As you pull into the rugby club car park, just to the right, below our flag and next to the rockery of plants you will just about to be able to see the little shoots of remembrance.

Back in February this year, the RFU as part of their Seeds of Remembrance initiative, provided those clubs around the country who wanted them with poppy seeds. This is in Commemoration of the many rugby players who gave their lives in the Great War. It was suggested that planting poppy seeds at clubs would provide a long lasting reminder of those who died. The plan is to provide different seeds for each year of the centenary commemoration, beginning with the red Souvenir poppy, followed by the Cornflower Bluet Du France, the poppy/cornflower mix Alliance for the third and for the final year the multi-colour Hope poppy.

Billingham RUFC decided to participate and these were planted back at the end of spring. Now often with these types of initiatives, we have to hope that they are planted at the right time, the weather is kind and the seeds germinate. But in the spirit that was in abundance 100 years ago, ‘our’ poppy seeds have sprouted and are now visible. Our hope is that as they blossom, we will see a sea of red which will come back each year as a reminder.

As a club, we were not founded until after the Great War and whilst our Spirit maybe our Strength, the Strength of those who died during this time gave our country the Spirit it needed. 100 years on and during the 70th anniversary of the end of the 2nd World War, it is a timely reminder of those who gave their lives for us.

Their strength gave us our spirit and the poppies will help us to remember them.