Weekly Events & Announcements - 24th October

This week’s and upcoming events and a few announcements!

Wiggy Wednesday – Wednesday, 26^th of September

Wiggy will be opening up the clubhouse at 19:30 for a return of Wiggy Wednesday.  Chef Shezza will be cooking Italian for all of those that want some yummy food!  Cheese will be leading his normal workout sessions from 19:00-20:00 for a 5er per person.

Event Cancelled – Oktoberfest in Kennington Park – Thursday, 27^th September

This event has been cancelled due to lack of interest. 

TGIF Returns with a ‘Back to the 90s’ Party – Friday 28^th of September

Yes, folks the ladies of the Venus team are hosting their 5^th party at the clubhouse with a 90’s theme.  So dust off those 90s clothes (if you fancy dressing up) and head on down to the clubhouse where you will be able to partake in delicious food, great drinks, good tunes, and games.   For those feeling peckish – fresh seafood will be on the menu.   Are you in the mood for fantastic shots?  Well you’re in luck, jelly shots will be available at £1 and polish vodka for £2.  Also, beer pong will be up for offer for the low price of £12 (for the jug and cups).  So get ready to have excellent aim folks, so you can hit the cup each time!  Money will be raised to help the club get the much needed flood lights in Millwall Park so come down and give generously.  See you there!

Clubhouse Opening & Games – Saturday 29^th of September

The clubhouse will be open and there will be games on.  The opening times are still TBC and we will post that along with game information later in the week for all that are interested.  Come on out and support Millwall this weekend!

Save the Date!

Backyard Beach Party – October 13^th

Bavarian Beerhouse – Oktoberfest Celebration – October 18^th

Please RSVP when you can since we need to reserve places.  RSVP can be completed by either visiting the event on Facebook or emailing socialsecretary@millwallrugby.com.

Announcements

Fundraising

Have any good ideas that could be profitable for the club?  Maybe some fun party ideas?  Please email socialsecretary@millwallrugby.com with any ideas and they will be forwarded to the appropriate person. 

RFU Grand Draw (Lights Fund)

The club desperately needs it's members to help raise funds for floodlights so that we can train this coming Winter. I'm sure you have all seen how quick the nights are drawing in now.

Each year, the RFU presents club with an amazing way to print cash. It's called the RFU Grand Draw and clubs get to keep 90% of all the revenue they get from ticket sales.  If everyone on our club mailing list bought just 2 x £5 books of tickets, then the club would make over £7,000!  Most importantly last year’s top prize was £10,000!

Gareth Hargreaves has kindly agreed to co-ordinate the admin for the draw this year with the help of the playing team members and the bar staff who will be selling the tickets.

We don't have the actual tickets in hand as yet (we are due to get these at the start of October). In the meantime, you can still buy 'tickets' so we can get the monies in asap. If you want to buy some tickets, please fill out the raffle pre-order logs along with giving your money (either speak to Shaf/Louise or the bar staff). Gareth will then post the actual tickets (retaining the stubs for entry in the draw) once we have them, so please ensure your address on the log is correct.

In the coming week we also hope to be able to get a web-page set up as well where you can buy tickets.

Video of Matt Shorrock’s Testimonial Match

Tim has added a short video of Matt Shorrock's testimonial match to the Millwall Facebook Video page and also on YouTube.  This is an opportunity for the players to see themselves on video.  Also, some players may not play again for the club due to retirement or moving away so it has become a bit of a historical record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5uhUU9jOfk

Tim will also put together a DVD which will contain all of the photos that both he and Edna took on that day along with a full 15 minute video of the game. These will be sold for £15 at the clubhouse with all of the proceeds to be contributed to the Flood Lights Fund.

Volunteering

Interested in volunteering behind the bar?  Please email ryan@millwallrugby.com if you’d like to volunteer.  Those that are currently trained should have access to sign up but please feel free to contact him if you need access again.

Mens Training - New Location

From Tuesday 25th Sep, mens training moves to the all-weather pitch at George Green school (the postcode is E14 3DW if you're not sure where it is).

