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Renegades Rugby History
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Renegades RUFC: A brief history There's a clue in the name of course: Intra-club politics at the end of the 2002-3 season led to a number of players voting with their boots and turning away from the established structure of St Ives RUFC. Prime mover in getting the club off the ground was Kenneth (aka Nick) Nicholson. Nick had previously led the successful St Ives Vets side acting as its Fixtures Secretary, Coach, Selector... Invariably these were all the jobs unwanted by others. Nick's decision to try and form another club was supported by some players, including Andy Ibbotson, Steve Halkyard, John Bateson, Martin Doughty, Ian Locke, Jonty Jones, Andy Underwood, Danny Tuckwood, Mick Gunney, Stu Feering, Chris Rowbottom and Gary Robinson ... Most of those encouraging the club's start-up 'came-over', giving a nucleus of players to call on. The lack of a home ground was overcome by the offer from Steve Halkyard, teaching at Cottenham Village College, to use the school's facilities. Though small, the pitch surface remains the best in the area - and remains in use by Renegades. (The move to Cottenham wasn't without precedent. A couple of years earlier several local players had started to play recreational Sunday fixtures at the Village College. The side didn't survive due, in part, to most clubs not allowing their players to play elsewhere.) By early in the 2003-4 season, the Renegades RUFC structure
was in place. Key positions were: Nick also served as Coach and General Organiser. From the outset, it was clear that there would be insufficient Veterans to make the Club a successful Vets side. The move to Cottenham would necessitate widening the player age. This had the immediate impact. Some of the more senior players were now running out with youngsters of a similar age to their children. And the club became much more open-looking, allowing a friendly and supportive environment for developing younger and newer players. The ethos of the club was - and still is hopefully - of being north Cambridge's most friendly rugby club. In truth however, it is north Cambridge's only rugby club, locally competing clubs being in the outlying towns of Newmarket, St Ives, St Neots, Ely and in (south) Cambridge (Cantabs, Cambridge, Shelford). In this respect, the club sits in an excellent geographical and developmental position with the potential to tap into several thousand people in the area. Early seasons Season 2003-4 was, as anticipated, patchy in terms of the numbers of games played and results. Bar a one-sided affair away at Colworth House (Sharnbrook), most of the results were honourable losses. Noteworthy was the presence of Carl Goodey and Chris Beddow, both still turning out for the Club some 7 years later. Season 2004-5 was much more successful with the arrival of new players (including some South Africans), more fixtures and, as a consequence, a much better record both home and away. Notable scalps (appropriate for us Indians!) included wins over Cambridge Veterans and Kibworth (Market Harborough). 2004-5 also saw the arrival on the map of the rugby world of a side from Wendens Ambo, the small town to the south of Cambridge. Unlike Renegades, Wendens started life as a group of Dad's coaching their youngsters on a Sunday morning. Becoming hooked, the Dad's started playing ... and continue to do so today. Season 2005-6 and 2006-7 were successes - no doubt, with the club establishing a core of mostly local (Fen Edge) players and a few others attracted to the serious on the pitch, not serious at all off the pitch attitude. The player ability profile was also variable; some players new to the club hadn't played since their school days. Others were returnees coming back from bigger clubs in the area. They were a huge help in lifting the standard of play. If, in retrospect, as season can be viewed as less successful, this was 2007-8. With Renegades now well established locally, the side looked to be treading water. In not competing in a league structure, some results weren't as good as previous years. The majority player feeling - expressed at the club's 2008 AGM - was that entry into a league (e.g. Green King Merit) would provide the necessary impetus to the club. This move was rejected for the coming 2008-9 season, so a year of friendlies was played. As with 2007-8, results (at least on paper) were mixed. At the 2009 AGM, the club voted in entry into the Green
King Merit league - now the Super Deuxieme Nord Merit Table, finishing
3rd behind Saffron Walden and Cambridge in a close and competitive competition.
The club's executive also changed at the start of the season with the
departure of Nick, Andy and Kath, who were replaced by: League membership continues. In addition, 2009 saw the start of an increasingly more serious and competitive regime. Well, we started training midweek anyway. The overall performances on the pitch and the development of individual player skills and fitness has born out the success of the approach. Off the field In addition mid-season activities have been added including regular curry-nights, family socials and the traditional Christmas and end of season bashes.
Touring to Additional notes are given elsewhere about the tours. Suffice to say that they have been a successful blend of exuberance and, er, tiredness. The 2010 tour took a different turn, with the decision
to stay in the UK and visit Cardiff. This was an excellent decision,
proving (in the finest traditions of rugby tours) that: |