Episode 29 - The Richmondshire RUFC Interview - Another Grassroots Rugby Club but Up North this time!

In this episode of Rugby Through The League's podcast, we  dive into an interview with Richmond Shire RUFC's key figures: head coach Cookie, captain Robbo, and vice-captain Jack. We explore the club's remarkable journey, from struggling in league competitions to mounting a comeback effort. The conversation highlights the club's resilience, grassroots recruitment, and efforts to rebuild and improve. We also discuss Richmond Shire's training practices, integration with the women's team, and potential improvements for the future. Tune in to hear about rugby, community spirit, and what makes Richmond Shire RUFC a unique family club.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Hello and welcome to another episode of Rugby Through The League's podcast. As you can see, we've finally got a bit of sunshine back. , this week's been a pretty shit week for, for weather in Spain. , firstly, just want to, , say thoughts with those that lost their life in the Valencia region. Thankfully it was a couple of hours away from where we are because the Valencia region is quite large, but still terrifying to see.

, the weather has not been great and, , a lot of families are affected. North of Valencia and a bit more inland, obviously Barcelona and down into, the Costa del Sol as well. So thoughts go out to, to all the families and the people that lost their lives as well. So, , first things there after that though, this week we've, , we've gone back to a bit of a grassroots rugby, so we've got [00:01:00] Richmond Shire RUFC on.

So we've managed to do. An interview with, , with Cookie, who's head coach, Robbo, captain and, , Jack, vice captain. So we managed to do a four way, four way interview. , Really good chat, really good group of lads. , really good laugh as well, good natter. , A club that could have quite easily disappeared.

, Previously went social, then went back into the league. The league first season didn't work out too well, didn't win a single game. So this year they've come back fighting and yeah, what they're doing is they're stepping in the right direction. So a really good bunch of lads there, really good interview and a really good bit of rugby.

So don't really want to dawdle on too long with this one. So let's get on with this 

Carl: this week. , we're going up north. , I know you lot. So most of you think that we only deal with southerners, but we've actually made it sort of north of the M 25. We've got, , I've also gone up in grade. So I've only done an interview with two others before we've now got [00:02:00] three. So let's, , let's see if I can fuck that one up as well.

So, , I know this has been a long time coming. , and we've we finally managed to get it in last week. We had a couple of issues getting it sorted. So I really appreciate your time for So we'll finally be able to get this one over the line. So this week we've got a Richmond Shire UFC.

, we've got obviously the captain, , Robbo, vice captain Jack and senior men's coach cookie on, , me and cookie has sort of been contacting each other a fair bit on, , TikTok and cookie has been , , sharing the pod and sort of sharing the love, which I really appreciate. So. want to sort of return that favor and put a shine a light on your club.

And as you you self proclaimed in a couple of our conversations, cookie last season was, , difficult. Should we? Should we say? 

Cookie: Yeah, definitely difficult. I believe they were in there before they had to come out of the D and the Durham County League. , and I went into the Social League where actually [00:03:00] in the Social League, the team dominated, I believe.

, and then when they went to go back into the Yorkshire League to compete again, , unfortunately, That wasn't quite so. , but I let you, I let, , Jack answer that. , Jack was definitely part of more of that season, I think, as well as Rob. Well, 

Carl: well, we'll start with Robbo is captain. How long have you been at the club?

Could you do a little bit of an intro, mate, where you've been, how long you've been at the club and tell us some of the horror stories by the sounds of it you've probably gone through? 

Robbo: Yeah. So, , so, you know, I'm Robbo. , I've been at Richmondshire Rugby Club now for over 15 years. , I took a little bit of a dip out., I left Richmondshire and went to play in it for Barnard Castle that were competing in Durham Northumberland 1. , and if I have to be perfectly honest with you, I, I was enjoying my rugby, but really, , really missed the, the lads and the camaraderie that was going on within Richmondshire. So [00:04:00] I went back up to Richmondshire when I found out they were going into Yorkshire Four.

, and then we played under the old captain and, , yeah, Yorkshire Four, what a challenge it was. 

Carl: So how did, how did it go? Cause I know sort of cookie lent on. me with with it. And it was was it as bad as he's made out? Or is he trying to make his job sound a bit better? 

Robbo: No, sir. So unfortunately went into Yorkshire four.

, we've kind of, we kind of made the jump probably, I'd say a season too soon. Um, when we was in the social league, you know, we, we did, we did very well and we have, we've got, we've got a good set, a good set of lads, , and got a lot of talent on the team, but Unfortunately, , I think people forget the difference in jumping divisions.

And even if you just go from Yorkshire four into Yorkshire three, you know, you play at that level and you could argue and say that you probably there should be another league in between them. So, , we didn't, we didn't have any coaching staff, but we did have coaches. Sorry, but we, what we didn't have is we didn't have, we didn't have that [00:05:00] structure.

