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Saracens vs Lyon

Saracens | Official Matchday Programme | Issue 7 Saracens vs Lyon | EPCR Investec Champions Cup Saturday 20th January, 2024 | KO 8pm | StoneX Stadium

Saracens | Official Matchday Programme | Issue 7
Saracens vs Lyon | EPCR Investec Champions Cup
Saturday 20th January, 2024 | KO 8pm | StoneX Stadium

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SARACENS<br />

VS<br />

VS LYON<br />

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME<br />

ISSUE 07 | £4<br />

BILLY VUNIPOLA<br />

SAT 20 JAN | KO 20:00 | STONEX STADIUM


Enjoy Heineken ® responsibly<br />

CHEERS TO ALL FANS<br />

Heineken ® 0.0. contains no more than 0.05% alcohol


3<br />

THE LINE-UP V<br />

09 NEIL GOLDING<br />

12 CAPTAIN’S COLUMN<br />

SARACENS LTD<br />

Stonex Stadium<br />

Greenlands Lane, Hendon NW4 1RL<br />

0203 675 7200<br />

www.saracens.com<br />

@<strong>Saracens</strong><br />

@<strong>Saracens</strong>Women<br />

@<strong>Saracens</strong>Ma<strong>vs</strong><br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> Official<br />

@saracensofficial<br />

@saracenswomen<br />

@saracensmavericks<br />

@saracensofficial<br />

CREDITS<br />

Editor: Oli Shapley<br />

Contributors: Matt Impey, Getty Images,<br />

Rob Cole, Harry Scott-Munro, Jonathan<br />

Browne, Richard Hope, Emma Wilson<br />

Printed by Stephens & George<br />

Produced by Ignition Sports Media<br />

www.ignitionsportsmedia.com<br />

lee.berry@ignitionsportsmedia.com<br />

Design: Julian Tredinnick<br />

12<br />

30<br />

38<br />

16 SCENE SETTER<br />

18 CLUB NEWS<br />

22 THE RUN IN<br />

26 THE SHOWDOWN 4<br />

28 2023 IN REVIEW<br />

30 THE OPPOSITION<br />

32 FIVE TO WATCH<br />

48 A TO Z<br />

50 JUNIOR SARRIES<br />

52 PLAYER PROIFILES<br />

60 SARACENS WOMEN<br />

71 MAVERICKS<br />

72 SARACENS HIGH SCHOOL<br />

76 COMMUNITY NEWS<br />

77 TODAY’S TEAMS<br />

78 NEXT UP<br />

80 FIXTURES AND RESULTS<br />

40 60


7 NATIONS<br />

24 CLUBS<br />

63 MATCHES<br />

400 TRIES<br />

ONE TROPHY<br />

THE ONE TO<br />

W N<br />

InvestecChampionsCup.com


EPCR WELCOME MESSAGE<br />

DOMINIC<br />

McKAY<br />

A WARM WELCOME TO THIS ROUND 4 MATCH IN THE<br />

2023/24 INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP AND A HAPPY NEW<br />

YEAR TO ALL AS WE REACH THE BUSINESS END OF THE<br />

TOURNAMENT’S POOL STAGE.<br />

Complementing the landmark<br />

introduction of Investec as<br />

the competition’s new title<br />

partner, the opening rounds<br />

delivered a compelling series<br />

of world-class and indeed out<br />

of the ordinary matches. Now<br />

the intensity goes up another<br />

notch with coveted places in<br />

the knockout stage at stake.<br />

With the top four clubs<br />

in each pool guaranteed<br />

qualification, there’s an<br />

important added incentive<br />

for the contenders: the clubs<br />

finishing first and second in<br />

their respective pools will<br />

have home venue advantage<br />

in the all-important first<br />

knockout stage, the Round of<br />

16. For those clubs that finish<br />

fifth in each pool, the journey<br />

does not end there as they<br />

qualify for the Round of 16 of<br />

the EPCR Challenge Cup.<br />

Everything is to play for.<br />

So, after what promises to<br />

be even more tension-fuelled<br />

action this month, we’ll<br />

have a clearer idea of the<br />

pathway to the showpiece<br />

Finals weekend at London’s<br />

state-of-the-art Tottenham<br />

Hotspur Stadium next May<br />

for which over 45,000 tickets<br />

have already been sold.<br />

We are delighted to be joined<br />

on the journey to London<br />

by Investec, by our premium<br />

partner, Heineken, and by our<br />

official partners, DHL, IHG<br />

Hotels & Resorts and Georgia<br />

Rugby Marketing Hub, as well<br />

as our official supporters,<br />

Tissot, Gilbert and Kappa,<br />

and also by our official airline<br />

partner in South Africa,<br />

Qatar Airways.<br />

TNT Sports, ITV and RTÉ<br />

in the UK and Ireland,<br />

beIN SPORTS and France<br />

Télévisions in France,<br />

and SuperSport in South<br />

Africa, continue to provide<br />

comprehensive and innovative<br />

broadcast coverage, while<br />

S4C in Wales and FloRugby<br />

in the USA and Canada, are<br />

showcasing the matches<br />

to more viewers than ever<br />

across the globe.<br />

We hope that you enjoy the<br />

match today and take this<br />

opportunity to send our<br />

best wishes to you, the fans,<br />

your club’s players and staff,<br />

and of course to our match<br />

officials, as we anticipate<br />

the celebrations and the<br />

occasional heartache that<br />

go with the territory when<br />

qualification for the Investec<br />

Champions Cup knockout<br />

stage is on the line!<br />

Yours in rugby,<br />

Dominic McKay,<br />

EPCR Chairman


Welcome<br />

We are so proud to be the new partner of<br />

the Investec Champions Cup. After a thrilling<br />

World Cup, everyone’s expectations are<br />

justifiably high on this fourth weekend of what<br />

promises to be a really exciting six months.<br />

Like you, we’re looking forward to watching<br />

many of the biggest names in world rugby<br />

put in exhilarating, high intensity performances,<br />

qualities we admire and share.<br />

Today’s match is another step on a journey<br />

that offers the enthralling prospect of some of<br />

the best rugby ever played, with all 24 teams<br />

in with a shout. Enjoy the game!<br />

Investec Bank plc is registered in England. Registered No. 489604. Registered at 30 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QP.<br />

Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.


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Investec Bank plc is registered in England. Registered No. 489604. Registered at 30 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QP.<br />

Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.


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CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME<br />

NEIL<br />

GOLDING<br />

9<br />

FIRST, A<br />

VERY WARM<br />

WELCOME<br />

TO THE LYON<br />

PLAYERS,<br />

COACHES<br />

AND FANS.<br />

Today is one of the biggest<br />

games of the season so far<br />

and I’m sure that will make<br />

for an incredible atmosphere<br />

under the lights this evening.<br />

We have a proud history in<br />

this competition and with this<br />

fixture falling in to the ‘mustwin’<br />

category the team will<br />

need all of the support they<br />

can get tonight.<br />

Whilst of course the<br />

result didn’t go our way in<br />

Bordeaux, the amount of<br />

Sarries fans that travelled<br />

was amazing and we cannot<br />

thank you enough. To see so<br />

many shirts in and around<br />

the city was brilliant and<br />

the noise you brought to the<br />

stadium was remarkable.<br />

Having been in the changing<br />

room after the game, I can<br />

assure you all that the players<br />

were hurting and I’m sure we<br />

will see a response today.<br />

It is a busy time, and the big<br />

games keep rolling around<br />

before the break for the Six<br />

Nations. Exeter at home next<br />

Saturday is well on track for a<br />

sell out and with so much on<br />

the line I’d encourage you to<br />

book before it’s too late!<br />

Talking of the Six Nations, we<br />

couldn’t be prouder of Jamie<br />

George who was announced<br />

as the new England captain<br />

last week. He is absolutely<br />

the right man for the job and<br />

I’m sure he will lead the team<br />

brilliantly.<br />

Also congratulations to Nick<br />

Isiekwe, Ben Earl, Maro Itoje,<br />

Theo Dan and Elliot Daly<br />

who are also involved with<br />

England, as well as Andy<br />

Christie for Scotland and Nick<br />

Tompkins for Wales.<br />

From a Women’s perspective<br />

they couldn’t have asked<br />

for a better start to the<br />

season. Their win over Exeter<br />

last weekend was brilliant<br />

to watch and they have a<br />

huge game today away at<br />

Gloucester-Hartpury so there<br />

are plenty of reasons to be<br />

excited!<br />

The Mavericks season is also<br />

starting imminently so stay<br />

tuned for some more brilliant<br />

action at HSV.<br />

Back to today, it’s a huge<br />

occasion so let’s get behind<br />

the players from start to<br />

finish!<br />

Neil


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CAPTAIN’S COLUMN<br />

OWEN<br />

FARRELL<br />

GOOD<br />

AFTERNOON<br />

AND WELCOME<br />

TO STONEX<br />

STADIUM FOR<br />

TODAY’S MATCH<br />

AGAINST LYON.<br />

12<br />

European nights here are<br />

always incredible and with so<br />

much riding on this game we<br />

know that we need to give it<br />

our all as we look to book our<br />

place in the knockout stages.<br />

It has been a tough couple of<br />

weeks on the road for us and<br />

we are all very disappointed<br />

with the results. This week<br />

we have had some honest<br />

conversations and we really<br />

believe we have the personnel<br />

to turn this around, so stick<br />

with us!<br />

<strong>Lyon</strong> are a team that we have<br />

played a lot over the years<br />

and we have always had<br />

great battles with them. They<br />

have already shown their<br />

quality across the pool stages<br />

and they have a brilliant<br />

squad so we need to be at our<br />

best this evening.<br />

Some of the highlights of<br />

my career have been in this<br />

competition and we of course<br />

don’t want to be exiting it<br />

early so please make all the<br />

noise you can tonight!<br />

On behalf of everyone at the<br />

club I want to say how proud<br />

we all are of Jamie who has<br />

been announced as the new<br />

England captain. I know how<br />

much this means to him and<br />

his family, and I am absolutely<br />

sure that he will do a brilliant<br />

job. I can’t wait to support<br />

him and all of the other<br />

players in our group who<br />

have been called up for the<br />

tournament.<br />

It’s difficult to look too<br />

far ahead with such a big<br />

game this evening, but next<br />

Saturday here against Exeter<br />

will be another massive<br />

occasion. Our rivalry with<br />

them always brings out the<br />

best in both teams and with<br />

that being the last game<br />

before the Six Nations break,<br />

we want to make sure we end<br />

this block on a high.<br />

The crowds here so far this<br />

season have been massive<br />

for us, and you can play your<br />

part over the next couple of<br />

weeks as we look to get back<br />

on track.<br />

See you all after - enjoy the<br />

game!


13


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SCENE SETTER<br />

If last weekend’s result in<br />

Bordeaux was a bit of a<br />

shock to the system for<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> fans, then they<br />

should take a few crumbs of<br />

comfort from the fact only<br />

one team has won at the<br />

StoneX Stadium in the past<br />

26 Investec Champions Cup<br />

games.<br />

The last 11 outings have all<br />

gone to plan dating back to<br />

a 46-14 loss, against up and<br />

coming Clermont Auvergne<br />

in the 2017-18 season. That<br />

defeat ended a run of 14<br />

successive home wins that<br />

followed a 14-13 loss to<br />

Toulouse in Round 2 in 2013.<br />

So instead of biting your<br />

fingernails today, keep the<br />

faith! It is going to be a<br />

do-or-die game against<br />

upcoming <strong>Lyon</strong>, who will<br />

arrive in much better shape<br />

than the home side after two<br />

wins out of three to date in<br />

Pool 1.<br />

16


17<br />

But Mark McCall and<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> have been here<br />

before. When they are put on<br />

the ropes they always come<br />

out fighting and today will be<br />

as much a test of character<br />

and desire as anything else.<br />

The record European reverse<br />

against Bordeaux-Begles<br />

meant <strong>Saracens</strong> have<br />

now lost five of their last<br />

seven matches across all<br />

competitions. They will at<br />

least know today what they<br />

have to do to qualify for the<br />

Round of 16 after Bristol<br />

Bears, one place ahead of<br />

them in the Pool table, met<br />

Connacht last night. If the<br />

two teams find themselves<br />

tied on points, then the<br />

placing will be determined by<br />

points difference.<br />

After Round 3, the following<br />

clubs had already clinched<br />

their ticket into the Round<br />

of 16:<br />

QUALIFIERS FOR THE<br />

KNOCKOUT STAGE<br />

Going into the Round 4<br />

matches, the following clubs<br />

have secured qualification for<br />

the Round of 16:<br />

Pool 1: Bordeaux-Bégles, <strong>Lyon</strong><br />

Pool 2: Toulouse, Bath,<br />

Harlequins<br />

Pool 3: Northampton Saints<br />

(with home advantage),<br />

Exeter Chiefs<br />

Pool 4: Leinster Rugby<br />

That means four Gallagher<br />

Premiership clubs are already<br />

through and there will be a<br />

battle between Bristol and<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> to make it at least<br />

a fifth. There is also still a<br />

chance for Sale Sharks to<br />

make the grade if they can<br />

beat reigning champions La<br />

Rochelle in Round 4.<br />

The Round of 16 takes place<br />

on the weekend of 5-7 April.<br />

The fifth placed teams in<br />

each of the four Pools in the<br />

Champions Cup will drop<br />

down into the Round of 16 in<br />

the EPCR Challenge Cup.<br />

It means there is still so much<br />

to play for today and beyond.<br />

Getting back on track maybe<br />

the priority but staying on<br />

track to win a potential<br />

European title in whatever<br />

tier is still important.<br />

There have been four games<br />

between today’s two sides in<br />

the Champions Cup and to<br />

date they have all gone the<br />

way of <strong>Saracens</strong>. In the 2018-<br />

19 Pool stages it was 29-10<br />

(h) and 28-10 (a) to the ‘Men<br />

in Black’ and last season it<br />

was 28-20 (a) and 48-28 (h).<br />

A fifth win in a row would be<br />

a huge tonic!


