🏉 Match Day Report — By Rugby Riley U14s: Yate / Whitehall / Quins vs Midsomer Norton

Hello Yate Rugby family! I’m Rugby Riley, the newest match day reporter joining the legendary duo, Rugby Rob and Rugby Rose. With so much incredible Rugby happening across the club, especially within our thriving Academy it was time to bring in a third voice to help capture all the action, passion, and magic happening every weekend. I’m buzzing to be part of this team, and what a game I chose for my debut!

This weekend I covered the Under 14s vs Midsomer Norton, and let me tell you… WOW. Rob and Rose had told me plenty about this combined team—Yate, Whitehall, and the Quins coming together as one—but seeing them in action for the first time absolutely blew me away. The reputation is real. The teamwork is real. The effort is real. And the rugby? Outstanding.

From the first whistle to the last gasp, this match had everything:Pride. Passion. Skill. Determination. Desire.A true classic of youth rugby.

Both sides worked tirelessly—every single player put in a shift. The work rate was immense. The physicality was fierce. The heart on display was admirable. And the respect between both teams at the end? That’s what rugby is all about.

Now, onto some standout performances from this brilliant squad:

🔥 Jacob — Absolutely everywhere. Dominating breakdowns, putting in tackles, supporting carries… he grafted all match long. A phenomenal shift.

💥 Cyrus — His ball carries were something else. Powerful, direct, full of attitude. Every run gained metres. A real tone-setter.

🛡️ Lucas Iles — This lad LOVES contact. A defensive machine, chopping down runners across the pitch and making things happen.

⚡ Renkio (Captain) — Led from the front with a captain’s performance. Deep running lines, huge line breaks, and a presence every time he touched the ball.

🏃 Tait — The perfect shadow to the skipper. Incredible support lines, big defensive moments, and constant energy. These two together? A future unstoppable duo.

🏉 The Wingers — Jack O, Jack Whitehall, Nick, and Gene All four wingers impressed me massively today. They got stuck into everything—defence, attack, pressure, counters—you name it. A proper team effort out wide.

There’s plenty to work on (as always in rugby), but what a performance from this combined team. They showed what hard work, good coaching, and strong team spirit can look like on the field.

And massive credit to Midsomer Norton, an excellent side who pushed right to the last second. This was a close, hard-fought match that genuinely could have gone either way.

A quick shoutout too to the referee, who was outstanding—keeping the game flowing and letting the boys play proper rugby.

The support from parents and families on the side line was electric. You could feel that energy lifting the lads in the big moments.

And in the dying seconds…A match-winning try sealed it: 15–10 to Yate / Whitehall / Quins.

What. A. Game.

If the return fixture is anything like this one, we’re in for an absolute treat. I’m already counting down the days!

I also want to give a massive shoutout to the coaching team, because what they are doing with this group is nothing short of remarkable. Bringing together players from three different clubs is no easy task, different systems, different styles, different personalities, but the way these coaches mould them into one cohesive, committed, hard-working unit is incredible to see. They don’t get everything right 100% of the time (no coach ever does!), but after speaking to a few of them, the sheer amount of planning, prep, analysis, organisation and behind-the-scenes work they put in is unbelievable. From midweek training design to match-day strategy, to managing players, parents, and logistics… these guys give everything. And I can guarantee you they’re already thinking about Wednesday night’s session and how to get even more out of the boys for the next game.

Props to the coaches… they’re building something special here.

More match day magic to come—Rugby Riley signing off! 🟦🟨🏉

🏉 Rugby Rose’s Report – Yate Ladies v Newport HSOB Ladies

Well, where do I even start with this one? Sunday saw our Yate Ladies take on a very physical Newport HSOB side in what turned out to be one of our grittiest and most hard-fought games yet.

I suppose I should begin with the real standout moment… which, if I don’t put it in writing, I’ll never hear the end of it🤣 — yes, our Captain Char being an absolute "Legend" and presenting the ball the wrong way! We can safely call that is her “teaching moment” of the week. We still love you Char, and we are putting that down to you "demonstrating what NOT to do". See you for T1 Monday 😉

But jokes aside, there was so much to be proud of in this performance. Going into the match, the mood wasn’t quite as upbeat as usual — a few nerves and tired legs about — but by the final whistle every single one of us was buzzing. We’d put in a huge shift and walked off proud of what we’d built together.