, and we was playing, was playing what people would, would rightly say now we're just playing really, really old school rugby that didn't quite fit into today's modern society. , and cookie come, you know, come towards the back end of last season. You know, we didn't even know where we were until the third game we'd watched.

And then he decided to introduce himself like it was taking over and becoming a coach. And we were like, Oh, that's who you are. , so unfortunately it was a rough, it was a rough ride. , we didn't win a single game. , but the positives was most clubs would have folded, and we successfully still put a full team out week in, week out.

Carl: Yeah, quality. So did you, have you pretty much kept the same group of lads together? Because that's a hard season, not winning a single game. And 

Robbo: so I'd probably say we've, we've, we've retained, we've retained a few, but we've had a really, really positive recruitment drive. Okay, 

Carl: brilliant. And obviously Is that lads, [00:06:00] local lads or lads that have come back or lads that have obviously seen what you guys are trying to do or?

So that 

Robbo: again is a bit of a mixture. We've had, we've had, we have had old people, old players that have come back because they've heard that the club's trying to change and go in a different, you know, in a different direction and they want to be part of that journey. , luckily we're in a garrison area, so we're in, , We're in Catterick with in Catterick garrison, which is like a, you know, a bit of a super garrison military stronghold.

So that's allowed us to bring a lot of military talent in, , and we've kept the civilian talent as well. And we've got, you know, a lot of civilians that are joining and playing 

Carl: brilliant. You, , you guys, any of you in the, in the sort of the forces or ex forces being, have been sort of based around there or.

Robbo: So I'm still serving, Cookie's still serving, and , Jack is a, is a, , is a US Navy SEAL. I 

Cookie: can 

Carl: tell by the tash, I can tell by the tash. Jack, obviously Vice captain then mate, how long have you been sort of part of the club? [00:07:00] You obviously were part of last season as well, yeah? 

Jack: Yeah, so , I started off from watching my dad.

So before We even came to Yorkshire, I'm talking like years and years ago. We were in the social league, that candy league as you call it, and I was just going from going to watch my dad train, maybe joining in a bit of touch or whatever, to then go to taking photos for my dad, sending it to him for Facebook, and then obviously I tried to join the junior side, but they didn't have a team for my age group.

Okay. I had to wait until I was 17 to be able to play. And then when I played for 17, well, when I turned 17, first game was Aclon, where, , still in Social League. And then from there, I've just gone up, I'd say, ranks, as you would say, from starting as a 17 year old, new, not knowing what he's doing, to eventually becoming Vice Captain for the first team.

Carl: Nice. So, obviously, so have you been with Richmond before? Show her all the way through there. 

Jack: So, I've been from Richmond from day dot. [00:08:00] Then, , obviously last season when it was all going, didn't win the last, like, a game the whole season. I was thinking about leaving, but then I had the likes of Robbo and what, like, the senior, more experienced lads saying, it happens, but we will get there eventually.

So then I ended up staying, and I'm glad I did stay, to be honest, because, , for, like, my ability in rugby and how I play has been going up better. Yeah, fair 

Carl: play. Excellent. So Cookie, as Robbo said, it took you sort of three games to come out of the shadow to announce who you were. Were you sat there wondering, am I actually fucking gonna take this job, or were you trying, you sat there, like, I gotta admit, what's going on here, or how did that all come about?

Cookie: , so I'm cookie. I'm a senior men's coach. , basically, , to the army. So I coat at sometimes I help coach the all RLC women's side and moving away from down south. Unfortunately for me, it's hard for me to get down there. [00:09:00] And I've seen a post for Richmondshire rugby club at this time. I, I didn't know who they were, , but I love rugby.

So, Oh, okay. Okay. If I'm going for this, I need to watch them for a while and see what sort of impact I can make. , so I turned up to a few of the training sessions, but there I watched, I could see why, , just from a coaching perspective, as well as some of the younger lads not understanding what sort of was happening or what was going on.

, and then when I went to go and watch the first couple of games. I noticed that the attitude towards him had to change and definitely some of the key personalities had to change as well. , a great bunch of lads for a social league, maybe a social league team, but the team wanted to really compete. We were going to have to.

[00:10:00] Unfortunately, and then I would, I would have had to change your stuff, , and really start putting the fire back up into them, , which it's not really a good place to be because you're that person that all of a sudden that. comes in from nowhere. No one likes. , and I think being in the army, having that sort of resilience a little bit and that bit of pushback, I can sort of just say that it's a fantastic club and they all mean well, they do.