 

- Tuesday from 7 to 9 pm on the all weather pitch - Fitness/Skills session - Open to all members
- Thursday from 7 to 9 pm on the all weather pitch

Games this weekend

A quick reminder of our fixtures for this Saturday, 22nd September.

Millwall 1st XV are playing Dagenham at Hackney Marshes (2pm KO) and Llamas 2nd XV are playing Upminster III away (3pm KO).

Good luck to both teams!

Please go along and show your support if you can. If you can't make it to the games, then the Clubhouse will be open from 3pm with the teams heading back there afterwards.

This Week's and Upcoming Events!

Hi All,

Please read below for this week’s events and notifications about future events…

Wicked Wednesday - Wednesday, 19^th of September

Adrienne will be hosting this week’s Wicked Wednesday.  Come on down for some good laughs and drinks.  Chef Shezza will be cooking Malaysian Curry for all of those that are hungry.  Also, Cheese will be leading his usual workout in the park from 7:30 to 8:30 for £5.  Clubhouse will be open from 7:30 pm onwards.

Drinks at the Nelson - Thursday, 20^th of September

Pete and Rose are soon to be leaving the Island and the Nelson at the end of the month. Some of us have alternate plans this Saturday and may not be able to spend as much time down there saying good-bye. They've helped out the club alot in their time on the Island and what better way to say thank you than to have an evening down there. Pete will be putting on some nibbles for us. So head on down after work so we can give them a good Millwall send off.

Wiggy’s Weekend Warm-Up, Friday 21^st of September

Wiggy will be hosting this Friday at the clubhouse from 19:30 onwards.  It’s a great way to begin the weekend with great drinks and banter.

Saturday Opening – 22^nd of September

Clubhouse opening TBC.  The men’s teams will have games on this Saturday so head on out and cheer them on.

Upcoming Events

Oktoberfest in Kennington Park – Thursday, 27^th of September

We have decided to go to Oktoberfest beer tents that are in Kennington Park. Please follow the link for more info. The entry is free and we just need to rock up, get seats, drink, eat and hang out...

http://www.london-oktoberfest.co.uk/index.php?section=praktische_info

Just head on down after work if you like, the tents are open from 16:00-23:00 on Thursdays

This event may be cancelled if there isn’t any additional interest.

TGIF Returns - ‘Back to the 90s’ Party – Friday 28^th of September

Yes, folks the ladies of the Venus team are hosting their 5^th party at the clubhouse with a 90’s theme.  So dust off those 90s clothes (if you fancy dressing up) and head on down to the clubhouse where you will be able to partake in delicious food, great drinks, good tunes, and games.   For those feeling peckish – fresh seafood will be on the menu.   Are you in the mood for fantastic shots?  Well you’re in luck, jelly shots will be available at £1 and polish vodka for £2.  Also, beer pong will be up for offer for the low price of £12 (for the jug and cups).  So get ready to have excellent aim folks, so you can hit the cup each time!  Money will be raised to help the club get the much needed flood lights in Millwall Park so come down and give generously.  See you there!

Save the Date!

Backyard Beach Party – October 13^th

Bavarian Beerhouse – Oktoberfest Celebration – October 18^th

Please RSVP when you can since we need to reserve places.

All of the events are on Facebook, so RSVP there if you're interested in attending...

Clubhouse Openings, Events & Announcements - 10/09/12

Hi All,

This is the weekly clubhouse openings along with announcements. 

This Week!

Hargreaves Hump Day -  Wednesday , 12/09/12

September 12, 1990 "US, England, France, USSR, East and West Germanys sign agreements allowing the 2 Germanys to merge"

Come down to the clubhouse and celebrate the early stages of German re-unification with a Becks beer (other brands available), and build up your tolerances in anticipation of the BierFest events we have coming up.  Chef Shezza will be cooking up a delicious Moroccan chicken for dinner.

Also, Cheese will have his weekly bootcamp for £5 each in Millwall Park from 7:30-8:30 pm.  Come on down, work out, eat and be merry!

Wiggy’s Weekend Warm-Up – Friday, 14/09/12

Come down to the clubhouse for some good banter with Wiggy on Friday night.  Start the weekend off with a good start with some laughs and drinks.

