Although we’re still a few weeks away from the school summer holiday the Seniors are back in training and the new season looms large. Now, following the Club’s recent AGM, we’re publishing our first Newsletter of the 2014/15 season.

New Website:

The Shipston RFC website has moved over to the Pitchero system since the end of the season and also has a new address. For anyone not familiar with Pitchero we would urge you to take a look at the new site and to ‘sign-up’ in order to access all of the fantastic features.

Each team, from Minis right up to the First XV have their own page on the site, and Team Admins and Coaches manage these pages. You can add pictures and fixtures, or anything you think is relevant to YOUR team. There is also a Calendar feature that each member can personalize for your own use, and is only accessible by you. In fact, any information you put into the website is very secure, and through the settings you decide what, if anything, you want other members and Admins to see.

We would also urge members to take a look at The Marketplace on the website. This is a vast online shop that sells a very wide range of sporting goods and clothing, and the prices are really good. The best thing about The Marketplace is that Shipston Rugby Club receives a small ‘commission’ on every item purchased. The Marketplace is found by clicking on ‘Shopping’ and this also where you will find the brand new Club Shop.

Here is a link to the new website: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/shipstononstourrfc/

Club Kit and Online Shop:

As many of you will testify, the relationship with Akuma for club kit proved to be problematic and we know there were issues over delivery and quality. However, changing a supplier is not as straightforward as it might appear – particularly in an organisation such as ours where we are all volunteers.

The decision to move away from Akuma was taken just after Christmas and we wanted to invest real time and effort into finding a replacement that would deliver a significant improvement, both in quality and service. Having looked at many options, and many samples of product, the club finally settled on a relationship with Zoti Sports.

There are a number of factors involved in finding the right Kit partner, and it will always be something of a compromise if the club is to minimise our risk exposure. Shipston Rugby Club cannot afford to buy and hold kit stock, and this was very much evidenced by the £16K loss the club accounts recorded the season before last – largely due to having to write off a storeroom full of unsold kit. The relationship with Zoti will also be a compromise, but one that we feel is very workable.

As Zoti require a 5 to 6-week manufacturing period the online shop will operate in a somewhat unusual way, in that it will open for a period of a month or so, then close for a day or two before opening again. At the end of the opening period all orders placed during that period of opening, or ‘window’, will be sent to manufacture. The delivery clock starts ticking from the day the shop closes.

The first ‘window’ is now open and it will close on July 15th. Deliveries of orders from this window will arrive during the last week of August, in plenty of time for the new season. But, if you want new kit for the start of the season you must order online before July 15th.

Kit orders will be delivered to the Rugby Club and packaged individually with your name on it; you will then be notified that your order is available for collection from the clubhouse.

Please be careful with sizes as Zoti only exchange faulty kit (not the wrong sizes). If in doubt go one or two sizes up!

Click HereGo to Club Shop to go to the Club Shop page - then click the link on that page.

Membership and Membership Cards:

All Membership Card accounts are now suspended, but do not throw away your card! As soon as you pay your membership subs they will be reactivated.

At the recent AGM it was agreed that there would be a very modest increase in membership fees, but the club are very much aware that paying subs and buying new kit, all around the same time, can put a strain on budgets. It was therefore decided that members who wanted to pay their subs through the Payments facility on the new website could do so in 2 instalments (2-months apart). This facility is only available to those sing the website Payments facility. Please do not ask to pay instalments to Woody or to your Team Admin.

The Online Payments facility does apply a 2.9% service charge, but it was decided that the Club would absorb this charge in order to help members have access to the instalment option. So, the price online is the same as paying by cash or cheque to your Team Admin.

The Online Payment system is VERY EASY and you can find it under the heading Payments on the website or by clicking this link: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/shipstononstourrfc/payments

New Sponsors:

As ever the Club is extraordinarily grateful for the support and generosity of our many sponsors and, as ever, each season sees new sponsors join us.

We are sad to say farewell to Global Gathering who have given the Mini and Junior sections of the club, as well as the club as a whole, a fantastic amount of help and backing for a number of years. The club would like to place on record our gratitude to Gary Turner, not just for the support by Global, but for his coaching commitment (along with Andy Mc) to the team ‘formerly known as’ the U13s. Gary, like the rest of us, is a year older and now the proud Coach of the U14s!

