the deficit for the visitors.

Thereafter the hosts were in full control. Nina Edwards scored a second-half hat-trick while birthday girl Bethan Wakefield and Megan Wynne both crossed under the posts.

Holly Edmonds rounded things off in the final 10 minutes to end an extremely special occasion on a huge high.

BATH RUGBY V SALE SHARKS

Three weeks ago will live long in the memory of Bath Rugby supporters. The finish in the West Country derby against Bristol Bears was phenomenal.

Yes, the visitors’ discipline saw them reduced to 14, and sometimes 13, men but the Blue, Black and White were determined in their approach to come back from 21 points down to record victory.

The roar from the Rec was outstanding and we are certain an equally enthusiastic crowd will be in attendance for the visit of Sale Sharks on Saturday, and of course for the Bath Rugby Ladies’ match that will follow.

Full preview

HEAD TO HEAD

Bath Rugby have won four out of their last eight matches against Sale Sharks (D1, L3).

Other than the September 2020 meeting which saw the Blue, Black and White run out comprehensive 37-22 winners, each of those games has been decided by one score or, in the case of the December 2018 meeting, drawn.

The 2018/19 head-to-heads saw two low scoring affairs (7-7 draw, 6-3 to Sale) but the fixtures since have included 16 tries.

Semesa Rokoduguni has four tries against Sale while Byron McGuigan has crossed the same amount against Bath.

Josh Bayliss has three scores with Jonathan Joseph and Ben Spencer on two apiece. Dan du Preez and Jean Luc du Preez have the same amount in the Sharks camp.

ONE TO WATCH: DAN DU PREEZ

Of Dan du Preez's 49 Premiership matches for Sale Sharks so far, the back row has started in 48 of them at Number 8 - coming on as a replacement just once in his maiden season.

That was against Bath Rugby where he scored one of his 13 tries to date.

This season the big ball carrying South African has featured 13 times in the league, crossing the whitewash four times and continues to provide important go-forward for Alex Sanderson's side.

BATH RUGBY LADIES V BUCKINGHAM SWANS LADIES

It is another milestone occasion as Bath Rugby Ladies play their second competitive match following a Bath Rugby men’s match, taking on Buckingham Swans Ladies (17:30 kick-off) on Saturday.

The double header is just one of a number of positives to come from the blossoming relationship since Bath Rugby pledged its commitment to grow the women and girls’ game within the region.

Nine of the starting XV featured back in October when John Gould’s side defeated Supermarine Ladies in front of a 3,000-strong crowd with a further 3,000 watching via live stream.

Last weekend, Bath Rugby Ladies earned a bonus-point win over Blackheath to keep in touch with the top two in Championship South 1.

Six changes have been made to the side that began that match with tighthead prop Trish Brown returning – she was one of six try scorers against Supermarine. Megan Wynne, another to score that day, remains at loosehead with Hannah Stephens switching to hooker.

Kathryn Hyland is promoted to the second row alongside former Bristol Bears and Exeter Chiefs lock Clea Fawcett while Megan Barwick, who was recently called up by England Under-20s, is in the back row alongside Ellen Witt and Robyn Price.

Experienced back Sarah Holloway is back in the 10 jersey outside Emily Codd and the fly-half’s inclusion sees Anya Small move to inside centre with Rebecca Wye also in the midfield.

Bath Rugby Schools Coordinator Hannah Meek is named on the wing in a back three containing Lucy Peters and Holly Edmonds – both crossed for tries at the Rec in October.

BATH RUGBY RESIDENTIALS 2022

Bath Rugby Residentials are the closest experience a child can get to training like a professional rugby player.

We have a number of Easter and Summer camps coming up. Here's an insight on to what a Bath Rugby Residential is like.

FIVE ACADEMY PLAYERS INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONALS

Five Bath Rugby Academy players represented their country at age-group level last weekend.

John Stewart and Ewan Richards lined up for England Under-20s against France while Sam Harris and Arthur Green started for England Under-18s against Wales.

Thompson Cowan was back on the flank for Wales Under-20s who faced Italy in their final outing of the U20 Six Nations.

Senior Academy hooker Stewart was a consistent fixture in the England U20 Six Nations squad while Richards took his caps to seven after a period of starring for the Blue, Black and Whites.

The Under-20s ran France close in the final round but came up just short, losing 26-22 at the Stade Aime Giral.

Harris and Green both impressed for Bath Rugby Under-18s in their league campaign this season and earned an opportunity to further their development at international level, while Cowan was fantastic in his first few caps at Under-20 level for Wales.

England Under-18s recorded a handsome 37-20 win over Wales at Taunton RFC with the Bath duo excelling. Harris was entertaining from full-back with Number 8 Green crossing the whitewash from a back of a maul.

Wales Under-20s were edged out in their final match, suffering a 27-20 loss to Italy. Cowan made a game-high 12 tackles and a turnover from the openside as he continued to stake his claim in the Welsh back row.

Academy Manager Craig Lilley said: “It was great to see a number of our lads involved in international matches over the weekend.

“John and Ewan enjoyed a new experience of playing rugby for England in France and once again put their best foot forward, impressing in their roles for the team. Tom has developed significantly during his time away with Wales and we’ve enjoyed watching him play at a new level.

“We’re really proud of Sam and Arthur’s involvement at Under-18 level after a great season for their schools and our Under-18s. They have led by example and their performances this year earned them the opportunity to be selected in their first internationals of the year.”

