Aycliffe rugby are stepping up their recruitment campaign and are looking for more players to fill up available spaces following the reintroduction of the 2nd XV for the 2015/16 season. The club are keen for lads living in or around Newton Aycliffe who would consider themselves to be front row potential in particular Prop Forward.
The role of the prop is to scrummage, work in the lineouts, support play and tackle well. No matter how fast and powerful the game becomes, a prop will always be a prop.
The difference nowadays is that props also have to be able to catch, time a pass to put team mates into space and run. Many top props are now very powerful runners and you may even see the odd sidestep. The tighthead prop is very much the fulcrum.
He anchors the whole scrum and is destructive in a negative sense. He will be trying to put the opposition loose head under pressure. The primary role of the loosehead in the other hand is to look after the hooker so he can get a clean strike of the ball but these days looseheads have to be destructive too.
The tight head plays in the right of the front row and mainly uses the right hand side of the body, whereas looseheads left side dominates. Because of this its fairly rare to find someone who can excel at both. To be a good prop you’ve really got to enjoy the position, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea putting your head where it hurts. Its possibly the only true position on the field where you have a one to one with your opposite number. You need to love that confrontational challenge to get the most out of it. England’s Phil Vickery is a great example of a perfect modern prop.
Some of Aycliffes players had the pleasure of meeting Phil Vickery at a recent business launch in Darlington (see photo).
Any new players interested in joining the current training programme please contact head coach Pete Ryan’s 07796 172599
The club continues to be sponsored by S Cars and Whitehouse Funeral Service.
