Sat 20 Dec 2025
WPRFC v Burnage
20th December 2025 – Park suffer loss at home
WPRFC 17 – 48 Burnage
This week Park welcomed Burnage to Burrows Hill for the return fixture and the last game of 2025. With a few enforced changes, Park were looking to end the year with a win at home.
Park got the game underway on a bright December afternoon and Burnage showed that they would use their boot to pin Park back in the early exchanges. Unfortunately, the game changed on 4 minutes with a red card when Riewoldt Teabuge made a poor tackle on the Burnage fly half who was up ended but was okay to continue in the game. With 14 players for 76 minutes, this was going to be a tough day for Park. Burnage went for the corner, won the lineout, and set up a maul, but Park did a great job of turning the ball over and cleared their lines. Burnage fielded the kick and returned only for Joel Gaidan to take the ball in a great catch and set up the attack, Park worked through the phases with quick ball and put pressure on Burnage and got a penalty which Dan Williams took quickly and set up the next attack which went wide through the hands to wing Alex De Keyzer who got within a couple of metres but was held but off loaded to Jack Williams in support who scored a well worked try (5-0). On 15 minutes Burnage cleared their lines with a long kick which Jack Williams could not keep in for 50:22, Burnage won the lineout and set up the attack and went through four phases and scored under the sticks to take the lead (5-7). 2 minutes later Park were caught holding on in the ruck when Harry Sheard had to clean up a Burnage kick through, Burnage took the three points to extend their lead (5-10). Burnage had another opportunity for a kick at goal on 23 minutes when Park were caught offside following a clearance kick for wing Teddie McCaffery, but the kick was missed. Park were working hard and on 23 minutes we had a lineout on our 10-metre line, which was won and quickly out to the back but a lazy Burnage retreating player got in the way and gave Park a penalty which we kicked for territory. Park won the lineout and quickly got the ball into midfield and recycled the other way with Harry Sheard linking with Joel Gaidan and back to Harry Sheard who passed to Tom King and then onto Alex De Keyzer who saw some space and chipped the winger and regathered to score a classy try to level the scores (10-10). Burnage struck back to take the lead on 31 minutes with a try following a short period in the Park 22 (10-17). From the restart Park secured the ball and took a few phases through the middle with our forwards with Joel Gaidan and Dan Williams, Park continued to attack and forced Burnage into defending and giving away a penalty which Dan Williams took quickly and recycled with a couple of phases and then the ball went wide with great hands through Cameron Flanagan to Lewis Owens and wing Teddie McCaffery who stepped the defender and ran in under the sticks on 34 minutes with Cameron Flanagan adding the conversion and levelling the score (17-17). It was a great half of rugby by Park under the circumstances and had an opportunity in the last few minutes with a great break by captain Dan Williams but unfortunately the pass could not quite find supporting runner Teddie McCaffery.
Half time score 17 - 17
Burnage restarted the second half and put pressure on Park with the player advantage but Park defended well in the early part of the second half but Burnage broke the deadlock on 47 minutes with a try following an error by Park in contact just inside the Burnage half Burnage attacked Park and got a penalty which was taken quickly and went wide and got through the defensive tackle to stretch and score (17-22). 3 minutes later Burnage were in again with a breakaway into the Park half and a couple of attacking phases and a penalty which they opted for the scrum and scored (17-29). Park were now under pressure and Burnage capitalised on the player advantage with another two quick tries on 56 minutes (17-36) and 58 minutes to extend their lead even further (17-43). This was a very tough half of rugby for the home side and the player advantage took its toll and Burnage scored their last points of the game on 68 minutes with an overlap after attacking Park in our 22 with multiple phases and quickly shipping the ball out to score (17-48).
It was a game of two halves with a great first half from Park but the player advantage in the second half was too big a mountain to climb.
Final score: WPRFC 17 – 48 Burnage
Team: Jack Williams, Teddie McCaffery, Riewoldt Teabuge, Lewis Owen, Alex De Keyzer, Cameron Flanagan, Harry Sheard, Dan Williams (Captain), Matthew Treacy, Joshua Gibbins, Phil Lynch, Anthony Hopley, Conor Lapniewski, Tom King, Joel Gaidan, Frankie Davenport, Bruce McGrogan and Jack Fenner
