Wasps’ St. George’s Day Game vs Bath preview

Posted on Apr 19, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

The London Wasps St. George’s Day Game against Bath this Saturday promises to be much more than just a game of rugby with a packed day of entertainment planned.

It is celebration of what it means to be English, bringing together patriots of all ages to mark the special day with a diverse range of entertainment on and off the pitch at Twickenham Stadium.

Ahead of the big kick-off at 5.30pm, there will be live music and fantastic entertainment all afternoon in the famous West Car Park.

An EMC Fastest Pass competition will give fans a chance to test themselves against a world record set by Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson last week. There will be inflatables for the kids to have fun with as well as a live DJ entertaining match-goers. London Wasps will also be distributing thousands of free Lindt chocolate bunnies to celebrate Easter Saturday!

The day is all about raising money for four special military charities and the military theme will also be seen in the entertainment on the day.

As well as giving fans the chance to get up close and personal with one of the most iconic flying machines in the world, there will be paintballing games, an inflatable assault course and other military displays to keep all the family entertained both pre and post kick off.

There will be a paintball zone open before the match and for airplane enthusiasts there will be a real-life Red Arrow plane on display at the stadium!

The entertainment will continue as the big game approaches, with a parade of British troops returning from Afghanistan, and a very special performance from Heather Small backed by the Pro Excel dancers who will be setting a Guinness World Record at Twickenham on the day.

Up to 800 schoolchildren from across the country will join soul singer, Small on pitch at half time to set a new Guinness World Record for "The Biggest Ever Backing Dance Troupe for a Singer".

In the stadium, there will also be a patriotic sing along, tag rugby displays and some special abseiling displays!
Bars and merchandise units will also be open in the West Car Park at 1pm. Bars in the West Car Park will close 30 minutes before kick-off will re-open again post-match until 8.30pm.

Tickets are still available for purchase from just £15 for adults and £8 for kids by calling 0844 225 2990 and will also be available from Twickenham on the day.

You can view full match day information on stgeorgesdaygame.co.uk

Timetable of events

13.00: Stadium opens and activities begin in the West Car park
16.00: Stadium bowl opens
16:30pm: Pre match entertainment begins pitchside
17.30pm: Kick off
20.30: Entertainment in the West Car Park concludes

Bath’s David Barnes retires with immediate effect

Posted on Apr 13, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Bath Rugby have confirmed prop David Barnes is retiring from rugby with immediate effect.

The decision has been made after following medical advice on a neck injury.

Since joining Bath in 2000, David has gone on to make 266 appearances for the Club, and captained the England Saxons in the 2006 Churchill Cup.

Technically strong and very experienced, David is a very well respected player in the rugby world, and has been chairman of the Rugby Players Association since 2005.

Speaking about the decision, David said “I have immensely enjoyed my rugby career and especially the time that I have spent at Bath.

“I was looking forward to fulfilling my playing contract with Bath till the end of next season, however after consultation with a medical specialist I have been advised that it is no longer possible for me to continue to play.  Whilst it is extremely upsetting to be forced to end my playing career prematurely, I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to have run out at the Rec for the last 11 seasons and to have played alongside many great players in some truly memorable matches.

“I would like to thank everyone at Bath; the players, the coaches, the medical teams and all the staff, for making my time so enjoyable and especially the many supporters who ensure Bath remains a truly special club to be associated with.

“Throughout my career I have worked closely with the RPA Player Development Managers to develop additional skills in preparation for any career transition. I hope to bring those skills, in addition to my experience as a professional Rugby Player and RPA Chairman, to my next career and remain heavily involved in a rugby environment in the future.”

Director of Rugby, Sir Ian McGeechan, added “It is always sad when a player has to retire due to injury, especially one of David’s calibre. He is not only a very good player on the pitch, but he adds many things to the Bath squad off the pitch, which we will miss next season. We would like to wish him well with all his future endeavours, and thank him for the many games he has played in the blue, black and white.”

Whilst David has not finalised his plans for the future as yet, in the short term he will be taking part in the AXA Wealth Climb of Kilimanjaro in June, to raise money for Help for Heroes, and two rugby charities that look after severely injured players; the RPA Benevolent Fund and RFU Injured Players Foundation. For more information on how to support this, please visit www.axawealthclimb.co.uk

Bath Rugby ready to slay Tigers

Posted on Mar 25, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Bath Rugby will aim to continue their push for a play-off place when perennial rivals Leicester Tigers arrive at the Rec on Saturday, kick-off 4.30pm.

