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Team Line-Up: Bedford Blues

Ealing Trailfinders have named another powerful line-up for Saturday’s Championship clash with Bedford Blues.

The front five features just one change from Saturday’s 12-25 win over Cornish Pirates with Danny Cutmore replacing Barney Maddison in the second-row.

On the flanks, Rob Farrar and Carlo Tizzano form a lethal combination with number eight and match-day skipper Rayn Smid.

Scrum-half Jack Grant and fly-half Craig Willis maintain their partnership in the halves, with Max Bodilly joining Pat Howard in the centre. On the wings, Luke Daniels continues in the 14 shirt, while Reuben Bird-Tulloch starts on the left wing. Jonah Holmes resumes his impressive form at fullback.

The bench features last week’s try scorers Simon Uzokwe and Jordan Burns, with club skipper Steven Shingler set for his 51st cap. Hooker Cam Terry, props Ross Kane and Will Davis, second-row Simon Linsell and back-row Jack Digby will all look to make a big impact from the bench.

Click here to purchase tickets for Saturday’s match. Click here to read our match day guide. Supporters are encouraged to enjoy our post-match entertainment featuring a DJ in the bar from 5pm-7pm, followed by the live screening of England’s World Cup Quarter Final at 7pm.

Ealing Trailfinders team to face Bedford Blues:

15. Jonah Holmes

14. Luke Daniels

13. Max Bodilly

12. Pat Howard

11. Reuben Bird-Tulloch

10. Craig Willis

9. Jack Grant

1. Kyle Whyte

2. Shaun Malton

3. Lewis Thiede

4. David O’Connor

5. Danny Cutmore

6. Rob Farrar

7. Carlo Tizzano

8. Rayn Smid (C)

Replacements:

16. Cam Terry

17. Will Davis

18. Ross Kane

19. Simon Linsell

20. Simon Uzokwe

21. Jordan Burns

22. Steven Shingler

23. Jack Digby

Foodbank Collection: This December

The Ealing Trailfinders Foundation are running a food bank collection this Christmas to support local families throughout our community.

There will be a collection point at Trailfinders Sports Club from 10am-1pm on Tuesday 13th and Sunday 18th December. Alternatively you can drop off food any time at the donation bin located outside the Olympic Pavilion.

 

Donations required: Rice, tinned fish and meat, UHT milk, whole milk or semi skimmed, long life fruit juice and squash, instant coffee and drinking chocolate, peanut butter and jam, tinned fruit and vegetables, chickpeas and kidney beans, rice pudding and ready made custard, ketchup and mayonnaise, savoury biscuits, nappies (size 4,5,6).

 

The donations will be dropped to the foodbank on Wednesday 21st December.

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Match Guide: Bedford Blues (H)

Make sure you’re ready for this Saturday’s huge clash as we welcome Bedford Blues to TFSC!

EALING TRAILFINDERS v BEDFORD BLUES – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS.

RFU CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 9

Date: Saturday 10th December

Kick-Off: 3pm

Location: Trailfinders Sports Club, W13 0DD

Tickets: Available from £16 – click here to purchase tickets.

Coverage: Live coverage will be available via our Twitter feed and website.

PRE-MATCH HOSPITALITY

Kick-off your day in style by joining us for our delicious pre-match hospitality. To book email: hospitality@etprm.com or click here for further details.

ENGLAND V FRANCE – WORLD CUP SCREENING:

As Gareth Southgate’s men make it into the final eight of the World Cup, be sure to stick around after the full-time whistle to watch England’s quarter-final against France LIVE in the clubhouse at 7pm. We will have a LIVE DJ playing in the bar from 5pm-7pm to keep you entertained until the football kicks-off.

MATCH SPONSOR – LORDS BUILDERS MERCHANTS:

 

Thank you to Saturday’s Match Sponsor, Lords Builders Merchants. Lords are a long-standing partner of the club, having recently extended their sponsorship for the seventh consecutive season. Lords are an independent business established over 30 years ago with a strong family heritage. The small team that started has grown to almost 300 colleagues, building reputation on customer service, reliability, and flexibility. Their products range from bricks and blocks, sheet and timber, aggregates and cementing to landscaping, decorating, as well as plumbing and heating. Click here to visit the Lords website.

 

PLAYER OF THE MATCH SPONSOR:

Thank you to Bread Street Café, Ealing Broadway, our 2022/23 Player of the Match Sponsor. Book your table at Bread Street Café.

