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The Spirit of Rugby lodge kicked off their new season with a bang in February.  Less than a week after the installation of their new master, WBro Mark Lawson, nearly 50 members and guests met up in a private room above the Shozna, Rochester, having first sunk a few pints in the Granville just along the road.  They were there to enjoy the hospitality of one of the finest Indian restaurants in the country – and to watch Wales v Ireland in the 6 Nations on their big screen. 

The food did not disappoint, and neither did the game.  Against all odds Wales were three points ahead when the half time raffle was drawn, and a certain APGM was looking decidedly nervous.  The excitement only built in the second half in what was arguably one of the best games of the tournament so far.  It was certainly noisy at the Shozna as Ireland prevailed 18-27 over the hosts – and took the triple crown to boot. 

After finishing their drinks and showing their appreciation for the staff, the crowd set off on an epic 200 yard journey back to the Granville and to a private room upstairs to prepare for the second match of the day – England v Scotland.  It’s fair to say that this wasn’t a game that will live long in the memory, but England came away with the Calcutta Cup on the back of a very lucky 16-15 victory. 

There was a short awards ceremony recognising those lodge members that had distinguished themselves in the previous season;

Best Newcomer – WBro Matt Fothergill

Pathfinder – WBro Matt Mitchell

Sh*tehouse – WBro Garrie Owens

Camera Whore – WBro Andy Stevens

All that was left to do now was to tuck into the buffet, dissect the match over another beer, and consider fines for the next lodge meeting…

All in all, it was a successful day.  The banter flowed as freely as the beer, and fun and laughter ensued.  £775 was raised for charity along the way, and enquiries for membership were received.  Here’s hoping the rest of the year goes just as well. 

“Selection Meeting” – 17^th Feb 2025

Lead out for the last time by outgoing skipper, WBro Matt Fothergill, the Spirit of Rugby first XV produced an all action display in our latest fixture. It was a chilly day in Tovil and things got off to a stuttering start with Matt Mitchell missing the start for the match (he blamed traffic but he probably got his compass points mixed up again) so there was an early substitution with Roger Waltham taking his place. With Roger not being in the original 23 and therefore not being fully “match fit”, the early passages of play were a bit shaky but he soon found his feet and the boys settled into a good rhythm during the opening phases. With a short break in play to recognise our official for the day, Mick Smith – our VO, we then welcomed our newest squad member, WBro Tony Playford. Tony has been a regular amongst the away team for a couple of years, and we’re delighted to have poached him  into the SoR Squad!

The next few phases of play were dominated by our skipper, Matt, who put in a true Captain’s performance, putting his VC, Mark Lawson in a superb position to finish things off. Matt wasn’t quite done though as he called on some serious experience to support him set things up for Mark, bringing on our four APGMs (past & present) for the perambulations; they didn’t disappoint either and despite being given no time to warm up, they showed their expertise in the set piece and their brief cameo appearance was met with hearty applause from the spectators.

With Matt’s hard work done, it was time for him to take to the bench for a well-earned rest and the captain’s armband was then taken on by WBro Mark who saw the game home with his own unique style of play. Mark selected his starting XV for the year – with some moving positions and some staying put – our own “rolling maul” performing well, with the work being shared between the team. The fixture finished in impressive style with 3 brilliant solo efforts from WBro Mark Costelloe, WBro Peter Rhodes and WBro Andy Notley delivering the addresses.

With the match over and the away team cheered off the field of play, we then retired to the clubhouse for much needed refreshments. Mark celebrated his captaincy by providing jugs of beer on the tables for all to enjoy. Our newest recruit, Tony, was presented with his Cap, having immediately got involved and been selected in the first XV.

The after proceedings went off in their usual lively, fun fashion and the performance on the field of play was more than matched by the performance off it! We held 2 raffles, managing to raise £340 for the community account (which, as always, will help us to engage with Rugby clubs around the Province) and £250 in the raffle for a “Cymbolic Penalties CD” which will go to support the 2025 Festival.

