http://www.saracens.com Saracens Rugby Club News http://www.saracens.com http://www.saracens.com http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6804 Saracens launch new Ticketing and Customer Services system

The Saracens Vision statement includes a commitment to ‘innovate by pushing accepted boundaries on and off the field’, and this philosophy has now been extended to the way we deal with our supporters and customers, and the way we sell tickets. We are working hard to improve in every respect.

With effect from today...

1.The Saracens Ticket Office number will change to 0844 847 1876, and will be available 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
2. Option 3 offered on this number will take you to the Saracens Customer Services team
3. It will be easier to purchase tickets on line via www.saracens.com

Please note all customer numbers, season ticket details and registration details remain unchanged.

Please activate your new account by clicking here.

Then, click the ‘Activate Account’ button on the right hand side of the screen, enter your Customer Reference number, and then follow the on screen instructions.

Once you have logged in and activated your account you will be able to add Saracens Season Ticket Holders and fans to your “My Network”. This will allow you to manage and buy tickets on behalf of other Saracens fans. Please note that fans in “My Network” must have an activated account as well.

If you have never before bought Saracens tickets or have mislaid your Customer Reference number, please click the “Create Account” button on the bottom left corner of this page. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6804 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6803
The cup organising committee will meet on Monday and then announce the details of the outstanding fixture in due course. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6803 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6802
The new dates for the sessions are:


13th March - Breaking Down The Breakdown - Reborn

Back by popular demand, Alex Sanderson, Richard Hill and Kevin Sorrell will revisit and develop the techniques and skills that will make your teams and players more effective at the breakdown. The breakdown is key to success on the field and with the breakdown becoming even more of a battle ground the insight that can be offered by Saracens will no doubt make a difference to your players and your team


24th April – Piece by Piece – Building a Platform for Success

The session is designed to look at the key components of developing a solid platform from which your team can play. Those who are interested in forward play will explore the fundamentals of developing an attacking platform from both the lineout and scrum. Coaches who have more of a back orientation will look at kicking technique and developing and implementing a kicking strategy that leads to territorial dominance as well as developing pressure.


Coaches and Members from our Partner Clubs and Partner Schools are invited to take part FREE of charge. For more information on either of these courses or to book yourself on either of the sessions please email alexausterberry@saracens.net stating your member partner club/school, age group that you coach and the session(s) you wish to attend.

Please note there are limited places available on each course and places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6802 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6801
The prop wins his second cap for his country in Sunday's match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Wales line-up vs Ireland

15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 George North, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton, 6 Ryan Jones, 5 Ian Evans, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Huw Bennett, 1 Rhys Gill.

Replacements: 16 Ken Owens, 17 Paul James, 18 Andy Powell, 19 Justin Tipuric, 20 Lloyd Willians, 21 James Hook, 22 Scott Williams. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6801 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6800

Now In its second season, the Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme represents a significant investment (£2 million) by Aviva into the grass roots level of the game. Resources will go towards supporting over 1,200 teachers in 650 schools across the country whilst also providing all the kit necessary to play tag rugby. Aligned to the national curriculum and PE syllabus and designed to unearth the next generation of rugby stars, the number of children who will have taken part in the scheme by the end of this season is enough to fill Twickenham Stadium.


The Annunciation Catholic Junior School (Burnt Oak) is one of just a handful of schools in the country to receive exclusive visit from one of the country’s top players and reflects Aviva’s commitment in promoting rugby in non-traditional rugby playing schools. One school from North London will also go on to take part in a tag rugby demonstration at the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final at Twickenham on Saturday 26th May.


Neil De Kock said: “These youngsters are already rugby crazy which shows how well the Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme is working. I might lose my place in the team if I’m not careful! It’s also hugely important for players to do their bit for the local community and it was great to offer advice and answer their questions.”


Robert Cooper teacher at Parkfield School said: “We’re delighted Sam Stanley has come here to visit the pupils as part of the Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme. We all need to encourage children to get active and take part in sport, and tag rugby is a great way to do that. The programme also ensures that teachers receive quality coaching and are provided with enough equipment to leave a rugby legacy in schools for years to come.”

Shay a pupil from The Annunciation School said; “I really enjoyed it day and the coaches were really fun. I also got Neil De Kock’s autograph and held the premiership trophy”. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6800 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6799
Areas of the Rodney Parade pitch remain frozen despite being under cover since Monday.

