When teams reach u12s, rugby becomes more structured and matches rather than visits / festivals become the norm. We host these at the Heath Extension. The Extension is sparse in terms of facilities, so a bit of a hands-on approach is required. Set out below is a guide how to go about hosting a match.

1. Changing Rooms
There are six changing rooms at the Extension, all with showers & toilet facilities. There is also a referee’s room. The club hires these (along with the pitches) from the City of London Corporation. They charge by the room, so if your players usually arrive changed ready for the match & depart in the same, if slightly muddier, state please inform our Junior Fixture Secretary, so we can hire accordingly. It is customary however to lay on a room for the opposition, even if they don’t use it.
There is a public toilet block opposite the yard for spectator use.

2. Cleaning boots/working yard
The yard enclosure is a working yard, used by the Park staff. There are benches in there, but generally refrain our youth from running around, passing / kicking balls within this area.
Boot scrapers are provided & the staff will sort out an external tap if players wish to clean their boots – it’s a definite no, no for players to leave clumps of mud or wash their boots in the showers / changing rooms. There are bins in each changing room as well as several in the yard – players should use these & not just leave stuff on the floor for the staff to dispose of.

3. Storage
Flags, post protectors, ruck pads, water bottles, balls, cones, ruck pads, medical-kits, pumps, linesman flags, kicking tees are all stored in the Green shed.
Encourage children & the parents to help take stuff to the pitch & to return items back to the storage units at the end of the game & tidy away. Behind the trolley there is a grey ‘gardening’ chest, which contains the catering stuff required for hosting.
Both the shed & the box have padlocks – code for both - 1945

4. Trolley
We have a large hand cart (which usually has flags, post protectors stacked on this for matches, but proves handy to take & return match items). At the end, please throw over the tarpaulin.

5. Hosting room
Opposite the changing rooms, there is a meeting room the club can hire for use of preparing food / boiling kettle etc. We can’t cook on site. Within the ‘garden’ box mentioned above you’ll find a 3L kettle, 2 x 3L Thermos flasks, tea, coffee, squash, cups, sugar, bin bags etc for your use. Within the shed there are two gazebos & two foldout tables also for your use. All items to be returned where found.
There is a combi lock on the door – code is 1564Y
NB no players should enter this room with boots on & a nice touch would be to ask the staff for a broom at the end just for a quick sweep up (they’ll mop).

6. Food
The club hires facilities, but the cost is not passed onto members. We will reimburse food bought, but we have an unwritten law that the club pays for any sausages / rolls etc bought, but hopefully teams can encourage parents to contribute extra items such as crisps, cakes, biscuits (& milk for the tea).
If pre-cooking the club have 3 thermal bags at the café at the track teams can borrow, as well as a soup kettle. Please return the following week to the café.
Suggest set up larger of table outside door to feed players after the match. Boil the kettle & fill thermos flasks in tandem & take down with little table & set up teas / coffee use by pitch (or at convenient point in between pitches if more than one game on). No charge for teas / coffees to parents. Ensure everything is retuned back to where found please and all rubbish is binned.

7. Pitches
Take post protectors, flags etc down to pitch (get players & parents to help) & set up well in advance of kick off. The pitches are @ 200 yards from the changing rooms.
Coming from changing rooms the first visible pitch is known as the junior pitch (if multiple teams playing, the youngest side take this field).
The pitch directly behind is known as the 2nd team pitch & then there is another pitch to the right of this – the 1st team pitch.

8. Dogs
There are quite a few dogs being walked on the Extension. The Heath staff do their best to clean up faeces and fill in holes that dogs have chewed out of the turf, however, it’s an ongoing job. In the working yard the Heath have a bag of dirt / wheel barrow & shovel we can use to poop-a-scoop & fill in any ankle twister divots. Also, you do get snotty dog owners who can be a nuisance. If you come across one of these rare types, don’t argue,

if they are walking across a pitch during a game or dogs not in control they are in breach of the Heath’s byelaw – just inform them that this is the case & you are going to report them to the Heath Constabulary - 020 8340 5260.

9. Travel to the Heath Extension
Golders Green tube station is an 8 minutes’ walk from the pitch.
Have a look at our key club location page for maps and parking information.
Address for sat navs - Wildwood Road, Hampstead Heath Extension, London, NW11 6XB