Things took a serious turn briefly as court was called into session, and the club Secretary, Andy, was held up on the serious charged of neglect and hypocrisy; after a “fair” trial, the accused was found guilty on all charges, convicted and sentenced to the most severe punishment applicable; the “Hat of Shame” (i.e a Welsh bucket hat) was to be worn for the remainder of the evening AND for the 6 Nations day the following Saturday. After briefly trying to explain his actions but getting quickly silenced by all present in the dock, the punishment was accepted with a rueful grin. Smile through the pain…

Then, the Skipper, having pointed out the lack of the “traditional” song following the appointment of a new captain, then performed “Sunshine Mountain” ably assisted by his 2 new Vice Captains, Terry and Garrie which, by the end, had everyone on their chairs and was a sight to behold!

All in all, it was another hugely entertaining and enjoyable fixture with champagne moments scattered throughout; the final whistle being blown at 10.30pm. We’re all looking forward to our next one in April when we’ll be welcoming our newest member to the squad – come and join us if you can!

(P.s. Yes, we appreciate the rugby metaphors are all over the place but, if you’ve ever been to one of our fixtures, you’ll know that it all just works somehow! If you haven’t been to one, why not??)

Next fixture: Monday 28^th April 2025, Sittingbourne

Regular Meeting Monday 21st November 2022

There are some fixtures which, on the face of it, can look pretty daunting. On a pretty bleak Monday night in November, you could be forgiven for asking – and to borrow from a quote often used in that lesser sport played with a round ball – “Can they do it on a cold, windy night in Gravesend”? The answer was an emphatic “YES” as the Spirit of Rugby pulled another great performance out of the bag at our meeting on Monday, for the raising of Bro Steve Chandler.

Our Skipper Tony was clearly focussed on the task in hand and, after a slightly shaky start where he almost forgot to extend the usual pleasantries to the away team, kicked things of in a steady fashion before passing to his fellow front-rower, the JW Matt F, to put the questions to Bro Steve. Despite only a handful of appearances so far, Bro Steve gave another impressive performance, answering everything asked of him with confidence and skill. Despite being drafted in at short notice to fill the slot on the team sheet as SD, WBro Derek Reed then commanded the midfield, taking Steve under his wing and guiding him through the next passage of play, making it look easy.

The skipper then shone as he took control of the next phase – even managing to incorporate some of the playing style learned at his “mother” club (!) – and put in a Captain’s performance in raising Bro Steve. Our player-coach (DC) Terry then put in a great shift delivering the Traditional History before the acting Secretary, Andy, wrapped up the third quarter with the tracing board and signs.

As the match neared its conclusion, the bench was emptied as the Finishers came onto the field of play – Wbros Mitchell, Owens, Collins & Hill who gave us the champagne moment of the day with a dazzling display of teamwork in their delivery of the Working tools – rightly pointed out as a highlight in the after match proceedings by the captain of the away team. Job done!

The after proceedings went off in their usual lively, fun fashion; sadly, from the point of view of our Charity Steward, all members were properly attired on this occasion so there were no fines to dish out. We did, however, manage to raise over £100 for our charity account and £215 for the community account which, as always, will help us to engage with Rugby clubs around the Province.

All I all, it was another hugely entertaining and enjoyable performance all round. We’re all looking forward to our next fixture in February when we’ll be Installing WBro Steve Jones as our WM – please do try to come along if you can to support our new Skipper!

Next fixture: Monday 20th February 2023, Tovil Masonic Centre, Maidstone.

Spirit of Rugby Lodge’s Tony Fish was pleased to present Gravesend RFC with bottles of Spirit of Rugby Ale earlier this year.   The ale brewed by Nelson Brewery was funded by the members of SOR9922 lodge to help support local clubs and to raise awareness of the work freemason do in the community.

Tony presented the beer to Michael Cubitt President, Mark Bruce Chairman and the Man of the Match on the day, scrum half, Ned Warren.   It was a “grrreat” win for the team and they were extremely grateful for the donation.

You find out more about Gravesend RFC www.gravesendrfc.co.uk on Facebook: @GravesendRFC and on Twitter: @gravesendrugby

SOR Member Founder Member Ian Hill took the opportunity to both referee and deliver Spirit of Rugby Ale to New Ash Green RFC on Saturday at their Easter fixture versus a Kent Barbarians XV.

