The 2018/2019 annual awards dinner will take place on Thursday 18th April, the day before Good Friday. This year it emanates from the Cornwallis Suite, which is part of the Maidstone Masonic Center.

The event is open to all members to be part of as we toast the season and then hand out the coveted awards. The doors open at 7pm on the night at a cost of £25ph, payable at the clubhouse bar no later than April 2nd.

We hope you can join us for this very special night in the calendar.

National 2(N):  I have only included the results from this division because it has a bearing on who the runner-up from the South division will meet in a playoff. The fixture between Wharfedale and Stourbridge is really incidental and again fell foul of the weather. The fixture of interest was that between Tynedale and Huddersfield and was a tight contest finishing with just a point separating them in favour of visiting Huddersfield 14-15 and sees them close the gap on the top three clubs in a title race that could well go down to the wire.

Ldn & SE Regional Finals:

At grassroots level it was a big day with the regional finals in the RFU Cup competitions, with two of the three finals going with home advantage.

Intermediate Cup:  The county’s only interest in the finals came with Colfes, who travelled to face Letchworth, who had beaten Charlton Pk in the seni-final with the last kick of the game.  In blustery conditions Colfes roared into a 0-10 lead with two tries before Letchworth responded to reduce the deficit to 7-10 and thought they had taken the lead on the cusp of half-time but the try was disallowed.  Two quickfire Colfes tries immediately after the interval put them out to a 7-22 lead. That lead stretched further with another try before Letchworth responded with the score 12-29, before a final Colfes try sealed the victory with a 12-34 result.  Colfes will now face Matson who were 28-18 winners against Sherborne on the SW Regional Cup Final

Senior Vase: No county interest here as Portsmouth hosted Essex club Chelmsford; a try for hosts Portsmouth at the end of the first quarter gave them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish and that was followed by a penalty try before half-time to extend the lead to 14-0.  Chelmsford narrowed the deficit  midway through the third quarter with a try of their own but it was cancelled out as the hosts restored a 14-point advantage on the 60-minute mark.  Chelmsford were on the scoreboard again with ten minutes to go, to make the closing moments interesting, but Portsmouth held on for a 21-14 win and will go on the face Honiton who defeated Chesham 12-24 in their regional final.

Junior Vase:  A rampant Reeds Weybridge side who have already won Surrey 1 had too much for opponents Hitchin as they took the regional title with a comfortable 35-6 win. They go on to face Gloucester based O Cryptians who were 3-22 winners in their regional final against Chipping Norton.

National 1:  The top two clashed with Elthamians knocked off top spot following a 36-6 defeat by their hosts Ampthill, and they’re joined by Rosslyn Pk who were 13-17 winners at Esher whilst a 31-7 win foe Blackheath over Cinderford keeps them in touch in fourth.  A the foot of the division, Esher’s defeat combined with Lougborough St winning 33-17 against Sale sees the bottom two swap places. Of the other clubs in the relegation dogfight, only Moseley posted a win with a 7-41 win at Chinnor, whilst Caldy lost 14-16 to Bishops Stortford and Cambridge went down 20-24 to visiting Rotherham. In the midtable contest Plymouth Albion were 42-29 winners against DMP.

National 2(S):  A 42-21 win for leaders Rams against Taunton maintains their momentum whilst also puncturing the Somerset club’s playoff aspirations.  Canterbury continue to look favourites for that and a 13-45 win at Ldn Irish WG also maintains their momentum. Henley now sit third following a 31-22 win against B&S whilst TJs are fourth following their 26-0 shutout of Dings.  At the basement end, a 24-17 win for Guernsey move them off bottom spot and above Ldn Irish WG with B&S completing the relegation trio some 9-points adrift of Dings and safety. In the mid-table encounters, O Albanians beat Clifton 49-24, BSE lost against Redruth 17-19 and Barnes were 28-26 winners against Dorking.