GET YOUR STOCKING FILLERS:

With it being just under three weeks until Christmas, make sure you get your stocking fillers before they all sell out! Our club shop, including our 2022/23 replica shirt, will be in operation from 1:30pm and the shop will remain open throughout the game and post-match.

DIGITAL MATCH PROGRAMME:

Our free digital match programme will be published on the Friday before the game. The programme will be available on our website and social media channels. You can also scan the QR code posters at the ground to read for free.

MATCH DAY SCHEDULE:

1:30pm: Shop Trailer Open (Kit & Merchandise)

2:55pm: Guard of Honour

3pm: Ealing Trailfinders v Bedford Blues

Half-Time: Ealing Trailfinders Community Games & Activities and T-Shirt Cannon

Full-Time: Bread Street Café Player of the Match Announced

5pm: Post-Match entertainment including live DJ in the bar

7pm: England v France (World Cup Screening)

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION:

Bedford are one of the few clubs in the Championship who have previously been in the Premiership, having been in there in the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons.

They dropped down to the Championship at the turn of the century and after mixed fortunes in the early 2000s, they appointed Mike Rayer as their Director of Rugby in 2005. Rayer, who had previously played at the club as well as at Cardiff, has been at the club ever since and is the longest serving professional Director of Rugby in the country, having gone on to coach over 500 games for the Blues.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Bedford are known for being the great entertainers in the league, constantly looking to throw the ball around and currently have the second highest points scored in the league this season (only behind ourselves).

Despite a narrow 26-18 away loss to Coventry on the opening night, they bounced back to win their next three in a row, including an impressive 21-41 victory down at The Mennaye against Cornish Pirates.

They have however come unstuck against teams below them in the table, losing to Richmond at the end of October and then London Scottish in their Championship Cup opener.

Recently they have returned to form however, with strong performances against Coventry and Doncaster, before claiming a narrow 32-31 victory last Saturday against Nottingham.

LAST TIME WE MET:

Bedford travelled over to Ealing in mid-February knowing that the Trailfinders had not yet been beaten at home all season.

Ealing started the better of the two sides, scoring early though Simon Linsell but Matt Worley responded almost immediately for the Blues. Jan-Henning Campher then put Ealing in front again as he peeled off the back of a rolling maul, but then on the stroke of half-time Bedford hit back through now Trailfinder Ollie Newman, to make it 14-12 at the break.

After the interval Bedford came out of the blocks fast, scoring twice through prop Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi and hooker Jack Hughes to put them well in front.

Ealing did answer back through centre Matt Gordon but this was then cancelled out by Jamie Elliot as Bedford recorded a famous 19-31 victory.

FORM GUIDE:

Ealing Trailfinders:

W: Cornish Pirates 12-25 Ealing Trailfinders (Saturday 3rd December)

Click here to watch match highlights.

W: Ealing Trailfinders 22-13 Jersey Reds (Saturday 19th November)

Click here to watch match highlights.

W: Nottingham 19-26 Ealing Trailfinders (Sunday 13th November)

Click here to watch match highlights.

Bedford Blues

W: Bedford Blues 32-31 Nottingham (Saturday 3rd December)

L: Doncaster Knights 29-20 Bedford Blues (Saturday 19th November)

W: Bedford Blues 27-21 Coventry (Friday 11th November)

HOW TO FIND US:

By Road:

From the A40 take the B452 turn-off towards Ealing (actually signposted as Perivale) along the Argyle Road. Pass through a set of traffic lights and across a roundabout. At the second roundabout, (about 0.5km) turn right into Vallis Way. Trailfinders Sports Club entrance is at the end of the road. Click here to view map.

Car parking is available at the ground and costs £5 per vehicle. You can purchase your parking ticket at the gate via card or cash.

By Rail:

You can take a national rail train from Paddington to Ealing Broadway and then hop on a bus (see below). Click here for the latest National Rail updates.

By Tube:

The London Underground will be operating and you can take the Central Line, District Line or Elizabeth Line to Ealing Broadway, and then take a bus, taxi or walk to the ground (approx. 20 minute walk). Alternatively, you can take the Elizabeth line to West Ealing station and then walk to the ground (approx. 15 minutes).

By Bus:

Many buses stop in the vicinity of Trailfinders Sports Club, including the 297, E1, E2, E7, E9 and E10. The nearest bus stop to the ground is ‘Scotch Common’, which is a five minute walk to the club.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT:

For further information or assistance please email us on: info@etprm.com.