We are awaiting a decision from the LV= Organising Committee regarding the re-scheduling of this game.

If the game is re-scheduled, all tickets will be valid for the re-arranged fixture.

If it is not possible to re-schedule the game all tickets will be refunded.

Further details will be published as soon as we have them. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6799 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6798
“After 18 months of engaging extensively with local residents, we are delighted that Barnet Councillors have approved our proposals to revive Barnet Copthall Stadium and create a vibrant sports hub for the local community.

“The new stadium will provide both a real home for Saracens and a hugely improved venue for athletics in the south east. It will secure the future of the highly successful Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers and offer great facilities free of charge to local schools.

“Our plans include the installation of an artificial turf pitch, which may well be the future of rugby. It could enable a faster, safer and more entertaining game and will certainly enable the local community to use the pitch for 349 days per year. Copthall will, we promise, be a genuine community stadium.

“We will continue to work closely with the local community and make Copthall an asset that we can all be proud of.” ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6798 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6797
The Arc package includes:

• Pre-match two course sit down lunch
• Pre-match complimentary beer, house wine and soft drinks
• Cash bar from Kick Off and post-match
• Access into the facility and bar throughout the match
• Club level match ticket directly outside the facility
• Matchday programme
• Pre-match analysis from rugby legend Richard Hill, MBE
• Saracens players in attendance pre-match

The price is £119 + VAT per person.

To purchase hospitality at Wembley matches please contact:

Ross McCann
rossmccann@saracens.net
01727 792 807

Dan Cozens
danielcozens@saracens.net
01727 792 827 ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6797 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6796
In team news ahead of the game, Joel Tomkins gets the chance to pick up where he left off against Worcester Warriors last weekend with the former Wigan Warriors named in the centres.

Other changes see Luke Baldwin start at scrum half while Chris Wyles returns to start at full back. Duncan Taylor moves to the wing.

That means that Peter Stringer and Kameli Ratuvou move to the bench while after training with the England squad this week, Alex Goode also returns.

Saracens line-up vs Dragons

15 Chris Wyles
14 Michael Tagicakibau
13 Joel Tomkins
12 Adam Powell
11 Duncan Taylor
10 Nils Mordt
9 Luke Baldwin
1 John Smit
2 Jamie George ©
3 Carlos Nieto
4 George Kruis
5 Eoin Sherriff
6 Justin Melck
7 Will Fraser
8 Jackson Wray

16 Harry Allen
17 Nick Auterac
18 Petrus du Plessis
19 Hugh Vyvyan
20 Tom Jubb
21 Peter Stringer
22 Alex Goode
23 Kameli Ratuvou ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6796 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6795
Ransom starts the match at full back while Spurling has been named on the bench for the match at Firhill on Friday night.

England Under 20 starting XV to face Scotland

15) Ben Ransom (Saracens)
14) Marland Yarde (London Irish)
13) Elliot Daly (London Wasps)
12) Ryan Mills (Gloucester)
11) Charlie Walker (Harlequins)
10) George Ford (C) (Leicester Tigers)
9) Dan Robson (Gloucester)
1) Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs)
2) Koree Britton (Gloucester)
3) Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins)
4) Tom Price (Leicester Tigers)
5) George Merrick (Harlequins)
6) Matt Kvesic (Worcester Warriors)
7) Chris Walker (Leeds Carnegie)
8) Jack Clifford (Harlequins)

Replacements:

16) Scott Spurling (Saracens)
17) Alec Hepburn (London Wasps)
18) Ross Harrison (Sale Sharks)
19) Elliot Stooke (Gloucester)
20) Will Skuse (Bath Rugby)
21) Alex Day (Northampton Saints)
22) Tom Heathcote (Bath Rugby)
23) Anthony Watson (London Irish) ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6795 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6794
Charlie Hodgson, Brad Barritt and Owen Farrell make up the England midfield while David Strettle and Mouritz Botha also start the match.

Matt Stevens has been named on the bench for the game at Murrayfield. Barritt and Farrell are making their debuts for England.

Head Coach Stuart Lancaster said: “We have been impressed with how the whole group has come together in the last 10 days and we have done a lot of work on and off the field.

“Now is the time to turn all that into a performance against Scotland that we can all be proud of. It is a massive challenge – Murrayfield, the first game of the Six Nations – but one we are relishing.”