Danni deserves a massive shoutout. Stepping up as fly-half, she absolutely smashed it. Controlled the game beautifully, led from the front, hit hard, ran smart lines — basically did it all. An incredible performance that inspired everyone around her.

And in the forwards, Helly was on fire. Her tackles, her carries — pure determination. You could see just how much she’s been improving week after week, and it all came together today. She was everywhere and made a real impact.

What did we learn? That support in both attack and defence is everything. When we communicate and back each other up, we play our best rugby — and that really showed as the game went on.

The support from the side-lines was amazing too. Hearing the cheers and encouragement really gave us that extra lift, especially in those final minutes when the legs were burning but the hearts were still full.

If I had to sum up the day in three words: Physical. Team. Effort. 💪

It might not have been the W this time, but you can feel the progress every single week. The link play, the structure, the confidence — it’s all coming together, and the gap in the scoreline just keeps getting smaller.

This was a friendly against a side who were very forward-heavy and knew how to play to their strengths. They were tough, physical, and fair — the kind of challenge that makes you better. We had to think, adapt, and make sure we played our game rather than getting drawn into theirs — and we did just that.

So while the scoreboard didn’t go our way, the smiles, the effort, and the growth say everything you need to know.

Proud doesn’t even cover it. 💙💚

#YateLadies #RugbyFamily #RugbyRose #PhysicalTeamEffort #BuildingEveryWeek

🏉 Rugby Rob’s Report: Yate Rugby Academy U11s — Another Great Game of the Season!

With so much going on at Yate Rugby club its hard to keep up, I might have to have a chat with the chairman about getting a 3rd reporter...with the Ladies, Men's, South Glos Falcons and the academy, its all go here, but I got the great pleasure of watching our under 11's. And what a way to spend a Sunday morning! watching a brilliant positive game of rugby.

With a few new faces and a refreshed coaching setup, it’s fair to say there were a few early nerves. The team has been working hard in training to build confidence, find their rhythm, and gel as a squad and today, we saw all that effort start to shine through.

Our opponents, St Bernadette’s, were a very well-drilled and experienced outfit a great test for our boys and girls in blue and yellow. The first half was a little “match-day rusty,” as you might expect, but once they settled in… wow, did they grow into it!

The second half was all about fearless rugby, and that’s exactly what they delivered. A few of our more “senior” players (well, as senior as you can be at 11!) stepped up and showed real leadership. Phoebe controlled the central park beautifully, dictating the tempo and showing great awareness. Daisy’s tackling and running were relentless, she was everywhere!

Out wide, Alex showed fantastic composure, and Joey’s line breaks and defensive work in midfield were top class. Harrison gave us his trademark big-man carries, and Ollie’s goose step had the crowd cheering, both rewarded with well-deserved tries!

But for me, two things really stood out above everything else — the team spirit and the confidence of every single player. The quieter members of the squad all found their voices, got stuck in, and truly played their part. You can see the belief building across this team, and that’s what rugby’s all about.

A huge shoutout has to go to coaches Tayler, Liz, and Dan — the work they’ve done with this group has been outstanding, and the smiles on their faces at full time said it all.

And to top off a brilliant day, our club chairman shared some fantastic news after the match:

👉 Yate Rugby Academy will now be running an additional midweek training session on Wednesdays!

Thanks to the support of our incredible sponsors at Boken Watches, we can now offer FREE rugby for all Under 10s, 11s, and 12s (School Years 5, 6 & 7) on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm at YOSC.

It’s a brilliant step forward for our Academy; more rugby, more learning, and more fun for our young stars of the future.

Keep that spirit high, U11s, this was just the beginning!

#YateRugbyAcademy #GrassrootsRugby #RugbyFamily #FutureStars #CommunitySport #YateRugby