Clubhouse Opening and Games, Saturday 15/09/12

The clubhouse will be open although the time is still TBC.  The men’s teams are playing three games on Saturday so be sure to stay tuned for times and locations of the games if you’d like to go out and support them.

Save the Date!

Kennington Park Oktoberfest – Thursday, September 27^th  

http://www.london-oktoberfest.co.uk/index.php?section=praktische_info

TGIF Returns  ‘Back to the 90s Party’– Friday, September 28^th

Announcements

RFU Grand Draw (Lights Fund)

The club desperately needs it's members to help raise funds for floodlights so that we can train this coming Winter. I'm sure you have all seen how quick the nights are drawing in now.

Each year, the RFU presents club with an amazing way to print cash. It's called the RFU Grand Draw and clubs get to keep 90% of all the revenue they get from ticket sales.  If everyone on our club mailing list bought just 2 x £5 books of tickets, then the club would make over £7,000!  Most importantly last year’s top prize was £10,000!

Gareth Hargreaves has kindly agreed to co-ordinate the admin for the draw this year with the help of the playing team members and the bar staff who will be selling the tickets.

We don't have the actual tickets in hand as yet (we are due to get these at the start of October). In the meantime, you can still buy 'tickets' so we can get the monies in asap. If you want to buy some tickets, please fill out the raffle pre-order logs along with giving your money (either speak to Shaf/Louise or the bar staff). Gareth will then post the actual tickets (retaining the stubs for entry in the draw) once we have them, so please ensure your address on the log is correct.

In the coming week we also hope to be able to get a web-page set up as well where you can buy tickets.

Video of Matt Shorrock’s Testimonial Match

Tim has added a short video of Matt Shorrock's testimonial match to the Millwall Facebook Video page and also on YouTube.  This is an opportunity for the players to see themselves on video.  Also, some players may not play again for the club due to retirement or moving away so it has become a bit of a historical record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5uhUU9jOfk

Tim will also put together a DVD which will contain all of the photos that both he and Edna took on that day along with a full 15 minute video of the game. These will be sold for £15 at the clubhouse with all of the proceeds to be contributed to the Flood Lights Fund.

Match Report - Hackney Men's Team

The men's 1st XV finally Got their season off to a start with a friendly against Hackney RFC last Saturday.

With six new players in the squad Millwall were slow to start and conceded two early tries to a well drilled Hackney side. Despite the slow start our boys lifted their game and created a number of chances, but failed to convert possession to points.

With Hackney dominating the set piece Millwall struggled to create any continuity and relied on strong carries from Sean Russell, Andrew (not andrew Mertans) McMahon and James Eason.

Despite their efforts, Millwall's defence was caught off guard conceding a number of breakaway tries towards the end of the first half.

The second half saw Millwall dominate the scrum ( yes I did say Millwall, dominate and scrum in the same sentence), onlookers noted that new prop Shaun Cooke was a key factor in the dominant millwall scrum, however seasoned fans attributed this to the smell of alcohol from Ed Williams. Ed clearly a by product of the W.S.A ( Wiggy Academy of Scrummaging)

Millwall continued to create chances with determined play from fully clothed welsh wizard lwan Thomas and irish poster boy Finbar Dennehy. Hackey were also dazzled by Millwalls secret weapon that people call 'The GG'

As the second half progressed Millwall coach Dave Roberts made a number of changes, fresh legs lifted the intensity of the game and Miilwalls mediterranean themed back line of Manu Cendron, Bob Fish and Tom Clarke  created a try for One Direction band member Jake Vinnecombe to score in the corner.

The game concluded with a late try from Hackney to bring the score to 42-5.

In the post match interview Millwall coach Dave Roberts commented that he was glad to put his contract negotiations aside and was happy that the boys produced a spirited display.

With two weeks to go to the league opener Millwall now resume their pre season training. With this effort and more structure Millwall will be hoping to start the season on a winning note.

Tom Ronayne

(posted by Tim McDonagh for Tom)

Be part of a winning team

Andrea - First Aid Officer and Adrienne - Volunteer Coordinator

All of the work that gets done around the club is done by volunteers, without which we wouldn't have any training, no playing, no clubhouse and no one to man\woman the clubhouse if we did have one. No youth would learn how to play and enjoy the great game that rugby is. We wouldn't have anyone to buy kit, arrange games, social occasions, do club Admin or Wiggy's Wednesday, Hargreaves Hump, Shezza's cooking or many other things we all enjoy.

