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A View from JJ’s Bank

1st xv result – Caldy 15 – 17 Worcester Warriors
2nd xv result – Sedgley Park 17 – 37 Caldy
u18s result – Wilmslow 10 – 24 Caldy

Champ Rugby round 6 – Saturday 8th November 2025

Caldy ……………………… 15 pts
Tries: Tudor 6, Hyde 24 
Conversion: K Wilkinson 7
Penalty: K Wilkinson 16
  
Worcester Warriors ………17 pts
Tries: Biggs 11, Garside 71, 80 
Conversion: Eden 12

Basking in the sunshine and dressed in late summer shirt sleeves to watch the Ravers in November is as unique an event as welcoming the Worcester Warriors for a league fixture at Paton Field. Both of these unusual experiences coincided on 8th November 2025. On this ‘Remembrance’ weekend the playing conditions at Paton Field were not the mud and the rain of Flanders as the first-time visitors may have expected but were as good and firm for running rugby as any natural pitch in England. 

Although only new entrants to the Champ, the fully professional visitors described on various social media as the ‘Big Dogs’ had come to test the Caldy ‘Under Dogs’ as never before. The crowd of just under 1,900 were treated to an enthralling and thunderous game which the Warriors clinched with the last play of the game, through the Worcester right wing Jake Garside who backed up his 70th minute try with another score in the final seconds. Caldy’s head coach Matt Cairns was gutted “It’s disappointing to lose on the last play of the game and a tough one to take to say the least. I can’t fault the effort of the lads, their heart, desire and our defence was outstanding but we’re left with loads of lessons to learn.”

It had started brightly for the Ravers, on 6 minutes Will Robinson picked up possession from a lineout, beat his opposition winger on the outside and combined beautifully with Rhys Tudor to put the Welshman in by the posts. Kieran Wilkinson’s conversion momentarily put the home side 7- 0 ahead before a catch and drive by the Warriors brought the sides level. The visitors fluffed opportunities to take the lead and with Caldy playing the more composed rugby it was no surprise when full back Charlie Hyde raced 25 metres to score out wide after the Ravers had previously extended their lead courtesy of a Wilkinson penalty. 


Tom Sanders and the Ravers reach for the sky 
Image – Barry Quatermass


Rhys Tudor touches down for Caldy’s first try against Worcester Warriors
Image – Barry Quatermass


Charlie Hyde races through to score Caldy’s second try 
Image – Barry Macdonald

15-7 to the Ravers at the break was a fair reflection of the first 40 minutes. The home supporters on the sun-drenched bank who had given their side great vocal support topped up their refreshments for a repeat in the second half.

Unloading the bench just after the restart, Warriors brought on a powerful and experienced quartet led by former Welsh international scrum half Lloyd Williams. Playing with more discipline and composure, the Warriors began to boss the breakdown and monopolise possession. In previous seasons former England and Coventry flanker Matt Kvesic had frustrated Caldy and in his new role as captain of Worcester Warriors, Kvesic did it again with his canny play at the breakdown, a feature of the visitors’ fightback. 

“You cannot defend for 40 minutes and expect to win in the Champ, and certainly not against a fully professional side like the Warriors” said Caldy’s captain JJ Dickinson. “They invariably punish your mistakes and in the last 20 minutes the extra effort following the two yellow cards eventually caught up with us. We are all gutted and hugely disappointed. This is one that got away from us in the last play of the game.”

Nick Bradshaw CEO of match sponsors Refinery Group selected Connor Wilkinson as the Caldy man of the match for his striking defensive effort. There were other notable performances. Farmer and prop Monty Weatherby, who put in some shuddering tackles, including one collision that drew a huge collective intake of breath from the bank, again played the full 80 minutes. Charlie Hyde, playing in the less familiar position of full back scored a try on his first start of the season. All action openside Dan Owen made an outstanding 20 tackles during the game. 

The Champ is relentless, and the Ravers need to dust themselves down after this disappointment and get themselves ready for Friday night under the lights at Bedford Blues’ Goldington Road ground with a 7.45 pm start.

The quicksilver Blues will present another colossal challenge for the Ravers, and the match will be shown live in the Caldy clubhouse with a £9 away day deal for a curry and a pint.




