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BATH RUGBY V WORCESTER WARRIORS

By Bath Rugby

January 7^th, 2022

COACH'S CHECK IN: RYAN DAVIS

In this week's Coach's Check In with Compeed, Ryan Davis discusses Academy trio John Stewart, Ewan Richards and Tom Carr-Smith's call-up to the England Under-20s Six Nations squad.

HALF-TERM CAMPS THIS FEBRUARY!

We are delighted to be visiting Bournemouth RFC, Chippenham RFC, Devizes RFC, Dorchester RFC and Marlborough RFC, running camps for all ages between 6-16 years and welcoming all abilities.

✔️ Somerset, Dorset & Wilts covered

✔️ Welcoming all ages between 6-16, boys and girls

✔️ All abilities welcome

✔️ Lead coaches RFU Level 3 qualified

✔️ All coaches DBS checked

✔️ Covid-19 protocols in place

Our half term camps will provide fun and engaging coaching for any budding rugby player, in addition to the perfect introduction to rugby for any child looking to start playing.

For only £30 per day, your child will develop their confidence, decision-making, spatial awareness and overall understanding of the principles of the game.

Bath Rugby are also excited to announce we will now be including an Introduction to Strength and Conditioning within our camps, to help teach and develop new movements on and off the ball.

ACADEMY TRIO IN ENGLAND U20 SQUAD

Tom Carr-Smith, Ewan Richards and John Stewart (pictured) have all been named in the England Under-20s squad for the upcoming U20 Six Nations tournament.

The Academy trio all featured for their country in last season’s competition, helping Alan Dickens’ side to the 2021 title.

Richards has featured in the Bath Rugby first team this season, becoming the club’s second youngest second row starter against Leicester Tigers while Carr-Smith and Stewart made their senior debuts in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

England start their campaign against Scotland on Friday 4 February in Edinburgh.

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 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 the three-year strategy

GIRLS PARTICIPATION HUB

Our first Somerset Girls Participation Hub
Bath RFC (Lambridge Training Ground)
Sunday 23 January, 10:30

Throughout the beginning of this season, Bath Rugby have helped facilitate three girls participation hubs across Dorset & Wiltshire and are delighted to announce these hubs are now coming to Somerset!

In partnership with Avon Protection, these hubs are delighted to facilitate the growth of participation throughout Bath Rugby’s region. Open to all abilities, these sessions are led by Bath Rugby development coaches and help retain players already part of a club as well as welcome new players to the game.

The first Somerset Hub will take place at Bath RFC (Lambridge Training Ground), home to Bath Rugby Ladies. This first session will take place on Sunday 23 January, with timings below. Not only are players welcome to take part, but coaches and team managers across the female game are also encouraged to attend. The day will also include a coach CPD workshop and social media workshop aimed to develop and give ideas to have a successful online presence.

10:30 – arrival and registration
11:00 to 12:30 – training session begins
11:00 to 11:45 – Coach development workshop
12:30-13:00 – Lunch
13:00-13:30 – Contact warm up and technical session
13:30-14:00 – Games
14:00 – close and raffle

We kindly ask that all participants bring both lunch and water for the day, while we can confirm that every new attendee will receive an Avon Protection water bottle and Bath Rugby flag.

ARE YOU INTERESTED? CLICK HERE, FILL OUT A FORM AND JOIN US!

“I JUST WANT TO LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND WHERE WE PULLED TOGETHER AND DID SOMETHING TOGETHER AS FRIENDS.”

With Rugby League being born and bred in Yorkshire over a 100 years ago, it is no surprise Ollie Fox found a passion for the game from an early age.

He spent his youth practicing daily with his dad, Adrian, out in the garden, trying to perfect his skillset but it was the physical element he enjoyed initially and by the time he started playing full contact Rugby Union, he was well-equipped.

“It wasn’t tag; it was full smash. It was mint!” Fox quipped.

“By the time you were about Under-10s you were playing full rules, 13-a-side. When I started playing Union, I’d been playing contact in League for about three years before that. I rocked up - not anything like I am now! - but I was smashing kids! You’d have the odd kid who was massive, and I’d just go for them. They weren’t used to kids doing that.”

The dream of turning into a bulldozing carrier or tackler didn’t quite materialise for Fox due to his stature and as the other kids began to grow, he made the smart decision to continue to build his craft in other facets of rugby.

A full-back at the time, Fox Snr would throw high ball after high ball into the air so he could practice his catching. The repetitive action soon changed to passing after one season in particular which Fox Jnr now sees as a ‘defining moment’.

Fox recalled: “I remember one season for Sandal where we had a really good season and I was playing full-back but I said to my dad ‘I didn’t enjoy that season’. He was like ‘what do you mean? We’ve won the Yorkshire Cup; we’ve not been beaten…’.

