Medicals Rugby Club endured a difficult season last time around but have worked hard to regroup over the summer and are now seeing the benefits of their endeavour. Rugby Club Magazine recently caught up with Club Secretary Greg Haynes to find out more.
RC: How long have you been involved and what first attracted you to the club?
GH: I have been involved in the club for ten years now, I was first attracted to the club as I was working shifts and knew very few people in the north east. I turned up and was welcomed very well. They were understandable when it came to not being able to attend training or games due to work commitments. The club’s social scene was a major draw.
RC: What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your role?
GH: As club secretary this is my first season taking on this role, following several injuries I haven’t had the opportunity to play as much and it’s nice to give something back to the club by helping out. I run the social media sites and sort out all the rugby kit we have so it keeps me very busy.
RC:How’s the general mood down at the club at the moment?
GH: The mood is good and positive; we have a new coach who has brought in players and the players get the way he wants to play. Last season was the toughest season you can probably have as a club with one of our 1st team players sadly passing away and it affected many players. As a club we have pulled together and have become a closer-knit family, numerous guys have raised money for #marcusinmind raising money for mental health charities.
RC: How would you say the year has gone for the club so far?
GH: It has been a very tough start to the season with us taking on the teams competing for the top of our table. Dn1 is a tough league with some great teams in. Our new coach has brought new systems in with the way we play and its starting to pay off.
RC: What are your plans for 2019?
GH: To build on this season, looking to have a better cup run next year and hopefully we will be competing for a place in the top half of the table.
RC: Would you consider yours to be a community club?
GH: Our club is in the heart of Heaton; we attract many local players who live and work in Newcastle, but we also attract lots of students who come to university. So much so that we manage to put three teams out on a weekly basis.
RC: What do you believe could be some of the biggest challenges the club may face in the coming years?
GH: Our biggest challenges are away games with so many students at the club, travelling away involves getting buses or taxis which becomes very expensive. Also, with so many local clubs attracting players it is always a challenge as locally we have five teams within about three miles of us.
RC: What are the clubs ambitions for the next five years?
GH: To compete for a place in the top half of Dn1 and to strengthen our 2nd and 3rd teams; we want to get as many people involved with rugby as possible as there is nothing better than seeing three team sheets being put out on a Saturday.