Round 7 | 2024 /2025
Here’s your preview of the weekend’s action, from Club Media Officer, Charlie Woodbridge.
Following a weekend of mixed results and a relatively quiet Haberden with only one fixture, the #buryrugbyfamily can look forward to a busy weekend in round 7 of the 2024 / 2025 season.
We have a great selection of rugby ahead, with all senior sides in action and three playing at home. Alongside the Men’s 1st XV on home soil, we also have an exciting women’s and girls’ local derby double-header against Sudbury on Sunday at The Haberden.
Our boys' U13s, U14s, U15s, and U16s all have exciting fixtures, with the U13s and U14s travelling to Norwich Crusaders and the U15s and U16s hosting Crusaders RFC at The Haberden. It’s also a busy weekend for girls’ rugby at Bury St Edmunds, with the U12s playing in the Conference at Shelford. Additionally, the U16 girls will feature in the women’s and girls’ double-header at The Haberden, which is particularly exciting as it marks the first time the Vixens will compete as a standalone team without clustering with other clubs. This is a huge achievement and a testament to the efforts of the Vixens and all the staff involved.
Youth rugby continues this weekend with the Colts travelling to face a tough North Walsham side, known for having a strong setup in recent years. We wish all of the Bury St Edmunds youth teams the best of luck!
The Men’s 1st XV aim to continue their winning streak this weekend, looking for three wins in a row as they take on Worthing RFC at The Haberden. This fixture is especially exciting, as Bury Rugby has been named the National League ‘Featured Club of the Week’, with this game chosen as the featured match. Keep an eye out for some fantastic media content over the weekend!
Why not catch up on our feature via the National League Rugby Preview Show, here.
It’s also a special occasion for Ben Penfold, who will make his 50th appearance for the club. We congratulate him on this outstanding achievement.
Director of Rugby, Jacob Ford, shared his thoughts on Penfold’s milestone:
“Congratulations to Penny for making his 50th appearance. He's been at the heart of everything great about this team and the club over the past three or four seasons.
Stepping up as Head Coach this year while continuing to play – as he has done in previous years – shows his character and commitment. He’s handled it all marvellously.
It highlights the amount of effort he puts in both during the week and at weekends, contributing to the 1st XV and the club as a whole.
This is a significant milestone for him, and it reflects the work he’s doing behind the scenes. We hope to see many more appearances from him in the future.”
Jacob Ford has made three changes following last week’s win at Sevenoaks. Ollie Stone comes in at hooker, and Ben Sams joins the back row. The backline remains largely unchanged, with Will Metcalfe starting on the right wing.
The Women’s 1st XV forms the other half of the local derby double-header, also facing Sudbury. Newly promoted Sudbury are unbeaten so far this season, so they will be a tough challenge for Bury St Edmunds. Get down to The Haberden on Sunday and show the women’s and girls’ teams your support!
Head Coach Liam Leeson, who plays his club rugby at Sudbury, shared his thoughts ahead of the fixture:
“I’m looking forward to welcoming our newest rivals from Sudbury – the club I play for myself, and where my trusted assistant coach Tyler is currently on loan. But on Sunday, we both bleed green and gold. As a team, we love playing at home, and after our last home game, we’re excited to see the support from the Bury St Edmunds locals.”
Leeson has named a strong women’s side, blending experience with youth for what promises to be a competitive match on Sunday.
The Men’s 2nd XV travel to Newmarket in search of their first win of the season. Although it’s been a challenging start, the team has shown real promise with a few narrow defeats. AJ Morgan has made six changes, with Archie Williams and Dec Sully coming into the pack. Ryan Clark, Nicky Van De Linde, Fin Bonas, and Rhys Parry-Jones complete the backline changes.
The Men’s 3rd XV and 4th XV also have exciting fixtures at The Haberden, taking on Cantabrigian IIs and Aldeburgh RFC, respectively.
In the minis section, our U7s, U8s, U9s, U11s, and U12s will be travelling to Wymondham for an exciting set of matches. The U10s will compete in the U10s Tigers Cup, also hosted by Wymondham. Additionally, the U9s will provide the entertainment at the Men’s 1st XV home game, forming a Guard of Honour and showcasing their skills at half-time.
Another full weekend of rugby and exciting fixtures awaits! As usual, you can find full squads on the club's social media channels.
Plus, whet your whistle with both the Men's and Women's 1st XV match day programmes with zeeon, available now via the links below.