, so yeah, I watched them for a couple of weeks and, , really made my, made my mark when I stepped in. , I completely changed, , not completely changed how that way, because they usually had a context session on a Tuesday. Thursday they were We're trying to do a bit of the game play stuff,, and then on Saturday the game, now the Saturday the game, they would turn up not on time, , they would turn up when they wanted to, , Tuesdays and Thursdays, [00:11:00] you wasn't always getting everybody there, and we're still struggling with that, , like any other day.

will be, you know, everybody., but I've changed it for the better. You know, we got brand new captain in Rob. He's been with the club for 15 years. And the reason why we really went for Robert was every time there was a game, he was the only one that would be talking to be honest. It was a cricket score and that every time they were behind the poster, he was kind of, you know, effort back into the boys and get them back in and get them back fired up.

And with Jack, you could see Jack was getting frustrated as well. , but also. Jack would listen and that was something that I could see a little bond between them both, which I've probably not told them actually this, but watching them both work together is actually really, really good. So before we, , went into the new season, we all sat down and we was like, right, yeah, let's go with them too.

, let's change all this. [00:12:00] And it's, it's been working and you know, they've never had a preseason, I believe beforehand. , so we arranged three random games, , one against Bionic Castle, which for it was going to be the team,, turned out to be the first team, but it didn't matter. You know, we still got 12 points on a divisional two team that turned up with all their players and we still didn't have the best team at that time.

that we pulled up on that day. , but there was so many positives that came out of that day, which I was trying to enlighten the lads because they've been on that risk to even end of cricket scores. I failed to see where they actually really are doing really well. Yeah. , and then we played a Newton a cliff the second second week and oh my God, it was, it was almost like a firecracker.

Yeah. You know, we had, we had been playing for Richmond for [00:13:00] sure before, but we had gone to uni, they'd back in. So they had that experience of you play rugby. , we had some of the Fijian boys turn up and what was really good to see was Not only everybody bonded as a team against that game once the try started coming in it was almost it was like a flare 

Jack: Yeah, 

Cookie: you know Jack got a couple of tries He and the all star is really getting on top of each other which was really really good to see and We played York RI the following week and unfortunately that you're not everybody They're a good, good side.

Yeah, and York RI. They had 30 people turn up now for their training, which is absolutely, which is really good for Yorkshire club. , but unfortunately we were on a receiving end of, but that didn't stop them. Fantastic. So, and we went on [00:14:00] to win our first game. the season, which was absolutely mega.

Yeah, we're good. 

Carl: How's the rest of the season gone so far then? So you obviously got the first one out of the way first game of the season pretty much. How's the rest of the season? Yeah. So 

Cookie: we, we won one game, had one walkover, , and, and we've lost four games, but with the losses, they've not been more than 40 points, which is an asset of an outstanding improvement.

for the whole team. It's hard, you know, being at the bottom of the table, the bottom sort of team, but then going ahead and playing three top teams, you know, we came away from Hornsey by only losing by seven points and they've been at the top of the table now for this whole entire season. They've won everything. , we don't And went on, , Naresborough, that was, that was a learning point for us. [00:15:00] You know, it was a very hot day, lads, the problem is sometimes with the lower league. and the referees. It's not all going to do with it. I tried to expect, but, , instead of sort of regrouping and I think it sort of got to them quite a bit.

And unfortunately, we didn't lose by loads, but it was, it was a narrow loss that the boys really fought. Actually, I think we could have done better there. , and then we went on seeing, , I think it was not Nestle Ramsey. Sorry. It was York RI and again, you know, No, we didn't have all our players and doesn't report, although they lost in the first half, which we, so our pitch at home is on sort of like a hill.

So we start, yeah. So we started on the downhill and we lost a downhill quite badly. , but then on the uphill, You know, we won 19, , which was absolutely fantastic, which is in a [00:16:00] statement for the two captains to say, look, you know, you may be aim, but look where you've done on that second half. You've come for some reason you've won 1917 uphill.

So, , in a way learning, you know, so, , we're really excited for our weekend game this Saturday. 

Carl: You've got this Saturday, 

Cookie: please. Is 

Carl: that a local, sort of a local, are they down the bottom as well, or is it a local start of the year? 

Robbo: So that is, it's going to be, , looking at Previous results and look at where we're projecting this season and where they currently are.

, you'd you'd like to think and I hope to think it's it Should be a bit of a grand slam between us both 

Carl: nice. So what is what is the target? this season? I know that you might not want to mutter it out loud, or is it a case of you've set a target and you you want to sort of graft towards it internally or 

Cookie: sustainability?

So [00:17:00] looking from saying, looking from last season, you could arguably say that we wanted to probably keep this in school. to a minimum of 50 points. , and that, and that was one of the key things that we really wanted to do to show that the boys understand that what they are doing, they are improving at the same time, you know, , and of course everybody wants to win a game.

So it'd be really nice if we get at least five wins out of the league. , and the boys, the way we've, the way that's changing now, you have to admit when they were playing last season, they were playing school rugby, just the basic would be, you know, just what's the forward thing? Bucks do their backs thing.

