Category: Rugby Union Clubs
The rugby union scene in Rotherham has been dominated by Rotherham rugby union club. The club that is based at Clifton Lane was formed in 1923 and until the 1990s when Rotherham rugby union club became a professional outfit called Rotherham Titans it had fielded multiple teams that gave young men of all abilities the opportunity to play rugby.
Rotherham rugby union club in the 1920s
In the 1960s when Rotherham rugby club was fielding three teams there was still room in the town for another rugby club.
That club began life in 1965 as Spurley Hey Evening Institute and Youth Club and continued in existence until 1970.
1966/67 season
Following Spurley Hey’s demise Rotherham rugby union club began to field four teams on a regular basis.
In the last two decades of the Twentieth century five other rugby union clubs were formed in the Rotherham district. Apart from a club called Rotherham Phoenix which remains competitive and continues to play regular fixtures in Yorkshire Three, all the other clubs folded after a few years in existence.
Maltby Old Boys, one of the defunct clubs re-formed in 2023 as Maltby and is now fielding two teams in the Yorkshire leagues.
The defunct clubs
Maltby Old Boys
Maltby Comprehensive School had always fielded rugby teams so the formation of an Old Boys club in 1980 was a natural progression. The club played home games on the school fields and used various public houses in the township as its headquarters. At one point in the 1980s the club was able to field two teams, but after that high point numbers fell mainly because of the decline in school rugby. The number of volunteers willing to help organise the club also fell to the extent that in 1991 the club that was, at the time, playing in Yorkshire Five folded. Some of the Maltby players went to other clubs in the area while a few became involved with he amateur rugby league club formed in 1991 and based at the Miners Welfare ground.
Rawmarsh
This club was formed in 1989 by former Wath 2nd and 3rd team players plus some guys who had played a few games of rugby at Rawmarsh Community School. The club played its first two seasons on the Rawmarsh School pitches before moving to Rawmarsh Leisure Centre.
The first game the club played was a friendly against Matlock. Following a successful application to the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union the club was admitted into the league structure. Rawmarsh's only success was finishing runners–up in Yorkshire Four, but unfortunately, despite having its most successful season the club wasn’t promoted to Yorkshire Three as the leagues were re-organised. Rawmarsh rugby union club went out of existence in 2012/13 when it folded part way through the Yorkshire Five season.
Rotherham Clifton
Rotherham Clifton played its first league game on the 4th September 1998. The club made a winning start beating Edlington by 26-3. Rotherham Clifton played home games on Herringthorpe Playing Fields close to the Rotherham Titans home ground on Clifton Lane. In the late 1990s the Rotherham Titans club was a professional outfit and so it concentrated mainly on recruiting professional players from outside the town. Rotherham Clifton provided playing opportunities for the local amateur players who would previously have made up the 3rd and 4th XVs of the Rotherham rugby club. Rotherham Clifton was based at Rotherham Cricket club whose pavilion is on the opposite side of the cricket field from the rugby club’s pavilion.
The Clifton club was reasonably successful in the early 2000s, but then towards the end of the decade began to lose players to the more established local clubs. Rotherham Clifton became dormant in 2009, but was revived by Ollie Dixon, a Rugby Development Officer. The club won its only trophy, the South Yorkshire Cup, in 2014. After that success, a downward spiral began that resulted in Rotherham Clifton withdrawing from Yorkshire Five in 2017.
Wickersley
Wickersley formed in 1998 and began life in the bottom Yorkshire division. The club played home games at Wickersley Comprehensive School. The club later received sponsorship from a company called Excel and became Wickersley Excel. The relationship with Wickersley School was always difficult and things came to a head when the club’s equipment, kept at the school, went missing. Wickersley lost playing kit, posts and corner flags. There was no explanation given as to what had happened to its equipment and so the club moved its headquarters to the local cricket club where, unfortunately, after a few months issues began to arise. Spilt beer and rowdy rugby players who left a mess after the game were common complaints and eventually those issues plus the loss of players to some of the other local clubs meant that Wickersley couldn’t raise a team and in 2003 withdrew from Yorkshire Six. A few friendlies were played after the withdrawal from the league, but players continued to leave the club and so Wickersley finally folded in 2005. Any former Wickersley players who remained in the sport joined local clubs such as Dinnington and Rawmarsh.
The re -emergence of a Maltby club and the continued existence of Rotherham Phoenix means that, although Rotherham Titans is a professional club and no longer fields multiple teams, there are still opportunities for young men to play amateur rugby union.
