I would like to put on record my thanks and that of the executive committee to all the people who have supported Macclesfield Rugby Club this season and in the past, across all age grades and types of the game. To the players, without whom we would not be able to field sides. To the coaches, managers, administrators and helpers who make sure we are well placed to develop young players for the future in a professional environment both on and off the pitch. To the friends, families, supporters, sponsors and other stakeholders who turn out regularly and support the players and the club in so many ways both on and away from the field of play. Macclesfield Rugby Club is blessed to have your commitment. Thank you.
Readers will forgive me if my focus is on the first and second team squad in this newsletter. What a performance by the 1st XV on Saturday against top of the table Blackburn and another good win by the 2nd XV who are now top of their league. It’s hard to recognise the change from what is essentially the same group of players that started the season to those that took to the field on Saturday. These last three weeks are going to send a few shock waves through the leagues as we continue to build on the significant progress of recent weeks. The change in the atmosphere at the club generally is also marked – we had a great day on Saturday and that was backed up with another great day on Sunday. It’s fair to say the monthly bar takings will have had a healthy injection of funds.
But this transformation hasn’t happened just by chance. First, it is down to the new coaching team who have brought detail in planning and preparation, clarity and structure and instilled a belief in the players and second, and equally importantly, it is down to the buy-in and commitment of the broader playing squad. Our aim was to put the fun and enjoyment back in to the game and it is amazing what can be achieved through a shared understanding of approach, organisation and commitment and you have seen the results already. What you won’t have seen is the change in organisation behind the scenes: the rugby and the supporting operations are now firmly connected and a series of initiatives will be launched in the next few weeks that will strengthen the whole club as we frame our activity around our One Club Strategy. What we need from you is to continue your backing for the whole club and to come along and support on a Saturday. It may be that the first team experience a few bad days over the coming season, particularly now as opposition will be watching out for us – this is when we really get behind them so that we maintain the confidence and forward momentum. We must also strike the balance between ambition, expectation and realism and set realistic targets for this group of players.
Which brings me to a less happy subject; Macclesfield rugby club has always prided itself on being a welcoming venue for our players and spectators but especially visitors from opposition clubs. We sign up to the five RFU principles which include respect. I’m therefore sorry to hear that there have been one or two incidents of members abusing opposition players who were, in this case, former players at Macclesfield. This is unacceptable in any instance but it damages the club’s reputation with sponsors and in the rugby community generally and means that players who have moved to try to improve their rugby are very unlikely to return. The ubiquity of social media also means that opinions spread very fast and very wide so the damage is rapidly magnified. All players who have played for our Club and contributed to its success, and chosen to move on, will always be welcome back to Priory Park
Societal norms may have changed during the coronavirus pandemic but we as a club must not allow boorish behaviour and the gradual erosion of our basic values because once they have gone, they won’t return and the club will be a much poorer place. This is not something we can afford to take a laissez faire attitude to and we will treat complaints of this sort of behaviour seriously with appropriate action taken where necessary.
Strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride
Chaos
