On Friday Night the Frome RFC Clubhouse opened its doors for the Annual end of season Awards Dinner.
Alongside the Awards, Frome RFC Head Coach, Garrie Webster gave his post Season Review.
“What a season it’s been. This year saw nearly 100 players represent the club, including 12 completely new faces joining the family: Ali “Dick” Turpin, our very own Frenchman. Alex Wakeling, attended pre-season and earned the honour of being the first to throw up! Ben Barnett, Calvin Hunter, Christophe Briot, Connor Reilly, Graham A’Bear, Jack Vince, Joe Butler, Josh Bird, Lewis Wotnistka and Peter Aybar - A huge welcome to you all.
So to the teams, our 3rd XV Finished 5th in the league (Won 7, Drew 1, Lost 10), Scoring 314 points, Conceded 576.
Most importantly, the squad fulfilled the main goal set at the start of the season, putting a side out every single week.
Led superbly by the ever-present skipper Toby Reilly, the team blended returning players with exciting new faces. Bailey Brooke came out of retirement and once again proved himself to be the human embodiment of a wrecking ball.
Special mentions go to John Bonham Carter and Josh White for their tackling development this season.
The team was expertly managed and guided by Simon Bates, whose dedication and experience kept standards high all year.
The squad approached the season positively, played with genuine rugby spirit, and represented the club brilliantly — even when the opposition didn’t always return the favour. A tremendous effort all round.
The 2nd XV - Champions! Won 16, Lost 2, Scored 670, Conceded 208 - the Best defence in the league.
An incredibly young squad combined with some very experienced heads. Led brilliantly week after week by Ethan White and guided by the ever-calm (apparently), experienced Andy Vince who now has more than one league title as manager.
To top it all off, the team also finished top of the Bath Combination Merit Table League.
Notable Mentions, Cam Vince, Outstanding all season, controlling games and keeping the old heads in line. Fin Van Gorph, another Academy graduate who developed week after week. Smooth and composed all season until his injury shook the side briefly, before Darrell Thompson steadied the ship with his experience — and even picked up a Try of the Month award.
The experience and controlled aggression of Stu Elliott, Gordon Grierson, and Steve Randall gave the squad balance and leadership throughout the campaign.
An outstanding season from the 2nd XV who, alongside claiming the Counties 4 Dorset & Wilts Central Title, also won the Bath Combination Merit Table.
The 1st XV Finished the season in 4th, the highest league finish in a few years, missing out on 3rd place spot only on the final weekend, Winning 15 and only loosing 7. Scored 743 points, Conceded 493.
As usual, we started slowly before finding our stride. Early injuries caused problems, especially losing Captain Geoff to a season-ending knee injury.
Thankfully, despite being a very young squad overall, the side was full of experience. Former club captains Alex Mallon and John Benstead both stepped up and led with professionalism and high standards throughout the season.
Players Worthy of Special Mention, Daniel Chaventre wanted the role of 2nd XV captain, but with the likelihood of needing front-row cover in the 1st XV, he selflessly stepped aside.
John Benstead, started the season at scrum-half and ended up playing almost everywhere: hooker, back row, 9, 10, centre, wing — and possibly fullback at one stage! He also captained the side when needed.
Ollie Andrews, Straight out of the Academy, he trained hard all summer and was thrown into the deep end against Sherborne in the opening game. From there, he grew week after week.
A huge character on and off the pitch, he quickly became one of the first names on the team sheet every week.
The Academy XV, A few years ago, the RFU launched initiatives aimed at improving the transition from age-grade rugby into the senior game, something our club has always worked hard to achieve.
This season, we pushed things even further by integrating Academy players into senior training sessions.
For the first time in years, we signed off U18 players to play adult rugby, and it proved to be absolutely the right decision. One weekend this season, six Academy players featured across the 1st XV and 2nd XV.
Standout Young Players; Harry Greenwood
made his debut against the league champions, Sherborne. His very first involvement saw him steal the ball from the opposition No.8 at a scrum and nearly score from halfway.
Toby Cassidy Impressed in the 2nd XV before stepping into the 1st XV and grabbing his opportunity with both hands. Consistent performances every week.
Harrie Webster, during our injury crisis in October, he stepped into the 1st XV and never looked back. Given space, he punished teams repeatedly and finished the season with 18 tries from 20 games.
Zach Sibley finally got his chance in senior rugby and immediately started terrorising defences just as he had throughout age-grade rugby. Archie Pearn showed flashes of his silky skills and attacking ability with 2nd XV. Oscar Stickley representing the Front Row Union proudly. Eventually got opportunities to show his quality before injury interrupted his season.
The success of these players is a testament not only to their own hard work, but also to the years of dedication put in by Will Pearn, James Newbury, Kyle Stickley and Andy Vince.”
“I’d also like to say a special thanks go to: Henry Bull, Assistant Coach, the three team managers: Trevor, Andy Vince, and Simon Bates.
The Team Captains, James Bennett, Senior Medical Lead, Matt Warnock, Media Ops, the Director of Rugby, Rich Maunder for all his support throughout the season. Katie White for the fantastic match day photos and finally, the ‘Ultras’ Supporters. Two of them are even here tonight, You followed us everywhere this season and your support means a huge amount to everyone involved.”
To Sum Up This “Short” Season Review
- Nearly 100 players
- 3 teams, 4 when the Cavalry (Veterans XV) played
- Our highest league finishes in years
- 3 ‘Try of the Month’ winners
- 3 players selected for the Bath Combination XV
- 2 titles
- 1 promotion
And most importantly… A very, very bright future ahead.”
Player of the Year
1st XV - Sam Cassidy
2nd XV - Ethan White
3rd XV - Mark Regler
Academy XV - Finn Molloy
Players Player
1st XV - Sam Cassidy
2nd XV - Cam Vince
3rd XV - Paul Whittle
Academy XV - Kieran Stacey
Most Improved
1st XV - Max Stickley
2nd XV - Kye White
3rd XV - Alex Buckley
Academy XV - Adam Hancock
Top Points Scorer - Max Stickley
Trainer of the Year - Toby Reilly
Rookie of the Year - Harrie Webster
Clubman of the Year - Frome RFC U13s (Players, Coaches, Parents & Supporters)
