The boys started back on the 14th June and have completed a 2 week block of light conditioning to ease back in; though some boys tell me they are dreading July if June was low key! The numbers have been great and bode well for the season. Dave Mckee is doing a great job of getting key Falcons boys to buy-in to the hard work ethos that we have set and no less than 32 have trained at anyone time thus far.

Phippsy (Johnathan Phipps) our vertically challenged Hooker who arrived mid season has been appointed Strength and Conditioning Coach, a position he held whilst playing professionally in Spain for the last 8 years. The very first exercise he made the squad do was a full pitch army crawl; the warm up - Phippsy won it by 15m which pretty much guarantees he has practised the crawl throughout May for this one moment where he could smash the rest of the squad to set his required high standards!!

Last Saturday was the first weekend session and team BBQ. The whole squad has now trained at some point and we are ready for a big July! Kieran Goss has so far thrown up more than he has trained and Alex Waddingham is developing an even stronger beach body! We also have a new boy Aussie (Steve Castle) amongst the ranks who is trying to persuade everyone he is Italian - mind you so would I after the 3-0 series drubbing!

The commitment and camaraderie has been faultless thus far, helped along by Bombay Bullet's (Ricky Khan) relentless Photoshop harassment on social media, and we even have a Tuesday coffee club courtesy of George Messum; I'm told that due to the Brexit European coffee has soared to £20 per bag so we are currently enjoying the warmer climates of Tanzania; on that note donation cafetières would be greatly received.

With the building work starting to visually look amazing, boys training hard on the grass, the 1st XV paddock looking lush, touch rugby in full flow on a Friday, the rugby season feels like it's just around the corner! Roll on August......

Until next time

Matt