OWRFC Plants Trees of Remembrance

The Old Whitgiftian RFC remembered the 40 players who lost their lives in WW1 by planting trees at the Croham Road ground on Sunday morning.  The Woodland Trust kindly donated 420 trees to the rugby club in recognition of their trip in July during which a wreath was laid at each of the 31 graves or memorials in Belgium and France. The Old Whits plan to mark the remaining 9 graves in places like Gallipoli and Egypt in the coming years.

The club runs Junior Rugby for boys and girls in the U5s to U16s ages each Sunday between 10 am and noon.  The grounds were very busy from 9am as children and their parents arrived early to plant a sapling in memory of the fallen.  It is hoped that that trees grow into a fine copse to be enjoyed by all for many decades to come and the children remember their tree!

The 1XV plays Kingston RFC at home tomorrow (15/11) and 100 guests will sit down to  lunch and watch the premiere of the short film the club made of their trip to the War Graves.

Picture above: Megan Turner, aged 11 plants a tree in memory of her Great Grandma, Jean Betty Godfrey. Megan’s mum, Hayley, is a bartender at Whitgift Sports Club.

Picture below: Members of OWRFC observe minute’s silence.