NL1 Signings, Retentions and Departures 2019-20

Outstanding Achievement: Markus Burcham

Markus joined Blackheath after a spell at Barking and there followed a stop-start progression into the first team until finally he made the 13 shirt his own. 158 consecutive 1st XV appearances then followed, taking his tally to 200+ caps in all. For the last five seasons he has captained the side that, under his guidance, has consistently maintained a top five finish each season. He has also regularly supported the club events, plus supported and coached the juniors on Sundays, travelling to their County Finals whenever possible. Sadly the 2019/20 season is to be his last, having made the decision to get married, move to Bournemouth and change careers. He has been a ‘Club man’ through and through, and we are delighted to recognise his fabulous contribution during his time at Blackheath Rugby.

Thank You Markus.

A special mention also goes to two players who are departing the club this year: they will both be missed, but we hope that they may come back and watch the odd game from time to time:

Stef Liebenberg – Retiring

What can I say about Stefan? He’s better to have in your team than against. The amount of teams/players that always said ‘I hate playing against him! He never shuts up…’, and he’s made a huge impact at every club he’s played. He may have lost his pace (not sure he had any), but he has an ability to move the ball quicker than any 9 I know. Lucky for me, I played over 150 games with him so I knew what he could add to Club. I’m sure he’ll miss me shouting at him constantly. And I’m sure he’ll enjoy his retirement with Mel and his three boys.

Danny Herriott – Moving 

Danny moves on after three great seasons at Club. He was the cornerstone of our pack and, in my opinion, the best scrummaging tight head in the league. He also had surprisingly good skills for a tight head. Great commitment over the three seasons and will be missed. Hopefully he has the same impact at Canterbury as he did for us.