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Try Womens Rugby Night

Carlisle Cougars invite all women to try rugby at an free open evening on 10th of March at the rugby club on Warwick Road. Rugby is a sport for all.

The Cougars have a mix of players with over ten years experience to those who have only started playing this season. You don’t need to be fit to start playing, and if you are tall or short, fast or strong you can play a key role in the team.

“Rugby is a great team game. Its a good sport to get into if you play other sports, and want to try something different, or if you just want to try something new” said Lucy Meadley, captain of the Cougars.

Playing rugby is also a great way to meet new people. “Players come from every walk of life, and range in age from 18 to over 40.” The Cougars play in a league called Championship North 2, against teams from Preston, Sheffield, Scunthorpe and clubs in the North East.

Now is a good time to join the team as a number of friendly tournaments are coming up over the next couple of months. Four Cougars players are also representing the North East of England this year, which is the first step on the pathway to playing for England.

The session on the 10th of March, is a great way to see if you would like to play the sport. You need a tracksuit, or shorts and a sweat shirt and rugby or football boots if you have them. If not trainers will do.

Showers are available afterwards and you will be more than welcome to pop in to the club house for a drink after the session. Please contact Lucy to register an interest or for more information at carlislecougars@hotmail.com or on mobile 07912110785.

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Leading Point Scorers

The 1st XV may well have been languishing in the nether regions of the league, but since the early days of the season, we have had two players who have consistently featured in the top ten of the various scoring tables.

After last Saturday at home to Ilkley, Glen Weightman is now lying at third in the top points kicking league with 29 conversions, 21 penalties and one drop goal, giving him a total of 124 points slotted between the posts.

The talented stand off has also scored six league tries and that gives him nineteenth position in the try scoring table.

He appears at fifth in the overall points scoring table with 154 points.

He might win a seat at the Rugby Roundup awards dinner yet!

Centre Chris Harris, who has struggled a little to reach his form of last season, nevertheless features at ten in the top try scorers for the league, and has been in the top group throughout the season.  He has grabbed eleven tries for himself and the team.

Keep it up  -  we need more from you yet!

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Carlisle Cougars Captain scores for North East of England

Four Carlisle Cougars; Lucy Meadley (loose head prop), Rosie Tyson (second row), Lisa Ritchie (fly half) and Holly Freestone (Centre), and Hannah Sherlock (Centre) from Wigton (premiership club Team Northumbria) were selected to play for the North East of England at the regional trials

Simone Lyn was also invited to train with the squad. After just one training session The North East took on the East of England in Newark on Sunday, in their first pool game of three in the regional competition this season.

The first half was tightly contested by both teams, the North East side having most of the possesion but the East threatening well from turnover ball. Props Lucy Meadley and Katie Story (England tight head) ensured the North East were dominamt in the scrums and lineouts, securing their own ball and winning opposition ball.

The score at the interval was a close 10:5 to the North East. The second half saw the North East really start to control the game. Cougars captain Lucy Meadley opened the scoring after making a break through the mid-field.

A futher try was scored by the North East’s winger. Hannah Sherlock scored the last try of the game, powering over the line after receiving a quick pass off a 5 metre scrum, Lisa Ritchie converted 3 of the 5 tries leaving the final score 31-5. The next game for the North East is 28th of February against the East Midlands in Huddersfield.

Carlisle Cougars focus on their league campaign this week away to top of the table Novos (Newcastle).

Anyone interested in playing womens rugby is invited to a taster session on March 10th. Email carlislecougars@hotmail.com or call 07912119785 to register interest.

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Club incorporation

As has been reported previously, the Club are following the recommendations of the Rugby Football Union and arranging for the future administration to be as an incorporated company limited by guarantee.

Such a step will provide a wide degree of support for officials and those on a committee.

At the moment liability is divided between those on the committee and the trustees.  Incorporation will reduce their liability to £1 each.

A copy of final draft of the proposed Articles of Association are attached.  If any member has any comments please contact the Honorary Secretary before the 28th February 2010.

Articles of Association

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Come back by Little, stalls

The come back by centre Simon Little at Old Crossleyans on 6th February was cut short when he had top leave the field after about 15 minutes with what at first sight seemed like an innocuous cut  – a minor blood injury.

He was unable to resume and as it turns out, he will not now be available for selection for three or four weeks.

The injury to his finger was such that he eventually ended up at a Newcastle hospital the following day.

There is some tendon or ligament damage, but the prognosis is good and we may still get more use of his unpredictable upfield surges yet!

Treated initially by physio, Jen McCreadie, who was disappointed that her newly acquired

suturing skills could not solve the problem.

