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ODs Respond to the Challenge

ODs Respond to the Challenge

Mike Rogers15 Feb 2018 - 15:46
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https://www.odrfc.co.uk/news/o

Squad revs up for a tough end-of-season programme.

The ODRFC secretary observed some fifty years ago that the game was going through a great period of change and commented on the drift towards competitive rugby, of which I’m not sure he totally approved. Neither do I think that he envisaged a game in the 21st century so dominated by a league structure that imposes a set of pressures on junior clubs, week in and week out, that require a huge voluntary effort from players and administrators alike.
Old Dunstonian rugby is responding to the challenge and has entered a progressive phase based on a growing player community, expert coaching and a slowly strengthening commitment to training and playing that bodes well for a sustainable future. Consequently, the senior sides are showing their teeth in their respective leagues which will hopefully translate into a virtuous circle of growth and prosperity for the whole club.
However, some things haven’t changed: what endures is a club founded on the ethos of amateur rugby that places enjoyment and friendship high on its list of values. That’s not regardless of results but it’s an old fashioned belief that success can be measured both on and off the field of play.
In rugby’s brave new world, there is a strange ambivalence towards cup rugby in amongst the heavy demands of league fixtures and injury lists that are not getting any shorter. OD’s however continue to rise to the challenge and bring a desire to perform and improve to every game.
The last encounter in the Kent Shield belied the connection between match performance and the training effort put in during the week, but that now has to be the team's abiding principle as it revs up for a tough end-of-season programme that includes the top two league sides, the Cornish odyssey and the next round of the Shield, all of which will challenge OD ambitions come rain or shine.
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