American football

If

If you can keep your feet when all about you,

Are doing their level best to lay you low.

If you can vow – though all present will doubt you,

That you didn't mean to make that crushing blow.

If you can sing and not forget the lyrics,

Or drink and not fall down upon the floor;

And keep on when there is nothing in you,

Except the Will which says to them: “One more!”

....

If you can ruck and not get killed while rucking,

And send the ball when needed into touch. 

If neither kicks nor scrapes nor cuts can hurt you,

But you can return the same, though none too much.

If you can fill each unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds worth of bruising run;

Yours is the game and everything that’s in it,

And-which is more-you'll be a Gentlemen, my son!

As If they care, my apologies to George Orwell and of course Rudyard Kipling

The annual New Years Day recovery touch game and chilli contest for 2014.

A peaceful snow covered morning (actually early afternoon) before the game and not as bright as last year (fortunately).  Actually the temperature was cold -6 C. 

Some of the action:

If I had to run for my life, I would die. 

A discussion about lines of touch and if this try was scored out of bounds (Franky wins)

The 2014 group after (only one in shorts this year)

The most important part of the day is the chilli contest and thanks to the following members (Brendan, Jennifer, Nick with Paul in the back row) who entered.  Some stayed up all night working on it (or perhaps they were just drinking all night).  Winner for the second year in a row was Nick Lord (holding the Bob Mavrothalassitis over-eating trophy). 

We had an inaugural meeting with four girls ( Chanel, Stephanie, Mary and Kendra) representing a number of girls (25) who want to re-establish  the Grimsby Ladies Rugby Football Club.  About twenty years ago Grimsby had one of the first women's teams in the NRU but it died out after a number of years.   We are all looking forward to this addition to the rugby landscape in Grimsby. 

And congratulations to long time member Bob and his new wife Vanessa who got married on Dec 28th.  It was a real traditional Greek wedding (in Greek) with a wonderful reception including lots of food and dancing and smashing plates on the floor. 

Kyle soon turned it into a Scottish wedding by smashing the plates on people's heads (the plates were harder than the heads). "I thought they were break-away plates",  said Kyle, after the third hit.  

The blog was looked at by 5 557 times in 2013 which was an increase of 50 hits over 2012.  Out total number of hits over 5 years is 16 694.  This year our post about the new strip was looked at 60 times. 

“Detritus”By Les Barker

Go placidly amid the noise and haste

And remember what peace there may be in silence
Do not walk behind me for I may not lead
Do not walk in front for I may not follow
Go over there somewhere

Speak your truth quietly and clearly
Be open-minded, but do not lean forward or your brain may fall out
Know that there will be good days and there will be bad days
And this is one of them
Always dismantle and clean the dog before going to bed
But avoid the use of spot remover, you may never see him again
You are a child of the universe
It is a small world unless you have to paint it
Do not wish for everything unless you have a really big cupboard
Avoid loud and aggressive persons
Sleep well
If you cannot sleep well, practice more often
Borrow from pessimists, they don’t expect it back
Remember if you give a man a fish he will eat for a day
Teach him to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink himself stupid
It is always darkest before the dawn
That is the time to steal your neighbors newspaper
Be gentle with yourself
Bear in mind that depression is anger without enthusiasm
And good health merely the slowest way to die
Never argue with a fool for he is doing the same
Know that if at first you don’t succeed sky-diving’s not a good idea
And that timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance
Always remember that all is not lost
Though I haven’t seen it for some time
Be yourself
If you cannot become wiser try to be older
Never stand between the dog and the lamppost
And never hit a man with glasses
Always use something bigger and heavier
And remember that some people are only alive because it’s illegal to kill them
A closed mouth gathers no feet
Nature abhors a vacuum cleaner
Be cheerful
Strive to be happy
And remember that your sole purpose in life is to serve a warning to others
Go far
And start as soon as possible

2013 Awards Dinner

This years awards dinner took place on Nov 30 at Different Strokes in Grimsby (they have let us back two years in a row- albeit as the Grimsby Male Precision Skating Squad) and the meal was much better (but more expensive) than last year.  Significant others (aka designated drivers) were present to increase the audience although it was a little bit smaller this year.  The ambiance was Christmasy and we ate and got the awards done by about nine and moved to another pub, Rickochez, for a few drinks before heading off as is the custom to the Canadian Legion to bring some cheer to the veterans there.  The delight in their faces just melts the heart.

Your president described the season as generally a positive one (mainly because we regained the Brooker Cup from St. Catharines and ended ahead of them in the standings) with some good wins and close losses.  The tour to Philadelphia and their return visit to us was a highlight as it was our first tour party to the clubhouse.  The first ambulance came onto the field to pick up Nick and we had the first sleepover at the clubhouse with matching pyjamas as everyone huddled around to watch the movie Grease with John Travolta (I heard there also was a sing-a-long .