show at Europe’s best sports<br />

stadium from just £21 a<br />

ticket, it is time to secure your<br />

spot at saracens.com!<br />

Book your ticket NOW!<br />

London with kick off at 19:30<br />

under the floodlights.<br />

Tickets are now on general<br />

sale, head to saracens.com to<br />

book yours!<br />

CLUB<br />

NEWS<br />

THE SHOWDOWN 4 IN<br />

ASSOCIATION WITH CITY<br />

INDEX | 35,000 TICKETS<br />

SOLD!<br />

35,000 TICKETS GOING, GOING….<br />

GONE!<br />

The Gallagher Premiership is<br />

wide open, meaning this one<br />

is set to be huge!<br />

On Saturday 23rd March we<br />

will be turning Tottenham<br />

Hotspur Stadium Red & Black<br />

as we take on current top-ofthe-table<br />

champs Harlequins<br />

in THE SHOWDOWN 4!<br />

35,000 tickets have now been<br />

SOLD, meaning this game is<br />

our fastest selling yet.<br />

With world-class rugby and<br />

epic entertainment all on<br />

18<br />

MAKO VUNIPOLA<br />

ANNOUNCES<br />

INTERNATIONAL<br />

RETIREMENT<br />

LAST WEEK MAKO ANNOUNCED HIS<br />

RETIREMENT FROM ENGLAND DUTY.<br />

Truly one of a kind, and one of<br />

the best to ever do it!<br />

SARACENS ANNOUNCE<br />

BLOCKBUSTER CLASH WITH<br />

LEINSTER IN FEBRUARY<br />

WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE<br />

RENEWAL OF ONE OF THE GREATEST<br />

RIVALRIES IN EUROPEAN RUGBY<br />

AS SARACENS MEN WILL TAKE ON<br />

LEINSTER AT STONEX STADIUM FOR A<br />

BLOCKBUSTER CLASH.<br />

On Friday 23rd February, the<br />

Men in Black will welcome the<br />

Irish powerhouses to North<br />

THE DUEL IS BACK!<br />

THE DUEL RETURNS IN 2024, AS<br />

SARACENS WOMEN AND HARLEQUINS<br />

WOMEN LOCK HORNS AT STONEX<br />

STADIUM ON 10 FEBRUARY. WHO WILL<br />

BE LONDON’S CLUB!?<br />

After a record attendance<br />

at last season’s match, we’re<br />

looking to go even bigger this<br />

year. With hospitality on offer<br />

as well and match tickets<br />

available for JUST £10, this is<br />

your chance to secure one of<br />

the hottest tickets in town to<br />

watch women’s rugby’s most<br />

iconic rivalry!<br />

STADIUM TOURS<br />

2023 WAS A YEAR OF ICONIC<br />

SPORTING GREATNESS, INCLUDING<br />

THE HARD-FOUGHT ASHES DRAW,<br />

INTERNATIONAL HEARTACHE FOR<br />

ENGLAND FOOTBALL, WXV1 RED<br />

ROSES TRIUMPH, 3RD SPOT SUCCESS<br />

FOR ENGLAND RUGBY AND NOT<br />

FORGETTING THE PREMIERSHIP<br />

RUGBY FINAL WON BY OUR VERY OWN<br />

SARACENS MEN’S TEAM.<br />

Speaking of iconic sporting<br />

moments, StoneX Stadium


19<br />

is home to some of the<br />

most awe-inspiring sporting<br />

memorabilia going back to<br />

the early 1900s. Items such<br />

as the boots worn by Lionel<br />

Messi when he became<br />

the highest scorer for one<br />

club, World Cup winning<br />

shirts from different sports,<br />

infamous cricket bats (and<br />

balls), Olympic torches<br />

throughout the ages, starting<br />

from Berlin, 1936.<br />

Throughout the tour, you<br />

will be lead by one of our<br />

experience guides through<br />

not only items from the<br />

magnificent Priory Collection,<br />

but also the home and history<br />

of <strong>Saracens</strong>. Walk in the<br />

footsteps of rugby greats<br />

such as Brad Barrett, Owen<br />

Farrell and Maggie Alphonsi.<br />

Get a sneak peak of our<br />

illustrious Hospitality suites<br />

and where the Tiki Tonga<br />

can be heard after being<br />

victorious….the changing<br />

rooms.<br />

Tours last around 2 hours, and<br />

you are encouraged to bring<br />

your cameras!<br />

TICKET PRICES<br />

Adult - £25<br />

Concession - £20<br />

Seasonal Member Adult - £18<br />

Seasonal Member Concession<br />

- £15<br />

We will also be given a unique<br />

10% discount to use in the<br />

shop on the day of the tour.<br />

HOW TO BOOK<br />

You can book online at<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong>.com<br />

Any questions, email<br />

supporterservices@saracens.<br />

net or call 0203 870 3303<br />

SARACENS ANNOUNCE<br />

NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH<br />

SQREEM TECHNOLOGIES<br />

SARACENS IS DELIGHTED TO<br />

ANNOUNCE A NEW PARTNERSHIP<br />

WITH SQREEM TECHNOLOGIES<br />

AS OUR OFFICIAL AI MARKETING<br />

PARTNER.<br />

SQREEM are the worlds<br />

biggest digital behaviour<br />

aggregator, engaging and<br />

connecting consumers into<br />

a fully automated science<br />

for hundreds of brands and<br />

billions of consumers around<br />

the world. Headquartered<br />

in Singapore, SQREEM has<br />

clients and offices around the<br />

world.<br />

Their logo will be on the<br />

shorts for both <strong>Saracens</strong><br />

Men and Women, and as<br />

well as that, they will be the<br />

Presenting Partner of the<br />

Inside Training videos posted<br />

on the <strong>Saracens</strong> channels in<br />

the build up to each match,<br />

reaching an audience of over<br />

one million fans.<br />

PREMIERSHIP ROUNDS 13<br />

TO 16 CONFIRMED<br />

THE SHOWDOWN 4 IN ASSOCIATION<br />

WITH CITY INDEX WILL KICK OFF<br />

AT 15:05 FROM THE TOTTENHAM<br />

HOTSPUR STADIUM ON SATURDAY<br />

23RD MARCH.<br />

The trip to Northampton has<br />

been moved to Friday 29th<br />

March, and Bath away will<br />

also be under the lights on<br />

Friday 26th April.<br />

It has also been confirmed<br />

that all Round 18 fixtures<br />

– the final round of the<br />

regular season – will kick-off<br />

simultaneously at 3.05pm on<br />

Saturday, May 18.<br />

Kick-off times for Round<br />

17 will be announced in due<br />

course.<br />

ROUNDS 13-16:<br />

Saturday 23rd March -<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> v Harlequins - 15:05<br />

- Live on TNT Sports<br />

Friday 29th March -<br />

Northampton Saints v<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> - 19:45 - Live on TNT<br />

Sports<br />

Saturday 20th April -<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> v Gloucester Rugby<br />

- 15:00<br />

Friday 26th April -<br />

Bath Rugby v <strong>Saracens</strong> - 19:45<br />

- Live on TNT Sports


GET IT SIGNED!<br />

How many player autographs can you get?<br />

21


THE RUN IN<br />

WANT TO<br />

SECURE YOUR<br />

SEAT AT STONEX<br />

STADIUM FOR<br />

THE BUSINESS<br />

END OF THE<br />

SEASON? WE’RE<br />

EXCITED TO BE<br />

LAUNCHING<br />

A LIMITED<br />

NUMBER OF OUR<br />

BRAND NEW<br />

MEMBERSHIP,<br />

‘THE RUN IN’!<br />

22<br />

The new Membership will<br />

make sure you’re present for<br />

the run in as the Men in Black<br />

look to go back-to-back in<br />

the Gallagher Premiership,<br />

and this new offering will<br />

ensure you’re in the heart of<br />

the action for those crucial<br />

matches.<br />

Included in the Membership<br />

will be our huge blockbuster<br />

clash with Leinster in<br />

February, our Premiership<br />

matches against Exeter<br />

and Gloucester, the crucial<br />

Investec Champions Cup<br />

match against <strong>Lyon</strong>, and<br />

if that wasn’t enough you<br />

will also get a ticket for The<br />

Showdown 4 in Association<br />

with City Index at Tottenham<br />

Hotspur Stadium!<br />

As well as the tickets, you will<br />

also receive many benefits<br />

of a Seasonal Member such<br />

as invitations to exclusive<br />

Member Events throughout<br />

2024 which will include<br />

insights from players and<br />

coaches.<br />

You will get a one-time 10%<br />

discount to use on all of your<br />

favourite merchandise on<br />

the online shop, and exclusive<br />

offers from our club sponsors<br />

and partners.<br />

Finally, you will be given<br />

priority access to tickets for<br />

the rematch of the 2023<br />

Premiership Final against<br />

Sale Sharks at StoneX in May,<br />

and if Sarries progress to any<br />

knockout fixtures at home<br />

you will be at the front of the<br />

queue!<br />

This is a great way to bring<br />

friends and family along to<br />

StoneX for what is always an<br />

exciting time of the season,<br />

and with sell-outs expected<br />

for these bumper games this<br />

is your chance to make sure<br />

you don’t miss a minute.<br />

Prices start from just £130<br />

which works out at only £26<br />

per game, making it incredible<br />

value for those crucial games<br />

at the business end of the<br />

campaign with so much at<br />

stake.<br />

Don’t miss out, register your<br />

interest by scanning the QR<br />

code below to be at the front<br />

of the queue when they come<br />

on sale!


23<br />

MATCHES INCLUDED:<br />

SARACENS MEN VS LYON<br />

Saturday 20th January - 20:00<br />

SARACENS MEN VS EXETER CHIEFS<br />

Saturday 27th January - 16:30<br />

SARACENS MEN VS LEINSTER RUGBY<br />

Friday 23rd February - 19:30<br />

SARACENS MEN VS HARLEQUINS<br />

Saturday 23rd March - 15:05<br />

(Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)<br />

SARACENS MEN VS GLOUCESTER RUGBY<br />

Saturday 20th April - KO TBC


RUGBY.<br />

DELIVERED.<br />

TEAMWORK. SPEED. DELIVERY.<br />

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE OFFICIAL LOGISTICS PARTNER. DHL.


Stadium Map Map<br />

25


THE SHOWDOWN 4<br />

THE<br />

SHOWDOWN<br />

IS BACK!<br />

BIGGER AND<br />

BETTER THAN<br />

EVER BEFORE!<br />

26


27<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> return to the epic Tottenham Hotspur<br />

Stadium to take on Harlequins in a repeat of last<br />

season’s London derby in the Gallagher Premiership.<br />

Secure your seat without delay for what promises to<br />

be another history-making day at Tottenham.<br />

AN EXPERIENCE<br />

LIKE NO OTHER<br />

55,109 spectators joined us at Tottenham Hotspur<br />

Stadium for The Showdown 3. Sell out Spurs for The<br />

Showdown 4? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.<br />

• The Premiership’s BIGGEST RUGBY PARTY<br />

• London’s rugby derby<br />

• World-class stadium experience<br />

OVER 5 HOURS OF ELECTRIC ENTERTAINMENT<br />

The Showdown’s entertainment pre, during and post<br />

match is second-to-none. - Join us for a jam-packed<br />

afternoon of fireworks, music, elite sport & family<br />

fun!<br />

• LIVE MUSIC<br />

• BIG SCREEN FUN & GAMES<br />

•PYRO, FLAMES & FIREWORKS!<br />

FOOD AND DRINK<br />

There are unlimited options of food & drink available<br />

at Spurs Stadium. The 60+ food & drink outlets serve<br />

a wide range of delicious food, taking inspiration<br />

from London’s vibrant street food market scene – a<br />

mixture of diversity & fan favourites!<br />

Don’t forget to check out the Goal Line Bar – the<br />

longest bar in Europe!<br />

Book your tickets on <strong>Saracens</strong>.com now!


