The summer edition of the Ealing Trailfinders Times is out now. Check it out for the latest news, interviews and players to watch ahead of the 2022/23 season!
Inside this edition, new Director of Women’s Rugby Giselle Mather explains why she made the switch over to Ealing Trailfinders, Simon Uzokwe talks about what he does away from the game, there’s a further insight into the class of 2022, an update on our community work and loads more.
To read click here: issuu.com/ealingtrailfinders
After almost three months away, Ealing Trailfinders are back in action next week as we travel to Biarritz for an exciting preseason encounter.
The trip to the Basque Country is the first of four friendlies before the Green and Whites begin their Championship title defence at home to Doncaster Knights on Saturday 10th September.
Thursday’s game at the Parc des Sports Aguiléra will be closely followed by a match at the Rock against Rosslyn Park on Saturday 20th August. The bank holiday weekend will be welcomed in by a trip to the Athletic Ground as we face Richmond in an evening kick-off on Friday 26th August. Our final preseason fixture gives us the chance to welcome URC opposition to Trailfinders Sports Club as we host Zebre Parma on Saturday 3rd September (click here to purchase tickets).
After Steffon Armitage’s kicking contest heroics in the Top 14 promotion playoff that came at the end of the 2020/21 season, last year’s campaign in the top flight was always going to be tough for Biarritz to match.
Their season started relatively strongly, with wins over Racing 92 and Bordeaux Begles in their first three games. However their opposition soon began to work out their strategy and they were only able to pick up two victories in the following nine league games.
The EPCR Challenge Cup bought some positives to their season, as they defeated Zebre Palma and Toulon in the group stages, before falling to a 39-29 home defeat to Wasps in the Round of 16.
The competitive nature of the Top 14 meant that despite their best efforts, Biarritz were only able to pick up one victory in the second half of the season and therefore they were resigned to the bottom of the table and an immediate return to Pro D2.
There has been a large turnover of players in the Basque Country. Steffon Armitage, James Cronin and Francis Saili are three of the 20 players that have left the club over the off season. However they have recruited well, signing Wallaby Joe Tomane, Georgian international Lasha Tabidze and Welsh 7s player Tyler Morgan. These new players will inject extra quality into an already exciting squad, which features the likes of Australian internationals Tevita Kuridrani and Henry Speight.
Despite their tough campaign last year, Biarritz are still a strong side who are one of the favourites for an automatic return to the Top 14.
Their stadium, Parc des Sports Aguiléra, should be on the rugby bucket list for every to fan to visit. A passionate and vocal crowd fills their 15,000 seater stadium every Saturday and with the game being just a week before their Pro D2 campaign begins on 26th August they will be looking to put in a strong performance.
Biarritz v Ealing Trailfinders
Date: Thursday 18th August
Kick-off time: 8pm (7pm BST)
Location: Parc des Sports Aguiléra
Tickets: https://bit.ly/3BXSA9Z
Coverage: Live coverage of the game will be available via our Twitter feed and website
Ealing Trailfinders are excited to reveal our 2022/23 home kit for the upcoming Championship season.
Produced and manufactured by Mizuno, the shirt features the iconic green and white hoops, which evolves to a predominately green chest, shoulders and sleeves.
The shirt design represents our commitment to a greener and cleaner environment. The club has worked closely with Mizuno to ensure the home shirt and shorts are manufactured from eco-friendly materials. Recycled plastic bottles have been used to produce the sustainable fabric for the home shirt and shorts. In total 47 plastic bottles have been recycled to produce the fabric for each home shirt, and 27 bottles to produce each pair of shorts.
Click here to watch the shirt reveal video – featuring first-team players Bobby Dee Wee, Kevin O’Byrne, Simon Uzokwe and Craig Willis.
The new home shirt will be on sale to supporters shortly. Click here to purchase 2022/23 match tickets.
We’re excited to welcome Italian giants Zebre to Trailfinders Sports Club on Saturday 3rd September for our final preseason fixture before we kick-off the 2022/23 Championship season.
The fixture will be a unique occasion and great opportunity to test ourselves against a side who regularly play against the best of European Rugby, including Leinster, Munster and La Rochelle.
Ealing Trailfinders vs Zebre – CLICK HERE to purchase tickets
Saturday 3rd September – Kick-off 3pm – Trailfinders Sports Club
2022/23 Season Tickets:
Click here to purchase a 2022/23 Season Ticket (includes entry to the Zebre match, plus 14 home fixtures).
2022/23 Championship Match Tickets:
Tickets are now on sale for all 22/23 Championship fixtures at Trailfinders Sports Club, including our blockbuster league opener against Doncaster Knights on Saturday 10th September. Click here to book your tickets.
Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce that prop Kyle Whyte has signed a new long-term contract with the club.
Kyle moved to Trailfinders Sports Club two years ago from league rivals London Scottish after impressing at the Athletic Ground.
He took this fine form from the Exiles with him to West London, as he featured in all but one of the fixtures during the reduced 2020/21 season as the squad made it to the Championship play-offs against Saracens.
Last season he was another regular within the squad, able to start matches or make an impact from the bench, making 18 appearances throughout the 2021/22 campaign.
Commenting on his contract extension, Kyle said: “I’ve loved the last two years and I’m really pleased to be staying at the club. Since I’ve been at Trailfinders I feel I have improved as a player and I can’t wait to kick on and see what we can achieve as a squad.”
Director of Rugby Ben Ward, said: “We’re really pleased Kyle has re-signed. He has been a powerful and consistent addition to our squad and will continue to be a crucial part of the team going forward.”
Ealing Trailfinders are pleased to announce the signing of scrum-half Jack Grant from Super Rugby side NSW Waratahs.
The 28-year-old arrives at Trailfinders Sports Club in some of the best form of his career. He featured in nine out of the Waratahs 16 Super Rugby fixtures in 2022, starting four games and making an impact off the bench in the other five.
On his first two starts of the season he helped the Waratahs defeat Western Force in round four and the Melbourne Rebels in round five, before finishing off a superb try in round six against the Queensland Reds.
Jack started his career at the Sydney Rays in the National Rugby Championship before shifting over to local league rivals NSW Country Eagles in 2018. He stayed with the Country Eagles for two seasons, playing in every game during the 2019 season, as they just missed out on the play-offs by a single point. In 2020, Jack left Australia to play for the NTT Red Hurricanes in the Japanese Top League, however his time in Osaka was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, he returned to New South Wales to play for the Waratahs and after finding his feet during the 2021 Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Pacific campaigns, he has gone from strength to strength as he helped guide the Waratahs to the play-offs this season.
On discussing his decision to join Ealing Trailfinders, Jack said: “I’m pleased to be joining such an ambitious club with such a clear plan of where we want to get to and achieve this season. I’m looking forward to diving into all the new challenges and cultures and enjoying all these new experiences with a smile on my face.”
Director of Rugby Ben Ward added: “Jack is a player who we have been monitoring for sometime and he really impressed when he stepped up for the Waratahs during this season. His kicking game is very strong and he does the basics very well, while giving us the option of playing the game at a different tempo.
“Jack joins an already strong set of scrum-halves and having this competition for places will only drive standards in training and improve the group as a whole.”
Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce that Bobby De Wee has signed a new long-term contract with the club.
The second row moved to Ealing in January 2021 from PRO 14 side Southern Kings and has played in every league game since joining.
He made an impact almost immediately, helping the West-Londoners win the Trailfinders Cup and make it to the two-legged promotion playoff fixture against Saracens. Off the back of a successful first year, Bobby was named in the second row of the Championships Clubs Podcast Team of the Season, alongside British & Irish Lion Maro Itoje.
After recovering from the disappointment of the playoff, Bobby took his game to another level throughout the 2021/22 campaign. Starting 17 out of the 20 league fixtures and making an impact off the bench in the other three, his physicality and work rate helped him retain his place in the Team of the Season and he was an important part of the club being crowned Championship winners.
When discussing his re-signing, Bobby said: “I’m loving my time here at the club and so it was a bit of a no-brainer to re-sign. I get on well with the boys and the coaches and it really feels like I’m part of a huge family.
“All the new boys that have joined us this year have really bought into what we trying to achieve and go one step better this season, so I’m excited to be a part of that journey and contribute to it on and off the pitch.”
Director of Rugby Ben Ward added: “Bobby is a great individual to have as part of our team. He is a player that never takes a backward step and he drives standards both on the pitch and in training. He was one of the standout performers in the league and will be an important player for us as we look to fulfil all of our ambitions.”
Ealing Trailfinders are thrilled to announce that Giselle Mather has joined the club as Director of Women’s Rugby.
Giselle joins from Premier 15s side Wasps Women, where she has been Director of Rugby on two separate occasions. Her first spell from 2001 to 2004, was hugely successful as she won back-to-back Premiership titles in 2003 and 2004. In 2016, she returned to the club and helped guide them through the transition of the league from the Women’s Premiership to the Premier 15s, before going on to achieve playoff finishes in three out of five seasons.