Head Coach Steve Meehan explains how much the team relish the chance to play in this fixture, and the twists and turns that may still lie ahead this season.

“Having last week off gave everyone the chance to recharge mentally, and also physically it was a good time to have a break as we had four very tough games in quick succession, so there were tired and hurting bodies that had given their all around. Everyone has come back nice and fresh and ready, and looking forward to the game.

“It’s a funny old season – there is pressure all over the place, and a lot to play for. Clubs are battling to make the top four, and the top six to qualify for the Heineken Cup. I think there are a lot of twists still to come before the play-offs. If we win this week, perhaps it will mean slightly less pressure next week, but, although it’s a cliché, we really do just have to take one game at a time.

“This is the one that all the players want to be involved in. Games against Leicester are special games, with great rivalry between the two teams. They are the only two teams to have made the semi-finals every year the last three years running – obviously we’ve travelled to Welford Road for two, which is always a challenge, but it’s spiced up the relationship, and we’re looking forward to renewing acquaintances and challenging them again today.”

Bath team to face Leicester Tigers

15. Nick Abendanon 

14. Matt Banahan  

13. Ben Williams      

12. Sam Vesty       

11. Tom Biggs

10. Butch James     

9. Michael Claassens        

1. David Flatman    

2. Lee Mears

3. Duncan Bell       

4. Stuart Hooper    

5. Danny Grewcock

6. Ben Skirving      

7. Luke Watson (c)

8. Simon Taylor

Replacements

16. Pieter Dixon      

17. Nathan Catt     

18. David Wilson     

19. Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe        

20. Guy Mercer       

21. Mark McMillan   

22. Shontayne Hape

23. Jack Cuthbert   

Skirving commits to two more years at Bath

Posted on Mar 22, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Ben Skirving has committed to two more years at Bath Rugby, and the Club are delighted to have secured the extension of his contract.

The 27 year old, multi-talented back-row has the rare achievement of having featured in every match-day squad this season, and was most recently awarded the Aviva Premiership Rugby Man of the Match in the hard fought victory over Exeter Chiefs.

A dynamic, powerful forward, Ben has made a total of 49 appearances in the blue, black and white, after joining from Saracens in 2009. Having impressed in the England Sevens team, a full international call-up followed in June 2007, where he faced future team-mate Butch James, in the match against South Africa.

Commenting on the news, Ben said “I am very happy to be re-signing with Bath for another two years. I have greatly enjoyed my time here so far, and feel I can contribute more to the team over the coming seasons as the Club moves forward. I am really excited about staying and being part of what I think will be a bright and successful future.”

Sir Ian McGeechan, Director of Rugby, commented “We are very happy Ben has agreed to stay with the Club. He has been a very effective player for us this season, and his hard work and dependability is a very good example to the rest of the squad.”

Steve Meehan, Head Coach, added “Ben has worked very hard on his defensive and attacking game, and he has made big gains in his ball carrying and overall involvement around the park. He is an accomplished line-out operator and his positional flexibility makes him a very useful player to have in the squad. He is a great asset to Bath Rugby.”

Bath “thrilled” at Carraro extending his stay

Posted on Mar 17, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Bath Rugby has announced Matt Carraro has extended his stay with the Club for a further two seasons and a spokesman for the club has declared they are “thrilled”.

Australian Matt joined Bath in time for the 2009 season, after helping the NSW Waratahs reach the 2008 Super 14 final. Equally comfortable on the wing and in the centre, Matt has gone on to make 40 appearances for Bath, scoring 50 points in that time.   

Talking about the decision, Matt said “I came to Bath with a bit of a point to prove with my rugby and I don’t feel like I’ve done that yet, but with the way our play is progressing and the ambition at the Club, there is a lot more to come at Bath, and I’m really looking forward to being part of it. My partner and I are very excited to continue our stay in Bath. We know how lucky we are to have come to a place as beautiful as this, and with the direction the Club is going, we knew that there is nowhere we would rather be.”

Director of Rugby, Sir Ian McGeechan, said “Matt is a great asset to the squad, and we are delighted he has agreed to extend his contract with us. The fact he is as comfortable on the wing as he is in the centre is a great strength to have, and is incredibly beneficial to us here at Bath.”

Head Coach, Steve Meehan, added “Matt is very strong, quick, and offloads well in the tackle, all skills that are very handy to have in a backline player. He has a great work ethic, and is a very hard tackler, providing a great example for the rest of the players.”