Ealing Trailfinders 1871 Podcast

The season is over, the kit has been packed away, the balls deflated, and bodies given the chance for a rest...so here we are looking back on a remarkable season for all three men's 1871 teams. We catch up with head coach Phil 'Smudger' Smith, club captain Toby Holt and first XV skipper Lewis Steadman to reflect on the past campaign. There are lots of highlights to look back on with pride, promoti...

For club servant Danny Ford, a trophy has been a long time coming. A veteran of two final defeats and three semi-final losses, he finally got his mitts on some silverware when he led the thirds to victory in the MMT Vase by beating Old Actionians 26-24 thanks to some last-minute heroics. Danny tells us all about the match, who did what and when, and who came up with the big moments. We also discus...

Spring has sprung, the clocks have changed, the evenings are lengthening, and Easter will soon be here. With this natural break, we hear from head coach Phil 'Smudger' Smith, who brings us up to date with the activities of the three teams and an exciting challenge on Good Friday. We find out how plans are going for next season, our first in level six, and who we can see coming in to help us adjust...

It has been a huge week for Ealing 1871. On Friday, under the Vallis Way lights, the first XV secured promotion to Regional 2 Thames after a 48-5 win over Hampstead gave the team the Counties 1 Middlesex title. To look back on that momentous night and the club's rise up the leagues, we bring in the man at the top, the man who lifted the trophy in quite an excitable fashion, Lewis Steadman. He tell...

Long-time friend of the podcast, Pat Nash, joins us to talk through how a concussion has ruled him out for the rest of the season. He tells us what caused his concussion, how quickly the club's staff took care of him, where he is on the return to play protocol, and how concussion recovery has changed since he started playing. We also look ahead to a huge match for Ealing 1871 1st, the club dinner,...

Toby Holt and Jacob Pepper join us for a catch-up after the weekend's club day, a day with all three teams in action. Toby fills us in on each team's progress, which includes promotion, cup runs, and title races, while Jacob brings us up to date on how the 1871 Women's team got on in their latest match. We also hear about plans for the end-of-season dinner, and why Friday 15 May should be inked in...

It has been too long between visits, so this Wednesday we headed to Vallis Way on a Wednesday night to catch up with the Ealing 1871 Women's team. The side has been growing exponentially, is running two teams, has welcomed players who thought their playing days were over, and those who wanted to try the sport for the first time. We find out all about their progress from club stalwart Eden Comins....

It is club day this Saturday, and we chat to two of the players aiming to show their wares to Ealing 1871's fans - Jack Feeney and Will Day. Jack joins us fresh from helping the seconds earn promotion to Middlesex Premier with a 62-5 victory over Old Streetonians. He also tells us about life in New Zealand, and how spending three years there helped his game immensely. Then, Will Day joins us to lo...

KavanFitzpatrick, a long-time member of the Ealing Trailfinders 1871 squad, second team vice-captain, and now a promotion chaser. The second XV are on the verge of winning promotion to Middlesex Premier, but need to overcome Old Streetonians at home to do so. The sides meet in a Friday Night's Light clash at Vallis Way with promotion as the prize. Kav tells us all about the season so far, the play...

Welcome back to the Ealing 1871 podcast. It was a quiet couple of weeks, but we return with another new face to the club, Cillian Corkery, who made his debut earlier this year against Finchley. We find out about this Wexford lad, who is settling into life in west London and bringing the skills he honed at the renowned Limerick side, Shannon RFC. We also look back on what's happened at the club ove...

We headed to Vallis Way on a Saturday for a day where all three teams were in action, and while that didn't pan out as expected, with only the second team's match going ahead, it was still a memorable day for 1871. We hear from third team captain Danny Ford on what they got up to, and grab head coach Phil 'Smudger' Smith for a few words on how he enjoyed the day, his lunch, and what is coming up t...

Josh Steadman is our twinkle-toed outside back, who is a danger no matter where he is on the pitch. He is also as elusive off the pitch, so with a mixture of charm and determination, we've got him on the pod. We look back on the weekend's victory over Finchley, which pushed the first XV into top spot, and reflect on the growing depth at the club and its effect on our teams' results. There is also...

