A special year for West Norfolk Rugby Club

Your Local Paper columnist Gavin Caney talks about a special year for West Norfolk Rugby Club in his weekly Caney’s Corner column.A new year is looming just over the horizon – and it’s shaping up to be a special one at West Norfolk Rugby Club.Not only are the Gatehouse Lane outfit celebrating its centenary, both of the North Wootton institution’s senior sides are sitting pretty at the top of their table going into the festive period.How fitting that the men and women look extremely likely they’ll be challenging for titles in 2025 – 100 years after the club was formed.A string of exciting events are already planned to enjoy the landmark birthday and it feels extra fitting that they’ll be doing so during a golden time on the pitch in terms of results.West’s men made it the perfect 10 last time out when they recorded a 28-8 home victory against Wymondham II that saw them continue their early-season dominance in Counties 2 Eastern Counties.A seven-point gap over Ipswich YM may be extended if positive results between now and Christmas keep the momentum going. A trip to Thurston, ninth in the 12-team standings, this weekend presents a more than reasonable opportunity to chalk up an 11th triumph before the dozen could be completed, albeit with a seemingly sterner test at Woodbridge, currently fifth. A visit from Wisbech for a December 21 derby should provide an absolute cracker to end the year with a bang.With a healthy points difference of 232 and the most potent attacking force and meanest defence, can anyone stop West Norfolk’s charge?It’s a similar story for the ladies who top Women’s NC 2 Midlands (East). Their lofty position is made all the more impressive by the fact they won at their nearest challengers, Colchester Iceni, last time out. Five wins, three of which have been by 70 points or more, have left them sitting pretty prior to their final game of 2024 at home to Woodbridge on Saturday December 14.The 43-26 victory at Iceni sent out a warning to the rest of the league; that promise and potential is here to stay. Having beaten all of the other teams in the top four already, you have to wonder if complacency could be West’s biggest challenge here on in.In Georgie Lingham, they have an international player in their ranks who can be a match-winner on her day. A hat-trick in the triumph at Iceni showed she’s ready to deliver on the grand occasion. “Colchester are a great team,” said head coach Jane Middleton-Jones.”We laid everything on the line and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so, so proud.”That pride will continue throughout 2025, a special year that could have a lot more to toast than a 100th birthday the way both sides are going.When you’re winning football games you just want them to keep coming. But the festive period is always a busy one and King’s Lynn Town’s players should certainly benefit from having been given a rare weekend off just before the advent calendars were opened.Lynn were due to travel to Brackley Town on Saturday but the fixture was postponed because of the Saints’ involvement in the FA Cup.After back-to-back wins, Adam Lakeland opted against making his players train.It would seem to have been a wise idea given the sensational performance I and 794 others witnessed during the Linnets’ last game on Tuesday November 26. The 4-0 win against Kidderminster Harriers came via, comfortably, the best performance of the season and showed the boys in blue and gold could really get in the play-off mix come the turn of the year if they keep those sort of levels up.Resting and recuperating from a superb night makes sense given the draining nature of playing in National League North.The miles keep racking up and the pitches are getting heavier.Refreshed legs, ready for Saturday’s visit of Scarborough Athletic, should enhance Lynn’s hopes of making it three wins on a spin. Three more before the Boxing Day arrival of Needham Market will really indicate where Lakeland’s charges are going into the New Year.It would be nice for people to focus on the positives.Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson has launched Grand Slam Track – four three-day events each year that brings together the finest athletes on the planet.Lucrative prize money, some star names and an avalanche of publicity has pushed track back into the forefront of the public’s mind. Away from the major events like the Olympics and World Championships, it’s a sport that struggles for recognition and air time and Johnson’s efforts should be applauded.The American icon has excluded half of the sport of athletics in his quest to make a success of an exciting new idea.Responding to criticism the BBC pundit said: “I love this sport. But I have had time to reconcile the fact that if we continue to just do the same thing, tell people that ‘you should love this’ or ‘you should understand this’ – that doesn’t work.”Grand Slam Track is track, that is what we’re doing. I am going to save what I think I can save; I think I can save track, I don’t think I can save track and field. “Putting the two together works at the Olympics and World Championships, but I’m not sure it works when you’re trying to create a professional sport outside of those global competitions.”Let’s hope people can focus on what he’s doing moving forward, rather than what he’s not.