Season: 2020-2021

Rosslyn Park

History

Founded in 1879 by cricketing friends in north London, at the end of their first season, Charles Hoyer Millar proposed forming a football club to keep the players together during the winter. There was already a Hampstead Football Club (from which both Wasps and Harlequins sprang), so the cricket club’s name was adopted, reflecting the area of Hampstead where the cricketers first played their scratch games in the grounds of Rosslyn House. Their original rugby ground was at South End Green, Hampstead, then Gospel Oak and Acton before a lengthy tenure at Old Deer Park, Richmond until 1956, when Rosslyn Park moved to its current premises in Roehampton. After an initial blue shirt with white Maltese cross, its current red-and-white hoops were adopted in 1881. It still remains a Football Club, without the need for the word Rugby, and so is correctly Rosslyn Park FC, not RFC.

Early fixtures were generally against second XVs of leading clubs, but in the 1890s Rosslyn Park joined the first rank with fixtures against Oxford University, London Scottish, Richmond and Harlequins. Park’s acceptance into the elite was signalled when venerable Blackheath agreed to play home and away fixtures in 1909. The club became the first English side to play rugby internationally when it beat Stade Français in Paris on 18 April 1892.[2] In 1912, the club played exhibition matches in Prague, Budapest and Vienna – the first rugby matches ever played in those cities – and in 1913 played two games in Hanover, Germany.[2] In 1939, Rosslyn Park inaugurated the annual Rosslyn Park Schools Seven Tournament, which expanded from sixteen schools to 350 in 1996. With some 7,000 players annually, it is the world’s largest rugby tournament.[2] After the Second World war, Park again led the way with a first international fixture in 1945 against traditional rivals Stade Français. In 1951, Park was the first to bring the Ladies’ Cup from the Melrose Sevens south of the border. In 1975 and 1976, the club played in the final of the John Player Cup, narrowly losing on both occasions

The club runs five senior men’s sides and a ladies side (the “Slingbacks”) who play on Sundays. Rosslyn Park also have one of the country’s largest mini- and youth-rugby set-ups with sides at all age groups from under-6s up. When English league rugby began in 1987, Park were placed in Division two, which they won. The first team currently play in the third division of the English league system, National League One.

The club plays at Priory Lane, Roehampton in South-West London on a ground leased from the next-door Roehampton Club. There is one 4G (4th generation synthetic turf) pitch at the main site; additional games are played on grass pitches in nearby Richmond Park. Changing facilities for both sets of pitches are at the main site in Priory Lane. The clubhouse has two bars, which are named after two of the club’s famous players – Andy Ripley and Alexander Obolensky. The first floodlights for the main pitch were famously provided by the hell-raising actor Oliver Reed who was also a member of the club and occasional player. Those lights have now been replaced after storm damage.

Some 350 Park members served in the Great War, of which 109 died, believed to be the highest number from any club. The story was told in a 2012 book The Final Whistle: the Great War in Fifteen players. The original memorial was lost but was replaced with a new board in 2014 when a Centenary memorial match was played under the Laws prevailing in 1914 and the memorial was unveiled by Bill Beaumont Chairman of the RFU.

Cinderford

Cinderford RFC is one of the top clubs in the UK and the third largest club in Gloucestershire.  Cinderford plays its rugby in National Division 2 South, with 15 other club affilaited sides competing weekly in a variety of leagues.  The United XV competes in the Premier Division of the Gloucestershire Reserve Leagues and also plays many friendly fixtures against the second strings of top clubs in England and Wales.  The Stags XV plays in Division 1 (N) and the Bucks XV in the third division of the reserve leagues. Two women’s teams play on Sunday afternoons and a successful mini and junior section provides rugby for youngsters from U7s to U17s.

Cinderford RFC was formed in 1886 and was soon playing many leading clubs in England and Wales.  The club’s fortunes and that of the local mining community were closely linked and both declined during the inter-war years with a number of local rugby heroes ‘going north’ to seek their fortunes in what is now ‘The Rugby League’.  Cinderford RFC re-emerged after the Second World War and regained its Dockham Road home in 1956. Fifty years of hard work and the foresight of a few individuals have furnished the club with a splendid ground that is the envy of many.

Darlington Mowden Park

History

On the 27th June 1950 the Club received a letter from the Rugby Football Union which read “I am pleased to inform you that my Committee has accepted the Darlington Grammar School Old Boys R.F.C. as a member of the Rugby Football Union from 1st September 1950”.