Harrison Slater is first up in 2026, and he tells us all about his Christmas and New Year break, resisting the temptations on hand, and hitting the ground running with plenty of challenges ahead. This season, he has taken on the captaincy of the second team, and they are going great guns under his leadership. Fifteen points clear at the top of Middlesex Merit Table 1, can they keep that form going...

It is the time of year we take a breather, take stock and celebrate the festivities. Christmas and New Year mean no rugby for the next few weeks, and a chance for the lads to show their discipline by not overdoing the food and drink.  To round up a fantastic 2025, we catch up with head coach Phil 'Smudger' Smith to look back on a year which ended with all four 1871 teams winning before headin...

Aidan Jones is slowly making his way back to full fitness, but at the same time, he's learning a new role, having been shoved out of the second row engine room, into the back row. He is someone who can't stay away from the club after his rugby-playing father dragged him down when he was about 11. While he disappeared down the M4 to Bristol for university, he soon made it his destination of choice...

Liam Mulvihill may not have been the first person in his household to attend training at Vallis Way, but he is certainly glad that he followed his girlfriend, who had signed up with Ealing 1871 Women's 'Learn to Play' course and told him to get his boots back on. After a year out of the game, he came down to training and hasn't looked back since. The Dubliner quickly found his stride, and he is no...

Sometimes you have to scratch beneath the surface, and you'll find gold, and that is what happened in this week's episode with third team stalwart Callum Neal. We cover a range of topics, from what representing Ealing Trailfinders 1871 means to him, to growing up across La Manche, to handling pieces of rock and roll history, to finding a new flatmate on the field of play, to captaining the side un...

Marquis Daly-Vidal is a young man who is making his mark with Ealing Trailfinders 1871, and it has taken his game to new heights. He recently made his Jamaica under-23 debut from the bench against Gibraltar, an experience he loved, especially after helping set up a try. Marquis tells us all about the experience, when he's next in action for Jamaica, and the possibility of matches in warmer climes....

Gerint Price is back on the field and loving life, but we're talking to him about his work off it, specifically in the realm of mental health. G is one of Ealing 1871's looseheadz, an ambassador for the charity Looseheadz , who train people to be the mental health lead at every club. He talks through how he became involved, what the role entails, how he's smiling now that he's over his rib injury,...

It has taken a while, but finally Dave Vater has reached his half-century, and he's holding his bat in the air and saluting the crowd. Chiswick RFC was the venue for such a major achievement, and he marked it in style, with a true second-row try. We find out where it all started, why he joined Ealing 1871, and how he hopes his next 50 appearances don't take as long to arrive. #BleedGreen Saturday...

It is a sad day at Ealing Trailfinders 1871 as we say a 'see you later' to a long-time servant of the club, Alex Kritikos, who will soon be moving to Portugal. Alex has been at the club as a man and boy, and while opposition flyhalves can rest easy that their ribs may stay intact a little longer, we'll miss him. But, didn't he sign off in style, with a hat-trick of tries in the win over London Cor...

George Emerson, one of the new boys, who juggles his degree with running out every weekend. It has been a case of so far, so good for the former Leicester Tigers academy player, who has shown his class in the number 12 jersey. He tells us why it's second time lucky at Vallis Way, the secrets of East Midlands rugby, and why he won't be turned into a flanker. #BleedGreen Saturday 18 October Ealing T...

Nick Dawes has made a big impression in his short time at Vallis Way. This September, he was fresh off the plane from Australia and straight onto the pitch, but he had already made an impression with an exclusive unveiling with Pat Nash during the Lions tour. We talk over where he's played, how he's enjoying life in W13, why he left Australia for rainy England, and how much he knows about the club...

Toby Holt. He arrived as a boy and is now the man leading the squad as club captain, but where is he on the teamsheet? We get to the bottom of his absence, find out about his dalliance with the Black Ferns, and when he will be back on the pitch. #BleedGreen Friday 3 October Ealing 1871 3rd XV v Chiswick (H) 19.30 Saturday 4 October Ealing 1871 1st XV v Finchley (A) 15.00 Sunday 5 October Ealing 18...

Jess Smith and Christina Williams are two of the stars of Ealing Trailfinders 1871 Women. Jess is a long-time member of the club, while Christina is new to the sport, having joined and come through the Learn to Play programme over pre-season. Christina made her debut in the opening match of the season against Grasshoppers, a match Jess started on the flank. Despite the loss, they are now looking a...