After ten years as Navy Rugby Referees’ Secretary Tim Bailey hands over the administrative whistle to Geoff Howells. Geoff has a very hard act to follow. Also in this blog US Portsmouth says farewell to Terry Le Manquais and images Rugby For Heroes charity match.
Tim Bailey – Royal Navy Rugby Union Referees Society Secretary 2003 – 2012
The Royal Navy Rugby Union Referees Society is one of the most respected in the country and has been for the last thirty years. In essence two men are responsible for this healthy state of affairs – the man of Kent and the man of Hampshire.
Former top flight referee and Kent Assessor, Derek Rowland, held the Secretary mantle for many years and built up the all important good relations with the RFU and the other societies around the country. When he left the Service the Royal Navy Rugby Union rightly made him a Life Member for his outstanding contribution to refereeing in the Senior Service. After Derek left; the post of Secretary swapped hands a few times before in 2003 Tim took up this most demanding of appointments. Then if that was not enough, he also became Secretary of the Combined Services Federation of Rugby Referees.
Tim’s time as Secretary has been characterised by a willingness to work tirelessly and selflessly for the good of the Society and its members. Under his stewardship he has managed upwards a number of Referee Chairman and ensured that only the right ‘good ideas’ are taken forward! And it is to a former Chairman and close Hampshire colleague that I turned to for some thoughts on Tim’s time as Secretary now that he has announced he is standing down when Geoff returns from the SOuth Atlantic later this month.
“And so to Tim…..in every successful organisation there is usually only one or two people who are never the first in the queue to seek or accept plaudits but without whose dedication and tireless efforts, any absence would have quite disproportionate effect and consequence. I have had the pleasure to know, work with and for, and generally enjoy the company of Tim since I took up the whistle in 1998. Our paths have been entwined as we both ploughed furrows across some muddy Hampshire fields, went out on exchanges to neighbouring counties with funny accents, tried our hand at flag wagging in the professional and semi professional game, sat through many single and joint service committee meetings and occasionally had some inter service fun and games. With the revolving door of Chairmen and other key committee officials well oiled – I should know as in a similar time period I was variously Kit Manager, Training Offier, Treasurer and Chairman – Tim has been the rock upon which the Society has been fortunate to rely upon – sage advice for any RNRURS and CSRR president, a vital link to the RNRU office, plus adept, timely and accurate secretarial duties only scrape the surface of his many skills, duties and talents, all fulfilled with a quiet dignity, modesty, bonhomie and selfless determination. None of us are indispensable thankfully and the Society will of course continue to evolve and change as does the Navy itself, but his contribution richly deserves fulsome recognition from all RNRURS members, as a true stalwart and genuinely nice bloke to all.”
A view I am sure is echoed by all of the Society and his very many other friends throughout the Navy and Service rugby community. As to Tim well in his words “It has been a huge honour to have been able to have been the secretary for so long, I hope to continue my association with the society but the time has come to handover as I head to pastures new.”
At the recent RNRURS Training Day, current Chairman Andy Coles, presented Tim with a memento in recognition of his service to the Society. Best wishes go to Tim as he is shortly due to leave the Service but somehow I do not think he will be totally lost to Service refereeing.
Tim’s Service refereeing included him being awarded his colours in 2005 and being referee of the year in 1999. All of the RNRURS Honours can be viewed by clicking here.
US Portsmouth Remember RNRU Life Member Terry Le Manquais
At their first home game last week US Portsmouth RFC raised a glass to former stalwart and RNRU Life Member Terry Le Manquais who sadly passed away during the Summer. Club President, Jeff Blackett, himself a RNRU Life Member as well as former Chairman, Selector and the Navy’s 472nd player to be capped, hosted a luncheon in Terry’s honour. The luncheon was attended by many former friends and colleagues of Terry from both his rugby and field gunning guises including some who had travelled up from Truro to be there.
Speaking afterwards Jeff remarked how much Terry had given to both the US club and to Navy Youth rugby. He also felt that Terry would be impressed by the direction the club was taking under new Director of Rugby Simon Burns. Saturday’s crowd had seen US Portsmouth’s Bulldogs make it three from three in the Snow’s Group Hampshire Division 1 with a bonus point victory over Alton 27-7. There are so many positive vibes coming from the club at the moment which along with Devonport Services receives significant investment from the Royal Navy Rugby Union that it can only be for the betterment of the wider game within Navy Rugby.
The Navy Rugby website features regular updates from both Service clubs and you can follow the exploits of US Portsmouth RFC on their own website here.
US Portsmouth Director of Rugby Si Burns played seventeen times for the Royal Navy and is the tenth most capped player of all time. One of his claims to fame is that he helped coach former club Gosport & Fareham to the Powergen Intermediate Cup at Twickenham. US Portsmouth are in capable hands.
Rugby4Heroes Charity Match
As previously mentioned the R4H charity raised an Invitational Select XV to play the Royal Engineers at Henley RFC last Sunday. The day was supported by many rugby stars from the Premiership who regularly assist charity patron Mike Tindall in raising awareness and funds for the charity. Danny Grewcock even rolled back the years and took to the pitch for the Select XV. A full report of the match can be found on the Sappers RFC website here.
Images courtesy of Jonathan Fowke of JPFSportsMedia.co.uk
Also the match was covered by Jon Kneighton and BFBS Sport. His video report can be found here including interviews with Thinus Delport and Mike Tindall.
The Rugby For Heroes website can be accessed here.
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