If you are contemplating joining Stockport RUFC at this age group then hesitate no longer, welcome aboard.

I’m Richard Hope and I’m Head Coach and Manager of the squad. Perhaps I should give you a little of my previous history with the Club and before. I played rugby at school in Cheltenham and for the Greater Manchester Police before being forced to retire through injury way back in the 1981. It wasn’t until my son took up the game back in 1995 that I got back into it. He joined SRUFC at Under 12 and I assisted with the coaching with that team until they reached Colts age. In the meantime I also became involved with the senior club with the web site, match reports, club magazine all of which I have continued with to this day.

At the start of 2002-2003 I took on the Under 14’s, coaching and managing them. They went on to win the Cheshire Cup in 2006. This age group completed their final season of ‘Junior’ Rugby at the club at Under 19’s in 2007-2008 and went unbeaten that season in the North West Colts League. The Senior Colts in 2008-2009 finished 5th in the A league and got to the Final of the League Cup. I hope to continue to manage the Senior Colts next season. So far I have seen 8 players I have managed go on to play for the 1st XV.

I started with the current U16’s at the start of the 2006-2007 season when they were Under 12’s. We have completed our 4th season together and the squad has now more than doubled in size from the original 18 to a current 43. Two thirds of the squad play rugby as a major sport at school. The ethos of the team is straight forward. Play hard, play fair and look for every squad member to achieve their potential and then in turn for the squad to reach their full potential but more than anything...it is not about this season it's about how many of these guys are still playing rugby at 22 years of age....ie after their University days.....

Two seasons ago I took the radical decision to run 2 teams every Sunday. The Stockport Storm and Force were created to fulfil this objective. During the the last two seasons the Force XV has got steadily stronger. The Cheshire RFU have accepted my proposal for a rule change to consider a rule change which should allow us to enter two teams in the Cheshire Cup for the 2010-2011 season.

Please have a read of all the pages on the team web site and complete the “Information form” and “Cheshire Registration form” that you can print out from the site and give them to me as soon as possible

The team is kitted out partly at your expense and partly at the club and sponsors. Below is the list of the team kit.

Socks £7.00
Waterproof: Supplied
Match Shirts : Supplied
Match Shorts : £12.00
After Match Shirts: £12.00
Club Tie: £12.00

Other items available which are voluntary eg
Warm up t Shirt : £15
Team Polo £12.00

Players will require shin pads and boots

Please don’t feel obliged to lash out on everything at the outset.

Club Subscription is £75 per season but if is paid before the 1st October then it is reduced to £65.
If you join later in the season it then it is on a pro rata basis of £10 for every part of a month remaining before the end of April
(There is no weekly match fee)