President's Welcome

The hairs on the back of my neck still stand to attention when Siam Cup day comes around and, of course, takes me back to my own playing days.

Frequently then we were on the back foot against Jersey, who won more often than not ...well a lot more often to be honest... but even though we played hard all winter long we managed to find that extra effort for the Jersey lads. I am sure Jersey players did likewise.

After all these years, Siam day remains special for so many reasons and, we must not forget, it is not all about the 1st XV stars. The day means so much to our 2nd XV, Veterans and now Ladies.

That we hold all five inter-Island trophies going into the 2019 clashes shows to our Jersey adversaries that we are a club on the move too. Because of the brilliant efforts of so many people behind the scenes, rugby in Guernsey has progressed in a manner I would not have been believed 20 years ago, let alone 10 and certainly not in my day.

Support for the sport in Guernsey has grown year on year and this winter the crowds have risen to average 700 to 800 a game, which is phenomenal for a club on an island barely half the size of Jersey in terms of population.

Of course, we also respect the progress and levels made by our hosts today. In Jersey, rugby has managed to knock football off its perch in terms of spectator following and the resulting magnificent crowds are what we aspire to.

Let’s raise a glass and toast the health of Channel Islands rugby. Good luck to all.

Ady Le Page MBE

Today's Opposition

Don't let the ‘R’ word confuse you.

This has been a good year for Guernsey Rugby, despite relegation for the Raiders 1st XV from National Two South.

After all, when could they say they hold possession of the Siam, the Fallaize, the Ladies Siam, the Nash and the Investec Inter-Insular, as well as celebrating the St Jacques Vikings (combined St Jacques & Guernsey 2nds) winning their respective league?

But it has been more than that. Much more.

For a start, Steve Melbourne is staying on as Guernsey’s Rugby Development Officer after Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management kindly renewed their sponsorship of the RDO position for the 10th year.

That good news came at the start of a campaign which has seen the Raiders cursed by ill luck with injuries. But what it has allowed is the further integration of Academy products and that is a big plus for DoR Jordan Reynolds, Melbourne and the development team.

In other sections of the club, Steve Evans had his maiden season as Guernsey Ladies coach and continued the excellent work of his predecessor, Chris Griffiths in developing ladies rugby.

Over the 10 years ladies rugby has been played on the Island, the depth of the ladies game has grown substantially and so, too, have the skills. The Guernsey Ladies have been quite superb this season, finishing third in their South East West One league, although in recent weeks they too seem to have caught the injury bug.

The Vikings have had a superb season too, winning promotion to the Zoo League and it will be interesting to see how they progress at that higher level.

But if they can reproduce the tenacity and form they showed in winning the Investec Trophy under the guise of the Guernsey Rugby Association, then the outlook appears positive. What a game that was!

With Jersey leading 15-7 heading into the last 10 minutes and playing with the wind at their backs, the home side dug deep and pulled off a comeback that will live long in the memory with two late tries being scored to seal the win.

Meet the opposition

Jordan Reynolds

He came as a player - and a handy one at that - but Jordan Reynolds’ legacy to Guernsey rugby will be that of the Coach that took the Sarnians to the once unimaginable heights of the national leagues.

That it has not worked out as he hoped - a cruel winter of injuries has seen to that - but you won’t find an ounce of pessimism oozing out of the Raiders’ Director of Rugby.

This has been the Australian’s 12th campaign in charge of GRFC, having arrived in 2006. What does he think of Guernsey rugby then and now?

"The way we were back then in 2006, there were a lot of changes to be made and we were on the cusp of going back into the Hampshire Leagues. We had to change a lot of things and I absolutely upset a lot of people. Compared with where we were 10 years ago in rugby terms, it is unrecognisable."

Luke Sayer

He may have retired more times than Sinatra, but Luke Sayer's love for the game and Guernsey Raiders keeps pulling him back.

The ‘old boy’ will always be revered as one of the club’s greatest ever full-backs - perhaps the best - and while the electric bursts off the mark may have lost some of their zip, the eye for a defensive gap remains. This was highlighted as recently as March when his latest comeback resulted in a classic Sayer score in the must-win game against Old Redcliffians.

It was a timely reminder of enduring class of the veteran fullback, who brings a wealth of experience to the side and was a try scorer in last year’s Siam.

Tom Ceillam

Arguably one of the Raiders’ most consistent performers, Guernsey’s hooker and vice-captain Tom Ceillam has long been Jordan Reynolds’ go-to man as someone who can always be relied upon.

The joke that the Raiders DoR tells is that while all other players are entitled to miss a game or two throughout the season due to holidays to prevent burn out, he specifically earmarks the weekends Ceillam is allowed off – they just happen to be the bye weeks all sides have off.

Ceillam is about as close to irreplaceable as Raiders get these days.

In the pivotal hooker role, the Guernsey Rugby Academy product is outstanding week-in, week-out and has been for several seasons now.