BRF VOICE: THE LITTLE THINGS WE DO EVERY DAY ADD UP TO BE BIG THINGS

By Bath Rugby Foundation CEO – Lynne Fernquest

The little things we do every day add up to be the big things - A powerful message and one that weaves its way into everything we do at Bath Rugby Foundation.

With 18 years’ experience building confidence, developing skills, and creating pathways to independence for vulnerable children and young people in our community, we now see daily evidence that big things happen when we concentrate on doing the little things well.

A great example of this within Bath Rugby Foundation is our HITZ learning academy, where older teenagers who (for many complex reasons) have found school challenging - often leaving without any qualifications and sometimes after being excluded - grow and flourish as our team help them develop self-belief and the emotional tools to thrive.

There is no magic wand waving involved, just effort and persistence from all sides, but the incredible results soon start to come when young people are encouraged, feel they are valued and find somewhere where they belong.

Meg is a perfect example of this. In primary school Meg was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome and ADHD and was bullied. She was unhappy, her confidence was low, and she joined us without any qualifications. In her own words she had no future and did not know how to create one.

During the two years Meg spent at BRF, she slowly but surely built herself back again – and now loves sport with a passion, is well on her way to university and is determined to help other young people whose futures may appear bleak.

Although Meg was originally overwhelmed by the challenge, with each day that passed the future looked a little bit brighter and now two years on she’s extremely proud of how far she has come.

The same ‘slowly but surely’ approach is used for members of our multi-sport and social programme – Hi5! Club. At this amazing club – which meets 4 times a week - children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) will also learn the life-changing benefits of being active and the incredible power of having friendship groups.

For many teenagers, who have had few or no opportunities to enjoy independence, the difference this club makes supplies our team with daily tales of triumph – whether that’s a club member feeling confident enough to catch a bus and meet their friends at a café, to play golf, attend a dance class or join one of our Mixed Ability rugby teams.

Young people have the ability within them to grow, strengthen and develop – but there is no quick fix, it requires the support and encouragement to be consistent - this is where the real magic happens and this is where we believe that we can continue to make a big difference to young people’s lives, little by little, day by day.

Hear more about Meg’s incredible journey here - https://youtu.be/9PUKxZ0-ZV8

BEST BITS FROM OUR BATH RUGBY FAVOURITES

We reflect on the best bits from our Bath Rugby favourites.

A WARM WELCOME FROM BRSC

The last few weeks have been a tale of two very contrasting matches against the same team. The game against Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate last week was a Premiership Rugby Cup game and saw a team made up largely of young and emerging players at the wrong end of a heavy defeat.

It was disappointing night. Contrast this with a pleasingly sunny afternoon at the Rec a few weeks before, where the (admittedly injury depleted) first team sent my heart racing with an impressive comeback after conceding 21 unanswered points in the first 15 minutes.

While the opening half was painful to watch, I could argue that it made the resurgence even sweeter. Levels of noise, intensity and skills increased in the second half and Bath were soon level at 24 all. I’ve experienced many stressful and exciting moments watching Bath, and I think watching Bristol take the lead, Bath continuing to attack, a last minute TMO intervention and a winning try when the clock was in the red propelled this match into my Top Five. I didn’t actually see Tom de Glanville ground the ball, such was my jumping up and down in celebration before he had even crossed the line.

In Bath Rugby Supporters’ Club news, you may have seen a new BRSC presence in The Swift Half on matchdays. For the moment, you can find us both at our gazebo at the clubhouse end of ground and in the Swift Half. It allows us to meet even more of you and an opportunity for you to check out our new merchandise. It is proving very popular, especially the beer carriers and autograph books.

Our annual charity quiz took place at the clubhouse attThe Rec on Tuesday 8 March, after being rescheduled due to Covid concerns before Christmas. As ever, the evening was hosted by Dave Stock, who entertained us all and made the evening very enjoyable. Our raffle raised £250 for our charity of the season, Age UK’s dementia service. Tom Carr-Smith and George Worboys were there to represent the Bath Rugby Academy, so it was exciting to see George named on the bench for last week’s cup game against Bristol.

Allez Bath.

Nicola Curtis, BRSC.

BATH RUGBY V WORCESTER WARRIORS

Midweek rugby returns to the Rec on Wednesday 30 March (19:45 kick-off) as Bath Rugby host Worcester Warriors in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

The Blue, Black and Whites have had a couple of disappointing results in the tournament to date but the positives have been a number of young players being exposed to senior rugby for the first time.

That will only prove a benefit to Bath Rugby in the years to come with the Cup used by the club to develop homegrown talent for many a year.

This season, the likes of Josh Dingley, Mackenzie Graham and George Worboys have enjoyed successful individual performances while Max Ojomoh, Nahum Merigan and Orlando Bailey have been afforded leadership roles.

With the game falling in between two Gallagher Premiership games, more youngsters will be in line for debuts and others in line for further senior rugby experience.

WORCESTER IN THE CUP SO FAR

Worcester have the second most points in the tournament behind London Irish and sit top of Pool 1.

The Warriors began their campaign with a handsome victory over Bristol Bears, scoring 10 tries in a 68-13 win.

They opted for experience for the encounter with a sprinkling of youth but needed to field a more balanced side in Round 2 due to their match taking place in midweek. They managed to see off Gloucester 27-21 at Sixways.

In their third game, Worcester slipped to a narrow loss at Exeter Chiefs but remain on course for a place in the semi-finals after picking up losing and try bonus points.