Tag: Rugeley Rifle Club

Young Guns take aim at Rugeley

by RichHin Club News

Fourteen young shooters took aim at Rugeley Rifle Club’s Young Guns competition this week. With two days of training over Wednesday and Thurday, final practice and competition took place on Friday. Shooting Air Rifle, Air Pistol and .22 Rifle, the young shooters worked through more than two and a half thousand air pellets, and a thousand rounds of .22 ammunition. The competition marks a continuing partnership with Vysions Youth Service.

Each discipline competition saw the top 3 shoot a final to establish medal placings. Medallists received a Rugeley Rifle Club patch, along with gold and silver medals and a patch for third. The Overall competition was a close-run fight, with only 27 points separating the top 5 shooters and a tie for the lead between Phoebe Haughton and James Hallam, which had to be broken on countback of Air Rifle scores, with James gracious in defeat. Connie O’Brien placed third, having had a mishap in the Air Rifle shoot which cost her as many as 17 points – enough to have put her in the lead overall.

Air PistolAir RifleSmallbore RifleOverall
1James HallamAiden CoghlanConnie O’BrienPhoebe Haughton
2Phoebe HaughtonPhoebe HaughtonJames HallamJames Hallam
3Joel SherrattConnie O’BrienPhoebe HaughtonBogdan Dubita

Congratulations to overall champion Phoebe, who wins a years free membership, along with free ammunition and targets.

Four young women stand in an airgun range aiming target air rifles at paper targets.
Four young women stand in an airgun range aiming target air rifles at paper targets. An adult range officer supervises the firing point.
Four young people stand in an airgun range aiming target air rifles. An adult range officer supervises the firing point.
Four young men stand in an airgun range aiming target air pistols at paper targets.
Young people on an airgun range aiming target air pistols at paper targets. An adult range officer supervises.
A group of young shooters aim rimfire target rifles on an indoor range. The rifles are supported at the front by stands. A coach kneels by one shooter to help them.
A group of young shooters aim rimfire target rifles on an indoor range. The rifles are supported at the front by stands.
A group of young shooters aim rimfire target rifles on an indoor range. The rifles are supported at the front by stands.
A group of young shooters stand in a clubroom with medals and prizes at the conclusion of a competition.

Alex gains place on University Talented Athlete Scheme

by RichHin Club News

Rugeley Rifle Club member Alex Buttery has gained a place on the Talented Athlete Scheme at Staffordshire University. Following in the footsteps of dad Martyn, Alex has developed at the club as a junior, representing the County at Junior level, before progressing to the senior inter-county team. He narrowly missed selection to the GB Drew Junior Team this year.

Aside from access to fitness suites, a place on Staffordshire’s TAS scheme gains Alex access to performance coaching for strength & conditioning as well as sport psychology, which will help him take his shooting to the next level.

Club representation at Bisley

by RichHin Competitions

Rugeley members represented at the NSRA’s National Smallbore Meeting this year, winning County and Home Country selections.

Six members shot the Weekend Aggregate, spanning Classes X to D.

  • Richard Hemingway – X, 20th
  • Alex Buttery – C, 21st
  • Ian Abbotts – C, 33rd
  • Liz Garner – C, 35th
  • Brian Parker – C, 43rd
  • Deb Truman – D, 20th

Martyn Buttery finished 42nd in the X-Class Grand Aggregate and represented Hampshire. Martyn won Silver with the County Sextette, and Bronze in the County 50Metre match.

Richard Hemingway was selected for Wales, placing third in the Home Countries International.

Richard and Liz both qualified for the Eley Postal Final, with Richard placing 17th in A, and Liz taking 3rd in E.

Paul Watkiss placed 9th in A-Class in the Benchrest Weekend Aggregate. John Passey placed 11th.

Rugeley dominate County Championships

by RichHin Club News, Competitions

Rugeley Rifle Club repeated its 2023 success at the Staffordshire Smallbore Rifle Association’s Championships, held at Baldwin’s Gate near Keele.

Richard Hemingway again led the charge, retaining his title as Staffordshire Long Range Champion, winning A-Class in the process. He also won the County 50Metre Championship.

Dave Glover won B-Class, was highest scoring Veteran and also earned the NSRA County Silver Medal – awarded to the highest scorer who hasn’t won it before.

Graham Delaney won C-Class and the R.W. De Nicolas Memorial Trophy for the top C, D or Junior shooter. Graham won D-Class last year. Vic Tyne was runner-up in C-Class and Helen Robinson placed sixth.

Paul Watkiss won D-Class.

Two men stand on a veranda, the one on the right receives a trophy from the suited gentleman on the left. They are smiling and shaking hands.
Paul Watkiss receives his trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.
Two men stand on a veranda, the one on the right receives a trophy from the suited gentleman on the left. They are smiling and shaking hands.
Vic Tyne receives his trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.
Two men stand on a veranda, the one on the right receives a trophy from the suited gentleman on the left. They are smiling and shaking hands.
Richard Hemingway receives a trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.
Two men stand on a veranda, the one on the right receives a trophy from the suited gentleman on the left. They are smiling and shaking hands.
Dave Glover receives his trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.
Two men stand on a veranda, the one on the right receives a trophy from the suited gentleman on the left. They are smiling and shaking hands.
Graham Delaney receives his trophy from Staffordshire County Association President Mike Willcox.

