PRE-MATCH LUNCH - SATURDAY 17th OCTOBER 2026
Wirral 1st Team v Kendal KO 3pm
We will be holding a pre-match lunch at 1.00pm.
The Cost of the lunch will be £20.00 per head or £200.00 for a table of 10, which includes a 2-course lunch, free admission and a match day programme.
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

Match Reports

WIRRAL 1s v BOWDON

Extract from Rich McNeil’s report

Wirral win through in the second half

This game would have been our third game in the league but the delay in the start of the season led this to being our first game of the season against Bowdon who finished just above Wirral in the league last season. The pitch was in excellent condition and there was a wind blowing down the ground towards the club-house.

The Wirral starting side included new players FRAZER HANCOX (Fly half), WILL TOMLINSON (Winger) and JOHNNY ROBERTS (full back). The league rules now allow five substitutes including another newcomer RAFAEL VAN OSSELEAR (winger). The club had welcomed back TOM AKEHURST from Caldy and it was good to see RHYS JAMES (back on the bench) following his short move up the road. After injury two years ago, it was good to see LEWIS HAYES back playing and this was his 50th first team game.

In the first two minutes Bowdon had a chance to kick for goal but decided to kick for touch and a 5m line out which Wirral managed to clear. On 8 mins Bowdon had a penalty which was taken quickly close to the Wirral line and Bowdon scrum half Alex Pantechis crossed over in the corner but the conversion was missed, 0-5. 5 minutes later Wirral were attacking down the right and from the line out, Wirral pack moved forward and MATT RINGER managed to touchdown. FRAZER HANCOX converted to give Wirral a 7-5 lead (13 mins). Within 2 minutes, Bowdon were back in the lead when from a scrum 20m out the ball was rolled along the backs and a hard running centre was able to run through the Wirral defence to score, some 15m from the posts, which they duly converted to lead 7-12 (15 minutes). At this stage, Bowdon were the more adventurous and on a number of occasions put in a number of grubber kicks which put pressure on Wirral. Bowdon continued to turn down penalty kicks as they went for kicks to touch to put more pressure on Wirral. Another kick through enabled Bowdon to win the race to touch down in the corner, the conversion was missed 7-17 (26 mins).

Bowdon continued to press with the kicks down the pitch but Wirral were able to cover and clear. This then led to Wirral attacking and put combined pressure on Bowdon but were not able to force their way over the whitewash, one has to congratulate Bowdon on their defence of their line. After 5 minutes of pressure from 5m out the ball was spun down the blindside and NICK HEARN was on hand to crash over the line close to the corner flag, the conversion was missed and half time then declared with Wirral down 12-17 (39 mins). Half-time.

Within 60 seconds of the second half starting, Wirral were in the lead, the ball was kicked into the Bowdon 20m area, the ball was dropped and TOM AKEHURST was quickly on hand to pick up the ball and sprint 20m unopposed to score under the posts, duly converted by FRAZER HANCOX to give Wirral the lead 19-17 (41st mins). Wirral were now putting more pressure on Bowdon and were using the wind to great effect with long kicks downfield some of which were 50/22 kicks giving Wirral pressure in the Bowdon half. On 50 mins, Bowdon committed to a spell of good ball handling enabling them to score under the posts (try bonus point), converted to regain the lead at 19-24.Shortly after this score, Wirral made notable changes and brought onto the field, RHYS JAMES, RAFAEL Van OSSELEAR, JOE FURY, MATT RINGER and JOE FURY in place of WILL TOMLINSON, JOHNNY ROBERTS,LEWIS HAYES, JOSEF HEALEY and ADAM DON (60 mins).

Another long kick gave Wirral the line out close to the line and again the forwards combined to send MATT RINGER over for his second try in the corner, duly converted by FRAZER HANCOX to give Wirral a 26-24 lead (68 mins). A few minutes later, from play 10m out, Wirral spun the ball out to the backs and from 20m out RHYS JAMES put in a long 40m cross kick which was collected by new winger RAFAEL VAN OSSELEAR, who crossed over in the corner. The conversion was not made (31-24). A RHYS JAMES drop kick from 30m sealed the game for Wirral (77 mins) as Bowdon would now have to score twice to win the game

Wirral 2nd XV vs Caldy 2nd XV

A fantastic start to the season saw Wirral 2nd XV welcome a star-studded Caldy 2nd XV to the club and what a contest it proved to be.

The game began at a ferocious pace, with both sides going hammer and tongs from the first whistle. It quickly became clear that Caldy carried serious Championship quality in their backline: slick, lightning-fast, and throwing the ball 30 yards at will with incredible precision. Their wingers showed blistering speed to cross for multiple tries, capitalising on that elite-level flair out wide.

But through the middle? Wirral stood firm completely unbreeched.

