Home

10%

BATH RUGBY V WASPS

By Bath Rugby

October 29^th, 2021

New special edition Dyson technology

Visit Thatchers

COACH'S CHECK IN: DAVID WILLIAMS

In this week's Coach's Check In with Compeed, Attack and Backs Coach David Williams spoke about how the team can gain control to impose its style on the opposition.

REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY TO BE HELD BEFORE WASPS MATCH

On Saturday, Bath Rugby will host a Remembrance Ceremony to honour those who served to defend our freedoms and protect our way of life.

The Round 7 Gallagher Premiership match with Wasps is the Blue, Black and White’s closest home match to 11 November (Remembrance Day) and a Wreath Laying Ceremony will take place at the Rec shortly before kick-off.

Bath Rugby CEO Tarquin McDonald, John Hall of the Past Players’ Association, the Royal British Legion’s Major Roger Evans, Bath Rugby Supporters’ Club’s Ian Rooney and Ben Hartley of Bath Combination have the honour of laying the wreaths.

A minute’s silence will take place following the ‘Last Post’ with all bar sales and other activity set to pause at this time.

Fans are encouraged to arrive at the stadium early – by approximately 14:45 - to pay their respects. Supporters may experience delays entering the Rec closer to kick-off with gates temporarily closed during the ‘Last Post’ and minute’s silence.

We will remember them.

AN INJURY UPDATE ON BENO OBANO AND SQUAD AVAILABILITY

Following a detailed scan, Bath Rugby can confirm that the injury Beno Obano sustained in the Round 6 Gallagher Premiership match against Harlequins is an ACL rupture.

The club’s medical team will continue their work to ensure Beno is supported with the best possible care and rehabilitation in the short, medium and long-term.

Director of Rugby Stuart Hooper said: “This is a complex injury that takes time to recover – we will provide a huge amount of care for Beno to ensure his safe return to the field. His professionalism to overcome serious injuries in his career to date has been remarkable and I know this instance will be no different.

“We will support Beno through every step of his recovery journey.”

An update will be provided with regards to cover for Beno’s position once the club understands the availability of players within the market in conjunction with current squad depth.

The club is also seeking cover for Anthony Watson, who sustained the same injury the week previous against Saracens.

DONOGHUE SIGNS ACADEMY CONTRACT

Bath Rugby is delighted to announce Ciaran Donoghue has signed a two-year Senior Academy contract.

The 19-year-old has developed his skills in the Academy pathway alongside his studies at Millfield School and has played in multiple positions throughout the years, honing his talents at fly-half, inside centre and full-back.

A good footballer with a strong passing game and great tactical understanding, Donoghue was offered a scholarship at the end of his time in the Under-18s but there wasn’t a suitable course for his academic wants and needs.

He was invited to train in the senior environment in pre-season and excelled, showcasing his learning from his time in the Academy and at Millfield.

Academy Manager Craig Lilley said: “The journey he has been on with us the past few years playing within the academy game model and learning the language has given Ciaran the opportunity to come in and show what he can do.

“His contract is a reward for his hard work and we’re excited to see how he develops over the next couple of years.”

VISIT YOUR RED CAR

ROAD TO 2023/24 | WOMEN & GIRLS

In May this year, Bath Rugby unveiled the club’s commitment to the growth and sustainability of the 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 BATH RUGBY'S THREE-YEAR STRATEGY

Bath Rugby Ladies beat Supermarine in front of 3,000 at the Rec

Bath Rugby Ladies treated the crowd to a stellar performance, seeing off Supermarine Ladies 44-13. 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 Ladies hat-trick hero Nina Edwards says playing at the Rec in front of 3,000 was:

“Everything a rugby girl could dream of. The atmosphere was fantastic, and you couldn't really ask for much better.”

To keep up to date with Bath Rugby Ladies, you can find the ladies on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook by searching @bathrugbyladies. There will be one more double-header with Bath Rugby Ladies this season, with the date to be announced soon.

