Few sports have changed more than rugby in the past 20 years and Canvey RFC is reaping a rich reward for evolving its youth set-up.

The juniors and minis, formed by club founder member Roger Hulse in the late 1970s, have survived, then thrived, despite competition from major south Essex rivals like Southend and Thurrock, and London giants such as Blackheath and Saracens.

Hulse became club skipper, chairman, and eventually president, while Dave Gomal and Geoff Prin expanded the youth development section, adding a group for five to eight-year-olds and producing notable work at under-15 and under-12 level.

Canvey spokesman Christopher Davey said: "The programme was then taken over by the great Bill Brown, who was very experienced, more so than most of the players.

"The results were average, but good foundations were laid in coaching and organisation."

The next major step was when Terry Tuftin and Terry McQueen came on board, transforming, above all, the fortunes of the under-12s.

The club began to recruit youngsters from, not just the island, but Basildon, Benfleet and Rayleigh too. The under-12s even reached the semi-final of an under-19 event.

Davey said: "Many youngsters brought through in this era are still playing First and second-team rugby for us."

First-team prop forward Richard Smith, with two sons in the youth programme, took charge of the youth section in the late 1980s, producing players good enough to move onto leading clubs in Essex and London.

However, the end of the decade coincided with the decline in rugby-playing in schools.

Davey explained Canvey's response: "Club member Harry Colvile went to see headteachers to encourage them to get youngsters to attend our Sunday training.

"Eventually, by the early 1990s, we had teams across the board - from under-six upwards."

The youth section, now under the tutelage of Gary Henderson, notched up sound results in cups and tour matches.

Colvile's appointment as Essex youth rugby chairman further lifted club morale and hopes have soared this year, with more players joining from across south Essex.

Canvey u-10s and u-11s have made steady progress; the u-12s won the Braintree Festival Plate; and the u-13s underlined their promise by defeating Saracens 27-15.

Life has been more of a struggle at u-14 and u-15 level, although coaches Prin, David Bowers and Andy Cook have been working hard to recruit more players.

The u-16s have also faced a mixed time, but partly for the uplifting reason that many youngsters are competing fiercely for u-17 places - a side revelling under Richard Smith.

Indeed, 10 Canvey u-17 players are in the 42-player Essex Development squad.

Davey said: "A lot of things compete with rugby for youngsters' attentions, but bringing on players is very important for us.

"I'm sure we're going in the right direction."

Winning formula - the under-17 team is going great guns for Canvey Rugby Club (stripe shirts)

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.