Chelmsford Rugby Club hosted three games at the weekend, drawing a heartening crowd of spectators, writes Annie Coulson.

Unfortunately, the club’s 1st XV were unsuccessful, losing a hard fought match 23-20 to Cantabrigians.

After a scrappy start from the home team, Chelmsford picked up the pace and led the majority of the game. With five minutes to go, Chelmsford were up 20-16 but with captain Nick Sany off the pitch due to a neck injury and a tendency to give away penalties, Cantabrigians put a converted try on the board with moments to go and stole the win.

Chelmsford’s Director of Rugby Eddie Gooby, said: “Today was hard to take. The boys gave everything but at crucial times we lack accuracy and discipline.

“This is a game we should have won but when you are on a long losing stretch, things go against you. Only hard work will change our season and we will be back on the pitch trying to put things right at Woodford next week.

“Consistency in selection is key and I hope from now on, the players are focused and available every week. In the last three games, we have used 35 players and you can’t win with that level of inconsistency.”

Chelmsford’s other teams had a more successful weekend with the veteran team, “The Undertakers” winning 20–17 against Westcliff III.

The team, captained by Matt Barnard, are unbeaten this season and hope to continue their winning streak. Age and experience have proven valuable to the Undertakers but Chelmsford’s youth division is shaping up nicely and both the under 16s and under 15s brought home good wins this weekend.

The club hosts a “Return to Rugby” night at 7.30pm on 3rd October, aimed at bringing more players to the sport. Open to anyone over 18 and with RFU coaches running the evening, the session will be tailored towards those wanting to give rugby a try, whether you played in school or you’ve never played.

We would love to see this event boost numbers in our seniors section and we hope that improved numbers will have a positive effect on the rest of the season.