In the only game played on Saturday, the 1st XV was far too good for neighbours Old Leamingtonians as we won comfortably by 41-10 at Bericote Lane in the RFU Community Competition (the successor to the Papa John). We attacked from the start and Gareth Shuttleworth put us in front with a try after 10 minutes and we dominated the first half scoring twice more and with OLs hanging on they had a player sent off before the break which just about ended their chances. Four more tries in the third quarter completed our scoring before we eased off and the OL scrum half scored a brilliant consolation try. See John Warner’s full report on the website.

The RFU calendar allows a free Saturday this week so that everyone can watch the women’s World Cup final on TV. The club will be open from 12.30 on Saturday for the bronze medal match between New Zealand and France. The final, between England and Canada will be at 4.00

Before that – the women are playing Birminham University on Friday night at 7.00at Moorefields
On Saturday the second team or thereabouts will be playing a friendly over at Alcester, kicking off at 2.00 and the Colts are entertaining Old Leamingtonians at 2.00

Mini and Junior rugby is building up as practice and registration continues on Sunday mornings from 10.30 to 12.00 for all age groups girls and boys from 5 to 16. All abilities are welcome - just bring us your enthusiasm and we will do the rest. If interested please come along. The Under 10 team has a fixture against Tamworth, kicking off at 11.00

Defibrillators There are now three defibrillators at the Club, two externally mounted (one on the side of the netball hub, one on the back of the clubhouse by the entrance to the changing rooms) and one inside the building opposite the kitchen door.

Heart attacks aren't restricted to portly old men of a certain age (ilke me!) and speed of response is key. While the operation of a defibrillators is, we are, assured, intuitive and the 999 operators will talk somebody through what to do, the fact is that to step forward in a crisis requires confidence which is a function of training.

With that in mind the plan is to identify a group of people across the key areas of the Club (coaching, physios, bar staff, Tuesday work team) who would be interested in attending a two and a half hour training session (probably at the Club) run by external providers - obviously this is entirely voluntary. All we are looking for at this stage is expressions of interest. We will then firm up on the details. We will also reach out to Netball and the groups/organisations that tend to use the Club when they are the only ones here.

If you are willing to help and put yourself forward for defibrillator training as described above, please let me know and I will coordinate the list of names

As a second strand to improving knowledge, Mel Harvey has offered to run a short informal event on when and how to use a defibrillator and this is aimed at a wider audience, although the Club still needs a group of people who have attended the more intensive course referred to above. Mel has put together in a note below.

Six Nations tickets have been purchased for the games after Christmas. An application form is attached. If you are interested in applying please return the form by 30 October. Two tickets have become available for the England v Australia game on 2 November. Please let me know asap if you are interested

The first VP lunch of the season will be prior to the Worcester game on October 11. Please get your places booked with Charlie Gardner at c.n.gardner44@gmail.com

annual membership subscriptions are now due. Details of the rates and how to pay are attached. Please pay as soon as possible. If you no longer wish to continue your membership, please let us know and we will delete you from the list

Finally, the Club will mark its Centenary in 2026. We are working on a programme of events to celebrate the anniversary. We have decided to arrange these events over the calendar year of 2026 with the main focus on the weekend of 22 April, the anniversary of the club being formed, and early September when the first game was played. We will provide more information shortly, but the first event to be announced is a club dinner/ball which will be a formal event and we are planning to hire a Marquee The provisional date is 5 September. Please put this in your diaries

Johnlizlyons@btopenworld.com

Further information from Mel Harvey -

Thousands of mums, dads, grandparents and children lose their lives every year because less than half of bystanders intervene when they see someone collapse. Not enough people know life-saving skills.

When someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest, prompt action by anyone nearby offers their only chance of survival. An immediate 999 call for an ambulance and starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately are essential. Most people who survive will have needed a shock from a defibrillator to correct a chaotic heart rhythm. The earlier that shock is given, the better the person’s chance of survival. Studies have shown that a shock given within three minutes of cardiac arrest provides the best chance of survival and that even one minute of further delay reduces that chance substantially. In most situations, ambulance services would be unable to reach the scene of a cardiac arrest and deliver a shock within three minutes. Further studies have shown that immediate delivery of CPR combined with early use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) by members of the public gives a person in cardiac arrest the best chance of surviving.

For that reason, there are increasing numbers of automated defibrillators available for use by members of the public. They are simple to use and can be used effectively and safely by people who have had no prior training. With this in mind, the Club has invested in 3 AEDs and they are located as described above - by the rear door, the changing rooms and the netball Hub

To use an AED safely and effectively, all you need to do is:
1. recognise that someone who has collapsed, is unresponsive and is not breathing normally is likely to have had a cardiac arrest
2. attach the two adhesive pads (electrodes) that connect the AED to the person’s bare chest
3. switch on the AED
4. follow the instructions given by the AED.

This brilliant 2 minute video from The British Heart Foundation tells you what a defibrillator is and how to use it: How to use an AED and for more information visit: Understanding defibrillators-what they are and how to use them - BHF

The British Heart Foundation also provides a free, interactive, online CPR training course. In just 15 minutes, you can learn how to save a life and receive your very own CPR certificate: . https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/how-to-do-cpr/learn-cpr-in-15-minutes

Mel Harvey