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Guernsey loves its raiders and here at Fletcher Sports we are the very proud suppliers and stockists of all the Guernsey Raiders kit and merchandise. Like everyone on the island have been impressed with the success the team has had this season. We caught up with Jordan Reynolds, Director of Rugby to find out more. Jordan arrived in Guernsey in 2006, started coaching with Jon Colley and has been coaching the team for the past 12 seasons. He was offered to coach on a full-time basis with the Raiders back in 2014 and has never looked back!   You are having a great season and some recent big wins - what do you think makes this season so good? Consistency in the squad for the past 3 seasons has helped us develop as a team. The enthusiasm for the players and coaches to improve every week has been a clear standout. Our team ethos is based on working harder than any other team on and off the pitch, this allows us to be better prepared to grind out the close wins and builds confidence within the group.  How do you think Guernsey rugby has changed over the last few years?  From a first-team perspective, we have created a more professional approach to the way we train and prepare for games, we do a lot of analysing on other teams and referees which gives us important insight to how we should be playing each week. On top of that, we have formed a really competitive squad of players who are driven to succeed. Our aim is not just to develop them as players but as people with strong leadership skills.  Do you think there is more of a community, people are getting more involved and supporting more? The rugby community in Guernsey is definitely growing, with over 450 children now registered with the Guernsey Rugby Academy and feeding into our 3 adult teams (2 men’s and 1 ladies) and many more volunteers, sponsors and supporters involved. The team wear their shirts with pride each week as they represent the whole Guernsey rugby community and the island in general.  What is the atmosphere like when you play at home?  The players love seeing the Garenne Stand full when playing at home and it has been pleasing to see so many new faces coming down to show their support this season. The Garenne Stand has a real buzz about it, especially when Rocky the Raider gets the ‘Guernsey’ chant going. As our track record shows, the players certainly get a real boost from the home crowd and endeavour to play their best for them. What is the next step for the team and what are you all most looking forward to?  The current aim is to achieve all the goals that we set this season if that can be done and if we are fortunate enough to get promoted than we will focus on finding another mountain to climb with new goals set so we can continue to grow as a club.  What will the team be up to in the offseason?  We only have a small time apart in the off-season, 6 weeks. Players will still be looking after themselves and expected to return to the first pre-season session with a decent level of conditioning.  Here at Fletcher Sports we can't wait to see what the rest of the reason has in store - bring it on! Don't forget you can get official Raiders merchandise online and in-store.

Ben from Fletcher Sports caught up with local goalkeeper James Hamon, currently on the books at Exeter City.  James was more than happy to answer a few questions and even showed his sense of humour.. can you spot the tongue in cheek answer? Have you always been a Goalkeeper? I started off as a striker then one day decided I didn't want to run around a pitch so thought I'd go in goal, turned out I quite enjoyed it and kicked on from there.   How/when did you become a pro footballer? I became a professional through Steve Sharman. He knew the manager from coaching the University team and recommended me to him and I went on a few trials with Exeter and ended up signing a professional contract in the summer of 2013.   What does a 'normal' training week look like? A normal week will be in for 10 am Monday, the boys who played at the weekend will have a lighter recovery day whilst the boys who didn't would have a tougher session, Tuesday would be a tough working day for everyone. Wednesday is a rest and recovery day. Thursday will be a team shape and small-sided games day to get sharp and prepared for the weekend. Friday will either be a travel day or if we are playing at home will be a light session, consisting of set pieces and final tactics for the game Saturday. Sunday will be another day off. How do you prepare for matches? I prepare for every game as if I'm going to play even if I know I'm not just in case anything happens in the warm up or first couple of minutes of the game. I have a pre-match meal 3 hours before the game which is usually poached eggs on toast. Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions? I don't really have superstitions, I will go to the toilet before we go out and close my eyes and try to imagine the first thing I'm going to do in the game. Whether it's a kick, a save or catching a cross. If you weren't a pro footballer what do you think you would be? If I wasn't a footballer I'd probably be a mirror maker. I could really see myself doing that. What is the highlight of your career so far? The highlight of my career so far was making my league debut against Shrewsbury, we went 2-0 down early and they were top of the league, we came out second half flying scored early and then nicked 2 late on to win 3-2. Do you have any aims or targets for this season? My personal target is to play as many games as I can and establish myself as a first-choice goalkeeper. My aim for the team is to achieve promotion this year. I think we have the squad and the people around us to achieve that. Your dad was one of the best GKs Guernsey has had, but who would be the better keeper if you were both playing today... you or him? Yeah, my dad wasn't too bad. That's a good question, it would be interesting to see him in one goal and myself in the other. It would probably have 0-0 written all over it. Do you have any advice for any up and coming GK's? The little piece of advice I'd give young goalkeepers is to enjoy it. Don't put too much pressure on yourself and enjoy stopping the ball from going in the goal. If you enjoy doing that and have the work ethic you won't be too far away. How important is it that you have the highest quality kit? The quality of gloves and boots is massively important, that's the tools of our trade. A builder wouldn't use dodgy bricks to build a house so we shouldn't use dodgy gloves to play in goal. What is the ultimate goal in your career?The ultimate goal in my career is to play at the highest level possible for as long as I possibly can. Big thanks to James for speaking with us.  Fletcher Sports supply James with his gloves, these can be purchased online or in store.