From The Brink: Blank Sheet of Paper (Part Two)

We left part one with the question: Would this be the end of Racal Decca RFC?

The short answer is Yes, it would be, only not as we understood that answer to mean at this time!

We continued through January & February 24, sending any willing bodies to any game that would have us, pleasingly there was still very supportive feedback coming our way from clubs and players throughout the local rugby community and opportunities to play were not short in supply.

Lacking games in our own Decca colours was becoming increasingly worrying so we gathered as a club to face our fate and have a very open and honest chat with ourselves, a come-to-Jesus meeting!

In our newly adopted home, The Berrylands Pub, with the backdrop of the six nations, fuelled by Guinness and with a strong air of reminiscence we asked.

What do we do now?

The options set out were simple:

1. Do we call it day? Celebrate our 65 years, we had a good run, but it’s done.
2. Is there an appetite to continue? And if so; How? What? Where?  

After a very frank and cleansing discussion it was unanimous.

There was a clear desire from those players in attendance to play for us, in our shirts, and to keep the club going, albeit less often than is previous seasons. Our non-playing members, former players & former members that attended want to have a club to watch, socialise with and advocate for.

The Club will continue!

We even booked a fixture in, there and then.

Long term we would have to become something new, something different, something achievable and sustainable.

But what does the new Decca look like? The management committee, fuelled by the outpouring of love shown out our meeting, got cracking on a new plan, a new blueprint for rugby in our area.

[Now, in my head as I write this, I have an A-Team type montage going on; full non-rights restricted soundtrack, laptops keys going at 100 miles an hour, emails and Whatsapp notifications going off like fireworks, a wielder being sparked into action, barn doors being blown open!

If you do not understand the above reference or cannot hear the faint melody of a generic rock track as you read, we cannot be friends. We can be teammates, share a drink, be tourists, share several more drinks. You are too young.]

With a blank sheet of paper, we asked ourselves the following:

• What do we want from our club?
• How many games can we achieve going into season 2024-25?
• How do retain and recruit?
• Where can we stand out?