Welcome to January's edition of In Touch with up-to-date information on events at the Club during our Centenary season.

1. John Baker
Following my update in December, there has been an amazing outpouring of good wishes for John Baker following his terrible injury. JB and his family are overwhelmed by the support being offered/given by his ‘Rugby Family’. To know that he means so much to so many has provided a huge amount of comfort through this difficult period. To help communicate and direct this support, a committee has been set up that will be directed by JB and Tina. In the short term, there is very little that can be done for JB, that isn’t already being done, but support for Georgina and her “Hike Challenge” would be welcome – please click here for details: https://www.justgiving.com/johnbaker

In the medium term, the committee will work with JB to develop a purpose for this team, which will inevitably lead to us reaching out to his rugby family for support in whatever form that takes.

2. Forthcoming Social Events

The Festive Season offers the opportunity to celebrate with fellow members, family, and like-minded friends. Please make the most of the events we are planning and support your Club -

Burns Night – Friday 24th January.
Everything you would expect from a traditional Burns Night. Tickets £40 per person available from monty@banburyrufc.co.uk or via https://www.banburyrufc.com/payments/burns-night-supper--24th-january-2025-124756.html

Pre-match Lunch – Saturday 1st February.
Very few places remain for lunch before our fixture with Stourbridge. Book via Monty.

Pre-match Lunch – Saturday 8th February.
This is an additional date to cater for the rearranged match against Syston. Please do not assume you are booked on to this lunch because you were booked on the original date – if you wish to attend, book with Monty in the usual way.

Party with the President – Saturday 8th February.
Hang around after the Bulls’ match against Stourbridge to watch the England v France match on the big screens, and then “ease your mind” in the company of Nick ‘Topsy’ Turvey and Michael Gudge as they take Monty back to his formative years through the medium of Motown & Soul music. Curry Supper will be available to help you, help Monty, celebrate his birthday. This event is free to all members and friends of Banbury Rugby Club however we will be delighted to accept any small donations to Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of Rugby.

NFL Superbowl – Sunday 9th February.
This busy weekend concludes with the showing of Superbowl LIX live at the Club on the big screens. Our action on Super Bowl Sunday starts at 8:00pm with the bar open throughout. We will be serving traditional tailgate food before the game - wings, ribs, nachos, mac & cheese, dips, pizza etc and a selection of snacks and desserts during the half-time show. Tickets are available for £20 per person, guaranteeing you a seated view of the big screen and table space. This is a ticket-only event, no tickets can be purchased on the night. Tickets can be purchased online at www.banburyrufc.com/payments or by contacting Nick on centenary@banburyrufc.co.uk

Pre-match Lunch – Saturday 1st March.
Very few places remain for lunch before our fixture with Long Eaton. Book via Monty on monty@banburyrufc.co.uk

Thai Evening – Friday 7th March.
Watch this space for details of this special event when our very own Narin will be preparing a sumptuous feast for us – keep an eye on the website, and our social media pages, for announcements…

Pre-match Lunch – Saturday 22nd March.
Pre-match lunch of the season, before our fixture with Burton, is sold out.

Centenary Ball – Saturday 14th June.
The ‘blue ribband’ event of our Centenary Season. More than 400 of the 500 tickets available have now been sold – please get your deposits to Monty or Trudy to secure your place at our 1920s-themed event…

Save the Date.
Please make a note in your diaries to keep the following dates free for important annual events -

• Friday 22nd August – 100th Annual Dinner
• Wednesday 27th August – 100th Annual General Meeting

3. Club Shop & Merchandise

The shop will be open for all 1st Team Home matches and every Sunday for Minis’ & Juniors’ matches and until the end of training. We still have all the Centenary Merchandise available as well as some new lines arriving in early February. If you need to buy or collect anything outside these times, please email us at merchandiseshop@banburyrufc.co.uk.

If you need to buy or collect anything outside these times, please email us at merchandiseshop@banburyrufc.co.uk

Thank you all for supporting the Club Shop so well this year.

4. Centenary Wall.
Record your association with our great Club by securing a ‘tile’ on our Centenary Wall. Tiles £125 each – forms available from Monty or at the Club.

5. Centenary Book – “One Club, One Hundred Years”.
The Centenary Book is coming along well. If you are spending time with relatives and loved ones over the festive period, who may have played or been associated with the Club, please talk to them about their time with Banbury RUFC. We are still very keen to get as broad a range of 'snippets' to add to the book as possible. If you collect any reminiscences, especially photos, drop us an email at centenary@banburyrufc.co.uk.

Finally, thank you again for your ongoing support and please feel free to send any feedback directly to me at monty@banburyrufc.co.uk.

Happy New Year to everyone!

In rugger
Monty