It’s been a busy ‘off season’ Sutton Coldfield RFC. The Walmley Road club hasn’t exactly switched of form the end of the 2016-17 season back at the end of April.
Not only have the social events been running well with the Sutton Coldfield Beer festival, Ruckfest and the Midland 7s all attracting good crowd, the changing rooms have been seeing a huge amount of work. Four new changing rooms with showers will all be in place ready for the new season.

“Its been a busy period for the club this summer” said Chairman Jim Haywood. “Changes have been put in place from last year that we had planned and can now deploy”.

At the end of last season, joint head coach Alex White departed the club due to a job move and the travel distance now from his home being too far to be sustainable. Matt Nevitt, the clubs Director of Rugby commented, “It is a huge gap Alex will leave. He had been very professional in the approach and mentioned this could be an issue very early on giving us every chance to make the arrangements we have to put in place now. Alex is moving to a head coach roll at Syston in Leicestershire, a club we know well and one closer to his new home and we wish him all the very best.”
The club who at the end of the 2015-16 season were relegated held their own in the last season despite a number of player changes and retirements. Nevitt continued, “We had the plan of succession in place and have been working hard to strengthen further our links to the junior section and colts and now have top level coaching in place running down the age grades. This change for the coming season is a natural progression and not a huge upheaval and change but does give us the opportunity to develop ideas for the next generation of players coming through.”
Joe Gavin has stepped up to the position of head coach and takes on the responsibility for coaching across the club, with special emphasis on the 1st XV and developing that style of play across the senior teams.
“Its an exiting time to be in the seat at Sutton”, said Joe, a previous player who came up throught he ranks of the club, “we’ve a young squad and the work done over the last few years to strengthen from within is now starting to show some real positive results.”

Joe, a former Loughborough Student and graduate, will be working with Allen Keylock with the 1st XV and coaches Lockley and O’hare with the Colts who have all been top performers for the club over the years. “To have real top quality players of the ability these guys had and see them pass it on to our current players is fantastic. The club has always had a sustainable growth from inside approach. Its not always easy to stick to when we have results go against us and buying in success s all around us in other clubs, but the ability to regenerate great teams is key to our future”.

The club has been developing the coaching and player management side over the last couple of years to regain the professional feel we have had before. Team management and captains are all in place for the new campaign and its really looking bright for the club.

Events during the summer will include some team building away days, some further personalisation of the changing rooms, allowing players to have an input into inspiring new decorations and some real focus on club belonging from training kit through to the social side after the exertions of the games.

“There’s always a buzz in a club preseason”, said Sean Harrison, club captain for the coming season. This year feels different. The development work will is progressing very well and puts the total works over the last 3 years to over a quarter of a million pounds. Our thriving mini & junior section, a well performing and growing women’s section and the further development of the men’s side of the game create a perfect rugby environment in our club. A 30 acres site in Sutton Coldfield with the facilities we have is a real gem. We hope many more people will come and join us and enjoy it. I know the players are really up for it this season.”