"I felt like quitting because I didn’t touch the ball. I just stood at the back; we were a brilliant team, and no one kicked to us. At that point, my coach said he might change me to scrum-half. From then, instead of going out and doing high balls, I’d go out and pass and pass and pass. I kicked on from there to play in Academies, Yorkshire Under-16s… that was cool. It was quite defining moment, especially at that age.

“I just loved rugby so much and just wanted to practice it all the time. I just thought it would be cool to be the best at something for your age whether I could just fizz a pass. My dad’s hands would be blistering up because we’d do it so much and my pass got so hard at that age!

“I was absolutely mad for it and got addicted to doing it. It got to a point where I was like ‘am I a bit too old to go out and throw passes with my dad for half an hour?’ but I’m glad I did.”

Practice turned into analysis for Fox on the Headingley terraces as he watched his beloved Leeds Rhinos in the Super League.

Although raised in Wakefield, his Leeds-born mum, Lisa, ensured it was the Rhinos life for the family and with a season ticket in hand, the Fox family, and their neighbours, would get caught up in the emotions of a crowd of blue and yellow, all chanting ‘Marching on Together’.

These childhood experiences are what have helped Fox appreciate and bed into a rugby-loving city in Bath.

“I got addicted to watching the Rhinos at Headingley, the crowd… even now I hear loud crowds and it takes me back to watching Rhinos as a kid.

"I like hearing that sound and in a way, it’s nice to be in a place now that has that same love for a rugby team like Headingley and Leeds had for Leeds Rhinos. You walk through town, everyone has their shirts on and they’re in the pubs before the game.

“A couple of years ago when I first joined, I loved walking to the games from my flat because I’d love the buzz, especially on a Friday night. That would take me back. Even little things like the cones blocking off the road, and everyone is in big groups walking towards the Rec near the club shop. It’s just cool. I’ve conversations with Cam (Redpath) about how mad it is driving around town and seeing people in Bath kit; you’d never see that in Manchester with someone wearing Sale kit or even in Leeds with someone wearing a Yorkshire Carnegie shirt. It took me back and made me feel part of something bigger.”

Fox’s memories as Leeds Rhinos fan have also helped understand the current feelings of the Blue, Black and White faithful with the way results have gone so far this season.

"They have a right to be upset and let us know they’re upset,” he said.

“As a player now, I think it’s important to remember when you were a fan and what the club means to the wider community. It’s not just a club I now play for; I want it to be the club I play for the rest of the career and I want to see us come out the other side.

“We’ve got such a young group of guys who all want the same thing and I think it’s so important not to lose sight of what we’re trying to build together. It might not be going right now but we’ll never be in this situation again.

“When I was a fan, I loved it no matter what and as much as I hated it when Rhinos lost – I remember sulking when they lost as a kid! – I still rocked up and still wanted to wear my shirt over my coat and show that I was a proud fan. I think it’s the same here.

"Every time I’ve walked around the Rec after the game, I’ve been met with nothing but positivity and optimism which is nice. It’s nice to hear we have such support in such a tough time for the club.”

Growing up, it was Rhinos legends Kevin Sinfield, Rob Burrow, Ali Lauitiiti, Keith Senior, Jamie Peacock and Jamie Jones-Buchanan who Fox idolised and aspired to be.

With a similarly close set of players at Bath Rugby, all of whom are young and could spend many years together on the field, Fox has dreams of mirroring the feats of his Leeds heroes with a group of teammates he is extremely close to.

“That’s the goal,” he said.

“I feel like I fit into a really young group of people that want to push the club forward. I’ve never felt closer to a set of people and you might think different with the results going the way they are.

“I want people to be like ‘remember when we had Fox, Reid, Bayliss, Redpath, Ojomoh, Bailey, de Glanville? That was a good group that came through’. I just want to leave something behind where we pulled together and did something together as friends.

“It’s quite idealistic but to do that with friends, genuine friends… that would be the best thing.”

Bath hit back from an early Worcester try to comfortably beat the Warriors.

Tom Arscott touched down to put Warriors ahead before Tom Biggs, Matt Banahan and Michael Claassens all went over for Bath before the break.

The hosts' dominance continued in the second half as Claassens notched his second score of the afternoon.

Miles Benjamin reduced the arrears but a breakaway effort from Biggs sealed Bath's bonus-point win.

BATH RUGBY V WORCESTER WARRIORS

With two matches cancelled due to Covid-19, Bath Rugby have more bodies back on the ground at training with Director of Rugby Stuart Hooper confirming ‘a pretty clean bill of health’.

The Blue, Black and Whites did everything they could to try and get the games on but with 50 per cent of the squad unavailable (because of Covid and injuries) it put the club in a difficult position.

Focus is now all on the first match of the year at the Rec with Worcester Warriors visiting on Sunday.