We're in the great position this season in that all elected positions on the Club committee bar one (Communications Officer) are filled and we have a great management team. Now, the latest people to get involved are Andrea, who is taking on the First Aid Officer role, and Adrienne, who is taking on the Volunteer Coordinator role. GiGi and Andrea are also working on the floodlights with me for your training on the Park.

Volunteering is hugely rewarding as you get to give something back, you get club discounts, the respect of other members and you get to meet a lot of people. For those of you into networking, the club contains a huge variety of people and professions, some working in finance, some in trades, some students, unwaged and some in comedy (or maybe that's just what it seems) etc etc. The club is a also £100,000+ business, you can gain valuable experience in areas like event management, accounting\book keeping, IT, management, coaching, marketing and communications, entertainment. We are linked into community bodies on the Island, have contacts in Canary Wharf group and local businesses. If you volunteer and want to make contacts or a job, just let me know and I'll get you an introduction.  Yes, volunteering does require some time but not as much as you think. This season will be a great one for the club, will you join us and be part of the most successful team off the pitch?

First Aid - Andrea Bielska

We play a contact sport and injuries will inevitably happen. Luckily, serious injuries are surprisingly rare. Even so, we have a duty of care to each other to be able to help out a fellow player, a spectator who happens to need First Aid at or after a game or anyone else around rugby.  We have all read stories where someone who knew a little First Aid made a huge difference. For players, it can also mean the difference between missing a whole season just because no-one could help resolve an injury.

The role of the officer includes

1. Inventory management of First Aid kits

2. Arrangement of training and registration of First Aiders

3. Coordination with the manager on the day to allocated a First Aider.

Andrea isn't necessarily a First Aider herself, she's a player like many of us and needs to play. Players are the main beneficiaries of First Aid and therefore we'll be asking players (and social members) to

1. Tell us who is a First Aider already

2. Who would be willing to be trained and be available on the day

The RFU covers First Aiders for insurance so don't let that stop you. On the pitch, the main challenges are cuts, bruises, knowing when someone needs to come off etc, no need for brain surgery.  The club has applied for grants so that will also help and the courses we run are also suitable for workplace First Aid courses if you need a refresher. Naturally, if the club trains people, we expect them to make themselves available.

Hopefully, you, your playing friends or family will never need to rely on the cover Andrea and current First Aiders are helping provide!

Volunteer Co-ordinator - Adrienne Meehan

Despite what you may think or hear, many people are willing to be volunteers, they just don't know what needs to be done, no-one asks them or they cannot commit long term or are fearful that they will be left with a job or a role. This is where the role of Volunteer coordinator comes in. 

Getting things done has three main items

1. Identify what needs to be done

2. Find out who could do it and ask them

3. Coordinate any activity where required

You the members, together with the committee, will identify what needs to be done. I, other officers and members in the club for a while, can usually identify people who could help. Adrienne can then log the tasks and co-ordinate the volunteers.  

Don't worry about some things

·         you don't have time - just do what you can

·         you don't know what to do - often another member will know and can provide steps

·         you actually cannot do the task - don't worry, there will be others

I also see training and playing, being active in Social activities etc as a way of volunteering. If you turn out for training Tuesday and Thursday and play Saturday then you'll also be doing your part (but someone will still need to do the work).

Please remember, if you're not happy with something in the club, let us know by all means but also please be prepared to do something about it yourself. I hope to get around and talk to every single member to see if you can help Adrienne do a task so don't be surprised if I start buying you pints before I mention a little tiny task we need help on! Of course I'll accept a No but it might cost you a pint and I'll be back again with something different another time. I've also asked committee members to recruit a Tight 5 or circle of 5 who could help them in their tasks. If we do this, we'll cover the whole club and you'll only have to do one task for the whole season.