Thanks also go to Clifton Cowley Group for their support for the First XV last season. This was an arrangement that was planned as a 1-year initiative, but which was no less appreciated.

We are delighted to announce that BPS, who have supported the club for several years, are extending their support and will be the First XV Team Sponsor for the new season. The Shipston branch of BPS pretty much looks down on the club from the Tilemans Lane site, so please call in and show your appreciation to Gary Benfield, the Shipston Branch Manager.

We are also welcoming Bower and Willis Designs as a new sponsor this season. Jeremy and Angela Bower are the proprietors of this great Shipston-based Kitchen Design business, conveniently located opposite Edward Sheldon Wines. If you are considering a new kitchen, and are looking for great quality and service, be sure to call in and let them know you are from SRFC.

The club are also welcoming back a former player and friend in Mr George Scholes. George’s business is TransLyft & Lifting Technology, based in Brailes. They are supporting the club through sponsorship of First XV Training Kit, which other players can purchase through the club shop.

We are incredibly fortunate to have a long list of supporters, and thanks must also be made to Sheldon Bosley, Salts Techstep and John Bradley Associates, to name just a few. Without their support and the support of advertisers in the fixture card and on the side of the pitch, we would all be paying much higher membership fees, bar prices and match fees.

Thank you all.

Shipston Colts:

Those of you who followed the Colts last season will know what a great outfit they are, including the Coaches - Charlie and Pete. Many people travelled with them to games during the ‘oh so near’ Cup run last season, and we can’t wait for the new season to kick off for them.

After much consideration the Club has entered the Colts into the Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire Colts League for this season. This represents a major step up in the quality of opposition they are likely to face, and a real step up in the challenge for players and Coaches alike. We all very much look forward to following their adventure again this year, and it will be a welcome change to host teams such as Windsor Colts, Amersham & Chiltern Colts, Whitney Colts and High Wycombe Colts at Mayo Rd.

New Committee:

The Club’s AGM was held on June 12th and the attendance for this meeting was good, with representation from all parts – Mini, Junior, Girls and Senior.

Detailed Minutes from the meeting are attached below and can be downloaded by clicking on the document icon. The Members made a number of changes to the Committee, a summary of which we make as follows:

Club President, Roger Hawkins, will be staying on for another season and the Club are delighted with this news as it gives us the important continuity and experience needed for this role. Daryl Hunter will continue as Vice Chairman for another season, and will continue to be the ‘voice of reason’ and calm – particularly in his role Discipline Secretary.

Club Treasurer, Colin Black, has endured a period of ill-health over the past few months and, quite understandably, is unable to give the time and commitment to the role that he feels is necessary. The Club are very sorry that Colin is unable to continue but want to thank him for all the hard work and thought that he has applied to this important role but, above all else, we want to wish him a speedy recovery. We are delighted that Rebecca James has stepped-up to the Treasury ‘plate’, both in helping Colin towards the end of last season, but also in putting herself forward for the position of Treasurer for the new season. Beccy was voted in at the AGM and is already making her mark!

Matt Corby, inexplicably, put himself forward for another season as Club Captain and we are delighted that he will lead the First XV ‘unto the breach’ again this season. Matt will be very ably assisted by a new Vice Captain and the Club's new Fitness Coach in the form of Jack Barnard. Good luck to Matt, Jack and the Team.

It is also great news that Tom Jervis has put himself forward and was voted in as Chair of Mini and Junior Rugby. Tom does a truly remarkable job in this role, for which the Club is immensely grateful, and still manages to find time for a bit of Vets Rugby. Thank you Tom.

We are sorry to lose Julie Morgan as Club Secretary, but Julie is a real Club stalwart and we are sure that her presence will remain very evident this season and going forward. Thanks were and are duly made to Julie for all her hard work. Maxine Williams has taken over this role, alongside her position as Club Safeguarding Officer. Well-done Max.

Last but not least. Alasdair Elliot stood down as Club Chairman following a second lengthy stint in this pivotal role at Shipston RFC. The commitment and the work that Alasdair has done for our Club, over several decades, cannot and should not be underestimated. The clubhouse that we all very much take for granted is just one example of something that we would not enjoy were it not for Alasdair. He has promised not to ‘be a stranger’, and the new Committee will be calling upon his counsel on a very regular basis, for sure. A new Chairman was elected in the rapidly expanding shape of Nick Underwood.

Ends.