Jen is just back from a course that qualifies her to stitch minor wounds pitchside.

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Club notice board

Just a gentle reminder in response to queries that have been received about news and information.

Some people feel that there is a shortage of news on the notice boards in the Club.  True, but all the up to date news and information about all aspects of club activities is posted on the website.

Notice boards tend to get clutterred and are generally disorganised, sometimes with information being hidden in favour of other notices.

The most effective way of disseminating news is via the website, a place where almost everyone has access these days.

We will continue to update the website regularly and hopefully you will be able to find what you want to know from that.

General news, fixtures, details of coaching and refereeing courses, and much more can be accessed.

Of course if you sign up by simply entering your e.mail in the top right hand section of the front page, then the latest club news will drop straight into your e.mail in box.

We hope you will understand.

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Boyd is back

Lewis Boyd has re-signed for Carlisle.  The player, a speedy back and prolific try scorer, returns after spells in National League rugby with Fylde and more recently, at Kendal.

His work as a fireman at Carlisle Airport has put restraints on the long distance travel involved both for training and particularly some of the away fixtures.

Of his return to Carlisle, Boyd said, “I am delighted to be back and looking forward to helping the lads in the battle to climb the league table”.

Albeit that he has been playing his rugby away from the city, he has still been a regular figure around the Club on Wednesday nights, and on a Sunday because of his involvement in coaching youth rugby, something that he will be continuing.

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Who may enter the playing area?

Apparently there have been a number of issues recently as a result of non – players entering the playing enclosure during matches.
To try and help clear up misunderstandings, the Cumbria Referee’s Society have issued the following advice:

To all referees and to all clubs
Law 6C.2The match doctor and non-playing members of the team may enter the playing area as authorised by the referee.

Law 6C.3 In the case of injury these persons may enter the playing area while play continues, provided they permission from the referee.  Otherwise, they enter only when the ball is dead.

Law 6A.4 (f) The referee gives permission to the team doctor or medically trained person or their assistants to enter the playing area, as and when permitted by the Law.

Water carriers may be allowed in the playing area only when the ball is dead.  They should not enter the playing area at penalties/free kicks as the ball is ‘live’.

To referees

Please try to remember to ask if there is a medically trained person who will deal with injuries.

Ask to meet him/her at your changing room where you will outline what you require.

Agree that, if that person deems the injury so serious that the game must stop, you will stop the game, regardless of the state of play.  Make sure the captains are aware of this.

Stress that water carriers should stay off the field whilst the ball is live.

To Clubs

The referee may not be used to his/her having to ask about medical provision.  In order to avoid confusion and possible confrontation, it is a request that the medically trained person seeks out the referee and asks if he/she may enter the playing area for injuries.

Ask the referee if he will stop the game for serious injuries.

Recent events have raised the question of who may be allowed to enter the playing enclosure.  If these protocols can be followed, confusion may be avoided.

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All weather pitch for Carlisle?

Is an all weather pitch for Carlisle Rugby Club a possibility?

The recent spell of inclement weather has prompted the Club to investigate the possibility of investing in an all weather pitch.  If it becomes a reality at Warwick Road, then perhaps weather related postponements will become a thing of the past.

Artificial surfaces are improving all the time and there are now several that are safe to play rugby matches on, and without risk of burn injuries, something that has always been a worry in the past.  Gosforth in Newcastle play their league fixtures on an artificial pitch and reports are favourable.

Should the idea come to pass, in addition to solving our own playing and training problems in bad weather, it could also become a valuable income stream to boost the finances of the Club.

The GC considered the suggestion at their recent meeting.  It was agreed that it be passed to the Rugby Committee for them to look at  and establish a working group to investigate further and report in due course.

The 3rd team pitch is probably the area of the grounds that will be the focus of the project.  And, we will be working closely with our groundsman, Ray Grieve, a man who has a vast expeience of fields maintenance.

Watch this space!

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Club to appoint full time manager

At a recent meeting of the General Committee it was agreed to alter the way the Club is managed in future.  A change has been on the horizon for a while but it will now become a reality later this year.

Bill Swarbrick, the club chairman and who does most of the catering, is standing down at the AGM; Christine Fraser, who has been stewardess for many years is retiring.

Having agreed to appoint a full time manager to run the Club, supervise the catering and attend to the relevant paper work, a sub committee has been set up to work out the finer details and present the final details to the GC at their April meeting.

Further details will be posted in due course.

The Club is now a thriving business, and the committee recognise that there is a need to ensurethat we harness all the potential that the Club has to offer

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