SPORTS AND ADVENTURE TRAINING WITH 1WFR
Adventure training and sports are a very important factor of life within 1WFR the more and all ranks are encouraged to try the traditional sports such as football, rugby and cross country or some of newer sports such as Triathlon. The Bn managed to complete a sports competion in with all companies competing in Swimming,Volleyball,Basketball,Football and Sevens Rugby with D(Fire Support) Company eventually winning the competion.
SPORTS
BATTALION CANOEING
The Battalion Canoe Team has been particularly successful over recent seasons in all major canoeing disciplines and is well known and respected throughout the Army canoeing circuit. The facilities available in Hounslow have provided an opportunity to introduce more people to the sport. The River Thames is on the doorstep and this provides a venue for basic introduction and the various weirs are ideal to teach and practice moving and white water skills.
Battalion canoe instructors will train individuals on flat sheltered water using Battalion sports afternoons and evenings to get people started. Once basics have been achieved they will progress through the British Canoe Union coaching scheme as well as getting comprehensive coaching on competition canoeing such as Slalom, Sprint and Marathon, White Water Racing and Freestyle. Whilst deployed on overseas Exercises there is normally an opportunity to take to the water during the adventure training phase of the exercise, members of the Battalion have taken this opportunity recently in Kenya (Ex Grand Prix), Belize (Tropical Storm) and Cyprus (Lion Sun).
At the time of publication the Battalion Canoe team is in preparation to deploy to Monmouth to compete in the Army Sprint and Marathon Championships. The team consists of a good number of new comers to the sport and it is hoped that success at this event will encourage more interest in canoeing activities within the Battalion and we look forward to publishing an article and the results of the competition on our return. 
BN TRIATHLON TEAM
For those out there who enjoy a challenge then there can be but one sport to satisfy your appetite and that is triathlon. Triathlon consists of three disciplines namely swim, bike and run. Distances depend on the type of event either Sprint or Olympic. Sprint is broken down into a 750 metre swim, 20 kilometre bike and 5 kilometre run and Olympic 1.5 kilometre swim, 40 kilometre bike and 10 kilometre run. The gap between each discipline is known as transition and is simultaneous i.e. no rest which puts a very testing edge to racing.
2006 has seen the birth of the regiments triathlon team and at present the team consists of officers and SNCOs from the battalion, the low take up of the sport in other ranks is due we believe to the cost of equipment in order to compete. A complete triathlon package of bike, wetsuit(oh yea, forgot to mention the swims were open water!!!), etc can cost anything between £500 - £1500 and all members of the current team have financed their equipment from their own pockets. It is hoped that the 2007 season will see the regiment hiring both bikes and wetsuits to allow younger members of the regiment to compete. A team strip in the form of a tri-suit printed with ‘Worcesters & Foresters’ has been agreed to for the remainder of this season and there is the possibility that next season will see a custom designed regimental tri-suit and helmet package for those team members who represent the regiment at events.
Already this season the regiment’s team is beginning to make a name for itself in the world of triathlon consistently getting results in the top 100 and even top 20 at Army Triathlon Association events it has entered all over the country. Team members have also earned a healthy respect in the civilian world of triathlon whilst competing in national and international events. The main highlight of the season so far has been the teams success in the GOC London District Sports Competition where they took gold not only beating all other regiments in that division but also taking 2nd, 3rd and 4th individual places as well.
This year will also see the regiment being represented in the Sherborne Iron Man Competition, a form of extreme triathlon, the distances being significantly increased from Olympic to a 3 kilometre swim, 180 kilometre bike and 42 kilometre run.
The future of triathlon within the regiment looks good and our aim is to encourage new members to try out the sport and represent the battalion and ultimately the Army.
BN FOOTBALL TEAM
This year will also see the Bn competing in all of the usual Infantry and Army cup competions as well as the local Divisional leagues, with the intention of carrying on the good form that the side ended the season with having reached the semi finals of the Infantry Cup. A Bn team will also take part in a local tour around the counties playing local sides during the upcoming recruiting tour. All members of the Bn are encouraged to come along to training and stake a claim for a place in the team, whether young or more experienced. The future of football within the regiment looks good and our aim is to encourage new members to play the sport and represent the battalion and ultimately the Infantry and the Army.
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