After the reforming of the Third XV part way through last season and a subsequent run of good performances, supported by fantastic availability from a wide age-range of players, the decision was made to enter the team into the Gloucestershire Reserve Leagues for the 2016-17 season.
So from playing 11 fixtures last season, the Thirds are now scheduled to play 18 league fixtures as well as the 2 car park derbies against Widden Old Boys and the Horns match against Old Richians on Boxing Day!
As it stands, the club will be fielding three sides on no less than 20 Saturdays and on Boxing Day!
The First XV are also entered into the Level 9 County Cup, which evolves into a national competition and want to progress as far in that as possible. So with luck, the current 'free' weekends in their fixture list will be taken up by cup matches.
Then at the end of the season, we have the Combination Cups. It is this club's firm intention to enter all three cups and to give this competition the respect it deserves.
First XV Captain Chad Crosby summed up what he and the other team captains and members of the coaching and management team hope for and expect from the players:
"For all three teams to have a successful season and to achieve the targets we have set ourselves, commitment from the players is absolutely key. The club is growing, the junior section is thriving and a lot of people have devoted significant time and effort into encouraging that to happen. As players, we need to make ourselves available for matches as often as is humanly possible and commit to training under the outstanding coaches we are so fortunate to have."
The combined fixture list, as it stands look like this:
Date | 1st XV | H/A | 2nd XV | H/A | 3rd XV | H/A |
13/08/2016 | Coney Hill | (A) | ||||
20/08/2016 | Stroud | (A) | ||||
23/08/2016 | Cheltenham North | (H) | ||||
27/08/2016 | Team Building | Team Building | Team Building | |||
03/09/2016 | ||||||
10/09/2016 | Gloucester Old Boys | (H) | Cheltenham North 2 | (A) | ||
17/09/2016 | Widden Old Boys | (H) | ||||
24/09/2016 | ||||||
01/10/2016 | Southmead | (A) | Cheltenham Saracens 3 | (H) | Drybrook 3 | (A) |
08/10/2016 | Spartans | (H) | Cirencester 2 | (A) | Hucclecote 2 | (H) |
15/10/2016 | Longlevens 2 | (A) | ||||
22/10/2016 | St Brendan's Old Boys | (A) | Old Richians 2 | (H) | Dowty | (A) |
29/10/2016 | Tewkesbury | (H) | Gordon League 2 | (H) | Ross-on-Wye 2 | (A) |
05/11/2016 | Ashley Down Old Boys | (A) | Brockworth 2 | (A) | Hardwicke & Quedgeley Harlequins | (H) |
12/11/2016 | ||||||
19/11/2016 | Bream | (H) | Old Centralians 3 | (A) | Smiths 2 | (H) |
26/11/2016 | Bredon Star | (A) | Gloucester Old Boys 2 | (A) | Tewkesbury 2 | (H) |
03/12/2016 | ||||||
10/12/2016 | Brockworth | (H) | Dursley 2 | (H) | Dursley 3 | (A) |
17/12/2016 | Dursley | (A) | Stow-on-the-Wold 2 | (A) | Cheltenham Civil Service 2 | (H) |
24/12/2016 | NO GAME | NO GAME | NO GAME | |||
26/12/2016 | Old Richians | (H) | Old Richians 2 | (A) | Old Richians | (H) |
31/12/2016 | NO GAME | NO GAME | NO GAME | |||
07/01/2017 | Cheltenham North 2 | (H) | ||||
14/01/2017 | Widden Old Boys | (A) | Cirencester 2 | (H) | Hucclecote 2 | (A) |
21/01/2017 | Southmead | (H) | Old Richians 2 | (A) | Dowty | (H) |
28/01/2017 | Spartans | (A) | Gordon League 2 | (A) | Ross-on-Wye 2 | (H) |
04/02/2017 | ||||||
11/02/2017 | St Brendan's Old Boys | (H) | Brockworth 2 | (H) | Hardwicke & Quedgeley Harlequins | (A) |
18/02/2017 | Tewkesbury | (A) | Old Centralians 3 | (H) | Smiths 2 | (A) |
25/02/2017 | ||||||
04/03/2017 | Ashley Down Old Boys | (H) | Gloucester Old Boys 2 | (H) | Tewkesbury 2 | (A) |
11/03/2017 | Bream | (A) | Dursley 2 | (A) | Dursley 3 | (H) |
18/03/2017 | Longlevens 2 | (H) | ||||
25/03/2017 | Bredon Star | (H) | Stow-on-the-Wold 2 | (H) | Cheltenham Civil Service 2 | (A) |
01/04/2017 | Brockworth | (A) | ||||
08/04/2017 | Dursley | (H) | Cheltenham Saracens 3 | (A) | Drybrook 3 | (H) |
15/04/2017 | ||||||
22/04/2017 | Gloucester Old Boys | (A) |
All players, current, recently retired or interested in joining, are encouraged to study it and prepare for another successful campaign!
#deusanimisbenedicat