Bath have won each of their 15 home games against the Warriors in the Premiership, currently tied with Saracens (v Sale Sharks) for the most home games won in a row against a single opponent.

Worcester have not won any of their past 17 away matches in the league but they have scored eight tries from counter attacks, the joint-most along with Leicester Tigers.

Ashley Beck has been directly involved in four tries in his last three games for Worcester while Tom de Glanville has carried the ball for 864 metres in the Premiership in 2021/22 for Bath. He has recorded an average of 119 carry metres per game in his last four league appearances.

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HEAD TO HEAD

Bath have averaged 36.2 points a game against Worcester at the Rec since 2016 with the Warriors averaging 17 points.

In their last two home outings, the Blue, Black and Whites have hit the 40-mark. Will Muir scored a double last time out while Tom Dunn has two tries in two games against Worcester.

Semesa Rokiduguni is the top Bath try scorer in the fixture (3) with Ben Spencer on 13 points and Josh McNally, Tom Ellis and Anthony Watson also on two tries each.

Perry Humphreys is out on his own for the Warriors with five tries to his name.

ONE TO WATCH: TED HILL

An England prospect, Ted Hill has two caps for his country and graduated through the ages at international level and with Worcester.

He scored two tries on his Premiership debut and also helped England Under-20s to a World Rugby U20 Championship final a few years ago.

The back row was appointed Worcester’s youngest ever club captain in July 2020 and became the youngest man to skipper his club – and the fourth in Premiership history – when he led the side against Gloucester the following month.

BATH RUGBY UNSEEN | EP18: BRENT JANSE VAN RENSBURG MIC'D UP

In episode 18 of Bath Rugby Unseen, we mic up new defence coach Brent Janse van Rensburg as he implements his training methods.

FARLEIGH COMMUTE FEAT. WILL STUART & LEWIS BOYCE!

Props Will Stuart and Lewis Boyce are not only good friends, but they are housemates too!

Our cameras were invited into the car for their commute to training at Farleigh House - a journey full of fun and laughter!

U18S SET FOR PHYSICAL SHOWDOWN WITH EXETER CHIEFS

After a good Christmas break, Bath Rugby Under-18s begin 2022 against Exeter Chiefs Under-18s on Saturday at Marlborough College (kick-off 13:00).

With conditions set to be wet, Academy Manager Craig Lilley believes it will be an exciting challenge for the junior Blue, Black and Whites against a physical Chiefs outfit.

“The boys have enjoyed the festive period with their families and have come back in raring to go,” Lilley said.

“They have continued to work hard since the last fixture against Saracens and there has been an education on the impact of individual errors.

“This week, we have been working on some of our attack principles, in particular how the forwards can work with backs to outwork the opposition and create overloads to then play between, outside or behind the defence and then keep the ball moving through second touches and effective support of the ball carrier.

“The weather is going to be poor on Saturday so it will be a great challenge for both team to manage the conditions on a grass pitch with ball in hand. Exeter will be a physical team so winning the battle on the gainline will be important as well as numbering up appropriately to reduce their time and space.”

James Redman of Beechen Cliff School comes in at full-back for his first appearance of the campaign with Byron Lloyd-Gilmour taking a spot on the wing at the venue of his school.

Millfield School’s Sam Harris returns to co-captain the team alongside school mate Max Pearce. Another from Millfield, Max Jenkins comes back into the second row with the rest of the XV the same that started at Saracens before Christmas.

On the bench Max Surry (Downside School), Alex Salah (King Edward’s School) and JJ O’Connell-Wozniak (Beechen Cliff School) are all set for their maiden Under-18s outings.

Bath Rugby U18 team to play Exeter Chiefs U18

15 James Redman (Beechen Cliff School), 14 Byron Lloyd-Gilmour (Marlborough College), 13 Will Parry (Sherborne School), 12 Sam Harris © (Millfield School), 11 Max Ashton (Beechen Cliff School), 10 Raff Weston (Beechen Cliff School), 9 Ieuan Davies (Millfield School); 1 Tom Hill (Wells Cathedral School), 2 Max Pearce © (Millfield School), 3 Billy Sela (Beechen Cliff School), 4 Eddie Erskine (Millfield School), 5 Max Jenkins (Millfield School), 6 George Timmins (Millfield School), 7 Archie McKibben (Millfield School), 8 Kacey Pike (Beechen Cliff School)

Replacements

16 Tommy McLean (Beechen Cliff School), 17 Max Surry (Downside School), 18 Ellis Baker (Millfield School), 19 Alex Salah (King Edward’s School), 20 Jack Haythornthwaite (Beechen Cliff School), 21 Sam Curwen (Millfield School), 22 Rory Crum (Beechen Cliff School), 23 JJ O’Connell-Wozniak (Beechen Cliff School)

BRF BARBARIANS IN ACTION AT THE REC

On Sunday, we are really excited to play our first mixed ability match on the Rec at half-time.

