It was absolutely freezing this weekend, but that didn’t stop our youth teams from thawing things out with some great rugby!
Whether they were playing at home or travelling away, every age group bundled up, got stuck in, and proved that a bit of cold can’t cool Bassett spirit. Here are the highlights:
Under 6s | Everly
After a bit of an unsettled start to the session, we got into some passing drills which the kids did brilliantly with.
Everly got player of the week for great running and determination at 'rob the nest' and 'stuck in the mud'.
Under 8s | Alicia
On a cold but bright morning, there was some great rugby played. A number of players did really well, with some tag machines in defence and scorching tries scored in attack.
The player of the week was Alicia, who tried hard the whole session, played the best she has ever played and scored a try by running around the entire opposition at one point.
Under 9s | Charlie & Freddie
Our Player of the Week this week was Charlie! Charlie really listened to our discussion on teamwork, and discipline and demonstrated this on the pitch. He got the job done, even when things didn't go his way.
Our Tackler of the Week this week was Freddie. Freddie was on a mission this week, and that mission was chopping down opposition trees with a tackling masterclass!
Great effort guys. All the coaches are really proud of you both!
Under 10s | Ethan
Ethan was absolutely everywhere today. Whether it was flying into tackles, ripping the ball free, driving us forward with powerful carries or getting stuck into every ruck and maul, he made his presence felt in every phase of play.
Every time we looked up, he was right in the thick of the action. He caused constant problems for the opposition, disrupting their rhythm and setting the tone for our team with his relentless work rate and determination.
A standout performance from start to finish. Well done, Ethan!
Under 11s | Joe & Rastik
Another good squad effort at Cirencester on a muddy narrow pitch. Joe was as ever strong in the carry and had a number of deft little offloads in contact keeping the team moving forward. He was our player of the week.
Alongside him Rastik worked tirelessly, hitting numerous breakdowns and making a load of turnovers. He was our Rucker of the week, awesome effort lads!
Alongside him Rastik worked tirelessly, hitting numerous breakdowns and making a load of turnovers. He was our Rucker of the week, awesome effort lads!
Under 12s | Lenny & Freddie
Two players really stood out today; firstly, Lenny has only been with us for 4 weeks, but is already making a big impact and really showed it today with his strong running and a couple of good tries.
Secondly, Freddie really impressed right from the start of today’s game, clearing out a ruck in the first minute and continuing that energy throughout the whole game - well done both of you!
Ravens Under 12s | Xanthe
Xanthe was brilliant today - quick running, smart choices to avoid the touchline, and getting stuck into plenty of tackles.
A well-earned award through effort and bravery.
Under 13s | Mikey
In a tough and highly competitive game, Mikey put in an outstanding performance in both defence and attack. He ran his socks off from start to finish—so much so that he even broke his left boot! After borrowing a coach’s boot, he jumped straight back into the action and was rewarded with a well-deserved try.
Fantastic effort, Mikey!
Under 14s | Noah
U14s Player of the Match in a tough game against a strong Cheltenham Tigers side was Noah.
Noah had a great game at hooker all across the park - in tight play and out wider. He made a couple of great line breaks - one of which ended a few phases later in a Bassett score.
Under 15s | Riley
What a great game of rugby! The players today demonstrated the building cohesiveness of the team, with the pack operating as a unit and a great connection from the backline. We asked for energy, aggression and communication and they brought it from the start!
One of the players who carried hard many times, made meters and worked hard off the ball was Riley and that is why he is this week’s player of the match!
Well done team! Let’s keep building 💪🏻
Well done team! Let’s keep building 💪🏻
Under 15s | Oscar
Well done to Oscar who was awarded player of the week. Commanding performance at 10 leading both attack and Defence.
Under 16s | Zac
U16s travelled to Clifton this week. In a tough encounter played with good rugby values the lads stuck at their task well and showed a lot of structured play that we have trained. Player of the week is Zac.
Ravens Under 14s | Lexi
It’s amazing how much a positive mental attitude can have on team performance, which was demonstrated perfectly this afternoon as our Under 14s Ravens ran out against the barbarians from North Somerset.
We were so proud of every single player today, they all showed outstanding resilience in the first half when we were under a lot of pressure, then really demonstrated the kind of rugby that we’re capable of in the second half, with strong tackling, aggressive rucks and excellent ball handling to score lots of tries and make this a super competitive game.
There were a lot of top-quality individual performances today, but it was very clear who should win player of the week - Lexi was absolutely phenomenal today, leading by example and showing what a true captain’s performance is all about.
She was involved in every positive move, made significant tackles and broke through the lines to score multiple tries. But even more importantly, she rallied the whole team to play at their best, providing real motivation and making our jobs as coaches much easier - it was so nice to see all the girls high-fiving and celebrating together at the end of the match! Well done to all the players today, they should all be very proud of their performance.
We’re looking forward to putting it all into practice again on Friday night under the lights at Melksham.
Colts | Owen
Asked to play out of position, Owen accepted the challenge and put in a good shift at outside centre. Showing his trademark tackling and ball carrying he gave the opposition much to think about. His next challenge is to learn the back moves and resign his membership of the forward’s mafia! Well done Owen.