THE BIG PICTURE<br />

THEO DAN CELEBRATES HIS TRY AGAINST BORDEAUX.<br />

28


29


30


ONE OF THE OLDEST SPORTS CLUBS IN FRANCE, AND AMONG THE<br />

FIRST OUTSIDE PARIS TO HAVE SET UP A RUGBY SECTION, LE LOU WERE<br />

FIRST KNOWN AS RACING CLUB, THE RESULT OF A MERGER OF THE<br />

RACING CLUB DE VAISE AND THE RUGBY CLUB DE LYON.<br />

The club was renamed<br />

Racing et Cercles Réunis<br />

in 1902 after several other<br />

clubs joined it, then a few<br />

months later became <strong>Lyon</strong><br />

Olympique. Finally, in 1910,<br />

it became <strong>Lyon</strong> Olympique<br />

Universitaire. The club’s<br />

distinctive red and black<br />

colours were adopted in 1902.<br />

31<br />

Their EPCR European<br />

Challenge Cup final success<br />

against Toulon in Marseille<br />

in 2022 finally got a monkey<br />

off their backs. Firstly, it<br />

avenged the 1931 Top 14<br />

final defeat to Toulon, and<br />

secondly it allowed them to<br />

pick up their first top topflight<br />

tournament title since<br />

they made it back-to-back<br />

triumphs in the Top 14 in 1932<br />

and 1933.<br />

Having played in those three<br />

successive Top 14 finals in the<br />

Thirties, the club then played<br />

in lower amateur leagues<br />

until it was promoted back<br />

to Pro D2. In 2006-07, it had<br />

the second biggest budget<br />

of the championship, but did<br />

not succeed in its promotion<br />

quest to rejoin the elite clubs<br />

in France until 2011. It then<br />

became a proverbial “yo-yo<br />

team”, being either relegated<br />

or promoted four times in the<br />

six seasons after their 2011<br />

promotion. They captured the<br />

PROD2 title in 2011, 2014 and<br />

2016.<br />

This season hasn’t been<br />

great for them, and they<br />

currently lie one off the<br />

bottom of the Top 14 with<br />

only four wins in 12 games.<br />

Only Montpellier are beneath<br />

them at present, although<br />

it is a much brighter picture<br />

for them in the Champions<br />

Cup. After their win over<br />

Connacht last weekend they<br />

will arrive at the StoneX<br />

Stadium sitting in second<br />

place behind Bordeaux-Begles<br />

and guaranteed a place in the<br />

Round of 16.<br />

Prior to their 34-20 home win<br />

over Connacht last weekend,<br />

they had squeezed passed the<br />

Bulls 29-28 at home having<br />

lost in the opening round in<br />

Pool 1 at Bristol Bears, 36-34.<br />

There has been a change in<br />

coaching team since the last<br />

time the two teams met in<br />

Europe. Fabien Gengenbacher<br />

is now the director of rugby<br />

and he has backed up by<br />

Alan-Basson Zondagh was<br />

backs and attack coach,<br />

Coenie Basson as defence<br />

coach and Arnaud Heguy as<br />

scrum coach.


5TO<br />

WATCH<br />

PADDY JACKSON<br />

DOB: 05 January, 1992 (32)<br />

Position: Outside Half<br />

HT: 1.80m / 5’ 10”<br />

WT: 88kg / 13st 12lb<br />

Honours: Ireland (30 caps)<br />

A veteran of European<br />

competition, having made<br />

his debt for home province<br />

Ulster way back in 2011<br />

against Leicester Tigers,<br />

he has played twice for his<br />

new club in the Champions<br />

Cup this season. A great<br />

controller of games from No<br />

10, those two appearances<br />

took him past 50 outings in<br />

European competition, 39<br />

of them in the top tier. Still<br />

seeking his first European win<br />

over <strong>Saracens</strong> after all four<br />

previous attempts with Ulster<br />

ended in failure – twice at the<br />

quarter-final stage.<br />

ROMAIN TAOFIFENUA<br />

DOB: 14 September, 1990 (33)<br />

Position: Lock<br />

HT: 2.00m / 6’ 8”<br />

WT: 139kg / 21st 4lb<br />

Honours: France (49 caps)<br />

Called time on his<br />

international career after<br />

France’s exit at the World<br />

Cup earlier this season<br />

but has since reversed his<br />

decision. A giant presence in<br />

every way he played more<br />

than 150 games for Toulon<br />

before joining <strong>Lyon</strong>. He won<br />

the Champions Cup while<br />

he was at Toulon on in 2015,<br />

picking up tips from Bakkies<br />

Both and Ali Williams as he<br />

developed his game. Was at<br />

the heart of the 2022 French<br />

Grand Slam pack.<br />

32


33<br />

JOEL KPOKU<br />

DOB: 22 June, 1999 (24)<br />

Position: Lock<br />

HT:1.98m / 6’ 6”<br />

WT: 126kg / 19st 11lb<br />

Honours: England U20 (15 caps)<br />

A product of the <strong>Saracens</strong><br />

academy, Joel attending<br />

Oaklands School and shined<br />

with England U20. He was<br />

called up to train with the full<br />

England squad but has yet<br />

to gain a full cap. An athletic<br />

second row, he joined <strong>Lyon</strong><br />

from <strong>Saracens</strong> in 2021 and<br />

made an immediate impact,<br />

helping them to secure the<br />

EPCR Challenge Cup in his<br />

first season. This won’t be<br />

the first time he has returned<br />

to the StoneX to play. In<br />

last season’s Challenge Cup<br />

he was on the wrong end<br />

of a 48-28 defeat at his old<br />

stomping ground.<br />

MARTIN PAGE-RELO<br />

DOB: 06 January, 1999 (25)<br />

Position: Scrum Half<br />

HT: 1.73m / 5’ 8”<br />

WT: 77kg / 12st 2lb<br />

Honours: Italy (4 caps)<br />

The French-born scrum half<br />

now plies his trade on the<br />

international front for Italy.<br />

His debut came last summer<br />

in two warm-up games<br />

before the World Cup, where<br />

he featured in the games<br />

against Namibia and New<br />

Zealand. Mo ed to <strong>Lyon</strong> after<br />

learning his trade at Toulouse,<br />

where he spent three seasons.<br />

He also went out on loan to<br />

Carcassonne. A typical ‘Petit<br />

General’ at the base of his<br />

pack, he is the brains that<br />

helps to dictate the course of<br />

the game. Played in all three<br />

matches to date so far in this<br />

season Champions Cup.<br />

DEMBA BAMBA<br />

DOB: 17 March, 1998 (25)<br />

Position: TH Prop<br />

HT: 1.85m / 6’ 0”<br />

WT: 119kg / 18st 10lb<br />

Honours:(France (26 caps)<br />

A one-man wrecking<br />

machine with ball in hand,<br />

he is also now a much more<br />

powerful scrummager than<br />

he was in his early days. His<br />

swashbuckling style always<br />

catches the eye, as it first did<br />

when he helped France win<br />

the World Rugby U20 title<br />

on home soil in 2018, and<br />

he has been smashing it for<br />

<strong>Lyon</strong> since joining from Brive<br />

in 2019. He was in the French<br />

side that won the 2022 Grand<br />

Slam and helped <strong>Lyon</strong> to win<br />

the EPCR Challenge Cup in<br />

2022.


