A new season, a new league

In the 1st team at Hammersmith & Fulham we pride ourselves on the style of rugby we aim to produce week in, week out. Drawing on a squad of up to 50 member’s competition for all positions is fierce, which we hope will us in our new league, London 1 North.

We are a sociable side, this is an amateur club after all, and you will regularly find us after a game in The Wheatsheaf until the early hours, out on one of the well organised club nights and most definitely on tour!!

Doing battle week-in week-out in The Shield , the Hammers 2nd XV’s goal is not only to win by playing expansive and enjoyable rugby, but at being the best at everything we do - whether it be training, playing or socialising! As the 2nd half of the 1’s squad, when not striving for grand final glory, all 2nd team players can find themselves called up to the 1’s at a moment’s notice, so competition for spots is fierce. The only thing we enjoy as much as taking to the field is taking to the bar afterwards to talk about the victory, pay tribute to man-of-the-match and mercilessly punish the unfortunate Tin Man. Will you be one of these?

The Hammersmith & Fulham 3s are a social team who for 80mins on a Saturday become a well oiled rugby machine, we always go into a match knowing full well that each team member will be giving 110% for his team mates both on the pitch as well as at the pub on the other side!

The prerequisites for joining this squad are not only to be able to play some rugby but also to own a checked shirt.. Hand grenades anyone?

The Hammersmith & Fulham 4th XV are a social team at heart who focus on enjoying themselves both on and off the pitch. With a blend of old heads and young pretenders the side look to attack at every opportunity, keeping the ball in hand at all times and playing the game how it was intended to be played. This attitude is carried into the clubhouse and through into the evening as the team that plays together drinks together always keen to welcome new members and if they’re really lucky, treat them to a Steel Donkey

On occasion, when the sun is shining, we are able to field a fifth team…

The Ladies team at Hammersmith & Fulham has gone from strength to strength in the 7 years since we formed. We play to a descent standard and we work hard on developing the skills and fitness of each and every player. All are welcome at the Hammers and we are forever living up to our reputation as London’s friendliest club! We are a close team, both on and off the pitch and we aim to get everyone involved whether that be at training, on game days or on our many social outings.

Team motto: ‘Play for the shirt, play for the girl next to you, heads up rugby’

A Season of Vintage Champagne rugby

Hammersmith & Fulham Vets were formed in 2005 to allow older members of the club to continue to play social rugby with opposition our own age, rather than having to chase 22 year olds around the pitch or hang up our boots.

Our players ages range from 35 to 63 and held a 4 year unbeaten record against Vets opposition. We aim to play up to 6 games of rugby a year, where everyone gets a game.

The team is also built on a strong social camaraderie, where the port before the game and the beers afterwards in the Wheatsheaf, are as important as the champagne rugby played on the field.

…and on even rarer occasions with the sun shining and lots of people have nothing else to do we can even field a sixth team.

Under 13’s rugby is the initial stepping stone towards 15-a-side senior rugby and it’s to that end that coaches Al Hamilton and Lyndon Walters look to develop the skills and decision making of the players, to perform at a high standard in league and friendly matches. The intention is to play an attractive, competitive brand of rugby that is enjoyed by players and parents throughout the season. This season we are on track to emulate last years U13s & win our league.

The under 12’s are a close knit squad of boys and girls who enjoy their rugby, whilst training and playing matches to their highest ability.

We welcome all children from every ethnic background, shape and size to come and join the squad and learn to play rugby in a safe and friendly environment every Sunday at Hurlingham Park.

The coaches Pat Hanlon and Terry Alleyne will endeavour to improve and enhance the skills and awareness of all the children with their rugby development via various training routines that will involve enjoyment, whilst taking part in this great game.

The emphasis at U11s is still very much the development and building upon the basic skills of rugby. The coaches aim to encourage consistency amongst the boys through hard work and discipline on the training field. We also try and teach the boys to think much more about their play and position both with and without the ball. It’s very much then the commitment and determination of the boys that shines through on the playing field which makes them a formidable unit.

The U11s have continued to show talent and development this season, building on their success of winning the Staines festival the previous year. They’ve fronted up strongly against all opposition and have played and won some entertaining and hard fought matches. The coaches and parents eagerly await this year’s Staines festival with anticipation!

The U10’s are now a very strong group of 30+ boys coming together to play solid rugby under the watchful eyes of our Dad led coaching staff. This year the scrums and line-outs become contested and the boys continue to learn tackling, rucking, mauling and positioning.

We have fantastic parental involvement that is creating a great learning environment for our kids with part time assistance from former coach Chris Kennedy. Our coaches have all been trained by the RFU and are CRB certified. We stress safety and technique and above all fun. It’s not too late to get started and we welcome new players. Come out and give it a try. We think you’ll stay.

The start of the real rugby journey begins at U9. The boys are able to throw away the tags and get to grips with tackling, rucking, mauling and diving for the try line!!! At Hammersmith & Fulham we focus on building up confidence as well as ensuring that all our U9s understand and continually practice the correct techniques to ensure safety and enjoyment. At U9 level we place a great emphasis on ensuring that all the boys have fun and enjoy their rugby. We also realise that winning is fun and so a healthy competitive spirit at this stage is a positive attribute and to be encouraged along with………discipline.

Martin Johnson was recently asked how do you produce a rugby player and he replied “Parents”.

Hammersmith and Fulham parents’ take an active role in, supporting the coaching sessions, managing and communicating fixtures and meeting times, running the coffee shop and encouraging their children’s school friends’ to come and join us.

U8 is the last year of TAG Rugby ,there is still “no contact” allowed and tackles are made by pulling off tags worn around the waist . We have a number of eager Boys and Girls of all levels out most sessions , and play in local tournaments. We start to introduce good technique through fun games (steal the dinosaurs eggs is a popular one ), and usually break the session into small groups so all the kids regardless of size, aptitude or experience can have a great time and some attention. Our aim is to make sure the kids have fun and pick up some valuable skills both in Rugby and General Sportsmanship.

We encourage parents to help both in training sessions and in the general running of the club ,and provide the opportunity to do RFU accredited courses.

Tag rugby is a safe, non-contact game for both boys and girls, no matter what shape or size. In our U7’s rugby the emphasis is on the kids having fun, but with a focus on the development of skills more specific to rugby including ball handling and running skills that will make them awesome on the pitch. This is when they start to play in competitive matches. Parents are actively encouraged to get involved in the training sessions. This is where the kids start learning to play like a pro, you never know, we might just have the next Ritchie McCaw.

Little Hammers rugby provides 5 year olds with a great introduction to the world of rugby. At this level, the key aims are to develop their fundamental skills. Importantly we want our children to have fun, spend time with their friends, develop their team work & hand eye coordination, improve listening skills and even help with their emotional development. Our parents are actively encouraged to get involved. Here at Hammersmith & Fulham we introduce our Little Hammers to tag belts early on, so they can also develop a healthy competitiveness that prepares them for moving into the U7’s.