Welcome to the third update of the season—our way of keeping everyone informed and involved in all things Newark Rugby Club. This month marks our first financial update of the season, part of our commitment to openness and transparency.

On the pitch, October saw our Senior Women and Second XV return to league action. Like the First XV, they’ve been buoyed by growing support from the sidelines—something our players truly value. Results have been mixed, but performances are improving, and there’s a real sense of togetherness building across the club. Meanwhile, our Colts continue to impress, advancing in the National Cup and heading to Aireborough in mid-November.

Off the field, The club’s financial performance aligned with expectations over Quarter, posting a net surplus of £81,573 (vs. £80,021 forecast). Turnover reached £217,931. This period typically sees strong income from subscriptions and sponsorships, the second half of the year brings lower revenue while costs remain steady.

Currently our projected free cash at the year end (31/7/26) stands at around £40,000, once long term loans linked to the Club House rebuild and expected capital expenditure are taken into account. To put this into perspective, this is less than a typical month’s expenses. One of the Boards objectives is to retain this buffer. This means that we are able to deal with adverse events, like Flooding.

With ambitions like new changing rooms and better floodlighting, fundraising remains vital. November sees the launch of our new 250 Lottery—“Bigger Prizes & Bigger Ambition.” Please get involved, and as always, we welcome your ideas and feedback.

I’m also delighted to announce that next week we’ll confirm two exciting new appointments: a Coach Developer and a Schools Liaison Officer. This is a major step forward in supporting our volunteer coaches and strengthening our ties with the local community. The timing couldn’t be better—on 6 November, we’ll host our biggest-ever schools festival, welcoming over 220 children from 15 neighbouring schools. I’m incredibly proud of this initiative and invite you all to come down and witness the energy and excitement. If you’d like to sponsor the day or the wider programme, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re also thrilled to welcome BUCS Universities Touch Rugby, who will now be using our facilities on 8 November and again on 6 December. And mark your calendars: on 10 December, England legend and two-time World Cup winner Emily Scarratt will be at the club to lead a training session for our Women and Girls—thanks to the generosity of Tony Rose. Does it get any better?

Finally, congratulations to England’s Red Roses on their World Cup triumph—what an incredible tournament. The Men’s Autumn Series kicks off this weekend, and we’ll share details soon on the matches we’ll be screening at the club.

Thank you, as always for your continued support.

Yours in Rugby,
David Godfrey,
Chairman, Newark Rugby Club.