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR MATCH-DAY AT EALING TRAILFINDERS!

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David O’Connor: November Player of the Month

After a strong November, David O’Connor has been named as the Ealing Trailfinders Player of the Month.

Starting all three of our games in November, the second-row has been a key part of our successful start to the defence of our Championship Cup title, as we currently sit top of Pool 1 after three wins from three.

In our opening game in the competition against Hartpury, David captained the side and was influential in making the set-piece, and in particular the line-out, a real weapon for us as we ran out 64-10 victors.

Then he partnered Barney Maddison in Round 2 of the Cup as we travelled to Nottingham and claimed a hard-fought victory at the Bay.

He was then influential in our final game of the month, as we faced fellow unbeaten side Jersey Reds. In what was the toughest game of our season so far, David was vital in the dominance of the rolling maul which helped claim our first try in the 22-13 victory.

Your next chance to see David and the boys play in a game at Trailfinders Sports Club will this weekend as we face Bedford Blues on Saturday at 3pm or on Christmas Eve when we play Jersey Reds at 12pm. You can buy tickets for either of these games, by clicking here.

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Match Day Live: Cornish Pirates (A)

Welcome to our Match Day Live coverage for Saturday’s Championship clash with Cornish Pirates.

This page will be updated regularly throughout the game so please remember to refresh your page every few minutes (KO 2:30pm UK time).

 

FULL-TIME SCORE: CORNISH PIRATES 12 – 25 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

80: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Burnsy scores swiftly out wide and that’s the bonus point. Willis misses the conversion.

 

 

SCORE UPDATE: CORNISH PIRATES 12 – 20 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

78: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Willis boots a sharp cross field kick, collected beautifully by Jordan Burns who touches down in the corner. Conversion missed.

 

 

77: That’s another yellow card for Pirates. We attack from the five metre lineout.

 

 

75: The referee awards us the penalty and Willis kicks us to the corner. Score remains 12-15.

 

 

74: We’re back swinging the ball into the Pirates 22, with the referee playing the advantage.

 

 

SCORE UPDATE: CORNISH PIRATES 12 – 15 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

72: PENALTY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Craig slots the penalty kick and we have the lead!

 

 

71: HUGE scrum by our pack, winning the penalty against the feed. Willis will line up to give us the lead.

 

 

70: Will Davis replaces Kyle Whyte in the front-row.

 

 

69: Time is off after a frantic period of play. When play resumes Pirates will have the scrum feed, 20 metres from their line.

 

 

SCORE UPDATE: CORNISH PIRATES 12 – 12 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

62: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Carlo powers over from close range. Willis adds the extras and we’re all tied up!

 

 

60: That’s another yellow card for Pirates and the hosts are down to 13 players. Willis kicks us to the corner again. Score remains 12-5.

 

 

59: It’s a dodgy lineout and Pirates win back the ball to clear their lines. We’ll attack again, 18 metres from the Pirates line.

 

 

59: Yellow card for Pirates for repeated infringements. We kick for the corner, another big drive coming up.

 

 

57: We power our way swiftly into the Pirates 22 but the referee penalises us at the breakdown. It’s a let off for the home side as they kick out of danger.

 

 

54: Ross Kane is on the pitch for Lewis Thiede, Rob Farrar is on for Jack Digby.

 

 

53: Massive defence by Ealing as we win the ruck penalty following a powerful period of possession from Pirates. Score remains 12-5.

 

 

49: Danny Cutmore replaces Barney Maddison in the second-row, Carlo Tizzano is on for Simon Uzokwe.

 

 

SCORE UPDATE: CORNISH PIRATES 12 – 5 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

48: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! We barge over from close range, Simon Uzokwe the scorer. Willis misses the conversion from out wide.

 

 

46: Willis throws a wide pass to Luke Daniels but the referee calls it forward. We return for the penalty and another attacking lineout. Five metres from the Pirates line.

 

 

45: We’re awarded the penalty in front of the sticks. We decide to kick for another attacking corner.

 

 

43: Clumsy play as we cough up possession. Pirates clear their lines with the kick to touch. We’ll have the lineout on their 22.

 

 

42: That’s another penalty for our boys. Shings boots to the corner, big drive coming up!

 

 

41: We’re back underway at The Mennaye. Big second half required as we win the early penalty and move the ball swiftly into the Pirates 22.