, fortunately with the modern day game of rugby now, it will only work to a certain point. Yeah. , And as soon as I mentioned the one [00:18:00] three one, they all just looked at me and say, what, what are you talking about? So 

Jack: it's 

Cookie: YouTube, get on YouTube, look at the one three three one structure and professional teams use it.

They've always believed, especially when I'm in the army, you train like professionals. professionals. You'll get with professionals. , but yeah, it's good. 

Carl: I coach under sixteens out here in Spain and I've just sort of introduced the the 1331 to them as well. And I probably got the same response as you did when you first put it out.

They thought, I think they thought it was lottery numbers or something like that. It's just, and they still ain't got a clue. Now at some point they get lost. You end up sort of one, two, seven, three, just random people congregate because they think that's where they should end up. But, yeah, if it works for a lot of teams like the All Blacks, I'm sure there's a way that it can be adapted across the way of rugby.

But [00:19:00] you've also obviously got to adapt with the lads that you've got around you as well. So if you've got lads that just aren't up to that skill set, you've got to adapt around it. Have you got a lot of lads that are new to the game, what have you got? lads sort of season vets and stuff like that or a good mix of both to make it a little bit easier on everyone.

Cookie: So we had a guy called Craig Keller, who's actually a civilian guy. , he's actually in his thirties, I think. , but he's never played a game of rugby now. He, I know he's done strong man before, so I knew, I knew we could handle pressure. pressure for him and he's got the size of a prop An hour day prop be and being versatile and being actual mobile and Discussing with the other coaches.

They were quite keen not to put him in the front row 

Jack: Yeah, 

Cookie: and maybe I took a chance with that. I took a massive chance by going mate [00:20:00] you like Do you like you like not pressure pressure, but you like a bit of tug of war and that sort of stuff. And he said he loved it. So I mean, I'll tell you what, let's put you in loose head.

Yeah. See if you see how you get on with, we'll make sure that we tell the referee, you know, you've not experienced, you've never had games, but this is the only way you're going to learn. , first scrum, he literally straight after the scrum, he looked over. Yes, mate. That's my, that's my spot. And I was like, yeah, fantastic.

Because I need some front row players. Yeah, and actually throughout the games he's played, he's having a, he's having a blinder. Yeah, 

Carl: that's a proper baptism of fire, especially against teams like York RI and stuff like that. First time you're playing loose heads, you're, , And not having your head shoved up your own ass.

That's, , that's probably not a bad, bad way to start his, , his career. , so I see that you had a really good recruitment drive, , during the summer. What sort of your [00:21:00] numbers are turning up to training? I know you said, obviously you struggle for numbers every day. grassroots rugby club struggles for people to turn up and then you get game time and people do appear and then they disappear and what's , what's your constant numbers and what's your potential available numbers as well?

What's , what's the sort of scores on the doors? 

Cookie: Jack, would you feel comfortable talking about that one? 

Jack: Yeah. So, , so past couple of weeks, , it's been varying recently from, , so about 15, 16, having Possibly the starting lineup even more then some days like Tuesday We only had like a few people turn up 

Cookie: But then 

Jack: yeah, we can , we can adapt to that So like what cookie cookie did on Tuesday is , you went up to the Ravens, which is our female senior would be a team Pre train with you and they were more happy As if they run low numbers or well make a training session out of it and I'm not doing anything 

Carl: Yeah, quality.

Jack: , so, we've, [00:22:00] 

Carl: so, sorry, Jack. So, you obviously made the jump in with the women's. I know that, that probably fills a gap, but that must be quite difficult to have to adapt. You probably got, you can't obviously make contact, games and stuff. You mid season, you need more than that. So a few turning up and then 15, 16, that's quite difficult to get a run through and a proper, proper season run for like what's, what is, how many have you got signed up, how many are on the doors that could turn up and we, we have 51 on the box.

51 on the box. Most are military. Yeah. That's understandable. So 

Cookie: yeah, 

Carl: probably three months of the season dependent really probably. 

Cookie: Yeah. So I would say we'd have, it's really, it's a really low average. So I'd say we'd have eight at training. And on game days, [00:23:00] I'd say we'd have 17 and that's an average. , times we might get, we posted the video the other day.

We had this, , so the 20 player training session. five in a year. So we're trying, we are trying our hardest to keep them coming. And it's, it's trying to get that player commitment struggling with. And we all know that I go a little bit crazy. I respond, but as a coach, if people can just let me know, because all it, all it takes is one second.

And what they forget sometimes is I can see that they've seen it. So all they have to do is literally just press. Do you know what? On a Sunday, when I look at my phone, I'd rather have 50 players go, I can't make it. Then I'll go, okay. Yeah. And it will change, fluctuate, but at least then I know that I've [00:24:00] got the attention of them all.

