1st half - although possession was mainly dominated by Stockport Wirral defended brilliantly and where very clinical in their attack.
At Half time the score was 24-7 in Wirral’s favour.
2nd half - Stockport played in the same way as the first having majority of the possession but this time fatigue finally took its toll on the Wirral side in attack and defence with errors creeping in and Stockport made far fewer errors. Stockport were a well drilled side with some quality players throughout. They had a very good bench who made impacts when they came on and helped Stockport keep the ascendancy in the second half.
Wirral showed great character and composure in the first half but as mentioned the dropped off second half. Maybe the Christmas period took its toll. But the number of tackles being made by the Wirral team and the muddy conditions I think played a factor. Final Score Wirral 24 Stockport 35.
Once again though the spirit, effort and grit from the lads was exceptional. We will work on a few things this week and hopefully build nicely for our next match away at Lymm.
Special mentions go to Connor Moore (MOTM), Jack Bruce, Tommy Wainwright and Kieran Cook for great performances.
We wish Ollie Smith a speedy recovery who sadly went off after 10 minutes with a leg injury. Albert wood moved into scrum half following the injury and considering he’s a backrow did really well. Finally Ché Hannigan, Jack Smith, Ioan Vickers and Johnson Chandigere all made their 2s debuts for this season so well done lads

Wirral 3s v Helsby 1s – Saturday 10th January

WIRRAL 12 HELSBY 19

The 3s only two defeats of the season have come at the hands of the Helsby first team, as our lads battled valiantly against a tough team who play together more regularly and execute their game plans well. Our game plan is invariably to get our young and older players on the pitch together and to form as many 'dads and lads' combinations as we can throughout the season. To that end, it was fabulous to welcome the Bainbridge boys to the party as Alan was joined by his twin sons Ethan and Haig who were returning to Uni the day after. The Jones and Bell families were also represented on Saturday, as virtually half our starting 15 were dads and lads combos. Look out for more and some 'uncle and nephew' combinations before the end of the season.

Junior Colts v Sandbach – Sunday 11th January

WIRRAL 55 SANDBACH 5

Emphatic League and Cup win for Wirral Junior Colts
With Arctic conditions kiboshing last weekend’s identical league fixture, it was agreed that the scheduled cup fixture this Sunday would count for both competitions – so, it was all to play for. The last time these sides met was back in October when Wirral came out as 47-26 winners with tries from Groves, Maddocks, Stuart, Vickers, and a hat-trick from captain Wood.
The pre-match warm up dealt an early blow to the hosts, as prolific try scorer Maddocks landed awkwardly on his ankle ruling him out of action for the day. However, a strong bench allowed a straightforward last-minute reshuffle.
The Wirralians started strongly, with captain Wood dotting down in the third minute for the first of his two tries. This was a welcome return for the skipper on his return from a lengthy injury – his ‘George North vs Israel Folau’ moment being another noteworthy event of the match. Jackson slotted a penalty for the first 3 of his 25-point haul 7 minutes later.
Sandbach then found some traction and had Wirral on the ropes on their try line for several minutes. Too many penalties conceded eventually led to McLaughlin taking a yellow card for the team – and it seemed Sandbach would come away with points. But the hosts found their mojo and held Sandbach up, giving an opportunity to kick for some breathing space.
Wirral then regained momentum – with Jackson scoring and converting twice while down to 14 men. The first half was finished off with a try from 2nd rower Stuart.
The second half saw the Wirral bench of Penisini, Vickers, Bennett, and Chan take to the field. Within 3 minutes, the home side had scored their 5th try through centre Dyer. Eight minutes later, hooker Bradley finished off a superb team try for Wirral.
Wirral skipper, Wood, and Dyer both scored their second tries in the final 10 minutes of the match – and with Wirral leading by 50 points, the opposition were given the option to concede, which they bravely refused. Sandbach were rewarded for not throwing in the towel by claiming a well worked try moments before the final whistle.
This result sees Wirral Junior Colts climbing to 2nd place in the League and progressing to the Cheshire Cup semi-final.