Our first award went to Jamie Farrell as Rookie of the Year and was a real rookie only taking up the game in May with  Grimsby Secondary School (their first boy's team) and then joined the club as a back three player.  Jamie brings speed and determination and smartness (he is at UBC in business) to the game.

Most improved player went to Colin comfort in his second year of playing for Grimsby (when he is not herding cattle).  Colin gives a great Matt Damion impression impersonating Francois Pienaar former captain of the Springboks. 

Bob and Kyle with their keen eyes on the Grimsby rugby scene then presented their awards. (You had to be there, at least Milli got his pants back)

Having several strong performances over the season, the awards committee had to make a tough decision and awarded Martin Colyn with Player of the Year for 2013 for his contribution to Grimsby at #10 for much of the season, scoring multiple tries on a couple of occasions and man of the match awards several times by the opposition despite wearing yellow socks.



The award that is presented to a member who goes beyond to make the club a better place this year was presented to Vic Blaney who ran the social events, raised money, played strong rugby and caused a shortage of pea meal bacon in North America.  Thank you Vic.

The deer's rear award is given to a player who makes a significant mistake on the field and does not get ridiculed enough at the time. For his inability to actually ground the ball in the opposing try zone without knowing it on with no one within twenty meters also went to Vic.  You don't have to dress like this to try to get the award again next year, but it helps.



The last presentation is often called the Rob Ford Award as it is often the result of a drunken stupor.This year it went to Derrick Weber who broke one of the valuable pictures on the clubhouse wall by making a poor pass of an empty syrup bottle during the "Canadian Boat Races" with the Philadelphia.  Derick's coveted award is a slightly used fly strip from the clubhouse.  Derrick has set a record as the first two time winner of the award that has been presented twice.  

Thanks to Jennifer below for making our game day salads and taking most of the (good) pictures at the games.

Jennifer is new to the sport and finds she ends up with a lot of pictures of butts (unlike me) but is willing to continue to work on it.

A few pictures of the happy group.

Martin pondering the lack of the Ike Turner Award



AGM 2013

The Grimsby Gentlemen Rugby Football club had their 2013 annual general meeting on Monday Dec 4th (after a weekend of Bob's stag and the New Zealand Maori game with a respectable almost half of our possible members (10).   Reports were tabled and a new board was elected. 

President Bill Stuart was reelected (can't get rid of him)



Dirk Reichow was elected secretary for the second year

We have a new treasurer, Brandon Nytschyk, he will be chasing you for your fees this year.  We are grateful to Jeremy for his four years of service at this position.  

 

Vic Blaney will once again be the social secretary. This is how most teams see Vic as he runs away from them.

 

Derrick Weber becomes Club Manager for 2014 and we thank Alex Millar for doing the job in 2013. In the following photo, Derrick is trying to do the hidden ball trick by stuffing it up his ass. 

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Brandon Sculland here receives his queenly award as he continues to be clubhouse manager for the third year.  We need the scrum machine moved Brandon.

Taking over fixtures from Martin Wolff (who has done the job since anyone can remember) is Nick Limeaux. 



And one again taking the junior coordinator spot is James Vinneau. Here he is explaining how he likes his practices to run. 

The executive is looking forward to 2014 as we have a number of initiatives in place..  We hope to re-establish our woman's team which has been missing for about twenty years (the ladies will be in their fourties but we will find you), we will try an under 14 team this year and will also try to help Grimsby High School with their second year.  We are also applying for a Trillium grant to finish the clubhouse change rooms. (thanks to Nick Limeaux).   

This is what the changerooms look like now.



Poroporoaki Dean

We would like to thank Dean for playing for us for the last couple of years, it has been thrilling to have a real New Zealander on the team (he made us seem more international and in touch with real rugby) and we wish he and Tara all the best in Aukland.  Dean is smilling because he will miss winter this year even though Auckland does not have real winters (it gets a little chilly at night in July and August - although it does rain a lot).

 

 

The thing in  my hand is a Canadian boomerange (given to Dean by Nick Lord so his son remembers he is Canadian) only early Canadians found they could not throw it so it would come back and they attached a long handle and essentially use it to club things.

 

 

 Now our only other jumper is Bob whom we now have on a diet so we can lift him. 

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This is Dean with Les the owner of the pub which would like to sponsor us this year.  It is called Rickochez when you want to think of an elegant French establishment or you can call it Rick O'Shay if you want and Irish evening.  It will also answer to Nathan's (except we were unwelcome there) and to the Depot Pub if you are old-school.

 

A couple pictures of Dean in action (in our home and away uniforms).