Achievements for MATLOCK RUFC in Season 2006 - 2007:

 

Coaching Award for Chris Loeber - Click Here

Matlock 1st XV Derbyshire Cup Champions 

Matlock 1st XV Midlands 2 East Runners-up

Matlock 1st XV Runners-up NLD Cup

Matlock 2nd XV Runners-up Derbyshire Cup

 

 

LOEBER HOLDS COACHING AWARD AFTER MATLOCK'S SUPER SEASON
Author Richard Gadsby in the Derby Evening Telegraph Friday 13th July

 

Chris Loeber has won the Midlands Senior Coach of the Year award for guiding Matlock to one of the most successful seasons in the club's history.

Matlock exceeded all expectations to claim runners-up spot in Midlands Two East in May.

They only just missed out on promotion after a 20-5 play-off final defeat to Newport and also made it to two cup finals, winning the Derbyshire Cup with a 16-0 victory over Derby UKD.

"It's a very nice surprise, I didn't know a thing about it," said Loeber, who was told the news by the Telegraph.

"I'd heard a rumour but that was it. It's great to be recognised but the reason we had such a great season isn't because of one person, it's because Matlock are built on a team ethic.

"The very fact that we have limited resources means that we can only be successful if we work as a team.

"OK, I'm the coach, but we had a terrific captain and some vastly experienced players who all played a massive part in the success of last season.

"I'm just another part of that."

Loeber won the award at the Midlands Coaching Conference at Warwick University earlier this month as a "tribute to his organisational skills despite having limited resources at a relatively small club."

"It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," said Matlock's honorary vice-chairman Colin Baker.

"He does a huge amount of work and he doesn't get paid a penny for it. It's all off his own back. We're a totally amateur club.

"Chris trains Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and he's there on a Saturday. Everyone at the club has a tremendous amount of respect for him and the players would do anything for him.

"We played Newport in the play-off final and found out that their coach was on £500 a week. Our jaws almost dropped off!

"It shows how valuable Chris is to the club."

Matlock have already made one major change to the team for the coming campaign with Chris Mease taking on the captain's armband after Johnny Bunting stepped down.

Loeber claims the success of last season will be tough to match but says the best is yet to come from his team.

"It's going to be a much stronger league," he said.

"Some of the weaker teams have gone and they've been replaced by some very good clubs.

"But towards the end of last season we talked about how we still weren't playing to our potential. We feel we can get even better. We've pretty much got the same group of players from last season and we feel we can go on and improve."