Ian gave the following report… “I had the pleasure of delivering New Ash Green our Spirit of Rugby beer on Saturday prior to there 1st team playing a barbarian team made up from players from teams across Kent. The beer was received by New Ash Green’s Chairman (Howard Morgan) and 1st XV team captain (Declan Bateman) and President (Nick Warren).
The beer was chilled and warmly received and was auctioned off to the Vice Presidents.
The lot winning member kindly donated the beer to players from both teams who consumed pitch side in the sun after the game”.

You can find out more about New Ash Green’s teams (adult youth and women) on their website: www.newashgreenrfc.com and Facebook page.

Spirit of Rugby Lodge offers the opportunity for gentlemen rugby players, supporters and enthusiasts to discover freemasonry and help make a difference to the local rugby community. If interested drop us an email: spiritofrugby9922@gmail.com

Spirit of Rugby IPA has been brewed by our friends at Nelson Brewery at the Historic Dockyard at Chatham. We have gifted free beer to over 20 rugby clubs in East Kent over the past 6 months.

On the biggest day in the club’s chronicled history representatives of Spirit of Rugby Lodge had the privilege of presenting our #GiftOfBeer to Weavering Warriors RFC.

For the very first time the club were, on this memorable day, able to field two full teams The Warriors 1stXV and The Samurai 2ndXV. To make the day even more exciting both teams were able to play back to back games at their home ground in Park Wood, Maidstone.

The matches proved to be very close, both culminating in victories for the home teams. The rugby on display included some fine running rugby and low number (John Earls style) kicking to win the 1stXV game. The front row Warrior known as “Jim” entrusted with the kicking duties soon became known to spectators as Jimjam Brooke on account of his Zinzan-like accuracy and versatility.

After a treat of rugby, washed down with pitch side refreshment, we retired to the fantastic pavilion clubhouse to present our gift of beer to the club. The beer was received with great enthusiasm by all Weavering Warrior’s players and officials.

Representing the lodge Matt Mitchell commented, “it’s a tremendous club oozing with character and good will. This is thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers who love rugby and all it stands for. Just one example of this the club’s budding superstar 14 year old celebrity chef who each week prepares and serves the match teas – buy his cook-book!“.

To cap a fantastic afternoon, and by way of a thank you to Spirit of Rugby, the club members sang a rousing tour version of Erasure’s “A Little Respect”. Thankfully: the welcome, the rugby, match tea, camaraderie and beer were all better than the singing (check out the short video on our Facebook page).

Since being founded in 2003 Weavering Warriors have warmly welcomed all new members. They are now launching mini and youth rugby and offer a clubhouse atmosphere to rival any local club. To get involved contact Head Coach and Club President, James Oakley on: 07734900866

Spirit of Rugby Lodge offers the opportunity for gentlemen rugby players, supporters and enthusiasts to discover freemasonry and help make a difference to the local rugby community. If interested drop us an email: spiritofrugby9922@gmail.com

Spirit of Rugby IPA has been brewed by our friends at Nelson Brewery based on the Historic Dockyard at Chatham.

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Andy Stevens and Steve Jones made the journey to Ash RFC just outside of Canterbury to hand over crates of Spirit of Rugby IPA to the village club punching above well their weight. Neil Parfitt Chairman accepted the #GiftOfBeer on behalf of the club and thanked the lodge saying…

“Thank you once again for coming down to see us with your generous gift to to the club . As you can imagine fund raising is very hard at the moment and every opportunity to bolster the funds is much appreciated. As you see we provide a safe and fun environment  for children and adults to enjoy rugby which all comes at a cost. We are run solely by  volunteers who give up so much of their time so people can play”.

Neil Parfitt (Club Chairman)

Spirit Of Rugby Lodge members all enjoy a love of rugby and combine the shared values of freemasonry and rugby in their aim to support and enhance the rugby community. To find out more about the lodge, how to join and about freemasonry in general, email: SpiritOfRugby9922@gmail.com

Ash Rugby Club are a friendly, rural rugby club based since 1996 in the village of Ash between Canterbury and Sandwich. They have a growing senior squad and a thriving mini / youth section. If you or your children are interested in playing, supporting or getting involved in the club, contact Kieran Hopper on kieran.hopper@aol.co.uk

Four members of Spirit Of Rugby Lodge attended the Vice Presidents’ Lunch and Christmas Party at Whitstable RFC and took the opportunity to present the club with our #GiftOfBeer which has been brewed, funded and distributed by the lodge to help support the rugby community.

