A View from the Chair

A very warm welcome to everyone joining us at the Big Field this weekend, particularly the players, officials and supporters of Henley Hawks.

After a week’s break, it’s good to be back at the Big Field as we welcome Henley for what promises to be another competitive encounter. Last season’s meetings were incredibly close, with a hard-fought 13–13 draw here at home before we managed to secure victory on the road.

Henley arrive sitting eighth in the table, just five points behind us in fifth, and fresh from an impressive 46–27 victory over Old Albanian. Their results this season show just how competitive this league is, and we’ll certainly be taking nothing for granted.

It’s been encouraging to see our boys find their form after a difficult start to the season, putting together a good run of results. Hopefully the week’s break has allowed everyone to recharge the batteries, and we can carry that momentum into another important afternoon at the Big Field.

It’s also great to see the atmosphere around the Club continuing to build. Our Oktoberfest celebrations were a fantastic success, and a big thank you to everyone involved in organising the event and, of course, everyone who came along and enjoyed themselves. Events like these are what make Dorking such a special club.

A special congratulations to Armand and Lucy on the arrival of their daughter, Pennie! Rumour has it Lucy practically had to tie Armand to a chair to stop him heading off to Jersey, and he was still watching the live stream as she prepared to give birth! That’s dedication, although perhaps not quite what Lucy had in mind! I’m sure our girls’ section will be delighted to welcome Pennie into the fold in due course. Armand has enjoyed a well-earned week off with the family, but that’s quite enough now, back to work!

Finally, to everyone supporting from the touchlines today, let’s make sure we get right behind the boys. We’ve got some momentum building, and with the backing of our fantastic supporters, let’s hope we can keep that going and make the Big Field a difficult place for any visiting team.

Enjoy the rugby, enjoy the afternoon and let’s get behind the boys.

One Club. One Dorking.