This was the first milestone along the road which started in 1946 when the Old Boys of Darlington Queen Elizabeth Grammar School – mostly ex-forces – played some scratch games at the end of the 1945/46 season, and began the 1946/47 season as a properly constituted Club. Thanks to the headmaster we changed at the school and played our games on the school field. Force of circumstances meant we carried out our business and social activities in the Kings Head Hotel.

A combination of pre-war stalwarts and a growing stream of first class school leavers soon produced a very successful side. Winning the Durham County Third and Second Team cups in successive years (1949 and 1950) we became a Senior Club. Our first County Cap came in the 1950/51 seasons, and our contribution to the County Side grew rapidly until on one celebrated occasion we provided a third of the team. In 1954 we won the Billingham Seven-a-Side Cup which, at that time, was probably the premier sevens competition in the North East.

In due course it was felt we should have our own Club House facilities, and in 1955 we converted rooms above Williamsons Garage in Woodland Road, into cosy, if somewhat cramped quarters. Our initial capital was helped by a very successful sweepstake on the Grand National of that year in which we offered as first prize £100 – quite a tidy sum in those days. Our bar shutter was a splendidly appropriate painting on wood by the Art Master at the Grammar School, and it now very properly, takes pride of place in our re-furbished main bar.

In due course the rooms became too small, and spurred on by the threat of a sagging floor, we searched for alternative premises. Characteristically in 1958, during the course of a pork pie supper at the Boot and Shoe, the Committee agreed to purchase a property in Victoria Road. This was a large terraced house on three floors, with a good cellar, and as the result of some splendid voluntary work by members, it was transformed into a Club House which is even now remembered with affectionate nostalgia by ex-players and their supporters from the whole of the North East.

During our stay in Victoria Road we celebrated our 21st Anniversary, we became an open club, and started a Colts Section. For our 21st we had a excellent game against a strong Headingley XV followed by a well attended Dinner at the Imperial Hotel. We were almost the last Club in the North East to “go open” but as soon as more and more school leavers went onto higher education, and did not return to the area, our source of players was drying up.

The story of Colts and Junior Rugby is dealt with separately but initially the introduction of the new young blood was something of a culture shock. One of the older committee men taking the Colts by bus to Consett had to endure a dirge like rendition of that mournful piece of monotony “Lloyd George knew my Father” which Started as the bus left town, and continued — except for the period of the match – until it arrived back.

By the end of the Sixties circumstances were conspiring to shape our future. The building of the Inner Ring Road meant we would lose our Club House and the projected re-organisation of Education in Darlington cast doubts on our long term future on the School field. There now began a big debate which split the club, between those who wanted a Club House separate from the pitches, but still in the center of town, and those who saw our future in the development of Club facilities on the new ground. Fortunately, the latter view prevailed, and after exhaustive searches around Darlington, we had the chance to buy our present ground.

The first stage of development consisted of the laying down of two pitches, and building of changing accommodation. This enabled us to start the 1970/71 season on the new ground whilst keeping Victoria Road as our Club House. The next stage was to build a bar and lounge, and we were able to move finally in November 1972. The official opening on 4th April, 1973 was by G. Tarn Bainbridge, and a game against a Scottish Border XV was followed by a buffet supper.

Subsequently we extended the Club House, and built a stand on the First XV pitch. This was important on two fronts. On the playing side we were now able to stage important games, and over the years, we have hosted County Games at Schoolboy, Colts and Senior levels. The favourable comments from all concerned suggest that we carried our responsibilities with some style. On 28th September, 1986 we celebrated our Fortieth Birthday with a game against a County President’s XV.

On the social side we soon became part of the neighbourhood, offering our facilities over the years to activities as disparate as Amateur Dramatics, Aerobics, and as a meeting place for an Over Sixties Club. The Club became a popular venue for social functions of all sizes, since we were able to offer a variety of catering possibilities.

When we moved to Yiewsley Drive we thought it appropriate, not least because we were no longer an “Old Boys Club”, to change our name to Mowden Park R.F.C. This had always had the disadvantage of not being obviously connected to the town of Darlington, so, more recently, with permission, we became Darlington Mowden Park R.F.C.

In late 2012 Darlington Mowden Park Rugby Football Club sold their ground at Yiewsley Drive to a housing developer and with the proceeds opportunely bought the empty Darlington Arena. The Club played its first game at the Arena in March 2013 and set about unlocking its vast potential with a pioneering plan.