100-plus girls enjoy the second participation hub at Oakmeadians RFC

Last weekend, Bath Rugby and RFU Dorset & Wiltshire (D&W) ran the second girls participation hub of the season at Oakmeadians RFC in Bournemouth. Over 100 girls (U13-U18) attended the event who all received themed coaching sessions from Bath Rugby and D&W coaches as well as taking part in short matches. In addition, Bath Rugby created and delivered a CPD (coach education) and social media workshop for community coaches and team managers attending the event.

These events are supported by Avon Protection and designed to offer current grassroots players an opportunity to train and compete with other players across the catchment area. These sessions are also inclusive to all and applicable to new players looking to pick up a ball for the first time.

If you are interested to attend the next session, it takes place at Warminster RFC on Sunday 21 November and you are able to register here.

University of Bath 1st XV kick-start their season with a 67-0 win over Cardiff Met 2nd XV

A scintillating performance from University of Bath 1st XV saw them begin the season in the best possible fashion, controlling Cardiff Met 2nd XV from the first to the 80th minute. Ten players in the starting XV were making their debut for University of Bath, highlighting the ever-growing women’s programme. One of those debutants Number 8 Megan Griffiths scored a superb hat-trick, in what was her first competitive rugby match.

University of Bath 1st XV compete in BUCS Western 1A with fixtures played on Wednesday afternoons throughout the year. The coaching team are targeting promotion for this season, with the University set to play a crucial part in the pathway to the Allianz Premier 15s team in 2023/24.

JOSH MCNALLY: LEADERSHIP IN THE RAF AND AT BATH RUGBY

Corporal Josh McNally discusses life in the RAF, his stroke in 2017 whilst playing for London Irish and leadership at Bath Rugby.

Bath came from behind to grab a bonus-point win over Wasps, moving them up to sixth in the Premiership and the verge of a European Champions Cup place.

The Blue, Black and Whites led early on through a Jonathan Joseph try before Wasps hit back with scores from Nizaam Carr and Nathan Hughes in the first half.

Three late tries, including two from Zach Mercer, secured victory for the hosts with Joe Cokanasiga also crossing.

BATH RUGBY V WASPS

Saturday’s match at Harlequins may not have ended in victory but Bath Rugby made a step forward in their performance, according to Director of Rugby Stuart Hooper.

The Blue, Black and White’s first-half performance at The Stoop was full of physicality and attacking flair with Tom de Glanville and Ruaridh McConnochie making in-roads while Beno Obano and Sam Underhill added their muscle to strong carrying efforts.

It saw Hooper’s men take a 17-12 lead into half-time but as Premiership champions, Quins were high on confidence and broke Bath’s resolve late on to win 31-17.

Quins home crowd aided their comeback win and this Bath group is relishing being back at the Rec in front of 14,500 supporters cheering the team on.

The buzz of the city on a matchday and the feeling inside the stadium as the players enter the field is certainly an energy to feed off.

FULL PREVIEW

HEAD TO HEAD

In the past 10 meetings between the two sides in all competitions, Wasps come on top with six wins to Bath’s four.

Bath v Wasps games tend to be high scoring with 541 points scored over that period and 164 alone accumulated in the two Premiership matches during the 2020/21 campaign.

Eight individuals were on the scoresheet for the Blue, Black and White against Wasps last term with Miles Reid, Josh McNally, Beno Obano, Ben Spencer, Sam Underhill and Cameron Redpath those still at the Rec.

ONE TO WATCH: JIMMY GOPPERTH

Gopperth has been one of Wasps’ most reliable performers since joining the club in 2015. A leading goal-kicker who can produce a bit of magic, the veteran has amassed close on 1,000 points during his time in the Black and Gold.

The experienced former Auckland Blue, Hurricane and junior All Black has demonstrated superb play-making, defensive and running skills while wearing the inside centre and full-back shirts as well as his usual fly-half jersey.

Gopperth enjoyed spells with Newcastle Falcons and Leinster Rugby prior to signing for Wasps, and as a consequence is in a very elite club of players who have experienced Super Rugby, the Pro 14 and the English Premiership.

BATH RUGBY UNSEEN | EP11: FROM SEVENS TO XVS

Following Richard de Carpentier's debut for Bath Rugby, episode 11 of Bath Rugby Unseen, powered by Dyson, looks at the transition from Sevens to XVs.