, But it is, it is improving and hopefully we do make it go forward and we get more people training. , but one thing I did notice from last season is the women's side were training on their own and so were the men. And Tuesday that just went, , I spoke to the woman's coach there, Sammy, she fantastic woman.

And she was like, no, I agree. Let's, let's start integrating it a little bit because We all want the same game of rugby, we're one club, , and the only way we're really gonna make the numbers up on every training session now going forward, and not only that, but learning at the same time, would be together at some point, maybe on a Thursday, and have a battle of scrum.

You know, have the box run out with the box and then have the team runs out, run out against the teams. It's not, [00:25:00] especially with winter now, , you know, the club has got floodlights, but they're very limited to the space that you can use. So I am, and this again is trying to get the player commitment on a Saturday when we haven't got a game to get a club, let's have a decent training session and then because it's only training.

It's like, I may be bothered, but I could guarantee if I was to turn around and go actually boys on the Friday night This is and go cancel the training session. We've got a game. Oh Yeah within instant. There'll be 20 people going. Oh, yeah. I'm I'm happy on play and It's trying to make it fun as well at the same time And it is definitely improving especially our pod work throughout the likes has definitely come on But it's always at the my game way.

They do use it [00:26:00] for maybe the first 15 minutes before they start going, Okay, actually, let's let's do start doing this. But it's definitely working. 

Carl: Jack Robbo. Is that sort of been a long going issue issue for the club? Obviously, Robbo, you've been there 15 years. Is that sort of being how the club's been for a while, the commitment's been up and down.

Is that why you had to basically drop out and become a sort of social rugby team? 

Robbo: Yeah, yeah, 100 percent. So, , what, what we did do this season, which was, which was very positive and it did the numbers were actually really, really good is, , we put a two week, we put a two week, I suppose we'll call it a boot camp.

That's exactly what it was. , we put a two week boot camp on for, from, you know, through the Monday to the Friday, all the way through for two weeks. And, , that, that attracted, , that really attracted really good numbers because what it did do is to compete in, to compete in this league. I mean, We're doing, and it's not being disrespectful to the leagues, but [00:27:00] to compete in Yorkshire four or whether you were to compete in Durham, North Humberland three, they, they, they are very two easy leagues to actually get yourself out of.

And it's just, it's just about player player accountability and being fit. 

Jack: Yeah. 

Robbo: And if you're fit, then you, you, you're winning the majority of your games. And, , and I think that's, I think that's why as well, looking into the way we've started this season. Yes. Okay. We might've lost a few games, but believe me, them scorelines are very, very respectful, very respectful, like the bus.

, and a lot of that comes down to that. It's come down to that fitness level, and that's where we was getting back last season. There was no real fitness in there at all. , and including myself, I was, you know, I was blowing myself after about 15 minutes. So you are then playing another 65 minutes incomplete survival mode.

Yeah. , and you've got young fit lads, right? And they are young fit lads just running at your like trains and you're just like, I can't do this [00:28:00] anymore. You can't even figure, 

Carl: you can't, you can't even breathe to figure out what No, you can't let alone running in the pods and stuff like that. And you've got cookie shouting you, you're probably telling up.

But 

Robbo: the, but, but the, but the fitnessy season, it, it's, it generally has shown, and I'll always go back to the, the, your RI game is, yeah. you know, how does it? How does a club from last season that had a cricket scored put past them on twice when they played them managed to leave the pitch 1917 battling second half up a hill?

Well, simple because we had that togetherness and we had that fitness and that fitness kept us in that game. 

Carl: Jack, have you sort of found that mate, obviously being through, through the, through the club as well? Is that sort of a systematic issue probably with the club? , and is it, is it the local area?

Cause you guys said about York, that sort of the Yorkshire leagues has got low turnouts in some of the, , briefly earlier. Is it just sort of rugby up north, rugby union up north that's got low turnouts? 

Jack: [00:29:00] Sorry, Jack, go on, sorry. Yeah, like, like, so obviously we're in Yorkshire 4, we get a lot of leads. Like, a lot of teams from down Leeds, and there's a lot of league down there.

Yeah. So, obviously, when it comes to the union season starting, the league's just finished. So, obviously, I don't think there's many league teams around where we are that will come to us compared to Leeds and like York and places like that. So when their league season finishes they'll go to Union just because they want to play rugby throughout the year.

Obviously that has got a massive toll because obviously they know how to make them runs, they know how to make them hits. Obviously compared to we've hardly got, I don't think we've really got any lead players in our squad at the minute or anyone that trains with us at the minute. But , it's just all about consistency really at the end of the day.

Just doing it week in week out and just trying to get the numbers there and everything. 

Carl: You got anything to add on that, Rob? Obviously, you were about to jump in, mate. Obviously, you've probably been around it a bit longer as well. 

Robbo: So, I think, I think where we slightly struggle a little bit [00:30:00] as well is where we are geographically.

