Sunday, July 25, 2010

Wilmot at home Week Eight

Grimsby Gentlemen a little : Wilmot Warthogs a lot

Record now 5 and 3 with no wins in July. Some one said that more is learnt in defeat than in victory,because often with victory comes arrogance and pride while, loss comes with humility and a need to workhard and smart for better results next time.
We should do great in August.

Venue: Alway Field

Referee:Andrew Nowak **

Weather: Tropical warm, humid, 30 degrees, kind of rainy

Attendance: did not hit the magical 500

Presidents Report: The president was fulfilling family obligations by going to a local wedding (under duress). You think you were hot, you should have been in church in Winona. So this report will be essentially hearsay and mostly made up.

Playing one player short for the full game, we had the ball in Wilmot's end for 80% of the time but three mistakes resulted in three long tries for Wilmot.

Half time score Grimsby 3: Wilmot 19

They scored early in the second half but we came back and had a certain try from a line out drive called back. See below.



In the second half, the heat and the numbers go to us and the score got run up. If something doesn't kill, you it makes you stronger or maims you forever.

It got a little too emotional for Milli and the Wilmot player.



Final Score Grimsby 3: Wilmot 43

Team: Jeremy Young, Dylan Kinch, Jon Millington, Scott Walker, Dean Gibson, Kyle Wilson, Martin Van Den Hurk, Nathan Rowbottom, Jon Jeske, Derrick Weber,Vic Blaney, Alex Stephenson, Jamie Scully, Bob Mavro,

An interesting event took place, I am told, during the beer up, when Greenpeace came along and threw water on this guy and tried to shove him back into the ocean.



Man of the Match as selected by Wilmot: Alex Stevenson. We all know which one Alex is in the picture (the one tackling from behind), but others may not.



From under the Willow:

Someone was having fun. What's with the Burlington shirt, anyway? Ben, tell your dad you won't hang around anyone dressed like that. How embarrassing.



Sunday, July 18, 2010

Windsor away 2010 Week Seven

Grimsby Gentlemen 0: Windsor Rogues 20
or
Grimsby Gentlemen 24: Windsor Rogues 31

Venue: AKO Fratmen Club Field

Referee: David Jameson

Weather: 33 degrees but with humidity it
seemed hotter.

Attendance: two injured camp followers (Bob and Mike)and Michelle

Presidents Report: For the first time this year we were short players at the kickoff. Actually we only had 12, which included a guest player Levi Rowbottom who was hi-jacked and forced to come on the trip by his brother. Instead of trying to play with a lopsided team we decided to borrow some players who were not going to get into the game for Windsor. Windsor played well in the first half and scored at the seven minute mark with just good hard running and us missing tackles. They continued to score two more tries in the first half mainly due to our poor execution and tackling. However, at the end of half we took the ball into their end and with a lot of work keeping the ball alive by the forwards, Vic finally scored for us on the outside.

Half Time Score: Grimsby 5: Windsor 19

At the start of the second, they brought the ball down and a miss handle in the endzone led to a 5 m scrum and a score for them. However, We did seem to have had some good moments with the ball and had been able to put some pressure on the other team. This led to a couple of runs and a try by Levi followed quickly by another try, this time by Alex and with 10 minutes to go one of the guest Windsor players scored. The score was now 24 to 24. and we were in a game. However for the second week in a row, the opposition scored in the last few minutes to win the game.

Final Score: Grimsby 24: Windsor 31

Team: Nathan Rowbottom, Dylan Kinch, Jon Millington,Scott Walker, Frank Dela Fortuna, Vic Blaney, Jon Jeske, Derrick Weber (C), Jamie Scully, Levi Rowbottom, Alex Stevenson, Nick Lemieux.

Thanks to those players who made the effort to travel to Windsor even though we knew we would lose the points. Not going would have meant us covering their expenses for liquor license and referee. We would have put the onus on next year's team by causing them to travel twice to Windsor. Also it is good for rugby for us to fulfill our fixtures as well as possible. And it turned into a good game whether or not it was for the league or just an exhibition. You don't get to play in many comeback games like that.

Coaches Report: It was an unfortunate set of circumstances that led us to be down players with a couple of unexpected injuries, car problems and work. But with a small team, each person missing is important. Congratulations to all who went, it would make things much more difficult next year if we did not. Thanks? to Bob, who arranged very reasonable rates for a nice hotel in downtown Windsor. Having a player like Levi in the centers who is actually an eight enabled us to set up some runs later on in the game. We worked on some improvements in our play and they seemed to help.

Coaches Man of the Match: Levi Rowbottom

Their Pick for Man of the Match: Vic Blaney

Thanks to Michelle who actually did wash the kit and used a complete package of dryer freshners.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Norfolk Away Week Six


Grimsby Gentlemen 0: Norfolk Harvesters 7

Referee Rambir Dhillon (over special from England)

Weather: a bit warm and very sunny with a little wind.

Attendance: A few made the trip but a lot less than 500

Presidents Report: Well it was a nice trip through the country and we can report the corn crop looks good. Unfortunately the game , for us, did not look good. Rambir did a very good job of refereeing but the game was mainly played between the 22's. Both teams offences could not make many breaks although we looked like we would score good in the first ten minutes. At the end of the half their 10 was red carded for mugging our 10 and we played the whole second half with an extra player and with the wind. We could not take advantage and Norfolk scored with about 5 minutes to go.

Team: Jeremy Young, Dylan Kinch, Jon Millington, Scott Walker, Bob Mavro, Frank Della Fortuna, Martin Van Der Hurk, Nathan Rowbottom, Jon Jeske, Derrick Weber (C), Alex Stevenson, Vic Blaney, Jamie Scully, James Tulloch, Nick Lemieux.

Substitute: Dean Gibson for Martin at half.

Coaches Report: Since Norfolk has not had a good record, I think we thought we could easily beat them with whatever. But we did not do well on our lineouts especially at the start, could not get the driving mauls going and they equaled us in the scrum. They had a couple of players who liked to hit in the backs and basically we could get nowhere on the field. They only gave us one penalty that was remotely kickable and it went to the side. We need to use the forewards a bit more and move the ball more in the backs.

Coaches Man of the Match: Scotty Walker

Their Man of the Match: Derrick Weber

Flag Tournament at Grimsby

Grimsby celebrated soccer day in Canada by having a youth rugby tournament with the Niagara Flag Association. There were about 70 kids at all ages running around on a nice day. It ended with a parents vs kids game (which of course is the purpose of youth rugby- to get the parents off their butts). Congratulations to Laura and Martin Van Der Hurk who keep the Grimsby bunch organized and having fun. Well done.


















Sunday, July 4, 2010

A Moment in History

A well-known story from the definitive and authorized, The History of Grimsby Gentlemen Rugby by W.W. Alway Vol II, 3rd Edition, is the one about the time, in the spring of 1953, Alway Public School was visited by Queen Juliana of The Netherlands. Now this was the old school before the present day building. The old building was over where the north end of the parking lot is now, near the willow. Although it was not officially noted at the time, but it has been reported that someone thought they overheard what she might have said as she looked over the playing fields of the school, "Forget about trying to teach kinden here," she stated with a only a suggestion of a Dutch accent, "this place would make a wonderbaar rugby pitch. You must build a field and clubhouse for the Gentlemen of Grimsby." (Some say this is how we got our name). It, however, took more than fifty years for her advice to become reality. She then began to demonstrate off loads to the junior classes.

The Dutch people, in thanks to the Canadian forces who liberated Holland, keep sending over tulips for the Canadian people. TULIPS!!! What on earth do you do with TULIPS. At least they should send HEINEKIN.