Woz on? Well lots of madness around the world at the mo, everyone hates everyone and lots of ….“if you’re not in my tribe you’re wrong to think like that and watch out, me and my tribe out to get you.”

I fear the rich get richer and the normal have to struggle along with all sorts of nonsense.

Saw a cartoon the other day … there was three blokes at a table, one in a dapper suit with a plate in front of him with 20 cookies on it. To his left was a white bloke in a tee shirt and jeans with a similar plate but it had just one cookie on it. The third guy was black and looked poor and had a plate but with no cookies on it. The guy with the 20 cookies says to the white guy “that bloke (pointing to the black guy), is trying to steal your cookie, you need to do something about that”. It made me think? Anyway…. I must be careful with what I say or someone might shoot me.

Question is ….Why can’t everyone just be nice to each other and of course go out and play rugby or watch it?

Ok, last weekend…. at the Ton’s first home game there was a sponsors lunch and I bumped into lots of great people being given some lunch in appreciation for sponsoring players and also helping to keep the old girl afloat… Beer was quaffed and laughter was plentiful.

So… on to the game and our new visitors Bideford. My did they look big! We all had to troop up to the top pitch which did I guess interrupt some peoples quaffing given the distance from the bar. It seemed strange if honest. I must just say, we also got lots of grief from some of the dog walkers as we’d roped of the pitch. In fact someone had untied the rope and flung several of the pole in the hedge in protest. We retrieved them and refenced but I will point out to whoever that the RFU do insist if we play games, pitches must be fenced of for Health and safety of spectators and supporters of which there were many. I just don’t get the complaints. The poles and ropes were taken down after the game and the pitch was back to normal… I will add we pay a lease for use of the pitch and dogs are not allowed on it, does everyone know that?

Anyway, to the game… it was a lovely day but there was a near gale blowing straight down the field so it was to be a game of two halves, with wind or against wind! It was our go first unfortunately and getting back into the swing of things we were a bit rusty. Lineouts were very difficult for both sides but ours didn’t function that well and despite being in the oppositions half a lot we didn’t capitalise on the advantage. They scored first we replied and were ahead by 10-7 at half time but was it enough? Well clearly not as Bideford had a good half we gifted them a couple of tries and scored two ourselves and we did finish strongly but they score a couple more and looked the better side if honest. The final score was 22-38. Not unbeatable I’d say and I think with some of our missing troops on the field we can definitely compete…. so on the whole not all dome and despair on our first outing and definitely room for improvement.

Met up with a Tonitie from years gone who was down for a wedding. Chris Dawe and he and his brother Rob played for the club eons ago. He was quick to mention one season when we were both mainly in the twos and were we were unbeaten all year and we had that infamous fancy dress game down at Brixham.. we made national papers with that game. If you don’t know about it ask me. It was very funny in a not right way.

So, what else has been happening… well firstly thanks to Malcolm Lewis Jones who bought us down his fairly new strimmer and now we just need someone to use it. I think Pete Burrows said he was on it?.... I will say I popped down to the club during the week only to see Pete out walking on the field of dreams…watching the grass grow and doing some stone picking, top bloke. I will reflect on him being my centre partner years ago, 1984 I think, in that season there were 46 games and between us we actually had 91 appearance. Back in the day huh!

Committee meeting this week usual stuff, no money, too much to do and obviously need more help… so nothing new there but I will say a big heads up to the clubs Chair Chris Gould, who is already on to the next opportunity for trying to raise grant money and he listed a host of names he has new and renewed sponsorships with. Pretty good egg really and defiantly a “glass half full” type of a chap.

So on to this weekend still only one game this weekend for both Seniors and Juniors and it’s a trip up Nurth to South Moulton for round two of the league. Never easy up there but being this early in the season it won’t be a mud bath as it has been in recent years… mind, given all the rain we’ve suddenly had , who knows? Seem like there are no seasons anymore Dry and Hot or Wet and Mild. There is no climate change! Come on up last time we went I think our support outnumbered theirs.

Womens rugby gets serious now and I wish good luck to our guys who take on Scotland on Sunday I think we should win that given the form books but you’ve got to show up though.

That’s it for this week sorry about the first bit but it is me after all, so pretty standard.

So to finish… work hard. enjoy your free time and laugh a lot

#UTT

Jez