A Successful Sausage and Cider Festival

Tue 12 Jun 2018 22:03

Royal Wootton Bassett welcomed the crowds to the RWBRFC Cider & Sausage Festival 2018.

During the Cider Festival this year, the club hosted the second McCue Cup - a celebratory rugby match between Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Battalion and a RWBRFC President’s XV. The annual rugby fixture is held to honour Lance Corporal James McCue and the respect shown by the town throughout the repatriations.

While visitors got stuck into the range of ciders and perries on offer and sampled a tasty range of gourmet sausages from Crumps Butchers, the event opened with the arrival of the Ride Of Respect Motorcycle Club and a parade around the main pitch.

  
A guard of honour was provided by enthusiastic members of our Minis section. Having these young players involved in the day will hopefully inspire them to want to play in the McCue Cup match in years to come.

  
The rugby on show from both sides was fantastic with club representation from all three senior sides and our Colts team. After a thrilling 80 minutes, the match ended with REME winning 43-33. Bassett's Rhys Higginson was awarded Man of the Match.
 

"Thank you all those who attended yesterday’s Cider & Sausage Festival and made the day such a special event" said Director of Rugby, Alan Low. "It is great to see the support our town shows towards the Rugby Club and the respect it has for our Armed Forces. To be able to base the day around the annual McCue Cup and to continue our support of the Brighter Futures charity made the day extra special."

  
Following an emotional presentation of the McCue Cup by members of Lance Corporal James McCue's family, festivities continued with a cider-fuelled musical set by local Big Band 41 Degrees, followed by popular rock, rhythm and blues band Built For Comfort.
  

  

"To be able to run events like this at an entirely voluntary-run club is incredible, and we have lots of people to thank for helping throughout the day", continued Alan Low. "An extra special thanks must go to Andrew Gassor, Dave Floyd, Alec Adams and all the ground staff for the work setting up during the week ready for the event."
  

  
Additional thanks must go to the McCue family who travelled down from Scotland to attend the festival, Brighter Futures, REME Rugby, the Ride of Respect Motorcycle Club, our Match Officials, George Scarrott, David Hathaway Transport, Chris Strand, Abel Mataitini, Robert Cooper, 41 Degrees and Built for Comfort and Nick Phipps for the amazing photographs seen on this page.
 

See a full gallery of photographs from the Festival at: www.rwbrfc.club/gallery/royal-wootton-bassett-sausage-and-cider-festival-2018

UPDATE

Due to the success of the festival it was great to be able hand over a donation of £1000 to support the Brighter Futures Radiotherapy Appeal. It was exciting to hear all their plans for the future and to discuss early plans for next year's Sausage & Cider Festival. We can't wait!

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