North Kesteven Rugby Club, the first to hold the RFU Community Rugby Seal of Approval and Sport England Clubmark in the Notts/Lincs/Derbys RFU area held an Open Day at their North Hykeham Playing Fields home on Saturday 2nd October. The Open Day was a requirement of the RFU Seal Of Approval Year One Development Plan.

The club provided a full and varied day of rugby catering for all ages and sexes.

The day started with a Tag Festival for secondary school girls in years 7, 8 & 9. The festival was the culmination of months of work by the North Kesteven club coaches in a number of local school's as part of the Lincolnshire Sports Partnerships Active Sports Programme. In all six sides entered the festival. Two teams entered from Branston Community College with a further two from Lincoln Christ's Hospital School. A mixed North Kesteven and Robert Pattinson team and finally LSST and guests made up the six sides.

After an exciting mornings rugby the eventual winners were Branston Community College  "A " with NK/RP winning the Fair Play Shield. All participants were presented with commemorative medals in the clubhouse at the end of the festival. It is hoped that a number of the girls will now make the transition from Tag Rugby to the contact format, feeding into the existing Under 14 and Under 17 girls teams at the club.

There then followed a full contact game between North Kesteven Rugby Club Under 17 girls and Market Deeping Angels Under 17 girls. This was an evenly matched contest that provided exciting rugby for the large crowd of spectators from both clubs who had attended to support their girls sections. Playing with the wind in the first half and after taking an early lead North Kesteven could not capitalise on their territorial advantage so took a slender 5 point lead into the interval. Market Deeping came back strongly in the second half and were leading 17 - 10 going into the last five minutes. Spurred on by the vocal support from the touchline North Kesteven were camped on the Market Deeping line for the last five minutes of the match. It looked as if Market Deeping were going to hold out for victory until front row forward Hannah Lewin broke through their defensive line to score under the posts. Fly half Zoe Wells knew that she had to make good the conversation to level the scores. With her team mates at half way not daring to look, Wells calmly slotted over the kick to draw the game 17 points all. All agreed that it was a fine advert for ladies rugby and one that bodes well for Lincolnshire Ladies rugby in particular.

After a short break the NK Development Team a combination of veterans and colts played Scunthorpe 5th XV. The experience of NK veterans prop Adrian France and half back Mike Bray proved too much to the visitors who although refusing to give the game up were comprehensively beaten in the end by 40 points to 8.

During the day a number of Under 12 and Under 13 boys together with their parents visited the number to register for the newly formed 12/13 group who under the direction off head coach Daz Woodall will start training regularly on Monday evenings at 7pm.

For further information on North Kestevn Rugby visit the RFU website on www.rfu.com/clubs/northkestevn_rufc


Mick Kemp
Club Development Officer
NKRUFC