LAST Saturday Ards Rugby Club had the pleasure of hosting British and Irish Lion #593 Hugo MacNeill to Hamilton Park to join them in watching the Lions’ victory over the NSW Waratahs.
This weekend sees the Lions take on a combined New Zealand and Australia select (Saturday, 11am) and the match will be shown live on the big screens in the clubhouse.
For the first test match in the series on Saturday, July 19, the club is hosting a breakfast and places are selling fast. The cost is £10 per person and you can reserve your place by contacting lions@ardsrugby.co.uk.
Pre-season
Pre-season plans for Ards Rugby Club’s senior squad have now been finalised.
Pre-season training at the club will commence on Tuesday, July 15 and will continue every Tuesday and Thursday at 6.50pm. On Saturday, August 2 the players will be heading to the north coast for an away day before hosting a squad match versus Bangor BFC on August 8.
The senior squad will then travel to Ballyclare RFC for a joint training session on Thursday, August 14, with Ards playing host to CIYMS 1st and 2nd XVs on August 16 (2.30pm).
On Sunday, August 23 there will be an inter-club match for all senior players.
Ladies’ Summer Bootcamps
Ladies’ bootcamps continue at Ards Rugby Club on Wednesday evenings during the summer from 6.45pm to 7.45pm.
All sessions will be under the guidance of a qualified personal trainer from CORE Fitness and will be suitable for all levels of fitness. Bootcamps will be free for club members or cost £5 per session for non-members. They also include tea or coffee afterwards.
Ards Rugby Beer Festival
In conjunction with Bullhouse Brew Co, Ards Rugby Club will be hosting its first annual beer festival on Sunday, August 10 from 2pm at Hamilton Park.
Along with some great beers and ales, there will be live music and American barbeque platters. There are limited numbers available for this first event and it’s strongly recommended to book early to avoid disappointment.
Tables of eight are priced at £160, with the cost including admission, food and discounted Bullhouse beers. To reserve a table, contact Dave Algie by email at DavidAlgie@hotmail.com or by phone on 07876 871437.
Summer Camps
As part of Ards Rugby’s ROAR outreach programme, the club will again be hosting Mini and Youth rugby summer camps.
The camps aim to develop fitness, teamwork skills and confidence and are designed for boys and girls of all skill levels, focusing on the fundamentals of rugby, including how to pass, catch, ruck and tackle.
The Mini (P1-P7) camp will run from Monday, to Wednesday, August 4 to 6 between 10am and 1pm each day. Applications close at noon on Friday, August 1. The Youth camp (Years 8-14) camp runs from Monday, August 11 to Wednesday, August 13 at the same times and applications close at noon on August 8.
Costing £50 for participants, they will include a healthy snack each day and a barbecue on the final day of each camp.
It doesn’t matter who you are, what school you go to, what your rugby experience is or who you play for – just come and play rugby. Sign up today and start your child’s journey to becoming a better rugby player. Registration and payment is via the club Facebook page.
Appeal for coaches and volunteers
With increasing playing numbers, the club’s mini and youth coaches could really do with a hand.
If you’re interested in helping out with mini or youth rugby, get in touch. Whilst rugby or coaching experience is desirable, it’s not essential and if you don’t want to coach the club also requires assistance with other roles such as admin, social media and catering.
For further details, contact Director of Rugby Stevie Nutt via email at
directorofrugby@ardsrugby.co.uk.
Youth players welcome
All boys and girls aged 11 to 18, whether new to rugby or already experienced players, are most welcome to attend youth training on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 8.30pm at Ards Rugby Club.
The Under 14s, 16s and 18s play in regular league matches and the U12s in ‘Let’s Play’ events. Ards Rugby is a great place to learn new skills and make friends along the way.
Contact the following for more information:
Youth boys – Matthew Wallace 07702 449339 / ardsyouthrugby@gmail.com
Youth girls – Jill Shaw 07742 045798 / girls@ardsrugby.co.uk.