So, you know, where, where we are, we have You know, we've got, we've literally got Darlington that's down the road and they've got, you know, that there's Darlington, Mowden Park, they're competing in National League one, their first team, their second team, they're in Durham, they're in Durham three, or is it two?

They're in Durham three or Durham two, but then there's another, there's another Darlington team and they're getting, they're getting five. It's incredible. They're getting five teams out near enough week in week out at the minute, senior memorabilia level. , and it's, and that's where we're kind of a little bit stranded is we're kind of Richmond in this, in this little town, this little place, and it's, it's, it struggles to just bring them, bring them people through.

Carl: It's probably hard with people also seeing those scores on the doors as well, that people get attracted to. to winning, winning rugby, winning and stuff like that. So you've got to get people to buy [00:31:00] in to what's happening and that's not going to happen overnight. So what you're doing so far is spot on.

How is the club sort of set up? Obviously you said you've got a senior women's team. Is there a full youth system? Have you got Colts? And have you got like a proper little ground? Have you got all of the sort of the facilities ready? They've got a 

Cookie: huge junior section. 

Carl: Oh, really? 

Cookie: We're talking over. It's wow, , it's absolutely from the volunteers and what they do is really good But as soon as it gets to Correct me if i'm wrong jack.

, but i'm pretty sure as soon as it gets to the under 16s It dwindles down to six or seven What 

Carl: is that? What i've 

Cookie: done though was very clever from some of the , from some of the is create a lower Dale's team and brought 16 year olds from around that area. Like Wendale, , Thirsk, [00:32:00] I don't remember what Roger said the other team was, but they all come to and make a lower Dale's team.

Right. And then compete the teams that, , have actual teams. , and what I'm trying to do is hopefully integrate our training on. on a Thursday and at some point get some of the players go out Friday to keep them 16 year olds because we haven't got a Colts team. We're going to lose them for a season or two to either a uni team or potentially Darlington, but we want them back.

You know, we want them to, you know, the senior men team now is changing, you know, We've got a brand new kit coming along. We've got loads of new players. We're doing very, I think, from where they were from last season, they've done, they've definitely tipped the board in where I think they should have been.

We're starting to see results where I would have expected to see. them sort of results, maybe two or three. [00:33:00] Yeah. Compared to where, , and hopefully them 16, 17 year olds, once they turn 17, they come back to the club and play that adult rugby, but then stay with the team. , and we've definitely got a couple of 17 year olds that really come, you know, some of them are the first ones.

Was there a training last ones? , and there's one Ewan blessing me. He is working a lot at the moment and he's a prop. , he's took it to the captains. You know, this, this kid who's 17, he's quite a big lad. It's all of a sudden turned up. , and he does, you know, he's going to run a little bit more and he knows that, but he's, he's doing so well.

And he, every time he comes, he's like, I just got my rugby mates. I love it. So, , having that come out and being around these two as well, and being attended by all the men, it's really, really good. It's really to see. , I think we've also managed to get another couple of, , civvy [00:34:00] lads that are a little bit older, but they've come back to training as well.

, and actually, you know, there was a lad called Henry Johnson, And he came in, I think he played before, missed out on a load of years, and he started to come back and started to play again, and when we had that two week training camp, he wasn't making tackles, and I said to him, you know, and I think this is where as a coach you've got to be honest, because if you don't be honest, sometimes they will never play.

improve or later on down the line and he was missing tackles. And I said to him, you know, you're playing center. If you missed that tackle, that that's potentially seven points, you know, and this is trying to avoid for the whole team. And I said to him, if you want that first shirt, you need to be hitting like a train because you're a fit young lad.

You can run hard and he was like, okay next game. We had your car, right? When we did lose, [00:35:00] but however, he was hitting like a monster Yeah, he was out that line and he was putting people back on. He was helping them back up afterwards. Just, just, just hit them. I can do that after the day when you're in the bar, just, just keep hitting them hard.

And he did. And when he came off, I said to him, You've earned that first shirt now, mate. That's your first team. Definitely. And I think that took him by surprise a little bit. , and he, you know, he's really enjoying it now. So fantastic to see that. And yes, we have a couple of Fijian boys in the team now.

I believe that having them couple of Fijians play and when they show that flair, It all, it's all like, it's that morale just comes flying back for some of them, you know, what I watched Jack, , when I watched Jack for the first as a winger, , cause [00:36:00] that's where they were playing him. And I said to him, I even said to him, actually, after watching his first game, I said to him, well, you're missing a few tackles there, mate.

And then he, and then he come, he comes to me and he said, well, actually I usually play nine. So we've, we've put him into that position and he's, he's been growing. He hasn't missed a tackle so 

Carl: far, which is absolutely brilliant. Well, nines don't tackle anyway, so you can't miss a tackle at nine if you don't, you don't, you don't have to tackle.

