IT WAS a very difficult past weekend for Minehead Barbarians Rugby Club, as both the visiting teams due to play at Minehead pulled out, unable to field a team, writes Bryan Stevens.

While this is not the first occasion that this has happened, losing home matches against Imperial 1st XV and Imperial Colts results in a significant loss of income to the West Somerset club.

It was also due to be the “Presidents Day” with a pre-match lunch. The income from home matches is a huge part of keeping a club solvent when times are tight for everyone.

Once again our wonderful supporters and volunteers will step up and help us over this bump in the road, as they have done many times before.

Further frustration came from the fact that the Barbarians 2nd XV’s game at Bridgwater was called off due to lack of a referee. So no senior players were able to play any rugby for Minehead over the past weekend.

Saturday’s only positive was that the Barbarians’ U14s were able to play friendly games against visiting teams from Morriston, and Caerleon in Wales.

This coming weekend (April 18), the Barbarians 1st XV, who sit third in the table, travel to Clevedon, who are just above them in the league.

Minehead will be chasing the season’s double against Clevedon, having beaten their rivals 43-20 at home just before Chistmas.

Clevedon trail leaders Burnham on Sea by four points, both sides having only two more matches to play.

The same day Minehead Barbarians’ 2nds, whose efforts this season have taken them up to fourth in Counties Four Somerset South, host Weston Super-Mare 3rds at Ellicombe. The Babas’ second string have matches in hand on all the teams above them.