 

 

HALF TIME SCORE: CORNISH PIRATES 12 – 0 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

40: Strong defence by our boys, turning over the ball deep on our line.

 

 

39: The hosts have the lineout throw, ten metres from our line. We defend the driving maul well but Pirates continue to push forward, phase by phase.

 

 

38: Fumbly stuff in the ruck as we turn the ball over. It’s a scrum to the hosts with a couple minutes left in the first half.

 

 

SCORE UPDATE: CORNISH PIRATES 12 – 0 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

35: TRY PIRATES. The hosts intercept our short pass and run 75 metres to score under the posts. Conversion successful.

 

 

31: Here comes another attacking opportunity for our lads. We win the penalty on half-way and Willis kicks us to the corner.

 

 

30: We do well to turn the ball over but then throw a wayward pass. Pirates will pack down for another scrum.

 

 

28: We drive over the Pirates line but the Pirates defence does well to hold us up. It’s a Pirates scrum feed.

 

 

28: Pirates hold us out but the referee was playing advantage. We’ll take the quick tap from five metres out.

 

 

27: We’re driving our maul deep into the Pirates 22, building momentum, inch by inch!

 

 

24: We return to 15 men with Shings back on the pitch following his yellow card. Score remains Pirates 5-0 Ealing Trailfinders.

 

 

24: Huge scrum by our pack winning the penalty, we kick for the attacking lineout 22 metres out.

 

 

22: Cian Kelleher has left the field with an injury, replaced by Jordan Burns who will slot in on the wing.

 

 

21: We build our first proper set of attacking phases, working the ball into the Pirates half. Pirates then fumble our corner kick and we’ll pack down for the scrum, our feed.

 

 

17: Pirates pin a sharp kick into our 22, with the ball rolling into touch. We’re then awarded the penalty from the lineout. Willis boots us into touch, just over half-way.

 

 

SCORE UPDATE: CORNISH PIRATES 5 – 0 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

13: TRY PIRATES. The home side drive over the line from close range. Conversion missed.

 

 

12: Our defence is holding remarkably well but the referee awards Pirates another penalty and Shingler is the sent to the sin-bin. We’re down to 14 for the next ten minutes.

 

 

9: Pirates have another driving maul close to our line. Our pack is holding firm!

 

 

8: The home side fling a cross-pitch kick to the corner but Jonah Holmes is there to cover. The referee was playing advantage so we return for the Pirates penalty. Five metres from our line.

 

 

7: Pirates maintain the ball and win the penalty just outside our 22. They opt to kick for the attacking corner. Score remains 0-0.

 

 

4: We fumble possession on half-way and Pirates will pack down for the first scrum of the game.

 

 

3: David Johnston has injured his shoulder in that attempt and immediately replaced by club captain Steven Shingler, on for his 50th cap.

3: We steal possession and grubber the ball swiftly into the Pirates danger zone, David Johnston and Luke Daniels scramble to attempt to score but the ball is fumbled forward.

 

 

2: Both sides play a bit of box kick tennis in the early stages.

 

 

1: We’re underway at The Mennaye following a minutes applause in memory of rugby legend Doddie Weir. Our thoughts remain with Doddie’s family and friends.

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Team Line-up: Cornish Pirates

Barney Maddison will skipper the side on the occasion of his 50th appearance for the club, while Steven Shingler is also in line to make his half-century from the bench.

Trips to Cornwall are always tough, and so Ben Ward has picked a strong side to travel to The Mennaye. The set-piece battle is often crucial against Pirates, so Kyle Whyte and Lewis Thiede pack down either side of Shaun Malton in the front-row.

In the engine room David O’Connor will partner Barney Maddison, while Jack Digby comes in at blindside after his strong recent form, alongside Simon Uzokwe and Rayn Smid.

Jack Grant makes his first start in the league at scrum-half alongside Craig Willis, while there is a shift in the midfield with David Johnston coming in at 13 to partner Pat Howard.

 

Fresh from representing the Barbarians last weekend, Jonah Holmes starts at fullback, with Luke Daniels and Cian Kelleher on the wings.

Among the replacements are former Pirate Danny Cutmore and the league’s joint top try-scorer Carlo Tizzano.

Tickets for tomorrow’s trip to Cornwall are available here or the game will be available to stream for free via the Championship website. The live stream will be being shown live down at Trailfinders Sports Club so make sure you head down to watch the game alongside other supporters, or alternatively you can follow the minute by minute coverage via our Match Day LIVE.

