Goonvean Group care immensely about the impact we have on our communities, which is why we’re delighted to support Goonvean Aggregates in their sponsorship of Penryn RFC Under 13s.
About the team
The team practice at Penryn Rugby Club every week, with regular fixture games over the weekend. New faces join the club each season, although three of the current players have been at the club since they were six years old.
In rugby, competitive competition is generally discouraged until the under 14 level. As a coaching team, Penryn RFC issues awards every week for each fixture played, encouraging their young players and instilling a sense of the positive impact team effort brings. The players themselves also vote for a ‘Player’s Player Award’, encouraging positive peer review and team camaraderie.
Instead of the traditional ‘Man of the Match’ award, Penryn RFC have started encouraging opposing team coaches to choose their player of the match from Penryn’s team – and vice versa – to promote healthy sporting etiquette in the young players. At the end of every season, Penryn RFC host an award presentation, celebrating the achievements of the season.
Penryn RFC coaches include Darren Lightfoot (who’s also Goonvean Aggregates Quarries Manager), Paul Bradshaw, Paul Nicholls and Steph Nicholls. They’re supported by First Aiders, Lizzie Bradshaw and Lisa Nicholls and Team Manager, Emma Ellis. Darren commented: “It’s a pleasure to coach this bunch of boys. They’re really coming together as a team. It’s fantastic to see their progression and the hard work shown in every game.”
What’s next for Penryn RFC?
2025 will bring a cup competition, and the year after that will be the start of league rugby for this team. Every year, the team faces the challenges of bringing new elements into their game as they go up in age. The boys in Penryn RFC Under 13s come from four different secondary schools (each with a different local rugby club), so one of the challenges they faced was a social one.
The club has managed to keep all the players together by building stronger social ties between the team members and their parents. This has included beach evenings, barbeques, and get-togethers to watch the Six Nations. Ice skating also proved to be a popular group activity (surprisingly, the only broken bone from this activity was for one of the parents!).
Moving forward, Penryn RFC Under 13s are planning plenty more social events, including abandoning training for an evening to watch the premiership cup, bowling in Plymouth after a fixture match, and being sponsored by Goonvean Group to travel to Sandy Park for an Exeter Chiefs game.
