Hemel Hempstead Camelot young guns celebrate a season to remember

The 2014/15 season saw a period of unprecedented success for the youngsters, with the number of junior players swelling to 200 as well as the inter-club Best Team award going to the U10s rather than an adult side.

U10 is a key transition age group, with the introduction of non-contested scrums, rucks and mauls. Coach Jamie Beck said :“It was another fantastic season for the U10s. I am pleased to say that every player in our section has developed and improved their rugby skills. We hope they enjoyed the season as much as we did.”

Starting by winning the Bedford Festival, the Camelot U10s brought home more silverware than any other club side – going on to win the Plate at the Marlow Tournament and defeating local rivals Old Albanians in the final at Barnet to become county champions.

Only a narrow defeat in the final prevented them from lifting the Allianz Cup at Saracens’ Allianz Park, before the young guns travelled to play under a very different set of rules as they reached the final in Abergavenny.

As part of the end of season celebrations, Camelot also held their annual quiz night and auction to raise funds for various projects at the club – with more than 150 club members, friends and family taking part.

Club chairman Toni Massa assumed the role of auctioneer, while event organiser Vikki Jolly thanked the organisations and individuals who provided auction lots and raffle prizes; a fantastic £3460 was raised over the course of the weekend.

Elsewhere, this year’s AGM will go down in club history as a new constitution was ratified, ushering in unprecedented change.

For the first time the voice of the minis’ non-playing parents will be heard, with the transfer of voting rights to one parent per family.

Additionally, the constitution creates six new sub-committees to support the club executive in driving plans forward in this crucial Rugby World Cup year and beyond in the run up to the club’s centenary in 2019.

The AGM also saw the appointment of a new leadership team: Toni Massa (chairman), Rob McClement (secretary), Tim Wynne-Jones (finance), Tom Fletcher (facilities), Paul Maddison (rugby), Dean Edwards (junior rugby) and Charles Riches (commercial & fundraising). See www.pitchero.com/clubs/camelotrugby for further information.

In other news, Camelot will host a non-contact tag competition for mixed gender teams from local secondary schools in the U15/16 and U17 age groups. The event, which takes place in September, will be followed by a barbecue and other activities to celebrate the Rugby World Cup.

The club are also set to host a non-contact tournament for teams from local companies as a fun way of participating in rugby while developing team spirit. Events are planned to run in early September, with awards being presented at the club on September 18 when England take on Fiji in the first game of the World Cup.

To find out more about either event, call Paul Maddison on 07801 291496 or email [email protected]