England line-up vs Scotland

15 Ben Foden (Northampton Saints)
14 Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
13 Brad Barritt (Saracens)
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens)
11 David Strettle (Saracens)
10 Charlie Hodgson (Saracens)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
1 Alex Corbisiero (London Irish)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
4 Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
5 Tom Palmer (Stade Francais)
6 Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers)
7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt)
8 Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints)

Replacements

16 Rob Webber (London Wasps)
17 Matt Stevens (Saracens)
18 Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
19 Ben Morgan (Scarlets)
20 Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
21 Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins)
22 Mike Brown (Harlequins) ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6794 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6793
You will have the opportunity to taste and subsequently purchase an interesting choice of wines offered by the RFU Wine Club. There will be time to socialise, to discuss wine, rugby and some of the other good things in life.

Tickets at £20.00 for members and £25.00 for non-members, which includes wine tasting and buffet. The evening commences at 19.30 for a 19.45 pm start.

Please book on the SSA website at www.saracenssupporters.org ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6793 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6792
Scrum half Spencer and flanker Saull, who were both part of the Saxons side that beat the Irish Wolfhounds last weekend, are in a side that contains eight changes for the
game at Galashiels.

England Saxons line-up vs Scotland A

15 Nick Abendanon (Bath Rugby)
14 Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
13 Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
12 Billy Twelvetrees (Leicester Tigers)
11 Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby)
10 Ryan Lamb (Northampton Saints)
9 Ben Spencer (Saracens)
1 Nick Wood (Gloucester Rugby)
2 Chris Brooker (Harlequins)
3 Paul Doran-Jones (Northampton Saints)
4 Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers)
5 George Robson (Harlequins)
6 James Gaskell (Sale Sharks, captain)
7 Andy Saull (Saracens)
8 Tom Johnson (Exeter)

Replacements

16 Joe Gray (Harlequins)
17 Rupert Harden (Gloucester Rugby)
18 Kearnan Myall (Sale Sharks)
19 David Seymour (Sale Sharks)
20 Paul Hodgson (London Irish)
21 Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby)
22 Miles Benjamin (Worcester Warriors) ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6792 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6791
Just hours after Saracens complete their regular Aviva Premiership season against Exeter Chiefs at Vicarage Road, the club will come together to celebrate the 2011/12 season.

You and your guests will be able to enjoy the evening in the company of the entire squad and training ground staff at this fantastic venue.

It's always a great night out - so we look forward to seeing you there!

The evening will include:

*Champagne reception
*Three course sit down dinner
*Half bottle of wine per person
*Saracens players in attendance
*Special entertainment
*Match action and highlights footage
*Awards presentation
*Auction
*Live band and dancing

Price for a table of 10 from £1,700 + VAT

Individual places £170 + VAT per person

Please contact our Sales Team for more information:

Ross McCann - 01727 792 807 - rossmccann@saracens.net
Dan Cozens - 01727 792 827- danielcozens@saracens.net
Ed Clark - 01727 792 825 - edwardclark@saracens.net ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6791 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6790
Youngsters from The Collett and Amwell View schools took part in a four hour introductory rugby festival, coached by Saracens’ award winning community coaches and Saracens first team player; Will Fraser.

The programme aims to increase social inclusion while at the same time, teaching the youngsters about team work, friendship and the benefits of an active lifestyle.

The programme was run by Saracens in partnership with the Herts Sports Partnership, who aim to bring together expertise, resources and ideas from the sporting world to benefit all of Hertfordshire.

Cherly Obiakpani from the partnership said, “We have a great relationship with Saracens who provide us with a huge amount of support. Today is being funded through the Sportivate scheme which is for 14-25 year olds we provide funding for”

Caroline Connell; from Saracens award winning community coaching team said, “It is great to see the pupils experiencing rugby outside of school; seeing them practicing their skills with pupils from other schools, and compete against each other is very rewarding.”

Penny Warner; Head of PE at Amwell View School said, “Many thanks for organising the Sportivate Disability Tag Rugby festival. All our students had a wonderful time and I was really impressed by what they managed to achieve.” ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6790 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6789
The camps have been designed to provide young players aged 6-16 with a total rugby experience, contributing to their personal development on and off the field. The coaches will pass on their experience and design drills specific to the camp and will include skills such as catch & pass, tackling technique, contact avoidance, offloading, and tactical decision making in addition to unit skills.

