Club Name: Hoylake RFC
Nickname: The Gulls
Ground: Melrose
League: Just promoted from Counties 3 ADM Lancashire and Cheshire to Counties 2
Sharklinks: Whilst the club is still waiting for our first Shark to emerge from our pool, given the expansion of the M&J section over the last few years we have become increasingly hopeful of late.
Aden Williams however, after failing to make selection last season, is now on the DPP and proud to be taking some of the heavy lifting for Cheshire. Isaac Waldron, Will Hollis and Freddie Jones (U15) and Jay Morris (U14) were also delighted to make the Sale programme this season and all eyes are on them! We have a number of very committed and talented youngsters across the age groups and are confident that our first Shark may soon become a reality.
UnsungHero: Like all grassroots clubs, Hoylake runs on the goodwill of many people who dedicate a significant portion of their spare time to the club surviving and thriving from one season to the next. A big thank you goes out to our Director of Rugby Matt, Mary our Treasurer (and ex M&J Chair) and our dedicated relentless Head Cook and Bottle Washer Col, without who the club would not be able to function.
Our real ‘Unsung Hero’ however is Kev Weir, who has been heavily involved in the M&J section for many years, since his eldest (now Colts) was in the U7s. Not only has he been a dedicated coach for his own son’s age group, but without him our newly formed girls’ team wouldn’t exist, with Kev coaching two sessions most Sundays. Over the years, he’s overseen designing and ordering our kit, managing our website, handing out the players meals, Head Hoover Operator and perhaps and most importantly, being our resident DJ and PA system specialist at some memorable events with his funky shirts and disco moves!
Favourite Sharks Moment: We’ve enjoyed many outstanding and memorable moments with Sale across the last few years, in particular the fabulous Sale Sharks Mini’s Festivals where one of our fearless girls Evie Eyres won Player of the Festival on two separate occasions, teaching many of the boys present a trick or two with her unparalleled tackling and unstoppable try scoring moves. (Sadly, Evie had to leave for pastures new when she reached the U12s as we didn’t have a girls’ team. She’s currently smashing it for Cheshire U16s and is preparing for the forthcoming U18’s Sale trial, but still comes to help with our girls’ team whenever she can.)
Our favourite Sharks moment however must come from this season when we were lucky enough to travel as a M&J section of over 200 strong to witness the Sharks take the points against Bath in a nail biting 30-27 victory. We were fortunate to be given the Rolls Royce treatment by Vicky, Ben, Alex and the team with a parade on the pitch at half time which the kids (and adults!) talk about to this day, in what we hope, will become an annual club pilgrimage to the AJ Bell Stadium.