We have the Bath Rugby Foundation Barbarians v Worcester Warriors Mixed Ability. The BRF Barbarians are players from our four mixed ability clubs: Walcot Warriors, Bath Ladies Trojans, Melksham Mixed Ability Rugby and Yeovil Mixed Ability Rugby.

Players on the pitch are from all backgrounds, with some only playing rugby for the first time this season and some having played local first team rugby and now want to give back and support new players coming into the game.

For those of you who haven’t experienced it first-hand, what is the best way to describe it?

It’s just rugby!

It is not a disability sport, players are not classified by physical, intellectual or mental disabilities or barriers. It is a sport open to anyone who wants to play regular full-contact rugby. If you happen to have some form of disability or barrier but want to play regular rugby, then in Mixed Ability rugby you are more than welcome.

The same goes if you have no disability or barrier. Games are played in true rugby spirit.

Why does Mixed Ability work so well in rugby?

Well, rugby has always been the sport for all sorts – all shapes and sizes, and all abilities. So, there is a spot for the strong, slow, small and fast players on the same team and all are valued for what they can do.

Mixed Ability rugby just takes the same format as any other rugby team in a club. If you feel you don’t have enough experience, might not be good enough, are new to the game or just want to get back to playing for a bit of regular training and team bonding then a Mixed Ability team is for you.

To truly experience rugby, Mixed Ability must play the same format as a regular rugby team. The only law change is uncontested scrums which you often see in social or veteran matches too.

If you want to see rugby played for rugby’s sake, then we would encourage you to go look at a game of Mixed Ability Rugby in your area and see what it’s all about. Even better, grab a pair of boots and experience it on the pitch!

But what does all of this have to do with the Bath Rugby Foundation? How did it all come about?

The Bath Rugby Foundation supports multiple Mixed Ability teams across Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset helping to grow our game for all people. The programme was launched in 2017 with a new team launched each season.

We currently have four teams:

Melksham Mixed Ability Rugby – Train on Mondays

Walcot Warriors at Walcot RFC – Train on Wednesdays

Bath Ladies Trojans at Bath Ladies RFC – Train on Thursdays

Yeovil Men and Women MAR at Yeovil Rugby Club – Train on Fridays

What have the highlights been during the last four years?

Social occasions

Individuals

Tour to Wales

Twickenham

Away fixtures

What’s Next?

BRF are due to launch the first U16 Mixed Ability Rugby team on Wednesday 19 January at Walcot RFC

The Move With Bath programme, in partnership Wiltshire Council and local rugby clubs Royal Wooten Bassett, Melksham and Warminster RFC starts next week supporting healthier lifestyles for men aged 18 and over.

We’d like to continue the growth of Mixed Ability Rugby and would like to support the set up of a new team in 2022/23

Email lauren.butcher@bathrugbyfoundation.com to find out more information or to sign up for your first session.

JOHN HALL MEETS LUCY STONE

In our latest episode of the President's Lounge, club legend John Hall catches up with Lucy Stone.

BRSC AWAY COACH TRAVEL COMING SOON

It certainly can’t be said that this season has been an easy one to be a Bath fan.

Looking up the word ‘fan’ in the dictionary, you will be met with a litany of descriptors: ‘Greatly admires’, ‘loves” and even ‘enthusiast’. But this season, the one that we need to focus on the most is ‘supporter’.

Without a win this season, struggling with injuries and now blighted with Covid cases, it is now more important than ever to support the men who run out wearing blue, black and white every weekend. It may not be a pleasant experience at the moment, but as supporters we do not think with our heads but with our hearts–– and that is quite right.

I don’t believe any of us became supporters of Bath Rugby (or any team) because of logic, but because of family ties, where we live, who we like and because it is part of our identities. A match on a cold Boxing Day, as the light grew low, was perhaps not ideal timing to tempt out fans from the comfort of their warm, Christmassy homes. But I was not surprised to see that high numbers of us still attended the match against Gloucester, the empty green seats perhaps a victim of rising Covid cases. In these challenging times, the loyal turnout from Bath fans is uplifting and encouraging. Let’s keep supporting at a time when it is needed more than ever.

BRSC are helping fans follow Bath Rugby more closely this year. From the away game against Saracens on Saturday 5 February, coaches will be available to Bath’s away matches. BRSC members will receive a discounted rate. The pick-up points will be in Midsomer Norton, Odd Down and the centre of Bath.

We are working with Centurion Tours Limited for this new service and are looking forward to opening bookings soon. Jan and Mike Warrington ran a similar service for many years and still plan to organise European Cup trips. I have been on many coaches run by Jan and Mike and would like to thank them for all their hard work. With your support, we hope that our new venture can be as successful and as fun.

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