RIP STEVE LEMMING<br />

Sadly Steve Lemming, a <strong>Saracens</strong><br />

season ticket holder for over 25 years<br />

passed away in December. Steve and<br />

his wife Nina were seated in front of<br />

the Players Lounge in the East Stand<br />

where they were looked after well by<br />

the staff in that area as Steve was<br />

confined to his wheelchair.<br />

Steve followed Sarries home, away and<br />

to European destinations over the years<br />

when he could until falling ill with MS<br />

which restricted his abilities. A great<br />

friend, Father and Husband, Steve will<br />

be missed by all that knew him.<br />

34


35


SARACENS SUPPORTERS<br />

ASSOCIATION (SSA)<br />

E <strong>Saracens</strong> Supporters Association<br />

D @sarriessupport<br />

Q ssa_racens<br />

A very good evening, everyone,<br />

from all of us in the SSA, and<br />

welcome back to StoneX for<br />

the first Sarries Mens match<br />

of 2024…..and very belatedly a<br />

Happy New Year to you all!!<br />

We’d also like to extend a very<br />

warm welcome to our dear<br />

friends from Le LOU , or to<br />

give them their official title,<br />

<strong>Lyon</strong> Olympique Universitaire,<br />

and we know that alongside<br />

the players and coaching team<br />

a group of their fans have<br />

journeyed to North London<br />

from a beautiful city which will<br />

be very familiar to a lot of you<br />

reading this.<br />

We know that you’ll all take<br />

the opportunity to extend the<br />

same hospitality to Le LOU<br />

fans as was experienced by<br />

Sarries fans who travelled to<br />

<strong>Lyon</strong> in 2019 and 2022 and<br />

were made so very welcome<br />

by home supporters!<br />

We’d also hope that after<br />

a couple of difficult away<br />

matches, more on which<br />

below, you’ll all bring<br />

“maximum noise” tonight to<br />

let the squad and especially<br />

our captain know that we’re<br />

backing them every step<br />

of the way as they look to<br />

reach the quarter finals of<br />

the Investec Champions Cup<br />

despite defeats to Bulls and<br />

Union Bordeaux-Begles (UBB)<br />

– so, please, all of you, shout<br />

your heads off, wave those<br />

flags and make StoneX both<br />

a wall of sound and a sea of<br />

black and red!!<br />

Le LOU bring with them a<br />

formidable squad which<br />

includes a very familiar face –<br />

none other than former Sarrie<br />

and SSA-sponsored player<br />

Joel Kpoku who has fully<br />

established himself in France<br />

after leaving North London<br />

in 2021, already having a<br />

Challenge Cup Winner’s medal<br />

(2022) to his name; we’re<br />

sure that if he’s in the squad<br />

tonight Joel will receive a very<br />

warm welcome home.<br />

Look out also for the world<br />

class – and fearsome – Semi<br />

Radradra who joined Le LOU<br />

from Bristol Bears last year<br />

and has enjoyed a glittering<br />

career in Union, League and<br />

Sevens.<br />

ROUND-UP<br />

Since their last home game,<br />

a 37-19 win over Newcastle<br />

Falcons on 30th December,<br />

the Men have had a difficult<br />

couple of weeks on the road,<br />

losing 19-10 in the Premiership<br />

to Leicester Tigers and then<br />

last Sunday we went down<br />

55-15 to a brilliant UBB side in<br />

front of a passionate crowd at<br />

Stade Chabal-Delmas which<br />

included the largest group<br />

of travelling Sarries for five<br />

years, which we’ll tell you more<br />

about below.<br />

The Women continue to set<br />

the very hottest of paces at<br />

the top of this season’s APWR<br />

with the much-anticipated<br />

Christmas Cracker against<br />

Bristol Bears Women on 23rd<br />

December bringing a 32-10<br />

win, followed by a thumping<br />

3-69 defeat of Sale Sharks<br />

Women at CorpacQ Stadium,<br />

and then last week – watched<br />

by many Sarries from hotels<br />

and bars in Bordeaux as well<br />

as those present at StoneX<br />

– a resilient Exeter Chiefs<br />

Women were beaten 39-26 to<br />

leave Sarries on a perfect 35<br />

points after 7 games and an<br />

astonishing points difference<br />

of 250!!!!<br />

Today, the Women were<br />

travelling to Kingsholm to face<br />

second-placed Gloucester-<br />

Hartpury in a high-stakes<br />

encounter with the home side<br />

just 6 points behind Sarries<br />

with a game in hand - the<br />

kick-off was at 14.00 so<br />

you’ll know the result by the<br />

time you read this! We do<br />

know that a number of SSA<br />

members were planning to<br />

make it to both games!!<br />

NEXT UP<br />

Next up for the Men will be a<br />

home encounter with Exeter<br />

Chiefs on 27th January (17.30<br />

kick-off), while the next<br />

Women’s game will be against<br />

Trailfinders Women at StoneX<br />

on 3rd February, kicking off at<br />

14.30.<br />

36


37<br />

Also in action next Saturday<br />

will be the Mavericks who take<br />

on Strathclyde Sirens in a<br />

sold-out pre-season encounter<br />

at Hertfordshire Sports<br />

Village!<br />

EVENTS<br />

Despite the desperately<br />

disappointing result in<br />

Bordeaux we in the SSA<br />

were thrilled by the number<br />

of Sarries travelling to the<br />

game, with the Association’s<br />

allocation of 250 tickets<br />

completely sold out well in<br />

advance of the game, and<br />

with dozens more of the<br />

red and black army booking<br />

tickets through UBB joining<br />

us the noise and passion of<br />

our support could be heard on<br />

TV – we couldn’t be prouder<br />

of our club and its wonderful<br />

fans.<br />

Many Sarries had arrived by<br />

two or even three days before<br />

the game to enjoy the cultural<br />

and culinary delights of the<br />

beautiful city of Bordeaux and<br />

while taking in the sights and<br />

visiting the many excellent<br />

bars and restaurants it felt<br />

like there were Sarries here,<br />

there and everywhere taking<br />

over the city.<br />

The UBB fans couldn’t have<br />

been more welcoming to us<br />

and on the evening before the<br />

match travelling Sarries were<br />

invited by the UBB Supporters<br />

Club to join them for food and<br />

drinks at their Club House in<br />

the centre of the city.<br />

On match day itself, and<br />

with the game not kicking<br />

off until 18.30, more than<br />

75 Sarries gathered at Café<br />

Francais for an excellent lunch<br />

before repairing to Le Rond<br />

Point Bordeaux just by Stade<br />

Chebal-Delmas for pre-match<br />

pints.<br />

Post-match sorrows were<br />

then drowned at the Magnus<br />

Pub…<br />

I’m sure those who travelled<br />

will join us in giving very<br />

special thanks to our very own<br />

Nige Eaton for organising such<br />

a fantastic set of events!!!<br />

COME AND SEE US…<br />

For Le LOU fans who may<br />

be reading this, do please<br />

also come and say ‘hello’ to<br />

the <strong>Saracens</strong> Supporters<br />

Association at our base<br />

under what we fondly call our<br />

gazebo which I located near<br />

the North Stand and right by<br />

The Oasis. You can’t miss us -<br />

there’s always a large group in<br />

attendance, chatting, having<br />

a drink together, with, as ever,<br />

our Matchday Team working<br />

hard to help with membership<br />

enquiries, members’ badge<br />

collections and away ticket<br />

enquiries. We’d love to see you<br />

and share thoughts on today’s<br />

game, how the season’s going<br />

so far and what’s happening<br />

in the rugby world. It goes<br />

without saying, we’d love to<br />

see our fellow Sarries fans too!!<br />

Just a reminder for all visitors,<br />

though:<br />

We will be at the gazebo only<br />

until 30 minutes before kick-off<br />

and no later: it’s important<br />

to remember that the SSA<br />

Matchday Team is staffed<br />

entirely by volunteers who are<br />

fans like everyone else so we<br />

also need time to charge our<br />

glasses, meet up with friends,<br />

get to our seats or favourite<br />

standing spot, and greet the<br />

players as they run out from<br />

the tunnel, so if you do have<br />

any membership, ticketing or<br />

badge queries please come and<br />

see us in good time.<br />

ABOUT THE SSA…<br />

If you do come to see us at<br />

the gazebo and you are not<br />

an SSA member, why not join?<br />

Membership is £10/season or<br />

£5 for juniors. In addition to<br />

social events and organising<br />

ticket allocations for away<br />

events, we arrange meet ups<br />

at away games and we have<br />

our monthly newsletter with<br />

all sorts of interesting articles!<br />

We also have an SSA<br />

representative on the Club’s<br />

Supporters’ Forum, Nigel<br />

Eaton. Members with points<br />

to raise can contact him via<br />

email at committee.ssa@<br />

outlook.com or in person on<br />

match days at the gazebo.<br />

For other news, check<br />

out our website (www.<br />

saracenssupporters.org) and<br />

our social media channels:<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> Supporters<br />

Association on Facebook;<br />

@sarriessupport on Twitter<br />

and ssa_racens on Instagram!<br />

And finally, don’t forget to<br />

listen to the SSA Fezcast!<br />

Have a great afternoon,<br />

everyone!<br />

#SarriesFamily


ON THIS DAY<br />

20 JANUARY 2018<br />

The previews all said the<br />

same six years ago when<br />

the reigning European<br />

champions, <strong>Saracens</strong>,<br />

entered Round 6 of the<br />

Champions Cup – “Cup<br />

holders <strong>Saracens</strong> welcome<br />

Northampton Saints<br />

on Saturday with their<br />

qualification hopes hanging<br />

by a thread”.<br />

It was different then, with<br />

six games and home and<br />

away games in each pool,<br />

but the Men in Black knew<br />

they had to be at their very<br />

best to stand any chance of<br />

reaching the quarter-finals.<br />

Cometh the hour, cometh the<br />

performance – and what a<br />

performance!<br />

Two defeats and a draw had<br />

left <strong>Saracens</strong> third in Pool 2,<br />

five points adrift of leaders<br />

ASM Clermont Auvergne<br />

and two points behind<br />

second-placed Ospreys. With<br />

Clermont, who beat <strong>Saracens</strong><br />

twice, hosting Ospreys at the<br />

same time, there was only<br />

one target in mind for Mark<br />

McCall’s men – a bonus-point<br />

win.<br />

Having already beaten Saints<br />

57-13 at Franklin’s Gardens in<br />

Round 1 there was every hope<br />

of a repeat, but then Cobus<br />

Reinach popped up with the<br />

first of nine tries in the match<br />

after only five minutes to<br />

heighten the tension.<br />

But the defending champions<br />

underlined their credentials<br />

with a sensational 62-14<br />

thrashing of the Saints in<br />

front of a crowd of 10,000<br />

the formerly named Allianz<br />

Park, scoring seven tries of<br />

their own in a pretty hefty<br />

response. Clermont beat<br />

Ospreys, so second place in<br />

the Pool was secured, but<br />

even so, they had to wait<br />

until other games had been<br />

completed the following<br />

day before creeping into the<br />

quarter-finals as the eighth<br />

qualifier.<br />

Despite that Reinach try early<br />

doors, the bonus-point had<br />

been bagged by the break.<br />

Heineken Man of the Match<br />

38


39<br />

Mako Vunipola got the first<br />

before Alex Goode marked<br />

his 250th appearance for the<br />

club with the second. Marcelo<br />

Bosch, Richard Wigglesworth<br />

and Vincent Koch all then<br />

crossed to make it 36-14 at<br />

half-time<br />

Saints lost flanker Jamie<br />

Gibson to the sin-bin before<br />

the break and that made life<br />

even more difficult for them.<br />

The second half saw them<br />

on the back foot throughout<br />

as they failed to add to<br />

their score. Sean Maitland<br />

and debutant Sione Vailanu<br />

added second-half tries and<br />

Owen Farrell ended up with<br />

a match haul of 27 points<br />

with six conversions and five<br />

penalties.<br />

That took him above to<br />

Dimitri Yachvilli into third<br />

place io the all-time European<br />

points scorers chart.<br />

SARACENS 62 (36)<br />

NORTHAMPTON<br />

SAINTS 14 (14)<br />

SCORERS: <strong>Saracens</strong>:<br />

T: M Vunipola (14),<br />

Goode (20), Bosch (28),<br />

Wigglesworth (34), Koch<br />

(40+1), Maitland (53), Vailanu<br />

(62); C: Farrell 6; P: Farrell 5:


40


41<br />

THE INTERVIEW<br />

BILLY<br />

VUNIPOLA


It certainly wasn’t the<br />

landmark occasion that<br />

Billy Vunipola was hoping<br />

for when <strong>Saracens</strong> played<br />

Bordeaux-Begles in the<br />

Investec Champions Cup last<br />

weekend. Nobody would have<br />

wanted his 50th appearance<br />

in the tournament to have<br />

been accompanied by a<br />

defeat for his side.<br />

But that’s professional sport!<br />

One day you are on top of<br />

the world as a European<br />

champion - three times in the<br />

case of the England No 8 –<br />

and the next you find yourself<br />

in a race to qualify for the<br />

knockout stages.<br />

In typical, combative fashion,<br />

Vunipola didn’t wallow. His<br />

only concern in the wake of<br />

the nine try, 55-15 defeat at<br />

Stade Chaban-Delmas was<br />

how the team can improve.<br />

There is a lot to play for<br />

against <strong>Lyon</strong> today and<br />

Vunipola wants to make up<br />

for last week’s performance.<br />

“It was a tough result to take.<br />

and it was tough to pick out<br />

the positives. Having said<br />

that, we’re grateful that all<br />

the boys are fit and healthy<br />

and we can start building<br />

from what essentially is the<br />

bottom after that,” said<br />

Vunipola.<br />

“It’s tough to say that, but<br />

it’s vital that we’re open and<br />

honest about where we’re<br />

at with our performances<br />

and how we are as a group.<br />

We will regather, get better<br />

and I’m sure we will be in<br />

the mix by the end of this<br />

tournament.”<br />

To do that they will need to<br />

have re-grouped over the<br />

past six days and prepared<br />

for a potential must-win<br />

game against already<br />

qualified <strong>Lyon</strong> today. It is<br />

a big, big game, and that<br />

always brings out the best in<br />

TO DO IT WITH MY<br />

‘ROOMY’ WAS A BIG<br />

HONOUR OR ME AND<br />

TO DO IT WITH THIS<br />

GREAT CLUB IS AN<br />

EVEN BIGGER HONOUR.<br />

the <strong>Saracens</strong> stalwarts at the<br />

StoneX Stadium.<br />

“You have to give credit<br />

where credit is due, Bordeaux<br />

played a very good game. We<br />

knew they liked to throw the<br />

ball around, but they were<br />

also smart in the way they<br />

played,” added the Sarries<br />

No 8.<br />

“There were a lot of instances<br />

in how they got out of their<br />

half any way, shape or form.<br />

We played into their hands a<br />

little bit.<br />

“There are things for us to<br />

build on. Our set piece held<br />

up a lot better than it had in<br />

recent weeks. If we can get<br />

42


43<br />

our foundations right, I’m<br />

sure we will be alright.”<br />

While Vunipola was able to<br />

follow big brother Mako in<br />

picking up an ‘EPCR 50 Cap<br />

Club’ award, what made it<br />

all the more special was he<br />

did so with his room mate<br />

Sean Maitland. Both players<br />

reached the landmark<br />

together, although Scotland<br />

and British & Irish Lions wing<br />

Maitland reached his halfcentury<br />

thanks to 34 games<br />

for the ‘Men in Black and 16<br />

for Glasgow Warriors.<br />

Now they have pledged to<br />

build even more memories as<br />

the moment of truth for this<br />

season’s top-tier European<br />

tournament comes around.<br />

“Memories are memories, and<br />

I’ve had many good memories<br />

in the 50 games I’ve had in<br />

the European Cup,” added<br />

Vunipola.<br />

“To do it with my ‘roomy’ was<br />

a big honour for me and to<br />

do it with this great club is<br />

an even bigger honour. But<br />

what’s most important now<br />

is how we approach this week<br />

and the rest of the year.<br />

“When I joined the club from<br />

Wasps, I saw how highly they<br />

regarded how many games<br />

you play for this team. I<br />

wanted to be in the ‘100’ club<br />

to start with, then it was<br />

amazing to hit 150 games.<br />

“I just want to keep going to<br />

see how many games I can<br />

get under my belt in my time<br />

here at Sarries.”<br />

MOST APPEARANCES<br />

FOR SARACENS<br />

IN INVESTEC<br />

CHAMPIONS CUP<br />

(25+)<br />

PLAYER<br />

APPEARANCES<br />

OWEN FARRELL 76<br />

ALEX GOODE 74<br />

JAMIE GEORGE 69<br />

RICHARD WIGGLESWORTH 69<br />

MAKO VUNIPOLA 65<br />

BRAD BARRITT 64<br />

JACKSON WRAY 61<br />

GEORGE KRUIS 55<br />

CHRIS WYLES 55<br />

SCHALK BRITS 50<br />

BILLY VUNIPOLA 50<br />

NEIL DE KOCK 50<br />

MARO ITOJE 45<br />

RICHARD BARRINGTON 43<br />

KELLY BROWN 43<br />

DAVID STRETTLE 41<br />

CHRIS ASHTON 38<br />

ALEX LOZOWSKI 35<br />

MARCELO BOSCH 34<br />

SEAN MAITLAND 34<br />

BEN SPENCER 34<br />

CHARLIE HODGSON 33<br />

DUNCAN TAYLOR 32<br />

PETRUS DU PLESSIS 31<br />

STEVE BORTHWICK 28<br />

RHYS GILL 28<br />

ERNST JOUBERT 26<br />

VINCENT KOCH 26<br />

MICHAEL RHODES 26<br />

NICK TOMPKINS 25


TOM PARTON


45<br />

HOSPITALITY AT SARACENS<br />

AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER!<br />

ENJOY<br />

SARACENS<br />

HOSPITALITY<br />

WATCHING<br />

SOME OF THE<br />

BEST-KNOWN<br />

STARS IN<br />

WORLD RUGBY<br />

COMPETE FOR<br />

THE GALLAGHER<br />

PREMIERSHIP<br />

AND EUROPEAN<br />

TITLES!<br />

With a range of packages on<br />

offer, there’s something to<br />

suit all types of supporters<br />

whether you’re looking to<br />

entertain clients, staff or<br />

mark a special occasion with<br />

family and friends.<br />

HOSPITALITY BENEFITS<br />

• Enjoy an unforgettable<br />

match day experience<br />

complete with quality food<br />

and drink choices.<br />

• Opportunities to connect<br />

with fellow supporters and<br />

build new networks.<br />

• Watch title winning rugby<br />

from some of the finest seats<br />

in the house.<br />

• Access to exclusive rugby<br />

insights and opportunities<br />

to meet the players through<br />

weekly player question and<br />

answer sessions.<br />

• A broad variety of<br />

exceptional experiences, from<br />

luxury formal to vibrant &<br />

relaxed lounges<br />

• Create lasting memories<br />

on a one off special occasion<br />

or as part of a welcoming<br />

community of seasonal<br />

members<br />

• All delivered by a friendly<br />

and expert team of<br />

hospitality professionals.<br />

Enquire today and allow us to<br />

work with you on creating the<br />

experience that is perfect for<br />

YOU and your guests<br />

Interested in hospitality<br />

at StoneX Stadium? Email<br />

hospitality@saracens.net to<br />

find out more!