Ealing Trailfinders team to face Cornish Pirates:

 

15. Jonah Holmes

14. Luke Daniels

13. David Johnston

12. Pat Howard

11. Cian Kelleher

10. Craig Willis

9. Jack Grant

1. Kyle Whyte

2. Shaun Malton

3. Lewis Thiede

4. David O’Connor

5. Barney Maddison (C) – 50th appearance

6. Jack Digby

7. Simon Uzokwe

8. Rayn Smid

Replacements:

 

16. Cam Terry

17. Will Davis

18. Ross Kane

19. Danny Cutmore

20. Rob Farrar

21. Jordan Burns

22. Steven Shingler – 50th appearance

23. Carlo Tizzano

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November Player of the Month

Following on from our strong start to the Championship Cup, it’s now time to vote for your November Player of the Month!

The players nominated are:

David O’Connor (Second-row)

Jack Digby (Back-row)

Craig Willis (Fly-half)

Cian Kelleher (Wing)

CLICK HERE to vote for your Player of the Month.

Voting closes at 5pm on Monday 5th November. The winner will be announced via our website and social media channels in the days after voting closes.

Sponsorship Extension: The Turmeric Co.

Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce The Turmeric Co. have extended their club sponsorship for a further season.

First-team players will continue to reap the full health benefits of the raw turmeric shots which include immune system support, a natural energy boost and inflammation management. These benefits are provided through four different flavours of shots: Raw Turmeric Original, Raw Turmeric & Ginger, Raw Turmeric & Beetroot and Raw Turmeric Vitamin C & D3.

Each variety is created with purposefully selected ingredients, including a potent measure of raw turmeric root as well as flax oil and black pepper to increase the bioavailability of the drink and optimise the health benefits.

The shots will be provided to the whole Ealing Trailfinders squad in convenient 60ml bottles, perfectly designed to be integrated into their daily routines. This will support players through their training and recovery, improving their performance on the pitch.

As well as Ealing Trailfinders, The Turmeric Co. has partnered with numerous elite rugby teams, including union sides Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers as well as league sides Salford Red Devils and St Helens. Other professional sports teams and organisations that are fans of Robson-Kanu’s turmeric shots include Premier League sides Everton and Brentford.

Thomas Robson-Kanu, CEO and Founder of The Turmeric Co., said: “We are thrilled to continue working with our local club, Ealing Trailfinders. Coming off the back of their successful Championship season last year, we look forward to providing elite-level nutritional support through our unique turmeric blends. Trailfinders have developed some world-class rugby players, and our award-winning shots give players that nutritional boost to take their recovery, performance, immunity and energy to the next level. It’s going to be a great season.”

Ben Ward, Managing Director at Ealing Trailfinders, said: “We are very pleased to renew our sponsorship agreement with The Turmeric Co. We were impressed with the quality of their offering last season and our players and staff are even more excited to continue using their shots this Championship campaign to support their health and rugby performance.”

For more information visit: www.theturmeric.co

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Match Guide: Cornish Pirates (A)

After a strong start to the Championship Cup, we return to action in the league this week as we make the long trip down to Cornish Pirates.

RFU CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 8

Date: Saturday 3rd December

Kick-Off: 2.30pm

Location: The Mennaye, Cornwall

Tickets: Available from £19 – click here to purchase

Livestream: £7 – click here to purchase

Coverage: Live coverage of the game will be available via our Twitter feed and website

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION:

Originally founded in 1945, Cornish Pirates have become a real force in the English second-tier ever since they were promoted to the league in 2003. Upon the league’s rebrand to become the RFU Championship in 2009, Pirates really begun to challenge for promotion, finishing in the runners up spots in both the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons.

Although there was a slight dip during the mid-2010s which saw them ending up in the mid-table positions, recently they have refound their form, with them finishing third in the last two seasons. Last year, Cornish only lost four matches (the same number as ourselves) but it was their two draws which saw them lose points despite their superb end to the campaign.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Travelling down to the Mennaye is always a tough ask for any opposition in the Championship and this weekend is no exception. Early defeats this year at Jersey Reds and Coventry and at home to Bedford Blues have been rectified and have seen the Pirates not lose in over a month and not lose at home in over two! Their recent 7-62 win at Richmond in particular proved the strength that they possess and it means this Saturday should be an exciting affair.

