Tom Hayward
Many of you will remember Tom Hayward, age 40 - a regular rugby player for Wirral 2s, 3s and 4s for many years a while back and latterly as a captain in the Last Man Standing cricket league.
On Wednesday, Tom suffered a sudden and massive cardiac arrest. Doctors battled to save him but we received this message from his wife on Saturday :
"Hi everybody. Thanks for all the love and well wishes. It’s truly appreciated. The Drs did a scan on Tom’s head yesterday to check on the brain function. We had the results this morning and sadly it wasn’t what we had hoped or wanted. We will now use this time to say our goodbyes. He is surrounded by close family and best friends. "

RIP Tom

Match Reports

Wirral 2s v Preston Grasshoppers Saturday 21st February
Wirral 2nd XV 24 – 24 Preston Grasshoppers

Wirral 2nd XV earned a hard-fought 24–24 draw away at Preston Grasshoppers, in a match that showcased both attacking firepower and resilience in adversity.

From kick-off, Wirral imposed themselves physically and territorially, dominating possession and going 7–0 up with a well-worked early try. The intensity and structure were spot on and it looked as though the visitors were set to take full control.

However, a few slight gaps in play and moments of loosened concentration allowed Preston back into the contest. The home side capitalised clinically, running in four tries to swing momentum and put Wirral on the back foot heading towards the break.

At half-time, the lads didn’t wait for instructions; they took ownership. Honest words were shared, standards were reset, and the response was immediate.

Wirral came out firing in the second half, sharper and more cohesive. Three additional tries followed in a relentless spell of pressure rugby, with key Goal kicking assists from Zane and Fin Bell. The fightback silenced the home crowd and underlined the character in this group of gentlemen.

There were standout performances across the park, but Man of the Match, voted by the players, went to Jim Levene, who was simply outstanding. His primary objective was clear, to shut down Preston’s main ball carrier. By half-time, Preston’s No.8 was forced to hobble off and did not return a testament to Jim’s physicality and defensive dominance.

Plenty of positives to take, and the squad knows that with a few more training sessions together, those small gaps in play can be ironed out. The ceiling for this group is high.

Onwards to Fylde RFC at home next Saturday.

And many congratulations to Wirral Vikings true legends, one and all.

Wirral 3s v Prenton – Saturday 21st February

Prenton 21-0 Wirral 3s
A fantastic performance from Wirral under tough circumstances (weather, pitch, no subs and an impressive looking Prenton side). Dan Scroxton was another seasonal debutant from the Colts and handled himself well as our 60th different player to be used this season. At the other end of the experience spectrum, Belly and Alan Bainbridge stepped in for 80-minute performances alongside the likes of powerhouse backrowers Lewis Stevenson and Nick Kennedy.
Wirral were actually the dominant force in the first half, camping out on the Prenton try line but unable to bridge a well-disciplined and effective defence. Prenton managed to be more clinical with their limited opportunities and turned around 14-0 to the good. The second half brought more of the same (rain and Wirral dominance) but alas the same result (no tries for us and a try against the run of play for Prenton).
Nothing but positives from that performance and the result leaves us 3rd in the league - where hopefully we remain for the rest of the season!!

Junior Colts v – Sunday 22nd February

Wirral 14 Chester 21

Sunday saw the highly anticipated return fixture for Wirral Junior Colts against Chester. Having just lost in their last meeting in December, the ever-improving Wirral side saw this home fixture as a chance to settle the score.
A Wirral try early in the first half set the tone as the home side dominated. A tough physical battle played out and Chester were on the scoreboard before long with an equaliser. Both teams were so equally matched and the game flowed end to end with each side picking up another try. The home support fell silent when Chester bullied their way over the line to lead 14 - 21 but hopes were lifted as most of the final 10 minutes were played deep the Chester half. Wirral crossed the line in the last minute only for the referee to call a forward pass and the game was gone. A game of fine margins and a disappointing result but the Wirral lads did themselves proud with a display of total commitment.

Senior Colts (Gulls) v Leigh – Sunday 22nd February
The Gulls took on a depleted Leigh side on Sunday, who to their credit still made the hour long journey to give us a game with only 12 men.

However it became quickly apparent that due to their rugby league heritage, playing a 12 vs 13 sided game was nothing they weren’t used to and made life extremely difficult for the Gulls. In a tight first half, the Gulls again suffered some nasty injuries to key players and lads returning themselves from long term injuries were thrown in the deep end and had to play 60+ minutes of the game.

After the Gulls came in 7-5 down at half time, they set out to try to expose their extra man in the second half but unfortunately it wasn’t to be and the big ball carrying league lads from Leigh pulled away to take the win 31-10.

It’s been a really tough season results wise for the Gulls but to the lads absolute credit, they have turned up week in week out to fulfil fixtures. This morning we received the news that Birkenhead Park had folded and left the league due to low numbers, so it just goes to show how hard it is to keep teams going in the final season of Junior rugby!

The Gulls have three games remaining in what has been an unusually tough C league, starting next week away at Rochdale

Next Pre-Match Lunch – Saturday 28TH February v Bowden
Saturday 28th February 2026 is the “VICE PRESIDENTS LUNCH” Wirral V Bowden – 2.15pm KO. Lunch 12.15pm
Special VP price £17.50.
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: "your name" & date of the meal you are attending

Date for Diaries

Blind Wine Tasting – Saturday 21st March

Always a great night, save the date. 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.