Plymouth Albion

History

Albion was formed in 1876 by a group of Dockyard Apprentices and their first matches were played at Devonport Park. The club rose rapidly in prominence in the formative years and, in 1886, merged with Keyham RFC.

In 1887, Albion were offered a field at Bladderley Lane, Beacon Park. Season 1891-92 saw the total attendance for all home matches reach more than 27,000, with the highest gate of 3,571 when Barnstaple visited.

In 1894, Albion moved to Home Park, now home to Plymouth Argyle FC. Changing Rooms and other facilities made this one of the best-equipped rugby grounds in England. The opening match against Aberavon was won by the home side, 10-6.

A year later Albion left Home Park and returned to Bladderley, but stayed only one season, after failing to negotiate an agreement with the ground owners.

In 1896, plans were drawn up to develop the Rectory Field in Devonport and, on the September 16, 1896, Albion played their first match at the venue against Redruth, winning 6-0. Attendances increased with five figure gates a regular occurrence. The biggest crowd was on a Wednesday afternoon in November when 17,500 spectators watched Albion play Oxford University.

During this period Albion went from strength to strength and, in 1900-01 under the Captaincy of EJ Vivyan, they played 39 matches, drawing two and losing only once to Swansea, 3-7.

1905DevonportAlbOn October 25, 1905, the New Zealand All Blacks, known fondly as ‘The Originals’, played Albion at the Rectory in their twelfth game of a 35 match tour. They defeated the home side 21-3 in front of a crowd of 19,000.

 

 

It was during this period , 1901-1912 , that international honours were bestowed on ten Albion players.

Success continued, with Albion becoming one of the top clubs in England, until rugby came to a standstill due to the outbreak of the Great War.

After the end of hostilities , both Plymouth RFC and Devonport RFC struggled to reform.  A decision was taken by both clubs that Devonport would amalgamate with Plymouth, mainly due to the fact that their ground, the Rectory, had been sold to the Admiralty and the Plymouth Honorary Secretary, FW Jeffery, had acquired a lease on Beacon Park. It was also decided that they would share their club colours, the green and white of Plymouth and the cherry and white of Devonport. They would  be known as Plymouth Albion RFC. The main reason for the name change was to identify the club’s location as its ambition was to play more fixtures further afield.

It was during this period, 1920-1931 that a further seven players were capped. Off the pitch, the Vice Presidents Club was established in 1919 just a year before the formation of the Supporters Club in 1920. In season 1927-28, the Supporters Club Stand was opened at a cost of £283. In the same season the Plymouth Albion Juniors came into existence.

Great service was given to Devon County side, with 48 players representing the county. The fixture list continued to improve and, by the outbreak of World War II, Plymouth Albion were playing clubs such as Moseley, Cardiff, Cross Keys and Leicester.

Returning rugby to Beacon Park after the War was done with energy and dedication, and the club continued to advance, playing on average 40 fixtures a season against the likes of Swansea, Cardiff, Leicester and Bedford. During this decade more new fixtures were established with the club playing  Sheffield for the first time in 1952, and Esher in 1953-54.

The 1960’s saw ten players selected for the Bosuns XV, a tour of France, an inviation to play in the Middlesex Sevens Tournament at Twickenham and the celebration of 50 years of rugby at Beacon Park.

During the 1970’s, Plymouth Albion began to break new ground, playing more clubs from London, the Midlands and South Wales. The club also hosted overseas visitors such as San Francisco and L’Aquila (Italy). In 1976-77 Plymouth Albion celebrated its Centenary, playing a total of 54 club and cup fixtures .

When leagues were introduced in the 1980’s, Plymouth Albion were placed in Courage League Three. It took until season 1988-89 for promotion with a 100% record, under captain Kevin Norris and head coach Nigel Sparrow. In 1989 the team toured Canada and returned undefeated.

The 1990’s was a difficult decade with Plymouth Albion relegated in two successive seasons and only avoiding relegation by winning away against Weston Super Mare in the last fixture of the 1998-99 season. The following year the Club was restructured and Graham Dawe was appointed as Chairman of Rugby. Along with many other changes, results improved and Albion finished fourth in the league. Between 2000 and 2002, the club gained promotion twice and set a new National League record of 41 consecutive victories.

On April 26, 2003, Albion played their last match at Beacon Park and moved to the Brickfields. The first match was played there on September 13, versus Otley. A Sports Centre was subsequently built on-site with a Grandstand able to seat 1500 spectators. 

ES31317Between 2003 and 2005 Albion finished third in the league, and in 2004 -2005 reached their first Twickenham cup final.

