What a weekend to be part of the Vectis family! From commanding league victories and national award nominations to unforgettable trips to Ashton Gate and looking ahead to Twickenham, this weekend showcased everything that makes our club special. Down at the New Milton Festival, our Minis put on an absolute clinic in the sunshine.

Here is your full roundup of the action across all our age groups.

Under 16s: Emphatic 48-19 League Victory

Our Under-16s put on a masterclass at Ventnor, overpowering Bognor RFU with a mix of immense physicality and tactical discipline. The defensive effort was the cornerstone of the 48-19 victory, with the team putting in outstanding tackles that completely controlled the game. The lineout functioned beautifully, allowing the forwards and backs to link up and carve through the opposition. Coach Glenn McGinness praised the collective effort, noting how well the squad trusted their structure and decision-making to create space and secure a well-deserved, dominant win.

Under 12s: Gritty Effort and Welcoming New Faces

The U12s showed immense character and teamwork in a gritty festival performance. While the scoreboard didn't go their way, the team held their defensive line brilliantly and commanded strong ball possession throughout the day. The biggest highlight was the squad's fantastic attitude toward welcoming over five brand-new players taking the field for their very first game of rugby. On the pitch, Milo set the tone by driving the ball fiercely in the rucks, while a brilliant tactical kick down the line from Ed allowed Hugh to chase it down for a spectacular try.

Under 11s: Resilience, Sunshine, and Screamer Tries

After playing in a downpour last year, the U11s relished the sunshine at New Milton. Following a slow start, the team showed incredible resilience to bounce back and dominate their matches. The highlight reel was packed: Xander put in the best tackle of the day, Frank and Josh scored absolute screamers from their own try lines, and Owen shook off a massive hit only to get up and completely destroy the following ruck. Casey led Team 1 with a fantastic all-round display, while Smiffee ran himself into the ground with a dazzling, non-stop performance for Team 2.

Under 10s: Slicing Through the Defense

Facing their first true test of rucks and uncontested scrums this season—having not played contact over the summer due to dry pitches—the U10s rose to the occasion with a remarkably strong performance. The whole team worked seamlessly together, regularly turning the ball over and putting on an excellent defensive display, spearheaded by Dylan who was tremendous at putting his body on the line. In attack, the squad was lethal; Lucas, Milo, and Henry utilized fantastic running to slice straight through the opposition "like a hot knife in butter."

Under 9s: A Sensational Introduction to Contact Rugby

It was a milestone weekend for the U9s as they experienced their first-ever contact matches, and they were simply unstoppable.

Vectis 1 kicked off their contact experience by going unbeaten, including a stunning 9-3 victory over the hosts. Jamie and Cormac battered through defenses with Jonah Lomu-esque runs, while Arthur, sporting a new scrum cap, tackled players twice his size. George was the assist king, Wilson and Finnley showed massive potential as future flankers, and Teddy proved to be an essential all-rounder.

Vectis 2 delivered equal fireworks, securing three thrilling wins across the tournament. Harry put the team on his back with an exceptional hat-trick in a hard-fought Game 3, while Barney, Alasdair, Soren, and Ada kept the try counter ticking across the day. Henry earned the nickname "The Chiropractor" for his bone-rattling defensive turnovers, and Megan, Sienna, and Ellery put on a masterclass in direct running and recycling the ball.

Off the Pitch: Mental Health, Ashton Gate, and the Hallowed Turf

Building a great rugby club is about so much more than what happens between the touchlines.

On Friday, Bex and Ben hosted a LooseHeadz mental health awareness session, ensuring everyone in the club knows they have a supportive space to talk and listen. This was the first session of many with 10 club members trained and the intention to offer the awareness sessions to all volunteers, parents and supporters of Vectis RFC.

Saturday saw the Vectis family hit the road to Ashton Gate to watch Bristol Bears pull off an electric win over Northampton Saints. Our youth players were out in full force, prompting one supporter to message Chairman Al to praise our kids for being "totally engaged... and fantastic ambassadors for Vectis Rugby."

Finally, a massive good luck to our young players and coaches heading up to Twickenham with their schools! In conjunction with Isle of Wight Community Sports Coaching and The Jason Robinson Foundation, they will be playing a tag tournament right on the hallowed turf of HQ. The Vectis Chairman is travelling up with them and some say this was at the request of Steve Borthwick for coaching tips. We will never know! A huge shout out to Paul for his relentless work with the foundation to encourage a generation of new players.

oh and if you are wondering..... yes Vectis is still recruiting, come and be part of the family!

Come on Vectis!

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