A warm welcome to each and every one of you joining us today for our third President’s Lunch of the season at Market Harborough Rugby Club. It is always a great occasion to come together and enjoy an afternoon of dining, a few drinks and some great rugby!
These days are only possible thanks to the tireless support of our staff, coaches, volunteers, and the generosity of our sponsors. A special thank you to all our sponsors, some of whom are here today. Your support is vital for us to continue to fund the club facilities and develop our young players to ultimately maintain all our senior sides.
I’m also delighted to welcome our near neighbours, Kettering RUFC, who I have wanted to invite for some time following their kind invites to our committee and supporters for many years. The last encounter with our guests saw us win by our biggest ever margin when playing against them and I am sure they will be looking to avenge that home defeat! So don’t be too surprised if the match turns out to be closer than expected! Our first team has been on an impressive winning run since the first two games of the season which were to say the least disappointing performances! Since then, they have been on an impressive winning run of 17 games, playing a dynamic, exciting, and powerful brand of rugby. This success is thanks to the hard work and commitment of both our coaching team and the players, who continue to raise the bar year after year.
I would like to commend the great effort put in by our social media team helping us to stay connected with past players, members, and supporters, and making sure our sponsors feel involved and appreciated. These efforts ensure that everyone can fully enjoy the camaraderie and spirit of our gatherings. The promoting of events has been very successful with the New Year’s Eve party again being well supported and the ABBA-themed night, with a fantastic tribute band, proving to be one of the most memorable nights in some time!
These events are important not only for fundraising but also for strengthening the bonds between our members and their families.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to announce that our next lunch will be the players reunion luncheon when we play Old Coventrians RUFC on 28th March 2026. This has already sold out and my apologies to those who did not get a seat but please do come down to the game and meet up with old friends after the lunch has finished. I’m sure the bar will be busy well into the evening!
Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who has supported this lunch—it’s fantastic to see another great turnout as we move into the back end of the season. A special mention to Garry, Rich, Heidi, and all of our bar and catering staff for looking after us today.
As always, let’s enjoy the game in the respectful spirit that is central to our rugby family and hope that the weather will be kind, and we can all enjoy a great afternoon together.

Adey Neal - President