Senior Colts v Lymm – Sunday 11th January

A depleted Wirral Gulls side came up short in the Cheshire Cup QF against a very strong Lymm side.
With only 16 players available, the Gulls were up against it from the start and struggled to contain the expansive Lymm backline in the first half.
However, the Gulls regrouped in the second half and some excellent tactical kicking allowed the Gulls some good field position, where they were able to find a try of their own.
Next week the Gulls are back into league action where they take on Vale of Lune away from home

Wirral Warriors v Ormskirk – Sunday 11th January

WIRRAL 39 ORMSKIRK 0

Wirral celebrated their first win of the season in emphatic style with a commanding 39–0 victory over Ormskirk, delivering a complete team performance that showcased both attacking flair and defensive resilience.
The home side set the tone early and dominated the first half, racing into a 27–0 lead. Hannah Dainty opened the scoring with a well-worked try, before Gina Morrison-Lay crossed twice in quick succession to put Wirral firmly in control. Further tries from Sarah Corlette and Steph Whitehead capped off an excellent opening period, with Chappers adding the conversion to Whitehead’s try to round off a near-perfect first half display.
To Ormskirk’s credit, the visitors regrouped after the break and defended superbly in the second half, frustrating Wirral for long spells and showing great determination. However, Wirral stuck resolutely to their game plan, maintained their composure, and were eventually rewarded. Tries from Georgina Tidman and Charlotte Clark extended the lead, with Gina Lay adding the conversion to bring the final score to 39–0.
It was an outstanding all-round performance, with every player contributing and playing to their full potential. Hannah was deservedly named Forward of the Match, while Asha took the Back of the Match honours. Steph was recognised as Opposition Player of the Match for her efforts throughout the game.
Attention now turns to next week’s fixture against Liverpool Collegiate, where Wirral will be looking to build on this result and continue their growing momentum.

Next Past Players Pre-Match Lunch – Saturday 31st January v Leek

Saturday 31st January 2026 is the “PAST PLAYERS LUNCH” Wirral V Leek – 2.15pm KO. Lunch 12.15pm
Admission, Programme and Lunch - £19.50 per head or Table of 10 - £17.50 per head.
Payment details:
Please pay by BACS here are the details: Payment to be made to:

Payee Name: Wirral Club Ltd.
Sort Code: 60-17-08
Account: 85536822
Reference: & date of the meal you are attending

Blind Wine Tasting – Saturday 21st March

Always a great night, save the date,more details to follow. Profits being split between the club and Versus Arthritis.
If you have any raffle prizes you could donate that would be great. Please contact Janine Ludbrook or Stu Gratton.

Wirral Tigers Touch Rugby

The Tigers have gone indoors for winter with a much-earned break and are set to return in February 2026 with sessions booked on Wednesday evenings (8pm - 9pm) at Vauxhalls. Tigers now have a well-established core of regulars, many of whom are current or retired Wirral RUFC senior players, and we're also developing a great core of women players.

Touch Rugby is a mixed-sex sport, so there is no need for separate men's or women's teams. This makes it a fairly unique sport and something we're keen to develop further. It's also a fantastic way to get or stay fit while remaining part of the rugby community. Games are fast-paced, end-to-end stuff, 6-a-side with rolling subs, and at the elite level, it's pushing for a place at the 2027 Olympics in Australia. The southern hemisphere has been playing this form of touch rugby for many years, with many league or union internationals starting or finishing their careers this way. We welcome new players for 2026. Our sessions are adult-based currently, and if interested, please get in touch with Jezz Ellis at jezzellis@gmail.com or drop him a message on 07789403742.

NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 2026

Details of tickets for the Championship are available here

Wirral RFC

Newsletter

13th January 2026