Thurrock 50, Burnham-on-Crouch 7

 THURROCK'S 2025-26 campaign got off to a flying start on Friday night (8 August) as they ran in eight tries to overpower Burnham in their opening pre-season fixture at Oakfield.

The home side wasted no time asserting themselves, with Rick Percival and Alfie Bailey crossing early to set the tone.

Powerful carries from Darryl Worster and Ben Flatt stretched the visitors' defence further, before the returning Jake Barrand added a try of his own, converting three on the night. Young Sam Ingram's sharp footwork earned him a brace, while Chibuike Abazie's quick reactions capped off the scoring on debut.

Ben Stanley slotted two additional touchline conversions to complete the rout.

Head Coach Andy Yarrow was delighted with the squad's performance after a demanding pre-season, saying: "It was great to get the 2025-26 campaign underway at Oakfield Friday night. The squad have worked hard over pre-season, three sessions a week, and look in fantastic shape!

"Seeing new recruits, a few familiar returning faces, some boys coming through the club's youth set-up, and the core group from last season coming together was really satisfying.

"There was an energy around the squad from the moment we started back in July. For a first outing, we had a few moments where we invited unnecessary pressure, but on the whole, I'm pleased we could reward around 30 players who have trained consistently.

"Oakfield was lively on Friday night, and I'd like to thank the supporters, youth section, and T-Birds for backing the men's team — the lads definitely put on a good show! One thing I've fully bought into is the one club ethos, and Friday night was just the start of the success we're bringing to Oakfield this season!"

The Oakfield faithful will next see their side in action away at Woodford this Saturday (16 August) with a 2pm kick-off, as Thurrock continue their build-up to the new campaign