Founding member of the Lodge and former chairman of the club Peter Hudson presented the unique bottles of IPA to Club Chairman Calvin Smith and it was gratefully received.

Peter said, “Nearly all the beer sold that day, the chairman was over the moon and he asked me personally to thank the Spirit of Rugby Lodge for their generosity”.

Whitstable RFC are currently top of Kent Division 2 and this year are celebrating their 40 year anniversary. They are a friendly rugby club based in Chestfield, less than 2 miles from Whitstable town centre.

Spirit of Rugby Lodge was founded in 2016 to help support the rugby community. The lodge welcomes interest from both new members and existing freemasons with a love of rugby. The Lodge meets officially 4 times a year but also holds lodge and social gatherings throughout the year. Interested in becoming a freemason and joining the Spirit Of Rugby Lodge #JustAskOne or email: SpiritOfRugby9922@gmail.com

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Mark Lawson delivered our specially brewed beer to Lordswood Rugby Club earlier this week. It was received on behalf of the club by their chairman Tony McMonies. Tony thanked the lodge for its generous donation and was amazed how the lodge was doing the same for nearly 30 clubs in East Kent.

As the beer was being delivered the club was holding its first VP lunch for two years although sadly their game, scheduled against local rivals Sittingbourne, was postponed owing to Covid cases. As the club don’t own the clubhouse or bar where they play they were unable to sell the #GiftOfBeer over the bar to members but planned to turn the beer into cash to support the club through a series of raffle prizes and to gifting to well deserving players and the essential and valued volunteers who run the club.

Lordswood RFC is one of Kent’s newer rugby clubs in Kent (founded in 1983) and currently plays in Shepherd Neame Kent League 2 and Women’s NC South East League 2.   The club prides themselves on having great team spirit and welcoming family atmosphere. The club offer league, cup, touch and social men’s and women’s senior rugby, as well as a boys & girls mini rugby. Young players of all abilities are welcome at the club including those who have never played the game before. www.lordswoodrfc.co.uk

Spirit of Rugby Lodge also welcomes new members. Becoming a Freemason means you’ll be joining about 200,000 members throughout England and Wales, as well as Districts overseas.

Membership of freemasons lodges is open to people from all backgrounds and the organisation’s aim is to empower members to be the best they can be – it’s about building character, supporting members as individuals and helping them make a positive contribution to society. If you also have an interest in rugby either as a player coach referee spectator or fan Spirit of Rugby Lodge would love to hear from you.
Email us: SpiritOfRugby9922@gmail.com

Though not bearing gold, frankincense or myrrh, three wise members of Spirit of Rugby Lodge 9922: Peter Hudson, Bill Higgins and Matt Jury (master of the Lodge) did bear our special #GiftOfBeer to the chairman of Thanet Wanderers RFC, Chris Panteli.

With the clubhouse adorned in festive tinsel Chris insisted the visiting team joined him for some yuletide cheer and cracked open a bottle or two of Spirit Of Rugby IPA donated. The Spirit Of Rugby IPA beer has been created and funded by the rugby lodge members to gift to East Kent rugby clubs over the Christmas period and into 2022 to help the them raise funds to support their various and excellent community rugby programmes.

After tasting the beer Chris instantly asked how, where and when the club could get another delivery; a testimony of the flavour and taste of the beer produced at the Nelson Brewery based at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham.

Thanet Wanderers is based in Broadstairs with the 1st XV playing in London League South East 2. The club run three senior sides, a veterans XV and a thriving junior section for boys and girls aged 6-18. For more information visit the club website:
www.ThanetWanderers.co.uk

All Spirit Of Rugby Lodge members all enjoy a love of rugby and combine the shared values of freemasonry and rugby in their aim to support and enhance the rugby community. To find out more about the lodge, how to join and about freemasonry in general, email: SpiritOfRugby9922@gmail.com