Due to the growing support that the community has for the game of rugby, the coaches will encourage young talent to play with passion and commitment, respect and discipline whilst working effectively as a team. Not only are Saracens providing a fantastic opportunity to further the rugby skills of Mini and Junior rugby players, but we will also give those participants the chance to have a photo with the Aviva Premiership Trophy.

8th Feb - International Coaching Event - Old Albanians RFC £25.00
13th & 14th Feb - 2 Day Skills Camp - Old Albanians RFC £54.00
13th Feb - 1 Day Intensive Skills Clinic - MINIS (U7-U12) Luton RFC £25.00
13th Feb - 1 Day Intensive Skills Clinic - MINIS (U7-U12) Barnet RFC £25.00
14th Feb - 1 Day Intensive Skills Clinic - JNRS (U13-U17) Luton RFC £25.00
14th Feb -1 Day Intensive Skills Clinic - JNRS (U13-U17) Barnet RFC £25.00
15th Feb - 1 Day Intensive Skills Clinic - Welwyn RFC £25.00
15th Feb - 1 Day Intensive Skills Clinic - Hemel Hempstead RFC £25.00
15th Feb - Kicking Clinic - Old Albanians RFC £40.00
16th Feb - 1 Day Intensive Skills Clinic - Datchworth RFC £25.00
16th & 17th Feb - 2 Day Skills Camp - Saracens Amateurs £50.00
16th & 17th Feb - 2 Day Skills Camp - Dartfordians RFC £50.00

To book your place or for further information please click here for 10% off or alternatively call the community team on 01707 285026.

Prices above inclue a 10% online discount ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6789 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6788
George, who is captaining Saracens in this season's LV Cup, will be live on Saracens.com, looking ahead to Friday's match with Newport Gwent Dragons and answering your questions.

To join in the fun, log on to www.saracens.com/sarriestv/bambuser from 2.30pm for our live web chat.

So whether you want to ask Jamie for his expert rugby tips, or just want find out more about life behind-the-scenes at Saracens, make sure you're watching live. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6788 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6787
Hooker George, who captained Saracens to a 41-14 victory against Worcester Warriors at Vicarage Road on Sunday, has been nominated to win the inaugural award.

At least one player for each of the teams involved in the competition has been selected and once the panel has whittled that list down to six players, fans can cast their votes for the winner.

“It’s great to see LV= recognising the talent on offer in this competition through the LV= Breakthrough Player Award," said Lancaster. "There is a huge wealth of up and coming talent on show in the LV= Cup, and we’ve seen first-hand some of the exceptional players it has helped produce.

“The panel will have a tough job on their hands selecting the final six, as everyone included in the shortlist deserves recognition of the contribution they have made to their team during the competition. Best of luck to all those nominated!”

The panel, chaired by former Rugby World Magazine editor, Paul Morgan, also includes rugby experts: Martin Bayfield (ITV), Ieuan Evans (Sky), Gywn Jones (S4C) and Gavin Mairs (Telegraph).

Once the initial shortlist of six has then been selected, the fans take control via www.lv.com/rugby, where they can vote for their chosen player.

The player with the highest number of nominations will receive a Tag Heuer watch plus £1,000 donated to a local grassroots club of their choice and of course, the inaugural LV= Cup Breakthrough Player trophy.

Voting begins on Monday 6 February via LV.com/rugby, and closes at midnight on Sunday 11 March. The winner will be announced on Tuesday 13 March.

LV= Cup Breakthrough Player 20 shortlist:

Pool 1
Bath Rugby – Olly Woodburn & Tom Heathcote
Saracens – Jamie George
London Wasps – Elliot Daly
Ospreys - Matthew Morgan

Pool 2
London Irish – Jonathan Joseph & Steve Shingler
Leicester Tigers – George Ford & Sam Harrison
Cardiff Blues - Dan Fish
Sale Sharks – Rob Miller

Pool 3
Scarlets - Adam Warren & Liam Williams
Harlequins – Luke Wallace
Newcastle Falcons – Joel Hodgson
Gloucester Rugby – Jonny May

Pool 4
Northampton Saints – Jamie Elliott
Exeter Chiefs - Dave Ewers
Newport Gwent-Dragons - Steffan Jones
Worcester Warriors – Matt Kvesic ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6787 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6786
High potential managers in PwC and players from the Saracens Academy came together for a day-long workshop to discuss and debate the qualities of leadership and high performing teams.