Jack, , sorry, Jack. Oh, sorry. I was just going 

Cookie: to say very quickly, like, It's like, , Henry Slade or someone like that, and he's missing tackles. I wouldn't think he'd probably be in that next team on the next line up. He'll be, you know, on the impact list. 

Carl: Yeah, that's what 

Cookie: we like to call it now. And instead of 

Carl: that's it.

Yeah, Jack, obviously you've been been around, mate. Probably sort of seen it sort of first hand. Why do you think the sixteens and the [00:37:00] Colts is sort of the the graveyard of your club at the minute, really, because it seems to be where you're, you're losing the, that connection between the next first team members.

What's, obviously, if you've been through it, what's, what's sort of happening, mate? Where can the club, club improve? 

Jack: Obviously, I'd say, obviously, like the Darlington, where they can get five teams out, obviously, then the people like the thrill of work, well, not work, playing in a higher league and working your way through it.

They also, I'm pretty sure, correct me if I'm wrong quickly, but they also give you the option of, , you go to play with them and they'll send you off with a scholarship, with a, , with a college or something like that, or uni. , we can't offer that, but we have had, in the girls junior section, we have had seven girls go to Yorkshire county level, and they're playing Yorkshire.

But, , Many, like, the likes of Wednesdaydale as well, their first team's in Yorkshire 1. Right. They all go to there, play in the seconds, and then when they, when they get the [00:38:00] thumbs up for firsts, obviously, everybody wants to say, oh yeah, I'm playing in Yorkshire 1, or I'm playing in D1, or whatever, like that.

It's just like, we're not a big club at all, we're a very small club, compared to Darlington, and Yeah. other places around us, but purely I think it's just because people can see what the difference is between us and Darlow. Yeah. Yeah. And we just can't offer that at the moment, but I think we'll be able to do that, especially if we just keep the drive going and the recruitment rush.

I think we'll be able to get there 

Carl: fair play. So is the club pretty much financially secure? Is it got a good foot into push forward? It's got its own facilities and everything like that. Is it is it in good standing? Because there's a there's a lot of clubs that are about their

Robbo: It's it's hard. , it's kind of hard to, , comment on that to be honest because we don't really, we don't really get true reflection or see what actually really goes on behind the scenes from [00:39:00] a financial point. , however, , I do think we are in a decent place where we've got a clubhouse that we can rent out to for birthdays and all sorts of parties and everything, which, which people do do.

, but when we do make a really, really good financial gain is when we've got both senior male teams playing at home on a double headed weekend, you know, because as you can imagine that straight away, you know, straight away minimum. is bringing in that 60 players minimum and that's before we even talk about substitutes, , supporters, family, friends, everybody that travels with the away team.

So, yeah, I think, I don't think we can give a fair, a fair response to the question because of we're not in that position to talk about it. But from what we say, yeah, I think we're all right. 

Carl: In the, in the clubhouse, are they, they reasonable or are they getting a bit of a, bit of, bit of a sting in the pocket at the minute because there's a lot of [00:40:00] clubs that are having to sting the boys in the pocket on the, on the beer money rather than just to keep the club afloat?

4. 

Jack: 40 a pint at Guinness. 

Carl: How much? 

Jack: Four 40 for Pint Guinness as All right. Fucking dirt cheap compared to down south. But Christ, 

Robbo: I was gonna, I was gonna say, I'm down south at the minute. It's about eight quid. 

Carl: Yeah. And that's a, that's an, that's a half as well, Robert. Yeah, but that's what 

Robbo: that, that's a half.

That is a half as well. 

Carl: , no fair play to you. So. Season ahead is a case of target of sort of five wins. Is that roughly where you, where you're at and keep the, keep it under 50 points of if any defeat comes along your way. 

Robbo: Yeah, a hundred percent. And, , I think when, when cookie touched on it actually before is It's been frustrating already this season.

It started frustrating because them five wins, we probably should be just about there now, really. I mean, [00:41:00] there's been a couple of fixtures where we have left that pitch and unfortunately, we've gone in that dressing room and looked at each other and gone, we've actually just thrown this game. You know, we actually have just thrown this game.

We should have, we should have won comfortably, you know, but you put yourself into them positions, don't you? And you've got to, you've got to navigate your way out of them, I suppose. 

Carl: That's the difference obviously between this season and last season. Last season you'd have probably just not even noticed that.

Yeah, absolutely. This season you've obviously, you've able to create your brand, you know your target, you know what you can gonna do and it's, yeah, they're the worst ones when you know you should have come away with something rather than just, yeah, no. , lads, it's been an absolute honor to get you on. , 

, we've got in the future, we're getting grassroots rugby game days back. So I did it, I did it recently over the summer. , I've got a couple of other lads coming on. So hopefully later in the year, if not next season, potentially depends on how [00:42:00] it works out. , we'd love to obviously come up and, Do an actual game day with you.