Bleed Kit Unveiled

by RichHin Club News

As part of Rugeley Rifle Club’s ongoing partnership with Rugeley and District Community First Responders, the club was delighted to have Club President Cllr Olivia Lyons unveil the new Emergency Bleed Control Kit mounted on the exterior of the club.

Available to the general public in an emergency, it is located next to the defibrillator, installed in 2019.

Three volunteer first responders stand with a new bleed kit mounted on the exterior of a building.
RADCFR volunteers with the new bleed kit
A man and a woman stand in front of a wall on which are mounted two boxes. The yellow box contains an Automatic Emergency Defibrillator. The red box contains an Emergency Bleed Control Kit
Club Chair Martyn Buttery and Club President Councillor Olivia Lyons unveil the new bleed control kit at Rugeley Rifle Club.
Two boxes are mounted on a wall. The yellow box contains an Automatic Emergency Defibrillator. The red box contains an Emergency Bleed Control Kit

GB Selection for Hemingway

by RichHin Competitions

Rugeley Rifle Club member Richard Hemingway was selected to shoot for Great Britain on Saturday after an outstanding performance in the Dewar Match Trials held at Appleton Rifle Club.

Scoring 789/800, he finished top of his squad to qualify for the team. The top five from each of four squads made up the team of twenty. This was Richard’s second GB cap after also making the team in 2018. Richard qualified for the Trials in 2023 but narrowly missed selection, finishing seventh in his squad.

The Dewar Match is an International Postal against the United States, with South Africa and Australia also entering in some years. Following the Trials, the team shot their cards – the scores of which are embargoed until the other teams have shot their end of the match.

In the match itself, Richard placed mid-table with the tenth highest score. Significantly, in finishing in the top 15 he qualifies for the Roberts Match Trials in October. The Roberts Match is a shoulder-to-shoulder match held every 8 years when the United States comes to Bisley to compete at the August National Meeting. The Roberts Squad wll be selected from the October trials.

Friend of the club Liam Webster also qualified for the trials, but missed selection from his squad after a difficult shoot at 100yards.

Ryan selected for Paralympics

by RichHin Club News

Congratulations to Rugeley member Ryan Cockbill who has been selected to represent TeamGB at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

Ryan’s Paralympic debut came in 2012, shooting in the R4 and R5 air rifle events. In Tokyo he qualified for the final in the R9 Mixed 50m Air Rifle, finishing eighth.

At the 2022 World Para Sport Shooting Championships he won a Bronze medal in the R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle event.

Best of luck to Ryan!

Four Paralympic athletes pose for a photo in a garden. Three are using wheelchairs whilst one stands.
(L-R) Issy Bailey, Ryan Cockbill, Tim Jeffery and Matt Skelhon will represent GB Shooting at the 2024 Paralympic Games.

Richard defends Welsh title in Tondu

by RichHin Competitions

Rugeley shooter Richard Hemingway defended his 2023 title at the Welsh 50M Championship this weekend. Shooting at Tondu Target Shooting Club near Bridgend, Rich again saw off strong competition from GB & Commonwealth shooters.

Qualifying at the top of the table on Saturday in good conditions with a robust 618.9, Sunday saw a drizzly, flat outlook and steady start for Richard, but outdone by the stronge start of Sian Corish. A blustery middle section saw Richard close the gap, and he held his nerve in the last 15 shots to overtake Sian and retain his Welsh Championship title with a score of 617.5. Sian Corish was runner up on 615.0, and Liam Webster – formerly of Rugeley and friend of the club – narrowly placed third with 614.1.

Full Results

Funeral Arrangements for Tom Glover

by RichHin Club News

Tom Glover‘s funeral will be held at 2.30pm on Tuesday 4th June at Cannock Chase Crematorium, Norton Road, Heath Hayes, WS12 3HJ.

A wake will be held afterwards at Hednesford Town FC, Keys Park.

The family have requested no flowers, but any donations received will be passed on to causes at County Hospital Stafford.

Tom Glover

by RichHin Club News1 Comment on Tom Glover

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our Club President, Mr Tom Glover.

Tom joined Rugeley Rifle Club in 1977 when he brought his young son Dave along to learn to shoot. In that time he has served various roles on the committee and his service to the club over almost 50 years is truly admired and respected.

Tom has been one of the most generous people the club has had as a member, time is the most precious commodity we have and Tom always gave his time to members willingly and without hesitation.

He leaves behind his wife Beryl, son Dave, two grandsons and three great grandchildren and will be surely missed.

To quote Tom “Thanks for coming”.

Tom’s funeral will be held at 2.30pm on Tuesday 4th June at Cannock Chase Crematorium, Norton Road, Heath Hayes, WS12 3HJ. Full details.