London Premier:  A 25-29 defeat by visiting Guildford still sees S&E top the table but they are now level on points with Wimbledon, who were 38-22 winners against struggling Brentwood, third placed Westcliff failed to close the gap after they lost out 24-17 at fourth placed Tring.  At the bottom, already relegated Shelford went down 54-19 at Bedford Athletic, whilst Brentwood’s defeat sees them as favourites to join them, along with Chingford who were beaten 15-20 by Hertford.  A welcome 19-31 win for Tunbridge Wells at CS Stags should now see them safe as they have a 12-point buffer between themselves and the bottom three, whilst Sidcup also breathe easier after they won a tight 34-35 contest at Dorking.

London 1(S): The top of the table sees a reshuffle this week with just a single point now separating the top four clubs in what looks like being a nailbiter of a season run in.Camberley’s 17-11 win against Sevenoaks sees them up to third and knocks Oaks off top spot, they’re replaced by Medway who were 38-20 winners against Westcombe Pk.  Brighton sit fourth after a 50-29 win against Tottonians with the result also keeping Totts in relegation trouble.  At the bottom, already relegated Hove went down 75-7 at Dartfordians whilst Chobham’s 39-22 defeat at Chichester means their relegation is confirmed.  The last of the drop zone places looks like being constested by Tottonians, Dartfordians and possibly Cobham, who lost 58-27 at Havant.  In the remaining fixture Thurrock beat Ldn Cornish 64-20.

London 2(SE):  Beckenham continue to head the table despite falling to a  30-20 loss at Haywards Heath, for the two main challengers for the playoff place it was mixed fortunes as Charlton Pk lost ground after a 25-22 loss at D&B, a result that moves the coastal club up a place in the table;  Horsham meanwhile now hold that advantage after a convincing 21-69 win at Dover.  atr the bottom of the table the relegation issues were sorted out, a 5-29 loss for H&W to Gravesend sees them relegated along with bottom club Aylesford who fell to a 0-53 home defeat against Thanet Wdrs, all of which made Maidstone’s heavy 52-7 loss to fourth placed Colfes somewhat academic.

London 3(SE): Leaders Crowborough could habve clinched the league title this week but instead  fell to a 47-29 defeat at Beccehamians who now move into second spot.  Vigo sat this week out so slip to third on points difference whilst Folkestone still remain in the hunt after a 71-7 thrashing of O Wills.  At the foot of the table a heavy 49-6 defeat for Lewes at the hands of Park Hse now sees them 6-points adrift, although their fate is by no means sealed and H&B are by no means safe following today’s 41-17 loss at Dunstonians.  The last of the results saw Bromley lose 14-35 to Pulborough, and it is by no means inconceivable that they could get dragged into the relegation battle.

Kent 1:  Both the top and the bottom of the table issues were sorted this week, as Ashford took the league title after a 19-52 win at Southwark, Anchorians 22-17 win against HSBC pretty much guarantees them the playoff spot, although a point next time out would secure the position.  At the bottom Sheppey lost out 64-7 at Foots Cray and that confirms their relegation after a torrid season.  In the other fixtures, OGs lost 17-33 to Cranbrook whilst Whitstable were 44-24 winners against Kings Coll

Kent 2:  League leaders Cliffe sat out this week allowing the chasing trio to close the gap and all posted wins, with second placed Faversham 11-35 winners at Bexley, third placed Lordswood winning 12-21 at Brockleians and fourth club Sittingbourne posting a 26-19 win against Dartford Valley.  The remaining fixture was a battle between the bottom two clubs and the 10-14 result saw Greenwich draw level on points with Askean.

The Under 16's showed true grit and determination as within the first ten minutes they found themselves two try’s down. What transpired next was nothing short of impressive. The forwards dominated upfront and the visitors Canterbury had no answer.  

The game finished with an emphatic 51 - 10 for the Titans on coach Gary Tynan’s birthday.  What a great present form the lads. News on the final will follow in due course  

After doing such a stellar job of the Junior fixtures, Craig Rixon will need to step down at the end of the season due to work commitments. The club is truly thankful to Craig for his fantastic efforts in coordinating the youth games.

