From the very first Sunday morning back in September to the playoff atmosphere at Well Hall, the 2025/26 season has been packed with rugby, growth, muddy boots, early starts, loud touchlines, festivals, mascots and a lot of happy chaos. And perhaps more importantly, it’s shown just how strong the Blackheath Minis community has become.
Across the Minis section we now have more than 150 registered players from U6 to U11, with participation continuing to grow steadily across the age groups. This season alone the section has grown by another seven registered players, with particularly strong intake at U6 and continued retention in the older age groups.
That growth only happens because people give their time.
Every Sunday there are coaches setting up sessions before most people are awake, team managers organising availability late into the evening, parents helping on the touchline, volunteers stepping into first aid roles, and children arriving desperate to get a rugby ball in their hands.
That community spirit remains one of the best things about Blackheath Minis.
Mascots, Guards of Honour and ‘One Club’
One of the real highlights of the season has been the growing connection between the Minis section and the senior side through our mascot programme and Guard of Honour opportunities.
Across the season, Blackheath Minis players have proudly represented the club at 13 different 1st XV fixtures, including league games and today’s playoff fixture.
Over the course of the year, Minis players have walked out at games against:
- Bishop’s Stortford
- Rosslyn Park
- Plymouth Albion
- Sedgley Park
- Leeds Tykes
- Leicester Lions
- Dings Crusaders
- Birmingham Moseley
- Rams
- Rotherham Titans
- Sale FC
- Clifton
- and the playoff fixture against Plymouth Albion
The play-off mascot group is particularly special because it represents the full Blackheath Minis pathway — with children selected from U6 through to U11, showing every step of the Minis journey across the club.
For many younger players, walking out with the 1st XV, standing in the tunnel, or forming the Guard of Honour is the moment rugby suddenly becomes real. Those experiences matter. They help connect the Minis section to the wider club and reinforce the idea that Blackheath is one club, not separate sections.
It also reflects the wider Blackheath player pathway — from Minis through Juniors, Colts and eventually senior rugby — which sits at the centre of the club’s long-term development strategy.
There’s still more we want to do in this space next season, particularly around increasing interaction between senior players and the Minis section, but the progress this year has been hugely encouraging.
A Big Year for Festivals and Fixtures
The rugby side of the season has been busy too. Our teams represented Blackheath at festivals including:
- Chipstead
- Foxbury
- Old Colfeians
- Beccehamians
- Old Whitgiftians
Across those events the club entered more than 30 teams from U7–U11, giving players opportunities to experience rugby against a wide range of opposition and environments.
There have been runaway tries, last-ditch tag pulls, dramatic moments on the touchline, and probably several thousand conversations about whether somebody was “definitely in touch”.
But alongside the fun, there has also been huge development across the section. For many U6 and U7 players, this year has been about learning how rugby works and building confidence. For the older age groups, particularly U10 and U11, the game has become faster, more physical and more structured as they prepare for the transition into Junior rugby.
Watching that progression across the age groups has been one of the most rewarding parts of the season.
The Blackheath Minis Festival
One of the standout moments of the year was the successful delivery of the Blackheath Minis Festival at Avery Hill Park.
The festival was organised and delivered by the Under 10 fundraising team, who did an outstanding job coordinating teams, volunteers, logistics and fundraising activity.
The event welcomed multiple visiting clubs and created a fantastic atmosphere throughout the day. It was a brilliant example of what grassroots rugby should look like — organised but relaxed, competitive but friendly, and full of children simply enjoying the game.
More Than Just Sunday Mornings
This season has also been important because it has been the first year of the Blackheath Rugby Minis Strategy.
Year 1 was always about building the foundations. That meant getting the basics right: stronger safeguarding and compliance, better use of GMS, clearer age group structures, a functioning Minis Committee, a coaching framework, improved financial understanding, and a dedicated U6 Head Coach to support the newest families coming into the club.
A lot of that work has happened quietly in the background, but it matters. It means the section is becoming better organised, safer, and easier for volunteers to run.
The growth in player numbers, the success of the Minis Festival, improved first aid coverage, stronger governance, and better visibility of costs all show that those foundations are starting to take shape.
At the centre of the strategy is a simple Minis mission: to inspire a lifelong love for rugby by creating a fun, safe and inclusive environment where children develop confidence, movement skills and enjoyment through play and teamwork.
That probably sums up the season better than anything else.
Because while there have been festivals, fixtures, trophies and playoff mascots, the most important thing has still been seeing children turn up each Sunday excited to play rugby with their friends.
There is still plenty to do, but the section now has a clearer base to build from as we move into Year 2: developing people and programmes.
Thank You
A Minis section only works because people give their time. So thank you:
- to every coach
- every team manager
- every volunteer
- every first aider
- every parent
- and every player who has represented Blackheath this season
Special thanks should also go to the coaches and volunteers stepping away at the end of the year, including current U10 Head Coach Guy, who leaves the club following a house move after making a huge contribution to his age group and the wider Minis section.
As we head towards the end-of-season awards, there is one more Sundays left together this year. There will be trophies, medals, laughing children and probably a few emotional speeches too.
But more importantly, there’s a growing sense of what Blackheath Minis can become over the next few years: a strong, welcoming rugby community that develops players, coaches, volunteers and friendships for the long term.
And for most of the children involved, the best part is probably still the same as it was back in September: getting the ball in their hands and playing rugby with their mates.
Justin Zarb
Minis Chair, Blackheath Rugby Club
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