'Chippy' was excellent in his first Bath outing and follows in the footsteps of Ruaridh McConnochie and Will Muir who have also joined the club from a Sevens background.

RUGBY MEETS GOLF!

European Tour professional and massive Bath Rugby fan Laurie Canter challenges Anthony Watson and Tom De Glanville to a Par 3 golf challenge at Cumberwell Park.

MY DEEPER WHY: ORLANDO BAILEY

My name is Orlando Bailey and this is my Deeper Why.

Childhood plays a big role in what aspirations you have. My family have always supported Bath; my dad and brother would go to games and as soon as I was of age, I would go along too with my old Thatchers shirt on.

We’d play in the garden a lot and I started playing rugby when I was five-years-old so it was always a passion from a young age. I always had a goal to be a professional rugby player and I don’t know where it came from. I had a goal of doing Architecture at Bath university and to play for Bath – I don’t do Architecture, but I am at the university studying International Development and I am playing for Bath.

I’m quite a competitive person so once I’d set my goal and realised rugby, something I really enjoy doing every day, was a potential career path I wanted to give it everything.

Neither of my parents are particularly pushy. They supported me immensely but didn’t make me do anything. They didn’t make me do my school homework; they didn’t make me do any extra training.

They were very open minded, allowed me to do what I enjoyed and restrained from putting too much pressure on me. They gave me the balance in my life and I was allowed the freedom to explore the avenue I wanted to pursue, and it made me realise that if you give everything in the direction you want to go in, you can make it happen.

As I was growing up, I learned things off my older siblings. My brother, Caspar, who is four years older than me, was in the Bath Academy and I’d always be at his games. Watching him play was probably one of the biggest drivers for me as I wanted to be as good as him and I didn’t want to let him down when we were practising in the garden! I wanted to be playing with the big boys all the time and I wanted to be where he was at.

It was natural for me to look up to Caspar. We talk about everything; we’re best mates and we now call most days. He was in the Academy until he was 18 and there was a potential path for him to play professional rugby, but he has forged his own path, choosing to go down the graphic design route. His potential path in rugby inspired me to try and gain that same opportunity; it influenced my move to Beechen Cliff Sixth Form for their awesome rugby programme, where I gave it everything.

My parents and my siblings have helped give me the drive to be my own person, push as hard as I want to and not achieve my goals for anyone else.

From a rugby perspective, I have had some truly inspirational coaches such Mike Sprules (Dorchester RFC) and Ryan Davis (Beechen Cliff and Bath Rugby) that have helped me enjoy my rugby throughout the age groups by coaching an exciting brand of rugby which I am passionate about, which could improve my personal skills and game every day.

My why is probably a mixture of things as a result. Rugby is always something I’ve known and enjoyed. I love the city of Bath and I’ve always wanted to play for Bath, to represent the city and the Blue, Black and White.

With that, a huge goal of mine is to win the Premiership with Bath and become one of the best players in the Premiership. It will be a long old journey but I’m lucky to have a good support network around me to be able to express myself, follow that path and give everything to it.

SPONSOR OUR STUDENTS

For £600 a year, you can help provide hope and opportunity to a young person in Bath where before there was none.

Supported by Bath Rugby captain Charlie Ewels and Chief Executive Tarquin McDonald, all of the funds we raise enable young people who are not in education, employment or training to gain qualifications by breaking down barriers like lack of travelling expenses, clothing, footwear, and food that prevent them.

Bath Rugby Foundation work with young people who have had a really tough start in life. These stories are hard to hear, but we must share them.

(We have changed the names to protect their identity)

Meet Olive

Olive lived most of her early life n foster care because she needed protection from her abusive family. By the age of 17, she had lived in 35 foster homes. Desperate for support, Olive attempted suicide multiple times. Thankfully Bath Rugby Foundation met Olive, and she agreed to spend time with us to see if we could help her take back control and change her life for the better. Olive now has a secure home and a part-time job and uses her experience to help other young people like her.

