I hope this message finds you well. 2025 has had a busy start for the Guernsey Raiders, I hope you are as excited as I am for the future of our club. As we kick start the second half of the season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on our progress and the incredible journey we are on together. I think it's important that every one of our Club members, from Board member, to player, to supporter, knows the plans we have for the future of the club, so I write to you with this update. I invite you to ask questions, raise concerns and most importantly be involved. This is your Club, and it’s important we share on this journey together.

Committee
As you may know I took over as Chair for this season (2024/2025) and have thoroughly enjoyed my time so far in the role, it’s been great to work with the existing board and committee, as well as new friends we are reconnecting with or meeting along the way. There were two things I was told that were great when I moved to Guernsey, the weather and the rugby, however only the latter has proved itself to be true! I’ve been working closely alongside our Director of Sponsorship and Vice Chair, Chris Gnapp, Treasurer, Chris Hughes, as well as out Director of Rugby, Jordan Reynolds, on some exciting new changes to benefit the future of our club, more on this later. But I’d also like to thank the rest of the Board and the Committee for welcoming me into this role, and for the support they have provided me so far this season.

Building One Club
One of our core focuses continues to be strengthening our club through unity. We are working towards a fully integrated one club model, from grass roots to aging vets, ensuring that Guernsey Raiders, St Jacques Vikings, the Guernsey Raiders Ladies, and our Academy are recognised in their own successes but are part of one rugby family, our club. The commitment and enthusiasm shown by all sections of the club towards this vision have been nothing short of inspiring. You may ask why we are doing this; well, we want our club to be centred about inclusivity, a place where anyone can come and feel at home, from the tots on a Sunday morning, to the Senior Vets teams. This is not only important for our players, but our Committee, Members, supporters and family. Our Club is about much more than the starting 15 squads taking to Footes Lane at the weekend, I hope you can see our vision and the impact of some of the changes we have already made. We take pride in being an RFU Accredited Club, and we are looking to strengthen rugby on the island for all levels. I would like to thank you all for playing your part in this journey and I look forward to progressing this even further.

A New Membership Experience
With this vision in mind, we are developing a one-club membership system utilising the RFU’s GMS 2 system, allowing you to support and enjoy rugby across all of our teams. This will mean one membership that grants access to watch all our sides in action, alongside associated benefits that we believe will enhance your experience. As the year develops, there will be more details on this exciting initiative! It will help the benefits of our membership scheme when fully operational, with such benefits as:
- Discounts at the bar
- Exclusive Member Access- e.g. application to international tickets, local fixtures
- Central administration for all club purchases and events.

Clubhouse & Facilities
We are thrilled with the revamp of our bar, a transformation made possible by the fantastic support of new partner Randalls. Not only has the space been upgraded, but we also have a new food provision, ensuring that match days and club events offer an even better experience for everyone. Whether you’re here to enjoy the rugby or just to soak in the club atmosphere, we hope you love the changes. Better AV, even a few flashing lights for the odd disco night – improved selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and snacks and many new events yet to be announced.

Marketing and Communications
We have also taken great strides in improving our marketing and communication, thanks to our partnership with TPA. Their expertise has allowed us to keep you better informed and engaged with all the latest news, events, and match updates. As we develop our One Club strategy, we hope to be able to use our improved marketing strategy to celebrate achievements from across all areas of the club. Thank you TPA, and we look forward to what we provide in the seasons to come.

Improved Technology
We’ve also been working with Resolution IT, our IT partner, about developments to our internal systems and communication processes. I’m pleased to report that this has made significant changes to our systems, through the use of Microsoft 365 / SharePoint as well as specific e-mail addresses for each officer of the Guernsey Raiders. We have also introduced a new cloud based accounting system that has been instrumental in improving our general operations. Thank you, Resolution IT, for supporting us through this!

A Historic Inaugural International Game – The Granite Trophy - 17th May 2025
On 17th May, we will be hosting something truly special – the first-ever rugby international fixture, where we will come together with our friends at Jersey Rugby club to form an international side to face Sweden RFC. This momentous occasion will see the teams playing for the inaugural Granite Trophy (currently being designed and constructed by Granite Le Pelley in Guernsey). This is a must-see event, and I encourage every single one of you to come along and be part of history. Let’s pack Footes Lane and create an unforgettable atmosphere! We'd like to thank all the local businesses and branches that are supporting our event, it's sold as many tables as last year's home Siam Cup, which is incredible to say we are holding this event for the first time. It's an exciting time, as we work with Jersey in a way that we have not previously done before. The squad will be selected from the competing Jersey and Guernsey players of this year’s Siam Cup, to show off the real talent that we have here in the Channel Islands. Exciting things are to come as we announce more about the fixture, we know there has been some excitement based around the new kit, which is currently being designed by Nike, combining national aspects of all in the Channel Islands.

Overcoming Challenges Together
Like any club, we continue to face challenges. Travel costs remain a significant factor for us plus rising running costs as i know we are all facing. The unpredictable weather has led to several postponements. Not only is this frustrating for you, our fans, but also for the players and committee. We are in active discussions with the States of Guernsey to address the infrastructure at Footes Lane, and we look forward to seeing the much-needed improvements implemented in due course- with the hope that this will reduce the impact our fixtures in the following seasons to come.

Volunteers
Like any charity, we are always looking for more volunteers to keep our club running, we are very lucky to have an incredible group of volunteers who give up hours to help us. But the more the merrier! If you’d be interested in volunteering for us, please do get in touch. There’s a variety of roles, no matter how much time you have to volunteer!

Fundraising
Another element that is vital to our club is fundraising, we are very lucky to have some very generous sponsors who are vital to help keep the Club running, but fundraising events are key to supporting rugby in Guernsey. We’ve got some exciting events coming up, like the Match Day Lunch that our Ladies team have organised, but we are always looking for new fundraising ideas. As part of this, in recent months we have been hiring out the wonderful facilitates that we have here at Footes Lane. If you have an event coming up, from 18th Birthdays to work social events, the Clubhouse could be the perfect spot. Get in touch with our Bar Supervisor, Layla, to find out more (Bar@GuernseyRaiders.com)

A Heartfelt Thank You
None of what we do would be possible without our incredible sponsors, volunteers, members, and fans. Your support fuels this club as it gives us energy, and your passion drives us forward. Whether you cheer from the stands, volunteer behind the scenes, or support us in any way, you are the reason we exist. We deeply appreciate your ongoing commitment, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.

Thank you for taking the time to read my update. I hope this has answered some of your questions about where the Club is going, and the future I envisage for us. I encourage you to get in contact with me if you have further comments you’d like to make. I want to take you all on this One Club journey with us, and therefore, please use this as an opportunity to get in touch.

Here’s to a fantastic year ahead, filled with success, unity, and, most importantly, a love for rugby.

Up the Raiders!

Best regards,
Gary Haycock-West
Chair, Guernsey Raiders
Chair@GuernseyRaiders.com