In between her time at Wasps, she joined London Irish and spent a decade with the Exiles working with their Elite Player Development Groups. Seven of those 10 years were spent heading up the club’s AASE programme (Advanced Apprenticeship and Sporting Excellence), at a time when Alex Corbisiero, Joe Cokanasiga, Jonathan Joseph, Tom Homer and Marcus and Anthony Watson were making their way through the club’s junior ranks.
Giselle also broke through the glass ceiling as she became the first woman to earn her level 4 coaching badge and the first woman to lead a men’s side on a 62-game unbeaten run which included three promotions and two Twickenham Cup Final victories while she was in charge at Teddington RFC.
Giselle’s playing career is arguably even more impressive than her coaching one. She was one of the first Red Roses, with cap number 35 and won the World Cup in 1994 and the 5 Nations Grand Slam in 1995 and 1996.
On discussing her move to the club, Giselle said, “It’s great to be joining Ealing Trailfinders as Director of Women’s Rugby. The women’s game at the moment is in a fantastic space and the club’s commitment to it is immense and so the opportunity to lead this programme is really exciting.
“The partnerships and pathways that the club already has with Brunel University, Henley College and Places of Development (POD) feeder clubs are so important for women’s rugby moving forward and Ealing are already way ahead of the game on that one.”
Simon Sinclair, Chief Operating Officer of Trailfinders Rugby Academy and Women’s Programme, said, “It’s hugely exciting to be bringing someone of Giselle’s calibre and experience to our club. She has achieved so much within the game both as a player and a coach and ever since I first met her, her energy and enthusiasm for what we are trying to build and our ambition to play in the Premier 15s was noticeable.”
Ben Ward, Ealing Trailfinders Managing Director said, “We’re a club that is always looking to bring good individuals into our environment and there is no one better than Giselle. We have aspirations to be in the Premier 15s and we want to create unique, strong pathways to develop young English talent. From my conversations with Giselle, she shares our aspirations to make every area of the club the very best and I’m looking forward to working with her.”
For media requests please contact Tom Soulsby: alex.reed@etprm.com
Ealing Trailfinders are pleased to announce that Medway RFC are the latest club to enter into partnership to help develop a pathway with their girls programme.
Medway already have a thriving girls section, with around 100 players training across three age groups on a Tuesday night and Sunday lunchtime. Player are often named in the County, Divisional and England Talent Development Groups and the U18s are reigning County Champions.
They currently have two level 2 coaches for the U18s, one level 2 coach for the U15s and one coach for the U13 who has an old scheme level 1. Aside from these coaches, the girls section is reliant on volunteer coaches who are able to assist and help where required.
The partnership between Ealing Trailfinders and Medway will be used to develop girls rugby at the club in four key areas:
Caroline Jordan, Medway Ladies Captain said, “The partnership with Ealing Trailfinders will allow our girls a pathway to playing elite rugby. It’s a really exciting opportunity for us as a club and for our young players and it will allow the players we’ve helped develop to stay involved in the club as they will be able to come back and play for us.”
Simon Sinclair, Chief Operating Officer of Ealing Trailfinders Academy and Women’s Programme, said, “Medway is a great club and they are already doing great things with their girls programme which has allowed their women’s team to kick on further. We’re proud to have Medway as our most recent Place of Development (POD) partner as we look to help them create a pathway for their young talent to play at an elite level.”
Medway RFC join Old Reigatian RFC and Farnham RUFC in being one of our POD partner clubs as we look to support and develop the girls game.
The date for the annual T20 cricket match between Trailfinders Rugby Academy and Ealing Trailfinders Cricket Club has been confirmed for Tuesday 16th August, starting at 6pm.
The event is free to attend and is sure, as always, to be a lot of fun for all involved, so come on down, grab a drink and some food, and cheer on our boys.
For supporters of both clubs, the match is a chance to meet the players who they will be cheering on in the coming season in relaxed surroundings and there will be refreshments available in the form of a barbeque and bar.
From a rugby perspective, all the players have arrived back for pre-season ahead of the Championship campaign which kicks off for the West-Londoners on September 10th against Doncaster Knights. As always, the annual cricket match provides a great opportunity the opportunity to get to know the 1st team players who will be in attendance and meet some new signings.
Taking on Ealing Trailfinders CC will be the Trailfinders Rugby Academy, who will be looking to avenge last year’s 12 run loss to the cricketers.
Ealing Trailfinders Cricket Club were founded in 2013 and since then have gone from strength to strength. Currently they play in Division Two of the Middlesex County league.
© 2024 EALING RUGBY CLUB IS A TRADING NAME OF THE EALING FOOTBALL CLUB (RUGBY UNION) LIMITED WHICH IS INCORPORATED WITH LIMITED LIABILITY UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL AND PROVIDENT SOCIETIES ACT 1965 UNDER NO. 30274R.