We hope you enjoy this look back as we look forward to many more years of recording the history of Thames Valley Rugby Union. We acknowledge all the information from the NZ “Rugby Almanack” Series from the season’s 1934 through to 2023 and appreciate their hard and dedicated work in providing this detailed history. – Web Admin
Acknowledgments to the NZ Rugby Almanack Franchise:
Back to Year by Year Index click here
2020 Season
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For the first time since 1944 Thames Valley did not field a senior representative team in 2020.
With the cancellation of the Heartland Championship the Union decided instead to concentrate resources at the local level.
Affiliation fees were discarded and all clubs and secondary schools were given a substantial grant to help cover their expenses. Although the season was shorter than usual players enjoyed the opportunity to play some rugby and all the respective competitions were hotly contested. Because of attendance restrictions at the time of the finals the TVRFU funded the live streaming of all these club and secondary school games. There was a milestone for the Whangamata Club when it won the senior championship to take out the McClinchy Cup for the first time in its history.
Former assistant coaches of the Swamp Foxes, David Harrison and Joe Murray were promoted to become joint head coaches with Matt Bartleet still on the scene as a resource coach. These positions will carry over to the 2021 season. Late in the season a Thames Valley Under 23 team participated in a competition with Under 20 teams from the Chiefs’ Mitre 10 Cup unions. No games were won but it presented an opportunity for up-and-coming Thames Valley players to experience rugby at a higher level.
In February former Thames Valley and New Zealand selector/coach, Ross Cooper was awarded Life Membership of the Thames Valley Rugby Football Union along with former first-class referee and Board Chairman, Graham Hallett.