Our defensive line was outstanding. Time and again we shut down the centre, refusing to let Caldy find a way through. Where they won it was on the outside, pure pace and Championship class but our organisation and commitment in the heart of the pitch never wavered.

Up front, the Wirral pack was immense. The scrum was an absolute highlight, we held our own and then some, against a Caldy pack stacked with seasoned, capped senior players. John Ralph, Johnny Carroll, Chris Hughes, and Tom Wainwright all scrummaged immensely well standing tall, driving hard, and matching their heavier, more experienced opponents every step of the way. They led from the front, set the platform and showed exactly what this pack is made of. And this wasn’t just them, the entire forward unit pulled together and played exceptionally well against a powerful, top-tier opposition.

Our Man of the Match, Matty Richards, was simply phenomenal. The smallest player on the pitch by far, our scrum-half was everywhere flying into tackles, sniping around the fringes and making hard-earned yards every time he carried. An all-action, fearless performance that led from the front exceptional work, Matty

As Head Coach, I couldn’t be prouder. There are so many positives to take forward. Caldy will likely be the strongest side we face all season and it does raise questions about league alignment when Championship-calibre teams come to town but we met the challenge head-on.

This is who we are: a community club standing tall against elite opposition. Morale is soaring, standards are rising, and we are building something stronger than ever before. We are currently just shy of 50 players at training every Tuesday and Thursday night laying a rock-solid platform for our 1st XV ahead of what promises to be an immense season. We must give a special mention to our outstanding Colts, who are training alongside us and shining bright, they are the living, breathing vision of exactly what our future looks like at this incredible community club.

Kudos to every single one of you players, supporters and sponsors. The season is here, and we’re ready.

Up The Wirral!

Wirral 3s v New Brighton 3s

The Wirral 3s played a strong New Brighton 3s the game was played at a quick tempo which suited Wirral 3s young subs and forwards. After conceding early Wirral bounced back to score repeatedly and despite a new Brighton surge in the second half seeing them score a few tries Wirral held on and turned the tide scoring 3 more late tries to seal the game.

We had some great performances from Logan bell, Tony, Shaun Bromsgrove and Dylan Jones

Wirral Ladies 12–24 Moore Ladies

Wirral Ladies welcomed a well-drilled Moore side for what proved to be a tough and competitive afternoon of rugby.

With a squad of 19 players available, Wirral knew they would have to work hard against a well-organised Moore team, and from the opening whistle the defensive effort was outstanding. Moore were made to work for every point, with Wirral showing plenty of determination, physicality and commitment throughout the game.

It was also a day of milestones and new beginnings for the Warriors. Asha Jones made her 30th appearance for Wirral Ladies, a fantastic achievement and one that deserves huge recognition.

There were also three players making their debuts. Mikayla Meikle pulled on the shirt at hooker, Eliesha Netherwood made her first appearance on the wing, while Jen Thomas made her debut from the bench. All three are now officially part of the Warriors family, and we look forward to seeing plenty more from them.

Despite Moore controlling much of the game, Wirral’s defence continued to stand firm. Every Moore try had to be earned, with the Warriors refusing to make things easy for their opponents.

Then, with just 10 minutes remaining, something clicked.

Wirral started to believe.

The attacking rugby suddenly had a different intensity. The ball was being moved with confidence, runners were hitting gaps and the Warriors began to put Moore under serious pressure.

That pressure resulted in a penalty try, before Wirral produced a fantastic team score. Phase after phase of hard work eventually created the opportunity, with Hannah Dainty finishing off an excellent team move to bring Wirral’s total to 12 points.

Although the final score finished Wirral Ladies 12–24 Moore Ladies, the final 10 minutes showed exactly what this group is capable of when they play with confidence and belief.

There are plenty of positives to take from the game — an excellent defensive effort, three new players welcomed into the squad, Asha reaching 30 appearances and, most importantly, an attacking performance in the final 10 minutes that showed the Warriors are starting to find their attacking identity.

Now the focus turns to next week, when Wirral Ladies travel to face Chester 2nds in the cup.

? Wirral Ladies 12–24 Moore Ladies

Try: Hannah Dainty

Penalty try: Wirral Ladies 30th appearance: Asha Jones

Debuts: Mikayla Meikle, Eliesha Netherwood & Jen Thomas

Junior Colts v Liverpool Collegiate

A one score game against a very large Liverpool collegiate team was an entertaining start to the season for the Junior colts. We have merged 3 teams into one squad and took the field against a huge pack. The game flowed from end to end and was a great advert for rugby with spectators thoroughly entertained. Unfortunately, we could not convert our breaks into points as effectively as Liverpool and came out the wrong side of a 25-19 points game.

Membership Bar cards

Izzy will be available on Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm to issue bar cards. Please be aware that, at all times, you must have a balance of at least £10 on your card