Images thanks to Kieran Free and Barry Macdonald

Caldy : Hyde (Mitchell 52), Tudor, C Wilkinson, Barlow, Robinson (Barker, 70), K Wilkinson, Wynn (Akehurst 60), Weatherby, Hearn (Gallagher 52), Rushton (Sproston 40, Higginson 70), Loboda (Gerrard 60), Sanders, Logan, Owen (Jones 72), JJ Dickinson (c) 

Worcester Warriors : Brown (Reed 66), Garside, Seabrook, R Taylor, Trewin, Eden, Lane (Williams 46), Keast (Natave 46), Biggs (Wallis 46), Challenger (Haynes 79), Chapman (Ndimande 46), Evans, Anstee, Kvesic (c), Akenzua-Al Kareem, Not used: H Taylor, Preen

Referee : Jonathan Cook         Attendance : 1,876

NOWIRUL Bathtime Premier League

Sedgley Park 2nd xv …….. 17 pts
Caldy 2nd xv ……………….. 37 pts


Caldy 2nd xv extended their incredible run with a hard fought win at Sedgley Park. They have now won 7 out of 7 this season and lead the Premier League table by 2 points above Preston Grasshoppers 2nd xv. Caldy 2nd xv’s unbeaten record is now 129 games in all competitions since April 2019 !  

u18s Cheshire Cup round 1

Wilmslow u18s Senior Colts …….. 10 pts
Caldy u18s Senior Colts ………….. 24 pts



Match report & image thanks to Paul Clark

The Senior Colts returned to competitive action after a 4 week break with a tough assignment away at Wilmslow in the round 1 of the Cheshire Cup. Since u7s, this has always been a tour de force match for us, and this match proved no different.
Right from the off, Wilmslow enacted their game plan – no engagement at line-outs and move the ball out the back and wide – resulting in a very early try for them in the far corner.
This woke Caldy up and from the restart, the lads caught their own kick and marauded towards the line being tackled 5 yards short.
From there we started to exert pressure throughout the rest of the game, playing to our game structure, moving the ball fast.
Having moved the ball wide once again, Luis Thomason, put in an excellent 30 yard grubber kick through which Isaac Waldron chased down touching down with a dramatic dive just before the dead ball line. 5-5.
As the half progressed Caldy retained ball dominance but 5 minutes before half time, Wilmslow were the beneficiaries of an intercept on the half way which they ran in. Tight game. 5-10.
More Caldy pressure up to half time – and on the stroke, punch ball and flick out the back to Luke MacDonald who dummied and drove forward to score. Conversion from full back Jamie Lewis who kicked excellently throughout the match. Half time and 12-10 to the lads.

Stick to the process lads and take the game to them summed up the half time debrief. The lads had worked out how to deal with non-engagement at lineouts and were scrum dominant… game on ! The second half saw the lads pile forward with strength, pace and guile.
A fantastic team move ended with a lovely miss pass from Finn McDonnell to Alexander Clark to run the ball in some style! 17-10.
Another punch move saw the ball move out to Isaac Waldron who powered through to score under the posts with conversion to follow. 24-10 and daylight. Wilmslow are a great team, not a team to hold back and were not done, marching back up the pitch and going through numerous pick and go phases on our 5 yard line. Cue “check, check, hit” defence from Thursday night training – no way through and Caldy’s line was not to be breached !

A fantastic win for the lads – a total 70 minute effort from all 19 lads on rotation – most certainly their best performance of the season. Our forwards were dominant at breakdown and adapted well to new challenges, but all credit to the backs who defended and tackled with huge hits and moved the ball sweetly.

Next Sunday sees the NW Conference League A start properly and we will look forward to welcoming Lymm to Paton Field.
Everyone welcome – kick off 2.00pm next Sunday 16 November at Paton Field.



Rugby coming up


Image – Francesca Rowley



Friday 14th November – Champ Rugby round 7
Bedford Blues v Caldy kick off 7.45pm
 at Goldington Road, Bedford MK40 3NF
For those who are unable to make the trip down to Bedford our next Champ Rugby game between 3rd placed Bedford Blues and 4th placed Caldy will be live streamed on TV in the clubhouse at Paton Field this Friday evening.
Caldy Kitchen & “President’s Bar” will be open from 6.30pm. 
Away Day Deal £9 for Curry, Rice, Naan & Pint of your choice.

All Welcome, so come down to the “Shack on the Hill” and support your Ravers !

Saturday 15th November – NOWIRUL Premier League
Macclesfield 2nd xv v Caldy 2nd xv kick off 1.00pm
 at Priory Park, Priory Lane, Macclesfield SK10 4AF

Sunday 16th November – Conference League A
Caldy u18s v Lymm u18s kick off 2.00pm
 at Paton Field

Caldy u17s Junior Colts – recovery week



Date for your diary 
Thursday 13th November – Caldy Sports Club AGM
7.30pm
 start in the clubhouse, Memorial Hall, Paton Field
Please note the AGM agenda includes proposals to allow Oxton Hockey Club to join as full members of CSCL 

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