FOUNDATION<br />

GO FORWARD<br />

The Go Forward Project<br />

empowers young people,<br />

through mentoring and<br />

sport, to develop essential<br />

skills and strategies to be<br />

able to effectively navigate<br />

challenging situations which<br />

significantly decreases the<br />

likelihood of classroom<br />

removals or permanent<br />

exclusion from school.<br />

We currently work with<br />

a cohort of students at<br />

46<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> High School,<br />

Kingsbury High School and<br />

Future Academies Watford to<br />

develop important life skills<br />

including teamwork, conflict<br />

resolution and resilience using<br />

a curriculum of 1:1 mentoring,<br />

group workshops and<br />

enrichment experiences.<br />

PROJECT STATISTICS:<br />

• Only 1% of excluded pupils<br />

go on to achieve 5 GCSE<br />

grades<br />

• 89% of boys in Young<br />

Offenders Institutions<br />

have experienced exclusion<br />

from school<br />

Last term was really exciting<br />

for us as it saw the start<br />

of the Go Forward Sports<br />

League where participants<br />

get the opportunity to come<br />

to StoneX Stadium and take<br />

part in a range of competitive<br />

sports. The first event was<br />

tag rugby and it was great<br />

to see the teams growing in<br />

confidence and supporting<br />

one another throughout the<br />

afternoon.<br />

The students returned to<br />

StoneX Stadium later in the<br />

term for our Go Forward<br />

Careers Afternoon where<br />

they learnt about jobs in<br />

finance thanks to our project<br />

partner Shawbrook Bank as<br />

well as events, hospitality<br />

and match day operations.<br />

The afternoon was rounded<br />

of by an inspiration talk from<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> Head of Culture<br />

and Rugby Manager, Warrick<br />

Lang.<br />

In December, we ran our first<br />

rewards trip for the students<br />

when they attended the Lee<br />

Valley Olympic Velopark for<br />

an afternoon of track cycling<br />

and BMX. All the students<br />

had a fantastic time with<br />

one stating that ‘it was best<br />

experience they had every<br />

had!’<br />

To learn more about ‘Go<br />

Forward’ and how you can<br />

support this amazing project,<br />

please contact:<br />

IzzyWhiteley@saracens.net


47


With<br />

HUGH TIZARD<br />

A - Action: If you could be a<br />

superhero, which would you<br />

be?<br />

Spiderman<br />

B - Boyhood: Who was your<br />

sporting idol growing up?<br />

Steven Gerrard<br />

C - Childhood: What is your<br />

favourite childhood memory?<br />

Holidays!<br />

D - Dish: What’s your go-to<br />

pre-match meal?<br />

Chicken Chorizo Orzo<br />

E - Education: What was your<br />

favourite subject in school?<br />

History<br />

F - Film buff: What’s your<br />

favourite film?<br />

48<br />

No Country for Old Men<br />

G - Groove: Who is the best<br />

dancer in the squad?<br />

Sam Crean<br />

H - Holiday: What’s your<br />

favourite holiday destination?<br />

Greece<br />

I - Inside: Who is the worst<br />

to sit beside in the dressing<br />

room?<br />

Sam Crean<br />

J - Joker: Who is the funniest<br />

in the squad?<br />

Sam Crean<br />

K - Kick-Off: What’s your<br />

favourite time of day to play<br />

a match?<br />

As late as possible<br />

L - Languages: How many<br />

languages can you speak?<br />

One<br />

M - Music: Your favourite<br />

artist and song right now?<br />

Sting - Englishman in New<br />

York<br />

N - Number: Do you have a<br />

lucky number?<br />

One<br />

O - Others: What’s your<br />

favourite sport outside of<br />

rugby?<br />

Snooker<br />

P - Pal: Who is your best mate<br />

in the squad?<br />

Sam Crean<br />

Q - Quirky: Who has the most<br />

interesting fashion sense?<br />

Harvey Beaton<br />

R - Red Carpet: Who is the<br />

most famous contact in your<br />

phone?<br />

Maro Itoje


49<br />

S - Superstitions: Do you have<br />

any matchday routines?<br />

I put my left sock on first<br />

T - Trim: What’s the worst<br />

haircut you’ve ever had?<br />

I shaved my head in lockdown<br />

U- Under pressure: Who in the<br />

squad would be the best in a<br />

bad situation?<br />

Ralph Adams-Hale<br />

V - Verified: How often do you<br />

use social media?<br />

A lot<br />

W - Worst fear: What are you<br />

most scared of?<br />

Flying<br />

X - X-ray: Have you ever<br />

broken any bones?<br />

My ankle<br />

Y - Youth: Where did you grow<br />

up?<br />

Guildford<br />

Z - Zoo: What’s your favourite<br />

animal?<br />

Lion


Junior<br />

we want to<br />

hear from you!<br />

Use the hashtag<br />

#Your<strong>Saracens</strong><br />

with all of your matchday<br />

pics and we’ll share the best<br />

ones on our channels.<br />

SARRIE THE CAMEL<br />

If you see Sarrie around the stadium today, make<br />

sure you stop him and send in your pictures!<br />

A-MAZE-ING<br />

CAN YOU HELP SARRIE MAKE IT THROUGH THE MAZE TO THE BALL?<br />

behind<br />

the mask<br />

CAN YOU NAME THE PLAYER<br />

WHO IS HIDDEN BEHIND<br />

THE MASK?<br />

50


SPOT THE<br />

DIFFERENCE…<br />

CAN YOU FIND THE SIX<br />

DIFFERENCES IN THE PICTURES?<br />

All<br />

juMbLeD uP!<br />

CAN YOU UNSCRAMBLE<br />

THE NAMES OF THE TWO<br />

PLAYERS BELOW?<br />

A] TENT WOOL<br />

COMFORTS<br />

51<br />

B] CANNONS<br />

DARK JOB<br />

SPOT THE BALL<br />

CAN YOU TELL THE POSITION OF<br />

THE REAL BALL?<br />

An Bn Cn Dn En<br />

A<br />

B<br />

C<br />

E<br />

D<br />

how did<br />

you do?!<br />

ANSWERS:<br />

BEHIND THE MASK:<br />

Sam Crean<br />

ALL JUMBLED UP:<br />

A] Tom Woolstencroft<br />

B] Brandon Jackson<br />

SPOT THE BALL: C


IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PLAYER<br />

SPONOSRSHIP, PLEASE EMAIL<br />

jamesmccann@saracens.net<br />

FOR MORE INFORMATION<br />

PLAYER PROFILES<br />

2023/24<br />

For full player biographies,<br />

please scan this QR code:<br />

RALPH ADAMS-HALE<br />

PROP<br />

DOB -<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

LADYWOLF<br />

CONSULTING<br />

HARVEY BEATON<br />

PROP<br />

DOB -<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

AVAILABLE TO<br />

SPONSOR<br />

CAMERON BOON<br />

SECOND ROW<br />

DOB 08/09/1999<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

AVAILABLE TO<br />

SPONSOR<br />

ANDY CHRISTIE<br />

BACK ROW<br />

DOB 27/03/1999<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

TONY<br />

DE MEL<br />

LUCIO CINTI<br />

CENTRE/ WING<br />

DOB 23/02/2000<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

NICK<br />

SCHILD<br />

ALEC CLAREY<br />

PROP<br />

DOB 08/02/1994<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE SCHILD<br />

FAMILY<br />

SAM CREAN<br />

PROP<br />

DOB -<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

CAVENDISH<br />

BROOKE<br />

52


53<br />

ELLIOT DA LY<br />

CENTRE<br />

DOB 08/10/1992<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

DUNCAN<br />

SINCLAIR<br />

THEO DAN<br />

HOOKER<br />

DOB 26/12/2000<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

PAUL<br />

O’SHEA<br />

ALED DAVIES<br />

SCRUM HALF<br />

DOB 19/07/1992<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE CHARLES<br />

FAMILY<br />

BEN EARL<br />

BACK ROW<br />

DOB 07/01/1998<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

HARRY HYMAN OF<br />

NEXUS GROUP<br />

OWEN FARRELL<br />

FLY HALF<br />

DOB 24/09/1991<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

PATHLIGHT<br />

ASSOCIATES<br />

JAMIE GEORGE<br />

HOOKER<br />

DOB 20/10/1990<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

DUNCAN<br />

SINCLAIR<br />

JUAN MARTIN GONZALEZ<br />

BACK ROW<br />

DOB -<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE HASLAM<br />

FAMILY<br />

ALEX GOODE<br />

FULLBACK<br />

DOB 05/05/1988<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

NEIL & ALISON<br />

PEARSON<br />

JOSH HALLETT<br />

CENTRE<br />

DOB 06/09/2000<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

BILL<br />

& ED


BEN HARRIS<br />

WING<br />

DOB 08/09/1999<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

AVAILABLE TO<br />

SPONSOR<br />

OLLY HARTLEY<br />

CENTRE<br />

DOB -<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE GRIFFIN<br />

FAMILY<br />

OLIVER HOSKINS<br />

PROP<br />

DOB 06/03/1993<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

MLBT<br />

INVESTMENTS<br />

CALLUM HUNTER-HILL<br />

SECOND ROW<br />

DOB 27/02/1997<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE FAB<br />

FEZZERS<br />

NICK ISIEKWE<br />

SECOND ROW<br />

DOB 20/04/1998<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

CAVENDISH<br />

BROOKE<br />

MARO ITOJE<br />

LOCK/BACK ROW<br />

DOB 28/10/1994<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE GREEN<br />

FAMILY<br />

BRANDON JACKSON<br />

CENTRE<br />

DOB -<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

AVAILABLE TO<br />

SPONSOR<br />

CHRISTIAN JUDGE<br />

PROP<br />

DOB 08/01/1993<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

PATHLIGHT<br />

ASSOCIATES<br />

TOBY KNIGHT<br />

BACK ROW<br />

DOB -<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

MARCO<br />

V. MASOTTI<br />

54


55<br />

5<br />

CAPS<br />

ALEX LEWINGTON<br />

WING<br />

DOB 20/09/1991<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

SRM<br />

SECURITY<br />

ALEX LOZOWSKI<br />

CENTRE<br />

DOB 30/06/1993<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE CARD<br />

FAMILY<br />

ERONI MAWI<br />

PROP<br />

DOB 02/06/1996<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE MACKENZIE-BEDFORD<br />

FAMILY WITH MARK CASTON<br />

SEAN MAITLAND<br />

WING<br />

DOB 14/09/1988<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

DUNCAN<br />

SINCLAIR<br />

THEO McFARLAND<br />

BACK ROW<br />

DOB 16/10/1995<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

J O’SULLIVAN<br />

GROUP LTD<br />

DOM MORRIS<br />

CENTRE<br />

DOB 29/07/1997<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

AVAILABLE TO<br />

SPONSOR<br />

TOM PARTON<br />

FULLBACK<br />

DOB 02/02/1998<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

ASYA AND AMELIA<br />

STRUTINSKA<br />

KAPELI PIFELETI<br />

HOOKER<br />

DOB -<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

POPPY AND FELIX<br />

SINCLAIR<br />

MARCO RICCIONI<br />

PROP<br />

DOB 19/10/1997<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

TONY<br />

DE MEL


ROTIMI SEGUN<br />

WING<br />

DOB 28/12/1996<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE DOMONEY<br />

FAMILY<br />

GARETH SIMPSON<br />

SCRUM HALF<br />

DOB 02/11/1997<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

AVAILABLE TO<br />

SPONSOR<br />

OLLIE STONHAM<br />

BACK ROW<br />

DOB 16/02/2001<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE STEWART<br />

FAMILY<br />

HUGH TIZARD<br />

SECOND ROW<br />

DOB 31/03/2000<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

SARACENS SUPPORTERS<br />

ASSOCIATION<br />

NICK TOMPKINS<br />

CENTRE<br />

DOB 16/02/1995<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE DOMONEY<br />

FAMILY<br />

IVAN VAN ZYL<br />

SCRUM HALF<br />

DOB 30/06/1995<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE DONNER<br />

FAMILY<br />

-<br />

CAPS<br />

-<br />

CAPS<br />

BILLY VUNIPOLA<br />

BACK ROW<br />

DOB 03/11/1992<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

DUNCAN<br />

SINCLAIR<br />

MANU VUNIPOLA<br />

FLY HALF<br />

DOB 04/05/2000<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

DUNCAN<br />

SINCLAIR<br />

MAKO VUNIPOLA<br />

PROP<br />

DOB 14/01/1991<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

DUNCAN<br />

SINCLAIR<br />

56


57<br />

TOM WEST<br />

PROP<br />

DOB 11/03/1996<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

AVAILABLE TO<br />

SPONSOR<br />

SARACENS<br />

STAFF<br />

2023/24<br />

JOE SHAW<br />

MEN’S HEAD COACH<br />

MARK McCALL<br />

MEN’S DIRECTOR OF RUGBY<br />

PHIL MORROW<br />

GENERAL MANAGER<br />

RUGBY<br />

DEPARTMENT<br />

MARK MCCALL<br />

PHIL MORROW<br />

JOE SHAW<br />

IAN PEEL<br />

KEVIN SORRELL<br />

DAN VICKERS<br />

ADAM POWELL<br />

JUAN FIGALLO<br />

JAMES TIRRELL<br />

WARRICK LANG<br />

DAVID JONES<br />

NICK KENNEDY<br />

DANNY BARKER<br />

FINELLA HINTON<br />

SIMON MATTICK<br />

MATTHEW WELLS<br />

TOMMY FULLER<br />

ANTONY LEE<br />

LOUIS BODROZIC<br />

JOEL DAVIS<br />

ANDY DAWLING<br />

KAT HOWSON<br />

VIKKI REYLAND<br />

TOM WILLIS<br />

BACK ROW<br />

DOB 18/01/1999<br />

Kindly sponsored by:<br />

THE CARD<br />

FAMILY<br />

IAN PEEL<br />

MEN’S FORWARDS COACH<br />

ADAM POWELL<br />

MEN’S DEFENCE COACH<br />

KEVIN SORRELL<br />

MEN’S BACKS COACH<br />

DAN VICKERS<br />

KICKING COACH<br />

MEDICAL<br />

LAURA TULLOCH<br />

JASON OLIVEIRA<br />

AMY RUSSELL<br />

JOEL TEIGER<br />

RAJ SUBBU<br />

JASMINE DRIVER<br />

PETER RABIN<br />

STRENGTH &<br />

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MIKE HYNARD<br />

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1<br />

Mako Vunipola<br />

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2 Jamie George<br />

3 Marco Riccioni<br />

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5 6<br />

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wanna be: engineer<br />

position: Blindside Flanker<br />

wanna be: bricklayer<br />

7<br />

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position: Openside Flanker<br />

wanna be: financial accountant<br />

Billy Vunipola<br />

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wanna be: rail banksman<br />

