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MATCH DAY

Witney RFC

RW Bassett

Witney RFC

Sun 15 Feb 2026 th

Chairman’s Welcome

Dob in Dabber !

Dabber Willis has taken up hiding in the programme. All you have to do is find him and win a pint. Dob in Dabber at the Bar on match day, and if you’re the first to do so, you win a pint of ale or a glass of wine. Cheers Dabber!

1st

GREATDAY Awesome Xmascameearly

A massive thank you to all our fabulous sponsors!

Player Sponsors

2 Be or not 2 Be!

Back after an enforced lay off and on the road to Abingdon. Earlier this year we took all 5 points for one of our two wins this season. Things will be harder down on the banks of the Thames, but Abingdon have been less than successful on their own turf and so we could get our season back on track.

Valentines Day away to Abingdon, let’s not show them too much love.

Sat 14 Feb 2026

Abingdon v Vipers

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Physio:

Who Shall We 3s Beat Again?

Where Angels Fly!

Academy The Future’s Bright!

With no game to report on this week, our focus turns to Sunday as the Academy hit the road for a trip to the east side of Oxford to face Oxford Harlequins Colts A.

Quins’ A team currently sit a league above our Academy, although they are still searching for their first win of the season. When the sides met back in November at Hailey Road, the Academy came out on top in a high-scoring encounter. With Quins short on numbers, the game was played 12-a-side and turned into a real try-fest. We can expect a much tougher test as we return to competitive action on 15th February.

It’s also worth celebrating the fantastic achievement of Zack Gold and Leon Young, who have both been selected for the England Southwest U18 squad. Congratulations, lads — we’re incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved and excited to see what the future holds for you both.

So here we are again, the Guinness Six Nations is underway… and what a start it has been.

Thursday night saw Ireland travel to Paris for the opener, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. France dominated the first half, with Ireland strangely inconsistent in both carry and defence. The Irish front row held their own early on but began to creak as the game wore on. A half-time scoreline of 22–0 perhaps flattered France slightly, but although Ireland edged the second half, the damage had already been done. Final score: 34–14.

In Rome, my prediction was: “If Townsend can harness the strength of Glasgow’s recent performances and keep his players switched on for 80 minutes, then for me it’s an away bonus-point win.”

Well, I couldn’t have got it more wrong.

A tame display in horrendous conditions allowed Italy to secure a famous 18 : 15 victory, and it has inevitably led to murmurs of change. Former Scotland forward John Barclay told Rugby Special: “I thought before the Six Nations that Scotland had to finish third or above. If they don't, which is now going to be very hard, I think it becomes a necessity to see a change.”

We all know what he means. Gregor’s position may be slightly more secure than Keir Starmer’s, but only just. If they fail to reclaim the Calcutta Cup, you might see him heading towards Tyneside sooner rather than later.

At Twickenham, 48 : 7 actually flattered Wales, it could easily have been more. There were too many standout performances to single out just one. Henry Arundell grabbed a hat-trick, Ben Earl looked as comfortable at centre as he does in the back row, and George Ford produced a masterclass to earn Man of the Match. Last weekend I managed two out of three predictions correctly — and even nailed the minute of the first try at Twickenham. That’s me in the draw for hospitality at the Ireland game.

So, here we go for the coming weekend…

Ireland v Italy – Dublin

Surely it has to be Ireland? The win predictor sits at 86% in their favour, which suggests a foregone conclusion. But Ireland are some way off the heights they reached in 2024. Gibson-Park drops to the bench with Craig Casey starting, but the eye-catching change is the inclusion of Ulsterman Rob Baloucoune, alongside the returning James Lowe in the 3/4s. For Italy, Tommaso Menoncello is the one to watch. He may sound like a pleasant aperitif, but with ball in hand he is anything but; powerful, direct and destructive.

My prediction: Ireland by fewer than 7.

Scotland v England – Murrayfield

This is an even harder game to call. My heart says England, but those pesky Jocks have a habit of raising their game when the Auld Enemy arrive.

I believe England’s back row will prove too strong, and with the quality in our three-quarters, this could be England’s first win in Edinburgh since 2020.

What can Scotland do? The lineout is key. If they can unsettle Luke Cowan-Dickie and disrupt England’s set-piece ball, they can create the kind of chaos in which they thrive.

My prediction: England by 10.

Wales v France – Cardiff

Roof on or roof off, this feels like an away win. Wales looked like fish out of water at Twickenham — and yes, I know whales aren’t fish, but you understand the analogy.

Ollie Cracknell comes in at the base of the scrum and will look to make an impact. However, shifting Louis Rees-Zammit to fullback feels more like desperation than strategy. It didn’t work at Twickenham, and I struggle to see it working in Cardiff.

Prediction: France by 30+. Wales will do well to reach double figures.

M & Js

Investing in the Future

Player Sponsors

Twickenham tickets available for England’s home fixtures in the 2026 6 Nations. If you are a sponsor, player or Club Member then you can obtain tickets for the Home of rugby at face value by contacting Ian @ ian.loughborough@witneyrugby.co.uk

Saturday 7 February England 48 : 7 Wales 4.40 pm th £152

Saturday 21 February England v Ireland 2.10 pm st £152

Limited availability so get your Bid in now. Tickets will be allocated once all of the sponsors have submitted their requirements

What’s On @ Hailey Road!

Veterans @ Hailey Road

Contrary to poular belief, you do not have to have:

Served in the Trenches of WWI

Be over 60 with a pacemaker!

Although being either of those does not preclude you from playing, we do ask for a letter from your parent.

A massive thank you to all our fabulous sponsors!

How would you like 10% off everything you buy over the bar? With a WRFC Members Discount Card that’s exactly what you get. 10% off all your beers, teas, coffees, sandwiches etc. For a small anual fee, currently £25, you get a year’s worth of discounted products. That’s approximately 50p a week, so one pint of lager a week and you have made your money back, 2 pints and your saving at a level appreciated by Yorkshiremen.

To qualify for the card you need to be a signed up member of the Club.

Interested? email me or speak to any of the marvellous bar staff. ian.loughborough@witneyrugby.co.uk