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Interviews from the pitch
Short reads on pre- and post-match views from coaches and captains, depending on availability and mood, plus any other titbits that may be of interest when you're killing a bit of time.


Kites bounce back with a bonus-point win
Image - Richard Angell Photography The Kites returned to winning ways with a commanding 34-10 victory over Fullerians. They secured all five points and head into the off week with momentum firmly on their side. Head coach Sam Bowers was pleased with the result, while seeing room for more. “A win is a win, and it’s good to win,” he said. “The way we went about it, we could have been a little bit more ruthless in attack. But a five-point bonus-point win is good to take into an
4 days ago2 min read


Derby win, and the Tracey Rolfe Cup comes Holme
Reading Abbey 15, Reading 23 The 1s travelled to Reading Abbey on Saturday and came home with a derby win and the Tracey Rolfe Cup, back at Holme Park for the first time in a long time. The result keeps the 1st XV unbeaten in the league. Head coach Jay Henderson knew how much this one meant. “I’ve had the most phone calls I’ve ever had since being at the club about this fixture,” he said. “I was at Reading Uni this week and three people tapped me on the shoulder and said, you
5 days ago2 min read


Defence wins it at Bracknell
The 1s travelled to Bracknell on Saturday for one of the toughest away days in the league and won 20-7. Head coach Jay Henderson rates it as the most satisfying result of the season so far. “It’s a very, very tough place to come,” said Jay. “We knew they had some very experienced players, especially in the pack, and their 15 was very good. So we knew what we had to do.” Last week the side showed off its attacking rugby. This time it was the defence that did the talking, and t
Oct 112 min read


Sam Bowers, Reading Women's Head Coach, talks about the lead up to their home derby against Abbey.
Derby Day: Kites ready for Reading Abbey On Sunday the Reading Kites host Reading Abbey at Holme Park in the biggest game of their season so far. We caught up with coach Sam Bowers ahead of the derby. Sunday 11 October, kick-off 2.30pm, Holme Park "There's a lot of excitement," says Sam. "The whole team have built up to it." There are new faces in the Kites squad this season, and they are learning fast what this fixture means. "We've got new players that don't know the backgr
Oct 82 min read


57 points, a fortress kept and a 150th cap
Reading 1s 57 – 10 Oxford, Saturday 3 October 2026 What a way to open the home season. The 1s came out to play attacking rugby on Saturday and ran in 57 points against Oxford at Holme Park. Captain Will Proctor-Searle was beaming afterwards. "Over the moon. First home game of the season. The boys knew we had a fortress here last season and we kept it that way. A lot of tries, a lot of free-flowing running rugby. When we set a platform we're a dangerous team, and we're going t
Oct 42 min read


Beaconsfield II 47–47 Reading 1 XV
The 1s opened the season away at Beaconsfield and came home with three league points from a game that finished level at forty seven each. A young side with debutants across the pitch, a rock hard ground, and a finish that said a great deal about where this group is heading. From the touchline the defence was the thing. Flat, on it, tough and low, and on that surface, for a first game of the season, outstanding. Gareth Tully, Director of Rugby "Winning positions ending up as a
Sep 273 min read


A fantastic weekend of rugby at Holme | Post-game Views direct from the coaches
Friday Night Lights saw a big crowd for both games. Friday night under the lights, and the 1st XV came away with the win. "We started okay in the first five, ten minutes," said head coach Jay Henderson. "Pressure took them into making a couple of mistakes." Towards the end of the first half, Reading found the shape they have been working towards. "We started to play a little bit more of the rugby that I want us to play, and we scored a really good try off the back of that." H
Sep 213 min read


Reading RFC Welcomes The Horse Box Sauna for Members Only Introductory Sessions
Recovery is about to get a lot warmer, and a lot colder, at Reading RFC. The club is welcoming The Horse Box Sauna for two members only introductory evenings on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th September, giving players, supporters and club members the chance to try a Nordic-style wood-fired sauna and cold plunge experience at the club. The idea is simple: bring a high-quality recovery experience to Reading RFC, test the appetite among members, and, if it proves successful, e
Sep 162 min read


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Jul 111 min read
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