This means that as of next season, the club wil need a new Youth Fixtures Coordinator. In the role, you’ll be responsible for organising rugby fixtures for all age groups within the Maidstone Youth section. Players will rely on you to ensure the fixtures provide the right standard of rugby, reflecting the needs of each age group. As it’s all about playing rugby, it’s safe to say it wouldn’t be a rugby club without you.

Ideally, you’ll need to be:

• ♦Well-organised & Conscientious
• ♦Good at communicating
• ♦Patient
• ♦Enthusiastic
• ♦Knowledge of Excel 
• ♦Familiarity of Maidstone Youth Section volunteers and lead Coaches would be helpful but not necessary

The role is not as daunting as it sounds and we guarantee that you'll receive the gratitude of the players, coaches and supporters alike. You’ll be the source of all knowledge about upcoming matches, keeping the season alive and on schedule. The skills needed to do this role are transferable to any walk of life, so having something like this on your CV is attractive to potential employers.

A full role description can be found here.

Bath Rugby host West Country rivals Bristol Bears in The Clash: a Gallagher Premiership showdown at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 6 April 2019 (KO 2pm).

This is a great opportunity for young, aspiring rugby players to see world-class rugby on the biggest stage and members of Maidstone FC are able to take advantage of an exclusive ticket offer:

• Adult Category 2 tickets: £15 (save 50%)
• Under-16 Category 2 tickets: £10

As well as watching England’s rising stars Joe Cokanasiga, Sam Underhill and Zach Mercer, you'll also be able to see the likes of Taulupe Faletau, Jonathan Joseph and Charles Piutau in action. There will also be a whole host of entertainment on offer before and after the match making this a fantastic day out for the whole family.

Tickets can be purchased individually or collectively by clicking the link HERE or for group sales of 20 or more, please call the ticket office on 0208 831 6666 (option 6).

Recognition for Volunteers, do you have an unsung hero?

The Kent RFU Volunteer awards are in their 5th year. There are 9 categories and a chance to say thank you to those volunteers that go the extra mile to give a great rugby experience.

Do you know of an unsung hero, a person that has made a valued contribution at your club?

Anyone at your club can nominate a volunteer, to show their appreciation of the time and effort and the contribution they make.

Please share with your club members (why not post it on your website or share on your Facebook page), so they can nominate their volunteer of the year

Nominations close Saturday 6th April 2019, to nominate your volunteer, please go to:

 https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2V83MGL

Awards dinner is Thursday 6th June 2019

NB: If you do nominate someone within the club, out of courtesy and so the committee has a handle on nominations, please inform the Hon Sec, Melanie White of your nomination. Thank you.

After 14 years long service and an incredible amount of money gained for the club, Bob Hayton will be stepping down as Sponsorship Officer at the end of the season. Over the years Bob has built up a network of relationships that have benefitted the entire club. From shirt sponsors to Mike Tindall & Lawrence Dallaglio visits, his efforts have reaped such reward for the club. With his everyday work load becoming more pressing, coupled with the multiple hats he already wears for the club, he has reluctantly decided to pass one of hits hats on.

The club is obviously looking for a replacement as soon as possible. Bob will be on hand to help transition the existing relationships across to the new incumbents. With the groundwork laid over so many years, maintaining these relationships is key, but should not be to arduous if picked up quickly.

This is not a role that needs to be filled by one person and we do have a couple of volunteers willing to help out. However, the club still desperately needs a lead in which to coordinate the tasks and oversee the role. The club is also looking to offer a commission base for the Sponsorship role as an incentive to any and all volunteers willing to help the club.

If you are interested in coming on board, then please contact Bob Hayton in the first instance.

The only thing left to say is to thank Bob wholeheartedly for his efforts and persistence throughout his tenure, which without, the club could be in a far different place.

London & South East Division

London & SE Division 2 (SE)

Other Fixtures