The group were challenged to assess their own leadership qualities and style, give each other coaching, and pin point what they could learn from the similarities and differences between life in the office and on a rugby pitch.

The workshop was facilitated by Saracens with former PwC partner Vic Luck, director of the Foundation for Leadership through Sport and of the Rugby Players Association.

Vic said: "Even though business people and athletes operate in different environments they share similar challenges in leading teams to high levels of performance. Success in both fields invariably depends on uniting individuals towards a common goal and motivating them to work extraordinarily hard for each other to achieve it.

"The session gave each group much food for thought, particularly highlighting areas on which they could focus personally to improve their leadership capabilities and impact. The workshop was part of a programme to give Saracens players an insight into the world of business and a foundation for their careers after sport. We coach young players to lead on the field and to build those skills so that they may transfer their understanding and experience to leadership roles in their careers after rugby."

PwC's head of development Susannah Anfield said the PwC team who took part saw the importance in developing close bonds with their team members.

She said: "Seeing the team spirit between the Saracens players gave our managers an insight into the extra edge you can get by forming close bonds with your team members and really knowing and understanding what drives each other both in and out of work. For our managers it showed them that while you need to have your own responsibilities and goals in a team, it's so important to invest in getting to know each other and growing that team spirit."

Ben Ransom was one of the players involved in the session. He said: "Learning about leadership from such a credible, global company was a real privilege. I personally enjoyed interacting with and asking questions of, some fantastic people at PwC. They helped me realise that as professional sportsmen we can transfer Saracens values of work rate, humility and personal discipline into another profession one day. I’m very grateful to PwC, Sarah McCarthy and Vic Luck for organising such an enjoyable experience."

The full day session was held on site at PwC’s office and offered a different learning experience for all involved.

Ed Earlam, manager from PwC said: "From my point of view, the day was great fun and a real success. It was fantastic to meet the Saracens players, all of whom were great characters and clearly very talented, and I felt that we learnt a huge amount about leadership and teamwork by getting out of a conventional classroom environment and focusing on the lessons that high performing teams in sport and business can learn from one another."

PwC firms provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for their clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. See pwc.com for more information.

"PwC" is the brand under which member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PwCIL) operate and provide services. Together, these firms form the PwC network. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6786 http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6785
Trailing 13-14 at the interval, the home side ran in four second half scores with Tomkins striking twice along with scores for Justin Melck and Jamie George adding to Peter Stringer’s first half score. The boot of Nils Mordt completed the scoring with the fly half hitting 16 points.

The home side found themselves behind with less than 10 minutes on the clock despite enjoying the better of the early possession. Chris Fortey punched a gap in the defence on the 22 and Sam Betty was on hand to power over. Carlisle converted.

Nils Mordt hit back with two penalties but once again, despite enjoying much of the possession, the Warriors broke away upfield to score a second when Tom Arscott took advantage of a turnover on halfway and won the chase of his own kick ahead. Carlisle converted.

But on the half hour, the Sarries forwards took a catch and drive and after sucking in the defenders, Peter Stringer broke off the back to cross the line from five metres. Mordt converted to make it 13-14 at the break.

Sarries took the lead on the hour. Winning turnover ball at a Worcester lineout, replacement Scott Spurling took the ball at pace and went to within a few feet of the line before Justin Melck got the ball in his hands to power over. Mordt converted.

And two minutes later, debutant Tomkins crossed the line when he picked off a loose pass in midfield and raced home. Mordt converted.

The former Wigan Warrior got his second minutes later. Winning turnover ball on the Warriors 22, it was worked wide for the centre to slide home. Mordt converted.

A fifth try for the home side came with just three minutes left on the clock. Taking a catch and drive 10 metres out, the Sarries forwards powered their way to the line and captain Jamie George touched down to complete a good afternoon’s work for the home side.

Saracens: Taylor, Ratuvou (Ransom 58), Tomkins, Powell (Jubb 75), Tagicakibau (Earle 72), Mordt, Stringer (Baldwin 58), Smit (Auterac 53), George, Du Plessis (Cleverly 77), Kruis, Sherriff (Vyvyan 53), Melck, Fraser (Spurling 58), Wray. ]]> http://www.saracens.com/news/view.php?Id=6785