8 9<br />

Ivan Van Zyl<br />

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10<br />

Owen Farrell<br />

position: Fly Half<br />

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Sean Maitland<br />

position: Wing<br />

wanna be: marketer<br />

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wanna be: physiotherapist<br />

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59<br />

THE ACADEMY 2023/24<br />

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SARACENS<br />

WOMEN<br />

CONTINUED THEIR<br />

UNBEATEN START<br />

TO THE SEASON<br />

LAST WEEKEND,<br />

AS THEY SECURED<br />

A 39-26 VICTORY<br />

OVER EXETER<br />

CHIEFS AT<br />

STONEX.<br />

60<br />

In front of a raucous crowd,<br />

a nip and tuck game looked<br />

like it could go either way up<br />

until the final 10 minutes,<br />

as <strong>Saracens</strong> eventually<br />

managed to pull away.<br />

In a host of superb<br />

performances, it was<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> and England<br />

number 8 Poppy Cleall who<br />

put a marker down, with a<br />

Player of the Match showing.<br />

Speaking at full-time, Cleall<br />

admitted that keeping their<br />

unbeaten record was crucial<br />

for the side, as well as making<br />

sure they secured a win for<br />

Lotte Clapp and Georgia<br />

Evans, who were making their<br />

150th and 50th appearances<br />

for the club.<br />

“It was a hugely important<br />

win. StoneX has become a bit<br />

of a fortress for us. We didn’t<br />

want to lose that, and we<br />

wanted to put on a show for<br />

the crowd. It was especially<br />

important to secure that<br />

win for Lotte and Georgia.<br />

They are real stalwarts of<br />

this club and they put their<br />

bodies on the line every week.<br />

We wanted to repay them<br />

for what they’ve given to the<br />

club!”<br />

In a see-saw game, Exeter hit<br />

the front shortly after halftime,<br />

with Cleall explaining<br />

that her side had needed<br />

to refocus and wrestle back<br />

momentum in the match.<br />

“We’ve got a habit of letting<br />

Exeter score just after


61<br />

half-time. We had to make<br />

sure that we wrestled the<br />

momentum back and didn’t<br />

let history repeat itself from<br />

the semi-final last year. We<br />

made sure that the next<br />

try was ours and then we<br />

managed to kill the game.<br />

We needed to make sure we<br />

stood up in the important<br />

moments and we did.”<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> are unbeaten<br />

heading into today’s<br />

clash away at champions<br />

Gloucester-Hartpury and<br />

have also secured themselves<br />

a home semi-final in the<br />

Allianz Cup. Cleall believes<br />

that it is the closeness of<br />

the group of players this<br />

season that is driving the club<br />

forwards.<br />

“With this team, we’ve got<br />

some incredible players. We<br />

have 40-50 great players<br />

here, but they are even<br />

better people. The more time<br />

we spend together and gel<br />

together, the more often we<br />

can put in performances like<br />

we did today.”<br />

On a day when 11 tries<br />

were scored, Sarries<br />

scored a couple of worldies<br />

themselves, with Cleall<br />

playing a part in Ella Wyrwas’<br />

opening score. The back-row<br />

admitted that her team were<br />

not just scoring, but scoring<br />

eye-catching tries in this early<br />

part of the season, expressing<br />

that she hoped that their<br />

brand of rugby was pulling in<br />

more fans.<br />

“We’re scoring really good<br />

tries at the moment. Jess<br />

seems to just be scoring<br />

screamers at the moment<br />

and then you had Ella and<br />

Leanne scoring a couple of<br />

crackers as well. Hopefully<br />

we’re entertaining the<br />

crowd and everyone that is<br />

watching us at the moment.”


LOTTE<br />

CLAPP<br />

IT WAS A MILESTONE DAY ON SATURDAY<br />

FOR SARACENS WOMEN’S CO-CAPTAIN<br />

LOTTE CLAPP, AS SHE MADE HER 150TH<br />

APPEARANCE FOR THE SIDE.<br />

62


63<br />

A key player within the team<br />

and a dual international with<br />

both England and the USA,<br />

Clapp has been one of the<br />

figureheads in this <strong>Saracens</strong><br />

side for a number of years.<br />

Reflecting on what Clapp<br />

has given to the shirt and the<br />

club, her fellow co-captain<br />

Marlie Packer sung her<br />

praises for her work around<br />

the group.<br />

“Lotte brings a steady head<br />

to the role of co-captain on<br />

and off the pitch and she<br />

epitomises what it means to<br />

be a Saracen. She deserves<br />

all the accolades she has been<br />

getting. Before the match,<br />

we presented her with her<br />

match shirt which had been<br />

embroidered for her 150th<br />

game and that was really<br />

special. I’m proud to run out<br />

alongside her.”<br />

A winger with an eye for<br />

the try line, Packer also paid<br />

tribute to Clapp’s ability<br />

to remain at the top of her<br />

game for so many seasons.<br />

“She’s scored so many<br />

important tries for this club,<br />

I’ll always remember that<br />

inaugural Tyrells Premier15s<br />

final where she broke the line<br />

and scored under the posts<br />

against Harlequins. To keep<br />

being at the level she has<br />

been from back then in 2017<br />

through to now is fantastic.”<br />

Those thoughts were echoed<br />

by Director of Rugby Alex<br />

Austerberry, who praised<br />

Clapp’s impact on the club on<br />

and off the pitch.<br />

“We had a chat ahead of the<br />

Exeter match to celebrate.<br />

To get 150 caps for any club<br />

is a special achievement. For<br />

Lotte, it’s not just how she’s<br />

grown on the field, but it’s<br />

what she’s done off the field<br />

as well and help grow the<br />

club. She has made sure that<br />

we have been at the forefront<br />

of the game, pushing on and<br />

off the field to take things to<br />

the next level. I couldn’t speak<br />

highly enough of her.”<br />

Clapp herself reflected on her<br />

milestone day, after 11 years<br />

with a club she holds close to<br />

her heart.<br />

“I’m so grateful to be honest.<br />

It’s such a special club and to<br />

be able to have played here<br />

for 11 years means everything.<br />

The people we have here are<br />

brilliant. The values that we<br />

have and everything about<br />

the club, I love! Being about<br />

to come out here and put<br />

my body on the line with my<br />

teammates every week is so<br />

special.”


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FIRST XV MEMBERS<br />

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ALISON & NEIL PEARSON<br />

KEN & SHEILA GOODING<br />

GRAEME & CHRISTINE DAVIS<br />

SIMON & KATE HASLAM<br />

MARTIN & ANNE FLOWER<br />

PETER HARVEY<br />

TIM PETERS<br />

MARK & SARAH VICKERS<br />

DAVID & GAY DOMONEY<br />

GRAHAM & ANGELA DRAKE<br />

RICHARD & DEBORAH DONNER<br />

NIGEL AND CINDY GOODMAN<br />

66


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PIONEERS<br />

1) Tell us a bit about yourself<br />

I am a retired People Director,<br />

and my old friends from<br />

work call me “the lady that<br />

lunches” as I often meet one<br />

of them for a catch up. I have<br />

worked for over 40 years<br />

in the hospitality industry<br />

firstly in Pub Management<br />

and then with Bourne Leisure<br />

who operated Butlins, Haven<br />

and Warner Leisure Hotels<br />

and loved every minute of<br />

it, the most enjoyable thing<br />

was being able to make a<br />

positive difference to others<br />

whether team or customers.<br />

I am a Trustee for a Nursery<br />

and am trying to complete<br />

an online Horticultural course<br />

(not very well only finished<br />

3 modules). I was born and<br />

brought up in Mill Hill with<br />

StoneX Stadium being our<br />

sports day venue and I often<br />

speak to supporters who came<br />

to the Stadium from other<br />

local schools who remember<br />

it when it was known as<br />

Copthall Stadium. I live in<br />

Tring in Hertfordshire but my<br />

brother and his wife and my<br />

Dad still reside in Mill Hill, and<br />

I have one gorgeous Niece,<br />

Amy, who got married to the<br />

wonderful Steve 18 months<br />

ago and also a couple of<br />

lovely goddaughters.<br />

68<br />

2) When did you get<br />

involved with the<br />

programme?<br />

EVERY WEEK WE WILL<br />

BE HIGHLIGHTING<br />

ONE OF OUR AMAZING<br />

PIONEERS WHO ADD SO<br />

MUCH TO OUR STONEX<br />

STADIUM MATCHDAYS!<br />

NEXT UP IT’S<br />

SUE<br />

DAVIES…<br />

This is my third season and<br />

when I retired from full time<br />

work I was lucky enough<br />

to get a little job with an<br />

old friend supporting him<br />

with the start up of a new<br />

hospitality business which<br />

only took up two days each<br />

week so was wondering what<br />

else I could do to give back to<br />

the community and saw the<br />

details on line. I immediately<br />

jumped at the chance as<br />

had followed <strong>Saracens</strong> and<br />

indeed we had had a couple<br />

of Leadership meetings at<br />

the Stadium and I loved their<br />

values - Discipline, Honesty,<br />

Humility and Hard Work.<br />

3) What do you do on<br />

matchday?<br />

We arrive to meet up with our<br />

friends, have breakfast and a<br />

briefing and was lucky enough<br />

to become a Team Leader<br />

last year so I have to attend<br />

the Team Leader briefing as<br />

well. We then disperse to<br />

our allotted areas where we<br />

meet up as a team for our<br />

own little briefing and my<br />

role is to ensure everyone is<br />

supported throughout the day,<br />

that they get a break to have<br />

lunch and have someone to<br />

talk to if they need me. If I am<br />

working in one of the stands<br />

we all check the seating and<br />

surrounding areas to ensure<br />

there are no hazards, then it<br />

is meeting and greeting the<br />

supporters. I know from my<br />

time in hospitality that the<br />

initial contact and smile for<br />

our guests at the Stadium<br />

is the most important thing<br />

and as I love a chat I have met<br />

some great new friends.<br />

4) What makes the Pioneer<br />

Programme special for you?<br />

The fact that everyone is a<br />

volunteer and wants to be<br />

there makes it so much more<br />

enjoyable, and they all want<br />

to make a difference to the<br />

supporters, players and the<br />

rest of the club. Its great<br />

to be out in the fresh air<br />

although not so great on wet<br />

and windy days and so much<br />

better when Sarries get a win.<br />

5) What are your best three<br />

memories?<br />

I have always loved Rugby and<br />

was extremely lucky to meet<br />

the great Martin Johnson at<br />

Twickenham way back when<br />

at a Tetley Bitter Cup Final<br />

(showing my age!!).<br />

Meeting an old friend at<br />

StoneX after many years, who<br />

I had lost contact with, again<br />

only came about because<br />

I was having a laugh and<br />

chatting to them.<br />

Being with my new friends on<br />

match day as everyone is so<br />

different but someone always<br />

makes me smile and makes<br />

my day, oh and of course<br />

Sarries winning!


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71<br />

MAVERICKS<br />

SARACENS<br />

MAVERICKS ARE<br />

CONTINUING<br />

THEIR BUILD UP<br />

TO THE START<br />

OF THE NETBALL<br />

SUPER LEAGUE<br />

SEASON ON 17<br />

FEBRUARY.<br />

Last weekend, the side took<br />

on local rivals Surrey Storm<br />

in a pre-season friendly,<br />

with a number of new faces<br />

getting their first minutes on<br />

court in a Mavericks dress.<br />

Despite the result not going<br />

the way of Mavericks, this<br />

match provided some vital<br />

minutes for the side to gel<br />

as a unit and see where they<br />

need to improve, heading into<br />

another pre-season friendly<br />

against Strathclyde Sirens on<br />

27 January.<br />

That one at HSV has already<br />

sold out and it’s set to be a<br />

cracker of an occasion, as the<br />

vocal home support get to<br />

see their new-look Mavericks<br />

side on court at home for the<br />

first time this season.<br />

With the news that Jodie<br />

Gibson and Georgia Lees<br />

will be captain and vicecaptain<br />

this season and with<br />

confirmation that Indya<br />

Masser has stepped up into<br />

the 12-strong squad for the<br />

2024 NSL season, Mavericks<br />

look set to improve on last<br />

season’s fifth-place finish, as<br />

they go in hunt of a return to<br />

the play-offs.<br />

Away from the club game,<br />

Razia Quashie and Ellie<br />

Rattu are both preparing<br />

themselves for the upcoming<br />

international fixtures in Leeds<br />

and at OVO Arena Wembley<br />

with the Vitality Roses, as<br />

your Mavericks continue to<br />

shine on the international<br />

stage.<br />

It’s not just in the playing<br />

group that Mavericks<br />

are making waves on the<br />

international scene either,<br />

with the news that Pathway<br />

Lead Sachel Grant has been<br />

named as Head Coach for<br />

Northern Ireland U21s. Grant<br />

will combine the role with<br />

her work at Mavericks, which<br />

has seen the club’s pathway<br />

produce some of the biggest<br />

names in the NSL, including<br />

returning players Rattu and<br />

Vicki Oyesola.<br />

It’s shaping up to be a hugely<br />

exciting season for <strong>Saracens</strong><br />

Mavericks, with the new<br />

campaign edging ever<br />

closer.