References:
When Men became Titans – One Hundred Years of Rotherham Rugby Club
Yorkshire Rugby Football Union Handbooks
In the 1960s when Rotherham rugby club was fielding three teams there was still room in the town for another rugby club.
That club began life in 1965 as Spurley Hey Evening Institute and Youth Club and continued in existence until 1970.
1966/67 season
Following Spurley Hey’s demise Rotherham rugby union club began to field four teams on a regular basis.
In the last two decades of the Twentieth century five other rugby union clubs were formed in the Rotherham district. Apart from a club called Rotherham Phoenix which remains competitive and continues to play regular fixtures in Yorkshire Three, all the other clubs folded after a few years in existence.
Maltby Old Boys, one of the defunct clubs re-formed in 2023 as Maltby and is now fielding two teams in the Yorkshire leagues.
The defunct clubs
Maltby Old Boys
Maltby Comprehensive School had always fielded rugby teams so the formation of an Old Boys club in 1980 was a natural progression. The club played home games on the school fields and used various public houses in the township as its headquarters. At one point in the 1980s the club was able to field two teams, but after that high point numbers fell mainly because of the decline in school rugby. The number of volunteers willing to help organise the club also fell to the extent that in 1991 the club that was, at the time, playing in Yorkshire Five folded. Some of the Maltby players went to other clubs in the area while a few became involved with he amateur rugby league club formed in 1991 and based at the Miners Welfare ground.
Rawmarsh
This club was formed in 1989 by former Wath 2nd and 3rd team players plus some guys who had played a few games of rugby at Rawmarsh Community School. The club played its first two seasons on the Rawmarsh School pitches before moving to Rawmarsh Leisure Centre.
The first game the club played was a friendly against Matlock. Following a successful application to the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union the club was admitted into the league structure. Rawmarsh's only success was finishing runners–up in Yorkshire Four, but unfortunately, despite having its most successful season the club wasn’t promoted to Yorkshire Three as the leagues were re-organised. Rawmarsh rugby union club went out of existence in 2012/13 when it folded part way through the Yorkshire Five season.
Rotherham Clifton
Rotherham Clifton played its first league game on the 4th September 1998. The club made a winning start beating Edlington by 26-3. Rotherham Clifton played home games on Herringthorpe Playing Fields close to the Rotherham Titans home ground on Clifton Lane. In the late 1990s the Rotherham Titans club was a professional outfit and so it concentrated mainly on recruiting professional players from outside the town. Rotherham Clifton provided playing opportunities for the local amateur players who would previously have made up the 3rd and 4th XVs of the Rotherham rugby club. Rotherham Clifton was based at Rotherham Cricket club whose pavilion is on the opposite side of the cricket field from the rugby club’s pavilion.
The Clifton club was reasonably successful in the early 2000s, but then towards the end of the decade began to lose players to the more established local clubs. Rotherham Clifton became dormant in 2009, but was revived by Ollie Dixon, a Rugby Development Officer. The club won its only trophy, the South Yorkshire Cup, in 2014. After that success, a downward spiral began that resulted in Rotherham Clifton withdrawing from Yorkshire Five in 2017.
Wickersley
Wickersley formed in 1998 and began life in the bottom Yorkshire division. The club played home games at Wickersley Comprehensive School. The club later received sponsorship from a company called Excel and became Wickersley Excel. The relationship with Wickersley School was always difficult and things came to a head when the club’s equipment, kept at the school, went missing. Wickersley lost playing kit, posts and corner flags. There was no explanation given as to what had happened to its equipment and so the club moved its headquarters to the local cricket club where, unfortunately, after a few months issues began to arise. Spilt beer and rowdy rugby players who left a mess after the game were common complaints and eventually those issues plus the loss of players to some of the other local clubs meant that Wickersley couldn’t raise a team and in 2003 withdrew from Yorkshire Six. A few friendlies were played after the withdrawal from the league, but players continued to leave the club and so Wickersley finally folded in 2005. Any former Wickersley players who remained in the sport joined local clubs such as Dinnington and Rawmarsh.
The re -emergence of a Maltby club and the continued existence of Rotherham Phoenix means that, although Rotherham Titans is a professional club and no longer fields multiple teams, there are still opportunities for young men to play amateur rugby union.
References:
When Men became Titans – One Hundred Years of Rotherham Rugby Club
Yorkshire Rugby Football Union Handbooks
