Ronnie was a former 1st XV captain and loyal and hard-working member of the club who dedicated so much of his time to playing for, running and developing Old Freemens RFC. More so, Ronnie was a great man and true friend. His warmth, hospitality and friendship touched so many people and transcended the generations of players who played before, with and after him. He was a big but gentle man with a big heart, who fully deserved his title as ‘Club Dad’. He leaves a huge gap in all our lives.

It was fitting that so many former players were gathered at the Badgers lunch of legends when we received the news. The Badger lunches are an event that Ronnie and his dear wife and ‘Club Mum’ Irene instigated back in the day to bring people together and celebrate lifelong friendships forged through the club. Gather together, we were able to recognise his greatness as a true legend amongst legends and share personal reflections and memories. A consistent theme was how welcome Ronnie made everyone feel and just how much he will be missed.

Everyone will have their own stories and feelings to share, and we are in the process of creating an online portal for people to do this. I will share the link as soon as I have it and keep you all informed of arrangements for the funeral.

In the meantime, we send the full Freemens family love, thoughts and prayers to Irene, Kate and Lawrie.