HIGH SCHOOL<br />

SARACENS HIGH IS A NON-SELECTIVE, FREE<br />

SCHOOL FOUNDED IN 2018 TO SERVE THE<br />

LOCAL COMMUNITY OF GRAHAME PARK IN<br />

BARNET. STAFF SEEK TO PROVIDE THE BEST<br />

EDUCATION NOT JUST TO THE MOST GIFTED<br />

BUT TO EVERY CHILD WHO PROUDLY WEARS<br />

THE BLACK AND RED UNIFORM.<br />

There are many in the school<br />

community for whom English<br />

is not their first language.<br />

The EAL pupils (English as<br />

an additional language) are<br />

championed by Miss Kasia<br />

Gruszka. The tireless Learning<br />

Support Assistant doesn’t see<br />

the diverse pupil body as a<br />

problem but as an enriching<br />

influence on the whole school:<br />

‘We speak over 20 languages<br />

and represent different<br />

cultures; those differences<br />

EAL pupils on a visit to<br />

the British Museum<br />

EAL pupils at Boxing Club<br />

make our community stronger<br />

and bring unique perspectives<br />

to the learning experience.’<br />

Speaking of strength, many<br />

EAL pupils are regular<br />

members of the invitationonly<br />

boxing club. The club<br />

provides a wonderful arena<br />

for teaching the school<br />

values of discipline and hard<br />

work while also raising the<br />

confidence of these young<br />

adults.<br />

Pupils with learning needs<br />

make up 16% of the<br />

1000-strong pupil body. They<br />

receive specialist support in<br />

truckloads from Miss Maria<br />

Alexa and the Grow and<br />

Thrive team. Miss Alexa cites<br />

Miss Alexa enjoying wheelchair<br />

rugby with the pupils<br />

72


73<br />

a family ethos as the engine<br />

that powers this support:<br />

‘We are a family and we<br />

support each other, make<br />

progress and become the<br />

best version of ourselves.’<br />

The Grow and Thrive team<br />

are passionate about raising<br />

awareness of different needs<br />

across the school. Each<br />

month has an enrichment<br />

focus and December and<br />

January both seek to nurture<br />

empathy.<br />

December at <strong>Saracens</strong> High<br />

was Other Ability month and<br />

pupils experienced a taste of<br />

disability sports. The children<br />

played blindfold football and<br />

wheelchair rugby.<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> Wheelchair Rugby<br />

Club gave pupils of all abilities<br />

a full-throttle introduction to<br />

the fast-paced sport. It was a<br />

privilege to also invite pupils<br />

to join from a north London<br />

school that specialises in<br />

special educational needs.<br />

The wider <strong>Saracens</strong> family<br />

is again to thank for the<br />

invaluable day Kelly Brown<br />

spent at the school. The<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> and Scotland<br />

legend spoke about his<br />

journey as a stammerer and<br />

also delivered workshops on<br />

self-esteem and overcoming<br />

stigma.<br />

The enrichment focus in<br />

January is ‘Them and Us.’<br />

Children are taught not to<br />

merely tolerate those who are<br />

different to us but to accept<br />

and appreciate them. Pupils<br />

are encouraged to perform<br />

unsolicited acts of kindness.<br />

Such acts of kindness have<br />

Kelly Brown empowered pupils<br />

to ‘accept and adapt’<br />

WE ARE A FAMILY<br />

AND WE SUPPORT<br />

EACH OTHER,<br />

MAKE PROGRESS<br />

AND BECOME THE<br />

BEST VERSION OF<br />

OURSELVES.<br />

included tidying classrooms,<br />

picking up litter, helping staff<br />

and supporting other pupils.<br />

It is wonderful to see pupils<br />

growing and thriving at<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> High School. The<br />

dedication shown by her<br />

colleagues and herself explain<br />

Miss Gruszka’s claim that<br />

they are ‘setting the bar high<br />

for being the most inclusive<br />

high school in town!’<br />

SARACENS MULTI-<br />

ACADEMY TRUST<br />

WAS ESTABLISHED TO<br />

BRING THE VALUES<br />

OF DISCIPLINE, HARD<br />

WORK, HONESTY<br />

AND HUMILITY TO<br />

THE EDUCATION OF<br />

CHILDREN IN OUR<br />

COMMUNITY.<br />

As we expand we are<br />

looking for excellent<br />

candidates to apply for<br />

two key roles:<br />

• Trust Estates<br />

Manager<br />

• Executive Assistant<br />

to the CEO and<br />

CFOO<br />

For more information<br />

please contact:<br />

hr@saracensmat.org<br />

or scan the QR code:


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COMMUNITY<br />

NEWS<br />

With our first home game<br />

of 2024, the Community<br />

team is happy to say that<br />

we are welcoming over 1200<br />

families from the community<br />

game today to participate<br />

in our second U9s and U10s<br />

festivals of the year. With 45<br />

teams attending its sure to<br />

be a fantastic spectacle of<br />

rugby by some of the stars<br />

of the future before the<br />

first team take on <strong>Lyon</strong> this<br />

evening in a must win fixture.<br />

We also welcome Aylesbury<br />

RFC U12s and U15s to StoneX<br />

Stadium who will be forming<br />

the Guard of Honour and<br />

waving the Big Shirt to<br />

welcome the team onto the<br />

pitch this evening.<br />

SHOWDOWN 4 GROUPS<br />

TICKET DEADLINE – We are<br />

fast approaching the end of<br />

the month when our group<br />

ticket prices will increase, if<br />

you are interested in bringing<br />

a group of 20+ to the game<br />

at the Tottenham Stadium,<br />

then don’t hesitate to get<br />

in touch at finleyhoward@<br />

saracens.net or richardhope@<br />

saracens.net to get booked in<br />

before the end of the month.<br />

Christmas Camps were a<br />

huge success with some really<br />

well attended camps across<br />

the South East, with our next<br />

focus being a two week Feb<br />

Half term for the first time<br />

where we are visiting 5 of our<br />

community clubs including<br />

some new visits to Gravesend<br />

RFC, Southend RFC and<br />

Harwich and Dovercourt RFC,<br />

and returning to some venues<br />

where we haven’t been for a<br />

couple of years in Cheshunt<br />

RFC and Old Grammarians<br />

RFC. We are also hosting<br />

both our two of our fantastic<br />

clinics with both the Half<br />

Back Clinic and our newer<br />

forwards clinic where players<br />

can improve on some of the<br />

finer skills involved in both<br />

areas. All of these camps are<br />

on sale now, and selling fast,<br />

so don’t hesitate in booking<br />

on at https://saracens.com/<br />

community/junior-rugbycamps/<br />

The <strong>Saracens</strong> Staycation is<br />

now on sale at The Grove,<br />

Set in 300 acres of stunning<br />

Hertfordshire countryside,<br />

The Grove is the ultimate<br />

five-star retreat. Lovingly<br />

restored, the former home<br />

of the Earls of Clarendon<br />

is situated just 18 miles<br />

from London, and is home<br />

to an award-winning spa,<br />

championship golf course and<br />

mouth-watering restaurants.<br />

This staycation is for all the<br />

family, bringing a rugby twist<br />

into your holiday.<br />

Meet some of the stars from<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong>, as well as your<br />

children being coached by<br />

them, and a trip to StoneX<br />

Stadium will prove a highlight<br />

for any rugby fan. Within the<br />

hotel there are activities for<br />

all, whether that be action<br />

packed with axe throwing, to<br />

more relaxation in the spa,<br />

and a round or two around<br />

the fantastic championship<br />

golf course.<br />

76


Matchday<br />

SQUADS<br />

77<br />

Alex GOODE<br />

Rotimi SEGUN<br />

Elliot DALY<br />

Nick TOMPKINS<br />

Lucio CINTI<br />

Owen FARRELL [C]<br />

Ivan VAN ZYL<br />

T<br />

P<br />

C<br />

DG<br />

15<br />

14<br />

13<br />

12<br />

11<br />

10<br />

9<br />

FULL BACK<br />

RIGHT WING<br />

OUTSIDE CENTRE<br />

INSIDE CENTRE<br />

LEFT WING<br />

FLY HALF<br />

SCRUM HALF<br />

15<br />

14<br />

13<br />

12<br />

11<br />

10<br />

9<br />

T<br />

P<br />

C<br />

DG<br />

Alexandre TCHAPTCHET<br />

Monty IOANE<br />

Josiah MARAKU<br />

Thibaut REGARD<br />

Thaakir ABRAHAMS<br />

Paddy JACKSON<br />

Martin PAGE-RELO<br />

Logovi’i MULIPOLA<br />

Theo DAN<br />

Christian JUDGE<br />

Maro ITOJE<br />

5 Nick ISIEKWE<br />

Juan Martin GONZALEZ<br />

Ben EARL<br />

Billy VUNIPOLA<br />

1<br />

2<br />

3<br />

4<br />

5<br />

6<br />

7<br />

8<br />

LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />

HOOKER<br />

TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />

SECOND ROW<br />

SECOND ROW<br />

BLINDSIDE FLANKER<br />

OPENSIDE FLANKER<br />

NUMBER 8<br />

1<br />

2<br />

3<br />

4<br />

5<br />

6<br />

7<br />

8<br />

Hamza KAABECHE<br />

Yanis CHARCOSSET<br />

Demba BAMBA<br />

Joel KPOKU<br />

Romain TAOFIFENUA<br />

Liam ALLEN<br />

Arno BOTHA [C]<br />

Mickael GUILLARD<br />

James HADFIELD<br />

Sam CREAN<br />

Alec CLAREY<br />

Hugh TIZARD<br />

Theo McFARLAND<br />

Gareth SIMPSON<br />

Olly HARTLEY<br />

Tom PARTON<br />

16<br />

17<br />

18<br />

19<br />

20<br />

21<br />

22<br />

23<br />

REPLACEMENT<br />

REPLACEMENT<br />

REPLACEMENT<br />

REPLACEMENT<br />

REPLACEMENT<br />

REPLACEMENT<br />

REPLACEMENT<br />

REPLACEMENT<br />

16<br />

17<br />

18<br />

19<br />

20<br />

21<br />

22<br />

23<br />

Guillaume MARCHAND<br />

Jérôme REY<br />

Paulo TAFILI<br />

Ugo VIGNOLLES<br />

Maxime GOUZOU<br />

Liam RIMET<br />

Léo BERDEU<br />

Alfred PARISIEN<br />

MATCH OFFICIALS<br />

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SCO)<br />

Assistant Referees: Mike Adamson (SCO) & Hollie Davidson (SCO)<br />

Fourth Official: Darryl Champan (ENG) · Fifth Official: Matt Todd (ENG)<br />

Television Match Official: Andrew McMenemy (SCO)


COMING NEXT . . .<br />

AS THE POOL STAGES IN THE INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP COME TO A CLOSE<br />

THIS WEEKEND, IT IS ALMOST TIME TO BUCKLE UP AND GET READY FOR<br />

THE GUINNESS SIX NATIONS. THERE IS JUST ONE GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP<br />

OFFERING TO LOOK FORWARD TO BEFORE ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, IRELAND,<br />

WALES, FRANCE AND ITALY GO INTO BATTLE – AND IT’S A BIG ONE!<br />

There will be more than a whiff of revenge in the air<br />

at StoneX Stadium when the Exeter Chiefs come<br />

calling on Saturday, 27 January. Not only are they<br />

four points ahead of us in the table in fourth, but<br />

they got there by inflicting a record defeat on the<br />

‘Men in Black’ in Round 1 when they triumphed 65-10<br />

at Sandy Park, scoring 11 tries.<br />

Ouch! I’m sure that result and performance will be<br />

raised in training in the build-up to the game and it<br />

would be great to have a full-house urging on Faz &<br />

co in what will be a key fixture.<br />

Things go a little bit quiet after that on the men’s<br />

front, although there is an attractive ‘friendly’<br />

booked in for Friday, 23 February, when Leinster are<br />

the visitors. Book now to get your ticket for a big<br />

occasion, while ‘The Showdown’ is also looming on<br />

Saturday, 23 March – Harlequins at the Tottenham<br />

Hotspur Stadium.<br />

And don’t forget the women’s team are going strong<br />

again. They could really do with your support for<br />

their home games against Trailfinders on Saturday, 3<br />

February and in The Duel against Harlequins Women<br />

on 10 February! It’s set to be a massive month for<br />

Alex Austerberry’s side.<br />

78


79<br />

RUGBY COMING UP AT<br />

STONEX STADIUM<br />

Saturday, 27 January (5.30pm kick-off)<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> v Exeter Chiefs<br />