Financial issues and poor results followed, and the club found itself at the foot of the Championship table before being relegated in April 2015 after 13 years in the second tier of English rugby.

Plymouth Albion entered Administration in March 2016 and was rescued by two former players, David Venables and Bruce Priday.

The club began a process of rebuilding on and off the field and the team enjoyed a successful first season under new ownership, finishing second in National League One in 2016-17.

Blackheath

History

The institution was founded as “Blackheath Football Club” in 1858 by old boys of Blackheath Proprietary School who played a “carrying” game of football made popular by Rugby School. When the old boys played against the current pupils supporters would shout for either “Club” or “School” accordingly. This is why to this day supporters of BFC shout for “Club”, not for “Blackheath”.

In 1863 the club developed the tactic of passing the ball from player to player as an alternative to the solo break and the “kick and follow-up”.

In 1863 Blackheath was a founder member of The Football Association which was formed at the Freemasons’ Tavern, Great Queen Street, on Lincoln Inn Fields, London 26 October 1863 with the intention to frame a code of laws that would embrace the best and most acceptable points of all the various methods of play under the one heading of “football“. Mr Francis Maule Campbell, a member of Blackheath, was elected treasurer. At the fifth meeting Campbell argued that hacking was an essential element of ‘football’ and that to eliminate hacking would “do away with all the courage and pluck from the game, and I will be bound over to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practice.”[1] At the sixth meeting on 8 December Campbell withdrew Blackheath, explaining that the rules that the FA intended to adopt would destroy the game and all interest in it. Other rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the Football Association. In this way the great divide between soccer and rugby took place.

In December 1870 Edwin Ash, secretary of Richmond Football Club published a letter in the papers which said, “Those who play the rugby-type game should meet to form a code of practice as various clubs play to rules which differ from others, which makes the game difficult to play.” On 26 January 1871 a meeting attended by representatives from 22 clubs was held in London at the Pall Mall Restaurant. As a result of this meeting the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was founded. Three lawyers who had been pupils at Rugby School drew up the first laws of the game which were approved in June 1871. The Club is one of seven of the original twenty-one clubs to have survived to this day.

Bishop’s Stortford

History

The Club was formed in 1920, playing its first matches at Dunmow Road before moving to the present location at Silver Leys in 1928. The current Clubhouse was re-opened in 1985 when an international select XV took on the First XV – and lost, although the score is lost in the folklore of the Club, where individual “wins” over current internationals never fade into the dark! Bishop’s Stortford adjusted quickly to the establishment of League rugby for 1st XVs in 1987, winning promotion into London Two North in the very first season. It was decided that a period of consolidation was then called for and, after 15 years of this(!), always in the top half of the table and with very many near misses, promotion to London One (level 5) was finally won in 2003.

In 2012 London One was renamed National 3 London & the South East and the change of name was obviously to our liking because in 2013 after 10 years of gradual progress we finally achieved promotion again as champions after overtaking long time leaders Dorking RFC in the penultimate game of the season and sealing the title on a never to be forgotten Sunny April day at Home in front of a crowd of approx 1500 against Old Elthamians RFC.

We spent four seasons at level Four National 2 South 2013 -2017 never finishing outside the top three before finally sealing promotion to National One by defeating Exmouth away to be crowned Champions in the 2016/17 season

The Blues or 2nd XV compete in the Zoo Shield Divison 1 league & also participate on our behalf in the Hertfordshire County Cup (which since 2012/13 has been restricted to teams at level 6 and below)The club won the former competition last in 2008 and our Blues repeated that success in 2013, 2016 & 2017

Our Thirds also particiapte in the Zoo leagues (Division 3) whilst our, Fourths & fifths participate in the Herts Middlesex Merit Tables This means that every team plays competitive, yet social rugby most Saturdays, with some (so-called!)friendlies thrown in to complete the season.

The Colts team, who usually play on a Sunday, have been regular winners of the Hertfordshire County Colts Cup, most recently this season 2013/14)and County Colts Sevens Cup. They also compete in the National Colts Competition, which they won last season 2012/13

The Mini and Youth Sections continue to thrive, thanks to the commitment of many parent coaches and the determination of the Club to provide all possible support, particularly in the training of coaches. we currently have in the region of 600 children enjoying their rugby education at Stortford.

To paraphrase the most famous son of the club England and British lions Hero Ben Clarke, we have games at all levels for any age, size, ability and fitness – join us now, be part of the Club and prove it!