Churchill College Rugby Club (CCRFC) was established in 1961 to allow students of the College to learn and play rugby and compete against other Cambridge Colleges.
Almost 60 years on and the club continues to provide a strong community spirit, a chance to engage in competitive play and an opportunity to meet other interested individuals. With over 30 members having represented the club over the 2019-20 season, including newcomers to the sport, the club is looking to expand and improve their provision.
The club has seen success over the past seasons, including winning the cuppers plate in the 2018-19 season, the 7s touch tournament in 2019-20 and making it to the bowl final in the 2019-20 season, as well as making it into Division 1 for the first time in years during the 2018-19 season. Now they want to build on this success and recruit new players by giving the club a higher profile. As the pavilion is now converted to a gym the home they turn to is their pitch, lovingly referred to as the ‘Fortress’. They would like to give their pitch the makeover it deserves, and increase the brand appeal of the club; encouraging new players to join, keep existing players engaged and give Churchill’s rugby club alumni a reason to return and see what is being done – and maybe even show them how it’s done at the next Old Boys Game!
The club is very proud that over their history they have never required an entrance fee or yearly subscription which is why they have set up their first ever crowdfunding appeal, to help raise the funds needed. The £2,000 they are hoping to raise will pay for a customised Churchill scoreboard, constructed in-house with the capability to be double-sided so that the Football Club can also benefit, and replace the thin and worn-out white post and flag protectors with a new, more thickly cushioned set in branded Churchill colours. These additions will vastly improve both the appeal and safety of the pitch area and give Churchill players a sense of place as they run out onto the ‘Fortress’ under the College crest and colours. Any additional sum donated as part of this appeal will go towards the acquisition of a Captain’s board to recognise the time and effort past captains have put into the club, as well as the creation of a kit replacement fund.
Additonally, any gift by a first-time donor will also benefit undergraduates by unlocking equal funding, pound for pound, from the Harding Challenge Fund to help the students in most need at Churchill and across collegiate Cambridge.
They also have some exciting rewards to thank everyone who supports the appeal. Please visit the club’s crowdfunding page to find out more!
Furnishing the Fortress Appeal
Meet the team behind the appeal
The 2020-21 CCRFC committee is made up of the Captain, Secretary and Junior Treasurer alongside an ex officio senior treasurer (a member of Churchill College SCR). Our senior Treasurer is Dr Javier MartÃnez Jiménez, who not only supports us with running the club, but also in our rucks and mauls as he plays alongside us. We would like to introduce ourselves as key points of contact over course of this campaign, and for contact with the club in general:
Captain: Ethan Carley (U19)
I started playing rugby for Churchill College in October 2019, and have massively enjoyed all aspects of the game and the club, particular highlights include a very competitive and enjoyable cuppers campaign which resulted in Churchill College becoming runners up, also, I have cherished the opportunity to meet the new freshers this year and make them feel welcome within the Churchill Rugby community.
Secretary: Joe Wherry (U19)
Playing rugby for Churchill both last and this academic year has been a massively enjoyable experience, both on and off the field. I have enjoyed meeting new people through the rugby club and playing in events such as the Old Boys Game. I look forward to the years I have left playing for the club, and I hope we can build on a promising Cuppers campaign from last year.
Junior Treasurer: Jack Salvesen (U18)
Now entering my third year with the club, I was proud to captain the squad in the 2019-20 season, winning the Touch 7s shield and hosting a successful old boys game. My favourite aspect is the community spirit and that was really highlighted at the Old Boys Game; seeing the passion in play transitioning to a relaxed and amiable six nations viewing and dinner is what’s great about the club. It is abundantly clear that my Churchill teammates will be friends for life.
Help the appeal succeed
You don’t need to give money to help the ‘Furnishing the Fortress’ appeal succeed. Please share the project page with anyone you think might support the appeal – on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, by email, telephone, in a socially distanced chat! In fact, share it with everyone you know might be interested because the more people who know about it, the more likely we can make this work for the club. And we know we said you don’t need to give money to help the appeal, but we’d love it if you could help with a donation too!
