Bath Rugby Supporters' Club
SEASON 2005/06
On the playing field it was a very mixed season for both the team and the supporters. It began disastrously with losses in all three of our opening games. The games against Bristol and Northampton were games we were in a position to win but failing to get the results then, followed by a loss away at Leicester, meant that our season became a fight to climb out of the lower reaches of the Premiership table.
From then on our performances were divided between Cup and League.
Our Heineken Cup performances gave us plenty to cheer about with stunning away wins against Leinster in Dublin, then Glasgow and Bourgoin and we were topping our Pool until Leinster came to the Rec to spoil the party. However, our Quarter-Final 13-man victory against Leicester at the Walker Stadium set us up for yet another excuse to travel - to play Biarritz at San Sebastian in the Semi-Final. Despite enthusiastic and noisy support, Bath foundered in the Spanish rain.
In the Anglo-Welsh/Powergen Cup, the team again went well until the Semi-Final against Llanelli in Cardiff but, in the Premiership, inconsistent play kept us firmly near the bottom of the table.
The Supporters’ Club also had a difficult season, new Committee members taking over in all four of the named positions – Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Membership Secretary. With the settling-in period required, things did not always run as smoothly as the Club would have wished.
During the season presentations were made to the three departing coaches: John Connolly was presented with a Silver Salver, suitably engraved; Michael Foley received an engraved glass decanter and Richard Graham, an illustrated book on the City of Bath. The travelling Coach fans and ERE also made presentations.
During the season, the Committee decided to become a shirt sponsor to one of the younger squad members. Nick Abendanon was the choice, giving BRSC an additional profile in the home match programmes.
Our Supporters’ efforts for charitable causes during year showed some magnificent results, with everyone digging deep to help.
Profits from the Supporters’ Club Race Night resulted in the presentation of a cheque for £1,500 to the Ellie Brown Appeal – money required for the many operations needed to remove Ellie’s disfiguring facial birthmark.
At the Leicester game, the shirt raffle money was donated to Martyn Wood’s London Marathon nominated charity – The Matt Hampson Trust. A superb £1,800 was raised, to Martyn’s obvious delight.
Shirt raffles and the 2-in-a-Bath competition raised a record £14,000 for the Community Foundation. This charity gives Bath Rugby a favourable profile in the community in Bath and the surrounding areas with the object of improving and enhancing the lives of young people through sport, in particular, those who have a disadvantaged lifestyle.
The official Bath Rugby Supporters’ Club is the largest independent rugby supporters’ club in Britain and you can be a part of this simply by joining up.
We are very much a pro-active club and are always keen to accept articles for the website and newsletter and any ideas for future functions that you may have. It’s your club, so with your contribution, let’s make season 2006/07 even better than before.