Brother and Sister Act
Thornbury RFC in Gloucestershire are looking forward to the new season with a brother and sister duo of captains of the men’s and women’s teams.
Submit your community story
Laura Panting captained the Thornbury women’s team to league success last season and begins her fourth season in that role as the team takes on rivals in Women's NC 2 South West (North).
The skipper has also represented Gloucestershire, playing for the county Ladies team in 2018. Laura’s commitment to the club is extraordinary. She has only missed a handful of games since the Ladies team was formed in 2017 and is also the club contact for girls’ rugby.
Now her brother Luke is succeeding Sam Poustie as First XV captain. He was proposed by the players and coaches and unanimously elected to the role. He has played for Thornbury throughout the age grade teams and, apart from a couple of seasons with Old Patesians when a student, has been a first team regular ever since.
A former Gloucestershire U20 player, he played for the senior side in the 2022/23 county championship. He also helps coach the ladies team.
Their childhood club
The siblings are proud of their family. Laura said: “I started rugby aged 11 after watching Luke play, Dad coach and being in the primary school touch tournament at the club. It’s a huge honour to be able to lead the women’s team. From playing there as a child to now being able to lead and influence what happens in the senior women’s team is an amazing opportunity.
“To be a part of such an exciting and up and coming team, especially as part of my childhood club, means the world to me. And I couldn’t be more proud of my brother. He is everything that Thornbury rugby club is about: a true club man. His dedication to the club from coaching juniors, to coaching the women and his commitment to training and leading his team are unmatched. I know he’ll work so hard to support and lead the men’s first team next season.”
Luke, who was awarded Clubman of the Year by Thornbury RFC members last June, said: “I was five when I first started playing. It was my dad who brought me down to the club and got me involved. It’s a real honour to captain my boyhood club. It was something I thought about as I was going through the age groups, and it feels great to achieve that dream.
“It’s a special thing to captain any team but even more so when I can share that with a sibling. I feel a bit of pressure as Laura has been a very successful captain, but I just want to do the team and the club justice. For me Thornbury has always been a great family club and it really stands out now having siblings as captains.”
Absolute stars
Echoing their comments, Thornbury Secretary Dave Fox said: “These two are absolute stars. Their commitment, leadership and honesty are outstanding, and they are fine examples of individuals embracing the core values of the game.
“As a club Thornbury are particularly family-orientated. Several of the current First XV are sons of fathers who played for the club in the past, and many of the current senior players can be found at the rugby club on Sundays, coaching and mentoring the junior players. It is wonderful to see former junior players like Jimmy Halliwell, a Bristol Bears Academy player who has just represented England in the U20 World Cup in South Africa, watching the club on Saturdays and Sundays when they can.”
Luke’s reign as captain begins at Lydney in a pre-season friendly on August 11th while Laura continues her captaincy with a friendly match with Bristol’s Aretians Ladies in early September.