Gallagher Premiership<br />

Saturday, 3 February (2.30pm kick-off)<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> Women v Ealing Trailfinders<br />

ALLIANZ PWR<br />

Friday, 23 February (5.30pm kick-off)<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> v Leinster Rugby<br />

Friendly<br />

Sunday, 3 March (2.30pm kick-off)<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> Women v Leicester Tigers<br />

ALLIANZ PWR<br />

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR<br />

STADIUM ‘THE SHOWDOWN 4’<br />

Saturday, 23 March (3.05pm kick-off)<br />

<strong>Saracens</strong> v Harlequins<br />

Gallagher Premiership


For all the latest<br />

fixtures and results<br />

information scan<br />

this QR code:<br />

For all the latest<br />

videos and match<br />

highlights scan<br />

this QR code:<br />

FIXTURES AND RESULTS 2023/24<br />

L 28-14<br />

SAT 9 SEP [4,109]<br />

ELLIOTT, HARRIS (2T), MOORE<br />

(JACKSON), HARTLEY, SEGUN,<br />

M.VUNIPOLA (2C), SIMPSON (DAVIES),<br />

WEST (CREAN), PIFELETI (ADEJIMI),<br />

JUDGE (BEATON), HUNTER-HILL,<br />

WARDELL (ISIEKWE), MICHELOW<br />

(WILLIS), KNIGHT, STONHAM<br />

L 20-29<br />

SAT 16 SEP [2,923]<br />

PARTON (GOODE), HARRIS (SEGUN),<br />

LOZOWSKI, HARTLEY, LEWINGTON ,<br />

M.VUNIPOLA (2P, 2C), DAVIES (VAN ZYL),<br />

CREAN (WARREN), WOOLSTENCROFT<br />

(PIFELETI), HOSKINS (JUDGE), HUNTER-<br />

HILL, ISIEKWE (1T), MICHELOW , KNIGHT<br />

(ADEJIMI), WILLIS (1T, WARDELL)<br />

W 73-29<br />

SAT 23 SEP [2,895]<br />

PARTON, SEGUN (1T, ELLIOTT), LOZOWSKI,<br />

HARTLEY (1T), LEWINGTON (1T),<br />

M.VUNIPOLA (8C), VAN ZYL (2T, SIMPSON),<br />

WEST (CREAN), WOOLSTENCROFT (1T,<br />

ADEJIMI, 1T), HOSKINS (BEATON), HUNTER-<br />

HILL, TIZARD (STONHAM, 1T), ISIEKWE<br />

(EKE), KNIGHT (2T), WILLIS (MICHELOW)<br />

L 36-29<br />

SUN 1 OCT [7,735]<br />

PARTON, SEGUN, LOZOWSKI (1T), HARTLEY<br />

(ELLIOTT, 1T), LEWINGTON (MOORE),<br />

M.VUNIPOLA (1P, 3C), DAVIES (SIMPSON,<br />

1T), WEST (CREAN), WOOLSTENCROFT<br />

(ADEJIMI), HOSKINS (JUDGE), HUNTER-<br />

HILL, ISIEKWE , STONHAM (MICHELOW),<br />

KNIGHT (1T) , WILLIS<br />

W 68-10<br />

SAT 7 OCT [2,146]<br />

PARTON (1T), MOORE, LOZOWSKI (5C),<br />

HARTLEY (1T), SEGUN (2T), GOODE,<br />

DAVIES (1T, SIMPSON, 3C), CREAN,<br />

ADEJIMI (2T, HADFIELD), HOSKINS<br />

(CLAREY), HUNTER-HILL, ISIEKWE<br />

(PEARCE-PAUL), MICHELOW, KNIGHT<br />

(2T), WILLIS (STONHAM, 1T)<br />

L 65-10<br />

SAT 14 OCT [9,371]<br />

PARTON (M.VUNIPOLA), SEGUN,<br />

LOZOWSKI, HARTLEY (1T), LEWINGTON<br />

(MAITLAND, 1T), GOODE, DAVIES<br />

(BRACKEN), WEST (ADAMS-HALE),<br />

ADEJIMI (HADFIELD), RICCIONI (CLAREY),<br />

HUNTER-HILL (STONHAM), ISIEKWE,<br />

MCFARLAND, KNIGHT (CHRISTIE), WILLIS<br />

L 16-25<br />

SAT 21 OCT [6,060]<br />

GOODE, MAITLAND, LOZOWSKI (3P,<br />

1C) (HARTLEY), TOMPKINS, SEGUN<br />

(LEWINGTON), M.VUNIPOLA, DAVIES<br />

(SIMPSON), M.VUNIPOLA (WEST),<br />

HADFIELD (ADEJIMI), RICCIONI (CLAREY),<br />

HUNTER-HILL (KNIGHT), ISIEKWE,<br />

MCFARLAND, CHRISTIE (1T) , WILLIS<br />

W 3-24<br />

FRI 27 OCT [10,541]<br />

GOODE, MAITLAND, LOZOWSKI (1P, 2C),<br />

TOMPKINS (HARTLEY), LEWINGTON (1T)<br />

(PARTON), M.VUNIPOLA, DAVIES (VAN<br />

ZYL), M.VUNIPOLA (MAWI), HADFIELD<br />

(CREAN), JUDGE (CLAREY), HUNTER-HILL,<br />

TIZARD (STONHAM), ISIEKWE (KNIGHT),<br />

CHRISTIE, WILLIS (2T)<br />

W 32-17<br />

SAT 4 NOV [9,261]<br />

GOODE (PARTON), MAITLAND, LOZOWSKI,<br />

TOMPKINS, DALY, FARRELL (2P, 3C),<br />

DAVIES (VAN ZYL), M.VUNIPOLA<br />

(MAWI), GEORGE (1T) (DAN), RICCIONI<br />

(CLAREY), ITOJE (1T)) (HUNTER-HILL),<br />

ISIEKWE, CHRISTIE (1T)) (TIZARD), EARL,<br />

B.VUNIPOLA (1T)(WILLIS)<br />

W 12-50<br />

SUN 12 NOV [6,124]<br />

DALY (1T), MAITLAND (CINTI), LOZOWSKI<br />

(1P, 4C) (M.VUNIPOLA, 1T) , TOMPKINS,<br />

LEWINGTON (1T), GOODE (2C), VAN ZYL<br />

(SIMPSON), MAWI (WEST), DAN (2T)<br />

(HADFIELD), CLAREY (JUDGE), STONHAM<br />

, TIZARD (B.VUNIPOLA), GONZALEZ (1T),<br />

CHRISTIE , WILLIS (1T) (KNIGHT)<br />

W 10-38<br />

SAT 18 NOV [14,800]<br />

GOODE (HARRIS), LEWINGTON (1T),<br />

LOZOWSKI (HARTLEY, 1T), TOMPKINS,<br />

PARTON (1T), FARRELL (4C), VAN ZYL<br />

(DAVIES), M.VUNIPOLA (MAWI), GEORGE<br />

(1T) (DAN), RICCIONI (CLAREY), ITOJE,<br />

TIZARD (WILLIS), GONZALEZ (1T),<br />

CHRISTIE (1T)(STONHAM), B.VUNIPOLA<br />

W 39-31<br />

SAT 25 NOV [9,455]<br />

GOODE, LEWINGTON (2T), DALY,<br />

TOMPKINS (HARTLEY), PARTON<br />

(MAITLAND), FARRELL (1T, 2C), DAVIES<br />

(SIMPSON), M.VUNIPOLA (MAWI),<br />

GEORGE (2T) (PIFELETI), JUDGE (CLAREY),<br />

ITOJE, TIZARD (MCFARLAND), WILLIS (1T)<br />

(KNIGHT), CHRISTIE , B.VUNIPOLA (1T)<br />

80


81<br />

L 12-18<br />

SAT 2 DEC [8,838]<br />

GOODE, MAITLAND (LEWINGTON, 1T),<br />

CINTI (HARTLEY), TOMPKINS, PARTON<br />

(1T), M.VUNIPOLA (1C), VAN ZYL (DAVIES),<br />

WEST (M.VUNIPOLA), DAN (GEORGE),<br />

CLAREY (JUDGE), ITOJE, MCFARLAND<br />

(TIZARD), GONZALEZ, CHRISTIE (KNIGHT),<br />

B.VUNIPOLA<br />

L 27-16<br />

SAT 9 DEC [15,157]<br />

GOODE, LEWINGTON (CINTI), DALY (1T),<br />

TOMPKINS (HARTLEY), MAITLAND,<br />

FARRELL (2P), VAN ZYL (DAVIES),<br />

M.VUNIPOLA (WEST), GEORGE (DAN),<br />

CLAREY (JUDGE), ITOJE, TIZARD<br />

(MCFARLAND, 1T), GONZALEZ , CHRISTIE<br />

(KNIGHT), B.VUNIPOLA<br />

W 55-36<br />

SAT 16 DEC 9,029<br />

GOODE (PARTON), CINTI (1T), TOMPKINS,<br />

HARTLEY (2T), MAITLAND (1T)<br />

(LEWINGTON), FARRELL (3P, 3C), DAVIES<br />

(VAN ZYL), M,VUNIPOLA (WEST), GEORGE<br />

(2T) (DAN, 1T), CLAREY (MULIPOLA), ITOJE<br />

, MCFARLAND, GONZALEZ (1T)(KNIGHT),<br />

CHRISTIE , B.VUNIPOLA (TIZARD)<br />

L 22-20<br />

FRI 22 DEC 9,675<br />

GOODE, CINTI , TOMPKINS, HARTLEY<br />

, MAITLAND (PARTON) , FARRELL (2P,<br />

2C), VAN ZYL (1T) (SIMPSON, 1T),<br />

M.VUNIPOLA (WEST), GEORGE (DAN),<br />

CLAREY (MULIPOLA), ITOJE, MCFARLAND<br />

(KNIGHT), GONZALEZ, CHRISTIE,<br />

B.VUNIPOLA (TIZARD)<br />

W 37-19<br />

SAT 30 DEC [10,131]<br />

GOODE (PARTON), SEGUN, DALY,<br />

HARTLEY, CINTI, M.VUNIPOLA (2P, 2C),<br />

VAN ZYL (1T) (SIMPSON), M.VUNIPOLA<br />

(1T) (WEST), DAN (1T) (GEORGE), JUDGE<br />

(HOSKINS), MCFARLAND, TIZARD<br />

(ISIEKWE), GONZALEZ (1T) (EARL),<br />

KNIGHT (B.VUNIPOLA), CHRISTIE<br />

L 19-10<br />

SAT 6 JAN [22,119]<br />

GOODE (PARTON), SEGUN, DALY,<br />

HARTLEY, CINTI, M.VUNIPOLA (2P, 2C),<br />

VAN ZYL (1T) (SIMPSON), M.VUNIPOLA<br />

(1T) (WEST), DAN (1T) (GEORGE), JUDGE<br />

(HOSKINS), MCFARLAND, TIZARD<br />

(ISIEKWE), GONZALEZ (1T) (EARL),<br />

KNIGHT (B.VUNIPOLA), CHRISTIE<br />

L 55-15<br />

SUN 14 JAN [28,716]<br />

GOODE, LEWINGTON, DALY (HARTLEY),<br />

TOMPKINS (1T), MAITLAND (SEGUN),<br />

FARRELL (1P, 1C), VAN ZYL (SIMPSON),<br />

MULIPOLA (CREAN), DAN (1T)<br />

(HADFIELD), JUDGE (CLAREY), ITOJE,<br />

TIZARD (B.VUNIPOLA), ISIEKWE,<br />

CHRISTIE, EARL (GONZALEZ)<br />

STONEX STADIUM<br />

SAT 20 JAN<br />

KO 20H00<br />

SARACENS<br />

VS<br />

LYON<br />

STONEX STADIUM<br />

SAT 27 JAN<br />

Kick-Off TBC<br />

SARACENS<br />

VS<br />

EXETER CHIEFS<br />

STONEX STADIUM<br />

FRI 23 FEB<br />

KO 17H30<br />

SARACENS<br />

VS<br />

LEINSTER<br />

FRIENDLY<br />

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR<br />

STADIUM<br />

SAT 23 MAR<br />

KO 15H05<br />

The Showdown 4<br />

SARACENS<br />

VS<br />

HARLEQUINS<br />

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS<br />

FRI 27 MAR<br />

KO 19H45<br />

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS<br />

VS<br />

SARACENS<br />

STONEX STADIUM<br />

SAT 20 APR<br />

KO 15H00<br />

RECREATION GROUND<br />

FRI 26 APR<br />

KO 19H45<br />

ASHTON GATE<br />

SAT 11 MAY<br />

Kick-Off TBC<br />

STONEX STADIUM<br />

SAT 18 MAY<br />

KO 15H05<br />

SARACENS<br />

VS<br />

GLOUCESTER RUGBY<br />

BATH RUGBY<br />

VS<br />

SARACENS<br />

BRISTOL BEARS<br />

VS<br />

SARACENS<br />

SARACENS<br />

VS<br />

SALE SHARKS


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SARACENS VS LYON | ISSUE O7 | INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP

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