Meet Ben

As a child, Ben's father regularly physically abused him. At the age of just three, his father tried to down him. The effect of this trauma on Ben's body, mind and brain still haunt him 15-years later. Ben has PTSD as a result and is unable to deal with day to day life. The events of his childhood have affected his entire life, from his education, friendships and relationships, self-esteem, and belief in himself. Today, following the right intervention and support, Ben can see his limitless potential and is gaining qualifications to become a personal trainer.

Meet Aaron

Aaron was abandoned, aged two, by his drug addict parents. Suffering from leukaemia, he lost his childhood to hospitals and treatment. As a young teenager, Aaron learned that numbing the pain was the best source of comfort, and so he spent all his free time taking drugs and isolating himself socially. Aaron had never had anything for himself; since birth, he had never experienced owning something that was brand new. Now Aaron has gained qualifications, is healthy and planning to join the army.

Meet Kate

At 17, Kate lived in a rat-infested flat in Bath. As a carer for her younger brother, Kate had missed huge chunks of school to look after him. She self-harmed to feel some relief from the pressure of needing to pay the bills and keep the roof over their heads. The threat of homelessness weighed heavily on her young shoulders. Kate found safety and support with Bath Rugby Foundation and is now rebuilding her life as a result.

Olive, Ben, Aaron and Kate's lives are now unrecognisable, but there are many more vulnerable children and young people in and around Bath just like them who desperately need our help.

To learn more about Bath Rugby Foundation's Sponsor Our Students scheme, and help change the life of a vulnerable young person, contact david.trick@bathrugbyfoundation.com

Or if you don’t need any more convincing, sign up now here - https://www.bathrugbyfoundation.com/forms/sos

JOHN HALL MEETS NATHAN CATT

In our third instalment of the President's Lounge, Bath Rugby legend John meets former Blue, Black and White prop Nathan Catt who is now a coach within the Academy, helping players develop in our pathway.

A LONGSTANDING AFFAIR WITH BATH RUGBY

On a beautiful Autumn day a few weeks ago, Bath Rugby was soundly beaten by former champions Saracens. But instead of an exodus of disappointed fans, we all remained firmly in our seats.

It struck me that the dedication and passion of supporters for Bath Rugby Club remains undimmed. The sun was shining, yes— but it takes real love to stay when what we are seeing, on the pitch, is difficult to watch. But should we be surprised? The attachment we fans have goes beyond one-or-more bad results. Over the years, I can think of Friday night matches in January when it was so cold that I could not feel my toes, of huddling together in a vain attempt to prevent getting a soaking when the skies were emptying over the Dyson Stand and of long, tiring coach and plane journeys to watch Bath Rugby play across England and Europe.

I’ve watched Bath win, lose and draw on more occasions than I can possibly remember. It has been joyous, it has been painful and it is has been everything in between. The match last weekend against Harlequins showed a few glimmers of hope but the boys travelled back down the M4 with no points. But, as I listened to the radio, I wasn’t surprised to hear the cheers of Bath Rugby fans at The Stoop.

Sport moves us beyond reason and rationality; even as results disappoint us, we dust off our Blue, Black and White colours, fill our lungs with song and turn up to support our team. Come rain or shine (and in Bath during the rugby season, it is usually rain), we are there. The relationship we have with our rugby club defies logic and instead becomes a matter of the heart and a simple equation; Bath play, we watch. Let’s hope that dedication is rewarded by a 'W' in the results column soon.

By time you read this, BRSC will have held our always popular 'Ask the Ref' evening. This event, run by ex-international referee Tony Spreadbury, is a highlight on our Events Calendar. Tony is currently the Head of Professional Game Match Officials at the RFU and is soon to become Head of Match Officials at the EPCR. As a native of Bath and one of the world’s foremost rugby union refereeing experts, it is always a pleasure to listen to Tony. This will have been our first ‘in-person’ event since the pandemic struck and we planned for limited capacity as we put our toes tentatively back in the water. We plan for future events as the season progresses, so keep an eye out for emails from us.

Remember that Membership for this season is available at www.allez-bath.co.uk or come and join at our match day gazebo (near the Clubhouse). We are there as gates open to 30 minutes before kick-off.