At the moment, we do need some

• ·       bar volunteers
• ·        someone to manage transport
• ·         assistance with merchandising
• ·         representatives for community meetings

We'd like to  open the bar after training Tuesday and Thursday but only if we can get a volunteer and also enough members are interested to make it worthwhile. I see one of the reasons the Women made such progress last year was because they were able to join in Wiggy's Wednesdays, without the girls there would be no night, they were able to meet each other as a team but without Wiggy, Shezza, Paul, Ryan, Gareth and all other bar staff, there would be no night.

We'll get a list of things the club needs to do so we can improve playing, social etc and put this on the web site\Facebook. If you can help, please contact Adrienne directly or via volunteer@millwallrugby.com or come to me. Sorry for the long blog (I have to fill Flex's program somehow!). Again yes, volunteering does require some time but not as much as you think and its benefits outweigh the work.

This season will be a great one for the club, will you join us and be part of the most successful team off the pitch?

Tim

Chairman

Millwall Rugby Club

75 Manchester Road - London - E14 3DN

+44 7795 436715 chairman@millwallrugby.com - www.millwallrugby.com

Clubhouse Opening & Activities - Week of 03/09/12

Hi Everyone! 

Here are the activities coming up for this week!  Come on down to the clubhouse and enjoy the company of all!

Hargreaves Hump Day – Wednesday, 5^th of September

Russia’s Peter the Great imposed a tax in 1968 on beards on this day.  Why not join the UK's "Gareth the Great" who is imposing a beard amnesty for the day - once you go bare, you never want hair!! Chef Shezza will be cooking din dins for us and Rosemary & Chicken are on the menu. See you down there. Clubhouse will be open from 7:30 pm onwards.

Cheese will also be running his workout sessions in Millwall Park from 7:30-8:30 for £5 each.  So come down have a good workout and then chill out in the clubhouse with some good food and drinks.

Wiggy’s Weekend Warm Up – Friday, 7^th September

Wiggy is opening the clubhouse on Friday and premiering his  "Wiggys Weekend Warmup".  Come down to the clubhouse to watch the Paralympics, share a drink and some banter.  Clubhouse will be open from 7:30 pm onwards.

Testimonial Match – Saturday, Friday 8^th September

Matt Shorrock is inviting everyone down to witness his last match with the club on Saturday, September 8^th. 

One of Millwall's few Aussies is leaving the UK and playing his final game for Millwall RFC this Saturday in a testimonial match featuring some old faces and some very old faces from past Millwall teams. 

Matt is a former Chairman, Llamas Manager and 4th XV founder and manager, but is most well known for his 5 years as Youth Chair where he oversaw a significant development in children playing rugby in East London. 

Matt and Vicky will be having drinks in the clubhouse after the match as well. 

Come along to Millwall Park for a 2pm kick off as we send off a club legend (if he does say so himself! Ha!; ) The game will run in 4 – 20 minute quarters. 

Future Events

Oktoberfest in Kennington Park - Thursday, September 27^th

We have decided to go to Oktoberfest beer tents that are in Kennington Park. Please follow the link for more info. The entry is free and we just need to rock up, get seats, drink, eat and hang out...

http://www.london-oktoberfest.co.uk/index.php?section=praktische_info

Just head on down after work if you like, the tents are open from 16:00-23:00 on Thursdays

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/175608099241868/

Bavarian Beerhouse – Thursday, October 18^th

Oktoberfest only comes around once a year so we should make the most of it. There is free entry on this night but I will need to make a reservation a few weeks before. Please RSVP if you would like to attend and we can book the seats. We can have multiple tabs going so it won't be a nightmare to split the bill at the end of the night. 

We'll be going to the Old Street location 

http://www.bavarian-beerhouse.co.uk/

Facebook event:  http://www.facebook.com/events/412909942103471/

Men's Training - Tue 4th Sep @ 7pm

Dave Roberts will be running full contact men's training on Millwall Park tomorrow night (4th Sep). Training will start at 7pm. 

Head Coach & Training

The club is happy to announce the appointment of Dave Roberts as head
coach. Dave has had previous success with the Millwall playing side
and we look forward to another successful season under his guidance.

Pre-season training will also be starting this week so make sure you
come down and get yourself ready for the league season that starts in
only a few weeks.

Shaf