A word from our chairman
Chairman Bart Doornbos looks back on the women's final, Imme's national nomination and the Sevens weekend, and ahead to a new head coach and the season opening.
A message to members from Bart Doornbos, chairman of AAC Rugby.
Remember the double-thick summer holiday issue of Donald Duck? Well, now we have the digital Try. Welcome to this great edition, packed with news and updates on the latest developments.
The last newsletter came out just before the women’s national championship final. With healthy nerves we looked forward to the match against Waterland. The start was promising and looked good. The pressure was on Waterland, and it showed. Unfortunately, after the first 20 minutes they found their rhythm and converted their dominance into the win. Hats off, ladies, for a magnificent final and a great party afterwards!
After the women’s final, there was one more nail-biting moment for our Imme. Rugby Nederland nominated her for Talent of the Year. That is an incredible honour, and as a club we are extremely proud that Imme earned this nomination through her work rate, her power in the scrum and her physical defence. Sadly she didn’t win, but that takes nothing away from the achievement. Congratulations, Imme!
The Sevens… what a party. Thanks to a huge number of volunteers, the weekend of 6 and 7 June was once again an incredible success. More than a week before the gates opened, the build crew got to work — first constructing the floor, and over the course of the week the whole sports park was decked out. It all seems so effortless when you walk around during the tournament, but it isn’t. An enormous amount of time, effort and energy goes into dressing up the park. Many thanks to everyone who helped. Without the tireless efforts of the build crew, and everyone else who pitched in (VIP deck, bar, first aid, match officials, etc.), the weekend simply wouldn’t have happened — and we’re already looking forward to next year. The date is set: the weekend of 5 and 6 June. Once again, thank you for all your hard work, and hopefully we can count on you again next year.
There’s a lot happening in the youth section. Paul has turned his idea for a kit fund into concrete action, and after the summer the Grote Clubactie kicks off. Both are covered in full elsewhere: Youth sponsors wanted — and found and A first for AAC: De Grote Clubactie.
And… we have a new head coach: Daniel Geurs. You can read an interview with him elsewhere in this issue. But Daniel won’t just be active on the pitch — he’ll also be actively involved in the social life of the club. As a first idea, Daniel has proposed a pre-season party with a BBQ, which will take place on Sunday 30 August. Ticket sales will start shortly. Make sure you’re there — it promises to be a great party.
Then the general meeting held by Rugby Nederland. There it was decided to choose a charity, and the choice fell on ALS. There is a less cheerful story behind it, and an invitation to swim: Swimming for ALS at the Amsterdam City Swim.
Finally… a wonderful photo of Sol and Alan, our proud Argentinian parents. Thanks, Robbie, for this lovely picture. It’s hard work for the 2nd team’s hooker and his wife, but they feel completely at home in our beautiful clubhouse. Great to see.
Enjoy the summer everyone!
Bart Chairman AAC Rugby
First published in the July 2026 edition of the Try, AAC’s club newsletter.