Winlaton Vulcans RFC

Vulcans have reasons to be cheerful
A Twickenham appearance for a group of their younger members and the presentation of their Seal of Approval certificate meant that Winlaton Vulcans were one of the few non-Welsh rugby groups to come away from the England-Wales RBS Six Nations Championship game with a smile on their faces.

Not that the day did not contain its anxious moments. When the coach transporting them from the North East picked up a puncture en route through Yorkshire, the two-hour delay threatened to wreck their plans.
Fortunately, an early start and a later kick-off allowed them just enough time to make their appointment on the hallowed turf, but there was some hurried changing and scampering legs just to get onto the pitch and be in place to form the traditional Guard of Honour for the two senior sides.
“It was a bit frantic,” said Durham RDO Matt Bryan: “Word obviously got out about out plight and we found ourselves on 5 Live on our way to the ground, but we made it in the end – by a whisker!
“The main thing is that the kids and the teachers and club coaches who came with them had a great day out which lived up to all expectations. It turned out to be a 19-hour day from start to finish, but it was an adventure I know will live long in the memories of all involved.”
The stadium also provided a superb backdrop for the presentation of the Seal of Approval to the club by Bryan, who has watched all the hard work that has been put into getting to the high standards of organisation needed to get the certificate.
“The Seal of Approval has involved a lot of hard work and commitment,” says Bryan. “As everyone who has gained it knows, it is not easy to achieve and it really does underline that a club has worked hard to put the highest standards in place in terms of looking after young people.
“But the success story at the Vulcans extends beyond the kids. They were involved in the Go Play Rugby campaign launched on the back of the World Cup and as a result they have recruited 10 new adult players. This has meant that instead of being a club with one senior team and an occasional second team, they are now running two sides comfortably.”
All of which meant that there was one group of Englishmen with a smile on their faces after the England-Wales disappointment.