LAST TIME WE MET:

We faced Cornish Pirates three times last season, with each of us winning our home league games, it meant that the Championship Cup semi-final would be the decider.

We started the game well with Cam Terry crashing over on the back of a rolling maul, but Pirates answered back immediately through Rus Tuima.

The remainder of the first-half solely belonged to us, as Terry got his second, before Reuben Bird-Tulloch set up David Johnston and then Jordan Burns scored our fourth on the stroke of half-time.

With the score at the break being us 26-7 up, we always expected them to come back at us and despite two tries from the visitors, we secured our spot in the final as we ran out 36-26 victors.

FORM GUIDE:

Cornish Pirates:

W: Cornish Pirates 27-18 Ampthill (Sunday 20th November)

W: Caldy 7-26 Cornish Pirates (Saturday 12th November)

W: Richmond 7-62 Cornish Pirates (Saturday 5th November)

Ealing Trailfinders:

W: Ealing Trailfinders 22-13 Cornish Pirates (Saturday 19th November)

Click here to watch match highlights.

W: Nottingham 19-26 Ealing Trailfinders (Sunday 13th November)

Click here to watch match highlights.

W: Ealing Trailfinders 64-10 Hartpury (Sunday 6th November)

Click here to watch match highlights.

Simon Halliday joins Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce that Simon Halliday is joining the club as a Strategic Advisor.

Halliday, who is a former England, Bath and Harlequins centre, joins the club having most recently spent six years as Chairman at EPCR (European Professional Club Rugby). During his tenure he helped guide the organisation through the pandemic and secured a new eight-year agreement between the leagues and unions in European rugby before his departure.

When speaking about the appointment, Managing Director of Ealing Trailfinders Professional Rugby Management Ben Ward said: “We are delighted to have Simon joining the club. Over the last nine years, since turning professional, we have continued to grow and invest in our infrastructure and the benefits are being seen.

“Last season our men’s team completed the Championship league-cup double in what was a historic season for the club. We were denied promotion based on flawed criteria with which we did not agree at the time and this has become an issue for all aspiring Championship clubs and must be resolved.

“Over the last couple of years, women’s rugby has become one of the fastest growing sports in the country and it is something we want to be a part of and have invested accordingly. We already have a successful women’s academy based out of Brunel University, as well as strong links to partner schools such as Cardinal Newman and Henley College. Earlier this year we recruited World Cup winner Giselle Mather as our Director of Women’s Rugby and we have submitted our bid for a place in the Women’s Premier 15s ahead of the 2023/24 intake. We have also partnered with our PODs (Places of Development), which are clubs with thriving girl’s sections that we will invest in and support so we can help nurture their talent and create pathways for these players to play for Ealing Trailfinders Women at the highest level.

“We have taken a unique approach to our academy, by having the Trailfinders Rugby Academy also based at Brunel. We have developed the facilities at Brunel so that now they are some of the best in the game and now the men’s team is competing for a place in BUCS Super Rugby. We have partnered with some of the best rugby schools in the world and we are the only professional side in the country to have their Academy based out of a university. We think that allowing our young athletes to combine their rugby with their studies is hugely important as it gives them more options going forward.

“We are extremely proud of everything we are doing as a rugby club. We are ambitious and all our teams want to play at the highest level possible.

“Rugby is at a crossroads currently and has to change. We want to be part of these discussions and I believe Simon can help us with this. We are very fortunate with the support we get from Trailfinders and Sir Mike Gooley. Sir Mike and Simon are both passionate about Rugby Union and its values and we want to be part of ensuring the game is sustainable for future generations to enjoy.”

On joining the club, Halliday said: “I firstly wish to express my excitement to have been asked to assist Ealing Trailfinders at this critical time in their development and I hope this will be the beginning of a long term relationship.

“I am most impressed with their strong commitment to the men’s and women’s game, their best in class academy and most importantly the surrounding community. They epitomise the model rugby club.

“Another fundamental reason I am getting involved is to help them realise their considerable ambitions.

“The game is in crisis right now, at pretty much every level and we must effect sustainable change. Ealing Trailfinders, and the Championship clubs in general, who have always represented the fabric of our game, must be at the forefront of the solution. I have been struck by the lack of consideration for this key area of our game and the administrators have not been listening. I look forward to helping represent the justifiable ambitions of Ealing Trailfinders while working alongside the Championship clubs and the whole leadership of our game in England.

“The long term future can be very bright, but only if the game genuinely comes together in the immediate term. The work starts now.”

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