Seaford Rugby Football Club

Rugby team
teamname = Seaford


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url = www.rfu.com/clubs/index.cfm?fuseaction=hm.Home&grou_select=410
league = Sussex 1
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Seaford Rugby Football Club are a Rugby Union club, currently playing in the Sussex 1, based below sea level in the town of Seaford, East Sussex, in England.

Location

Just a few hundred metres from the Seafront of Seaford, lies the Salts Recreational Grounds and the building which is owned by SRFC. Seaford is a Cinque Ports town, and was famously visited by King Henry VIII in his reign. The town has also produced three Prime Ministers.

Youth Rugby

On September 11th, 2005, a youth section was created, nicknamed "Seaford Storm" and coached by members of the starting XV (over 20s). This was especially pleasing for the town, as, especially due to the World Cup victory in 2003 by England, young, would-be rugby stars were increasingly in the mood to play the game, but the nearest local side was situated in Lewes, a full fifteen miles away.

The team have been together since September 10th, 2005, when the first training session was held and over 40 budding Rugby players arrived (from ages of 12 through 15). Although this number has decreased on average, the number of paying members (£40 for up to two children and two parents) fluctuates week to week, along with new people attending the initialliy-free sessions.

They are not entered in a league, due to their relative inexperience as a team, though it should be noted that many of the players have been playing since year 7 (in school years). They were close to being entered for their second season (06-07), but eventually it turned out that it is more likely that (07-08) will see the Seaford Storm in a Sussex league.

The first season

The first match, against Burgess Hill, was an "Under 15s" match, and features mostly players that attend Seaford Head Community College, though some players attended Tideway school, in neighbouring Newhaven.

Burgess Hill

The match ended 19-5 to Seaford. Two tries came from Lee Baker, one converted and not; the other try was provided from James Johnson in the first minutes of the match. In what turned out to be the last play of the match, after five minutes or so of heavy forward pressure Burgess Hill dived over for a consolation unconverted try.

The match was originally scheduled to be an U15s match, though only U14s had turned up for Burgess Hill. Turning to the referee (also BHRFC's youth coach), some U16 players who were training were enlisted to play, and during the match the majority of players on the Burgess Hill side were sixteen years old (with eight).

Hellingly

Seaford Storm's second match was a sometimes messy but overall impressive victory. In torrenting rain Seaford won by some twenty points to five.

Hastings

On the 26th March, 2006, Seaford RFC played their third match with four weeks until the end of the Rugby Union Season. In a previously unannounced match, Seaford faced an experienced and high-quality team in the form of Hastings. Seaford had been together for sixth months compared to Hastings's years.

As underdogs they played as if this was not true, but in the end lost the match to a more experienced team. Hastings scored 24 to Seaford's 17.

Burgess Hill II

One week after the Hastings match Seaford played their first ever rematch (and their final game of the season, the same opposition to which the played on the first day) against Burgess Hill at BH RFC's homeground. They lost that match, which was against the U16s side (SRFC were U15 at the time).

The second season

The '06/'07 season training began on the 3rd of September, 2006 and continues every Sunday from 10 AM - (approximately 12 PM).

The loss of enthusiasm

A few weeks into the training sessions the state of the club and morale of the players seemed to be at an all-time low with sessions slowing in pace, attitude and enthusiasm. A number of ultimatums were proposed and eventually a match against a large local team was arranged. The week before this match two coaches returned from an absence to coach the backs; this was the first time that season that a separate session for forwards and backs had taken place. Andy and Henry learnt the backs a number of moves which the adult first team use as well; for universal moves between the teams so that when players became old enough to play for the adult team they would know the moves already.

The moves are: m1, s1, s2 and d3. They will not be explained as this would defeat the purpose of them being codes, although their names are logical. In the session the backs did line outs the entire time, lifting players for the first time in their rugby careers (the law in England is that only pupils of year 11 and over may lift in line outs).

The training session was seen to restore any wavering faith in the players and all were said to be excited for Seaford's first match of their second season.

Lewes

On October the 22nd, 2006, widely regarded as Seaford Storm's most important and 'biggest' match to date, the side that had dominated the East Sussex league, Lewes, and had a number of its players signed up to the county (Sussex) played Seaford at their home ground in the Salts recreation ground. However, six of their usual starting players were at a Sussex training session. (It is notable that James Halpin who had played for Sussex previously played for Lewes and scored a try.) Seaford, too, was missing some of its (arguably poor) starting players and some remaining players had to fill in gaps elsewhere in the team. Keith Philpott, for example, played as number 14 (Winger). Daniel Tolhurst played in Scrum Half position.

The match ended 27-0 to Lewes, but the general feeling amongst the players and those who attended the match (Seaford's largest ever draw of spectators, including teenagers from the town to families of players and interested onlookers alike) was that Seaford played extremely well and played equal to or better than their hugely respected opponents.

All of Lewes' tries came from stopped-play from the five-metre line and usually just broke through the Seaford defence, using sheer bodymass and velocity.

Seaford did not score but a few runs were made from the little ball supplied to the backs (with inhibited positions) and the forwards often charged forward gaining metres every time. In polar opposition to the player's thoughts before the match, tackling was successful in nearly every case with only a few missed tackles from either side (Lewes' tackles were not always made, in contrast to the prediction made by the Seaford players and coaching staff). The match was played in a very 'end-to-end' style which is what many consider to be an entertaining rugby match.

Although Lewes racked up the points and the win, it was viewed as a success for the Seaford team and their most significant match and reinforced their ambitions. The match was thought to have shown their "quality of playing and teamwork, furthering the club's reputation," by the players, staff and spectators and most associated with the club.

Heathfield

Seaford Storm are scheduled a home match against Heathfield on the 19th of November, 2006 at the Salts.

Burgess Hill III

Seaford Storm are to play Burgess Hill a third time since their beginning, on the 3rd of December 2006.

quad

The following is the list of players and their positions in Seaford's latest match (Lewes first XV, 22nd October 2006). (Nicknames, if any, inside brackets.):

**1. Loosehead Prop - Brad
**2. Hooker - Shaun Fortes (Badger)
**3. Tighthead Prop - Henry Charlesworth
**4. Lock - Sam Cole
**5. Lock - Matt
**6. Blindside Flanker Ross Walker
**7. Openside flanker - Harry Polling
**8. Number Eight - James Johnson (JJ)
**9. Inside Half (Scrum half) - Daniel Tolhurst*
**10. Outside Half (Fly half) - Ollie Wiseman
**11. Left Wing - Liam Hawes (Halibut)
**12. Inside Centre - Luke Labern (Labern)
**13. Outside Centre - Matt G.
**14. Right Wing - Keith Philpott*
**15. Full Back - Adam Garner (Rat)

(Asteriks mark notable position change.)

Regular members are:

"Forwards"
*Henry Charlesworth
*Harry Polling
*James Johnson
*Shaun Fortes
*Matthew
*Keith Philpot
*Ross Walker

"Backs"
*Lucas Labern
*Daniel Tolhurst
*Kevin Mulpeter
*Liam Hawes
*Adam Garner

Other members do not turn up consistently or are have not played, are new or have not expressed desire/quality to be listed.

External links

* [http://www.rfu.com/clubs/index.cfm?fuseaction=hm.Home&grou_select=410 Seaford RFC official RFU page]