Let absolutely see what's going on and sort of do that. Yeah, that would be 

Robbo: fantastic. Your pints will be, your pints will be free as well. 

Carl: I'll have to fly back from Spain, but I think I'll make the effort for you boys to be fair. So yeah, your pints will 

Cookie: be free. I'm sure if , we will look after you.

You might not be able to go back but you're definitely com you. You'll definitely enjoy yourself. 

Carl: As I said, as long as my visas still valid, I'm fine. But lads, it's been an absolute honor having you on and, , just one last thing from you guys. If you want to just put a rally cry out for anyone in the area to come and join the, join the fight, then, , just push it out now.

And then we can, , we'll promote it on the, on the run, run up to the release as well. So lads, what, what makes your club, your club and why, why do you want people to come and join you? 

Robbo: Is this a brotherhood? 

Cookie: yeah, brotherhood. It's , yeah, definitely a 

Carl: [00:43:00] brotherhood. Soul there, that's the thing. That's what rugby does.

That brotherhood, you've got it forever. It's like having a brother you don't always want as well. You can't fucking get rid of some of them. 

Cookie: I think, I think I have to say is , before, yeah, is , I came into the club I don't think I was ,

well retrieved it might have been, but definitely rugby is going in the right direction. And everyone is just, it's all improving the guys. There's more people coming into the team doing so much better. Women's side, , I have to have like a, a big shout out to Gareth Hasity. So he's not here at the minute, but he's the captain for the seconds.

And although sometimes we might. He's actually, you know, is a real strong figure within the Richmondshire club and he does, he brings everybody together. , and he, if Richmondshire [00:44:00] is what it is, probably, don't get me wrong, do really well. You know, you've got all the coaches, Neil Gardner, , Kimbley guard, all, all of them that do it.

, and then Smurf as well. It's the other senior coach. , he's probably, he's got his legs up resting. He's, he's hurt his ribs in a seconds team blessing because now we can, you know, we've managed to take that pressure off him a little. a bit and how about, , but one thing from Richmond is definitely a family club.

, and it's a great place to be on a Saturday when there's definitely games playing. , and obviously massive shout out to these two captains as well, where they were before, and then to take that leadership on to a team that we didn't quite know season would have started and watching them both come off that first game, a massive.

smile on the face. This year is going to be good. , [00:45:00] it's definitely something that we've all took on. So, yeah, fantastic. Fair play. 

Carl: Lads, been an absolute honour. Thank you for your time and let's hopefully we can get that one in the diary of us getting over and actually coming to a game with you. So cheers, lads.

Really appreciate your time. 

Cookie: Cheers, mate. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Right, so that brings another episode of Rugby Through The League's podcast to an end. I just want to say thank you to everyone that joined. Really, a massive shout out to Richmondshire RUFC for, for jumping on. Cookie, Robbo, Jack, great conversation. Really good podcast. Bunch of lads, seems like they're turning the club in the right direction.

Results are starting to come the right way as well. So they're, uh, they've put himself in a realistic target as well. So they're not expecting to suddenly win the league the next year round, but they're working towards the right, the right bits and keeping people involved in rugby and getting new lads into the game, which is brilliant.

So if you're ever up [00:46:00] that way, start for rugby, get involved, give them a shout. I'm sure they're more than happy to welcome you with open arms. Next week, as I previously mentioned, we've got two new lads joining the pod, , so Buster and Adam. We've, , we've got them on ahead of the, , head of the 16th for our first rugby through the league's grassroots game again with them, , with Buster going to that interview to start with.

So I've got a bit of an introductory podcast with them. So that's out next week. So really good laugh, really good. Love the game, really want to grow the game and obviously they're located back in England so they can help fight the fight there while I carry on over here and try and spread the word. Over the next couple of weeks I'm actually going to be at the Spain International Games.

So I'm going to go Spain Uruguay, which will be on the 9th, going to Spain Fiji on the 16th and then also going to Spain USA on the 23rd. So look out for some, uh, for some content for that when that comes out as [00:47:00] well. So that'd be really cool. out as well. We're going to pretty much wrap the pod up at the end of November and the grassroots stuff is going to be released on our socials with, , we may be little mini episodes of pods, , but of their own format for you guys to , keep busy on, on the podcast platforms and keep that ticking over while we, , we get this rebuilt ready to come out again in February.

So, uh, Keep liking, keep subscribing, keep sharing. , make sure we're doing it on the socials as well so that more spread, , is available. More people can see what we're trying to do. And, , get back to rugby. And, , obviously Autumn Internationals. Let's see how that goes. Hopefully England can, uh, pick up some, some wins there against some big games.

So, everyone else, thank you so much for, for joining. Thank you, and goodbye