As seasons go, 2019/20 started badly and grew significantly worse! A number of players from the championship winning team from 2018/19 either retired or left the club. A crop of talented youngsters stepped up to the mark but needed more development time than was available. This coupled with promotion to a higher league meant that results were not good. The high point was a 19-19 draw against Garstang and by the time the covid lockdown started in March 2020 the club was bottom and relegated. The Blues fared little better in the Manx Shield and the Manx Cup and Plate comps were abandoned due to covid.
To make matters worse, the rugby civil war between Lancashire and Cumbria continued and a load more Lancs clubs left the English Clubs Championship for their own league set-up. This left Ramsey in a league with no opposition and effectively ended their league run together with fellow IOM club Vagabonds. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, the covid crisis saw the RFU struggling for cash and the entire offshore travel budget was cut which meant that even if some competition could be found, there was no travel budget. On top of all this, the club suffered an internal central heating oil leak which has left the bar and kitchen unusable since 16th March 2020.
There was however a beacon of light in among all the darkness. The hero of the miracle of Ballafletcher Gareth Hinge MBE was provoked into action. With the IOM in covid lockdown and many vulnerable people shielding, Gareth together with long time sidekick Dave "Bod" Harding launched the rugby club as community volunteers. They assembled a crew of stout yeomen and set about helping the people of Ramsey and the North. The did shopping, collected prescriptions, walked dogs and many other things too. A regional network was established and a letterbox leaflet drop provided everyone with the contact details of their nearest helper. Gareth then teamed up with the Isle of Man Foodbank to establish a delivery hub from the Clubhouse and the changing rooms were rapidly reconfigured into big larders. Finally, Gareth and his team linked up with Isle of Man Creameries and Ramsey Bakery to provide a free order and delivery service for dairy produce and bread. https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/rugby-values-importance-of-volunteers
Gareth was rewarded for his and the team's hard work when he was awarded an MBE in the Queens Birthday Honours list for his covid work. http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=58299&headline=Ashford%20awarded%20MBE%20in%20Birthday%20Honours%20List§ionIs=news&searchyear=2020 The story of the charitable work is rumoured to be the subject of a new Hollywood blockbuster with Bruce Willis playing the part of Gareth Hinge MBE. Casting is still ongoing for Bod as the out and out favourite Bob Hoskins sadly died.
To make matters worse, the rugby civil war between Lancashire and Cumbria continued and a load more Lancs clubs left the English Clubs Championship for their own league set-up. This left Ramsey in a league with no opposition and effectively ended their league run together with fellow IOM club Vagabonds. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, the covid crisis saw the RFU struggling for cash and the entire offshore travel budget was cut which meant that even if some competition could be found, there was no travel budget. On top of all this, the club suffered an internal central heating oil leak which has left the bar and kitchen unusable since 16th March 2020.
There was however a beacon of light in among all the darkness. The hero of the miracle of Ballafletcher Gareth Hinge MBE was provoked into action. With the IOM in covid lockdown and many vulnerable people shielding, Gareth together with long time sidekick Dave "Bod" Harding launched the rugby club as community volunteers. They assembled a crew of stout yeomen and set about helping the people of Ramsey and the North. The did shopping, collected prescriptions, walked dogs and many other things too. A regional network was established and a letterbox leaflet drop provided everyone with the contact details of their nearest helper. Gareth then teamed up with the Isle of Man Foodbank to establish a delivery hub from the Clubhouse and the changing rooms were rapidly reconfigured into big larders. Finally, Gareth and his team linked up with Isle of Man Creameries and Ramsey Bakery to provide a free order and delivery service for dairy produce and bread. https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/rugby-values-importance-of-volunteers
Gareth was rewarded for his and the team's hard work when he was awarded an MBE in the Queens Birthday Honours list for his covid work. http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=58299&headline=Ashford%20awarded%20MBE%20in%20Birthday%20Honours%20List§ionIs=news&searchyear=2020 The story of the charitable work is rumoured to be the subject of a new Hollywood blockbuster with Bruce Willis playing the part of Gareth Hinge MBE. Casting is still ongoing for Bod as the out and out favourite Bob Hoskins sadly died.
