In place of a 2010 calendar you will be able to download a wallpaper to adorn your PC, kitchen wall or desk from the Trust website each month during 2010.

Each one will have details of Trust events and Bristol 1st Team games and will have recent action shots as well! These can be downloaded from this site for free but you are welcome to make a donation if you would like to.

Our thanks go to Hannah King again for designing the wallpapers and for her continuing support.

We would like to thank Mark Regan and Mark Hoskins for a fantastic night on 3 February. Mark Regan kindly donated his last Bristol home shirt and shorts and socks (All signed) for the raffle and Mark Hoskins donated a priceless 50th anniversary book of Bristol Rugby. The raffle raised over £225. Thanks to all.

We have organised a fund raising evening for Bristol Schools Rugby on 4th March 2010 at the Mem. Doors will open at 7pm and the evening will start at 7.30pm in the Memorial Bar and will comprise 8 races each of which can be sponsored for £50.

You can also pay £5 per to name a horse and be an owner - with a prize of a bottle of wine for the winning owner. These can be bought in advance or on the night.

Entrance is free which includes a race card and then sell bets at £1 per race with a prize for the winners!

So come along and have some fun and raise money for a good cause at the same time. You never know we may even show pig racing again! Contact Steve Pearson on 07976 049576 to sponsor a race or buy a horse.

Wearing their new kit, sponsored by the Bris Trust and supplied by Harris’s Sports, Bristol Schools Under 16s enjoyed possibly their most successful season ever as they swept all before them in the England Schools South West Area 7. Under the expert coaching of Steve Ireland, Andy Westley & Andy Nethercott, they trained hard and deserved their success.

Starting with a comfortable win over Cornwall by 19-0, BSRU then demolished Somerset 48-0, and gained a hard fought 14-7 victory over the ‘Old Enemy’, Gloucestershire. All this led to a winner-take-all match against Devon, who also had a 100% record. In a game played in foul weather at BGS, we were 6-21 down with a quarter of an hour to go, but then turned the tables with three late tries, the last one converted with the final kick of the match to gain us a 23-21 win. This was match memorable for the skill and commitment shown by both sides despite the weather.

Seven BSRU boys have been nominated for the South West Development Day at Bryanston. Callum Braley (capt), Steve Uren, Nick Brook, Mike Brook, George Boulton, Jack Skelton & Stephan Reynolds. We wish them luck, and hope to see at least some of them make further progress, perhaps even into England’s colours.

The season so far at Bristol Rugby Mini & Juniors, where it all begins, has been one of highs and lows. The injury list at under 17 means we have only fielded our best strength squad a couple of times this season, we have had a few close games only losing with the lack of replacements taking its toll on the players on the field.

We are competing in an under 17 merit league with other local Bristol clubs and currently our record stands at 6 wins from 10 matches.

This league continues in the new year and we hope to have all players available for a competitive second half to the season before our tour to Chioggia in Italy during Easter.

The lower age groups have grown in numbers and it is great to see the enthusiasm of 5 and 6 year old boys and girls running around with a rugby ball in hand wearing the blue and white hoops of Bristol Rugby.

Two of our coaches from the successful Colts side of last year have joined the mini section to bring the next generation of rugby players through the age groups. The mini section continue to train at the WISE campus, Filton on a Sunday morning at 10.30, all boys and girls up to 11 years of age welcome, and have played a couple of matches against other clubs.

In recent years we have lost a lot of rugby experience as coaches and committee members have left the club, having watched their players grow older, bigger, and some go on to greater things.

It is great to see two players who have very recently left our ranks playing at a top level with George Watkins having played for the Bristol first team this season and Dan Watchurst now playing for the Gwent Dragons and Wales U20 squad. We will continue to bring rugby into the lives of the young of Bristol.

In a rain soaked game Bristol Schools came back from 14-0 down to win the game 23-21 against Devon U16's with the last kick of the game. Bristol have maintained their 100% record and thoroughly deserved their victory with their 'never say die' attitude.

Well done to the players and coaches of Bristol Schools U16's and we are proud to continue our sponsorship of the team.

Well done!

Andrew Humphreys

Chairman

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