Marlborough Rugby’s ‘big season’ starts in earnest on 02 September with an away opening match against Royal Tunbridge Wells, but to kick off the pre-season with a competitive (friendly) match Marlborough are entertaining Brecon RFC on The Common this Saturday (12 August). To precede the game, at 11am a Family Fun Day will start with a Classic Car Show, Bouncy Castle and plenty more.
Brecon RFC are a challenging start to pre-season, a good test for what Marlborough can expect across the season when great sides such as London Welsh visit The Common for the first time. Marlborough Rugby is now Wiltshire’s top-ranked rugby club after promotion at the end of last season and like Marlborough, Brecon were established in the very early days of organised club rugby (Brecon RFC was established in 1868). They play in Division One East of the Welsh National League, which is equivalent to two leagues higher than where Marlborough will be playing this season.
The match kicks off at 1:30 but the Fun Day starts in the morning, all set to go from 11am.
Brecon RFC has seen a great deal of success over the years, and the club has also produced several talented players who have gone on to play at higher levels, including for the Welsh national side.
Brecon, like Marlborough, has a vibrant youth section and is dedicated to giving young people the opportunity to get involved in the sport and the wider community, which is quite like Marlborough Rugby.
This will very much be a learning curve for Marlborough, and the team, in conjunction with the coaching team; Elisi Vunipola, Viliami Hakalo, and Inosi Laqekoro, have been training hard during the pre-season. There are exciting times ahead for Marlborough, but challenges as well.
What else on Saturday as well as Classic Cars and Bouncy Castle? Face painting for kids, lawn games, a retro ice cream truck selling delicious ice cream and crepes, a vintage Citroen coffee van serving up a variety of coffees, as well as baked-to-order pizza and a bbq. Therefore, there is something for everyone, and it helps to provide free entertainment for kids.
As well as a challenging year for the 1st XV, this year’s Colts have secured a place in the Under 18s National Cup (2023–24). This is the first time that the Marlborough Colts have ever entered this competition. T heir first-round draw is at home against Newbury Colts on Sunday, September 24—another date for the diary.
