The Heavies took to the field for the first time in 2025 and kicked off the year with an emphatic 58-0 victory over a committed Old Emanuel 2nd XV. The fixture came together after Barnes Vets were unable to field a team for the Bosch Crabtree Trophy, and credit must go to Old Emanuel for stepping up at short notice.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, it wasn’t all one-way traffic, and Old Emanuel fought hard throughout. However, when the Heavies’ backs are on fire—as they were on Saturday—the tries simply keep coming.

It was a textbook Heavies performance: arriving as a team, controlling the breakdown, and dominating the scrummage. The forward pack, featuring both our Heaviest Heavy (Junior) and Lightest Heavy (Simon Lodder), laid a solid platform for the backs to unleash a fast, attacking brand of rugby that delighted the crowd on the sidelines.

Player of the Match honours were shared between Owen Gregory and Junior, both of whom put in a tireless shift in the pack. Their work in the tight allowed the backs to shine, and shine they did, crossing the line with clinical precision.

Old Emanuel battled to the final whistle and were close to scoring on several occasions, but a rock-solid Heavies defence kept them out.

Post-match, both teams enjoyed the renowned hospitality of the Murray Judd Bar, refuelling with food and soft drinks while taking in the Six Nations action on screen.

Heavies Skipper Martyn Boden summed up the day: “It’s always good to win the first game after Christmas, but what makes it more special is that we put in a performance to be proud of. We can now look ahead to some more games in March with a smile!”

And finally, a special mention to Barnes Vets for passing over the Bosch Crabtree Trophy after withdrawing. A glass was raised to both Bosch and Crabtree and the Heavies look forward to winning it properly next time they meet!

TRY SCORERS: Skips (2), Ravi IMDb (2), Sean Flynn (1), Jordan Toy (1), Dan Tabener (1), Matthew Lynx (1), Ed Thomas (1) and Sam Coddington (1) plus 4 conversions.