Newport (Salop) Rugby Union Football Club
| Full name | Newport (Salop) Rugby Union Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | RFU |
| Nickname(s) | The Fishes, Newport Rangers |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Location | Newport, Shropshire |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Ground(s) | The Old Showground |
| Chairman | David Stiles |
| President | Andrew Watson Jones |
| Coach(es) | Norman Stalker |
| Captain(s) | Tom Cowell |
| League(s) | Midlands 1 West |
| 2016-17 | Champions (promoted to National League 3 Midlands) |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
Newport RUFC are an English rugby team that play at the Old Showground, just outside the town of Newport, Shropshire. They currently play in the National League 3 Midlands, a fifth tier league in the English rugby union system.
Rugby was first played in Newport in 1871 when the new Headmaster of Adams' Grammar School, Tom Collins, introduced the game to the boys. In the same year a game was played between the school and a Town team on the Chetwynd End ground. In 1876 a Town team played Stafford and lost. It seems that, after 1882 when, again, there was a local newspaper report of a match between Newport and Stafford at both Town and School levels, there is no further record of rugby being played in the Newport District, apart from at school level, until 1932, when a club was formed at Shifnal. Many of the players were from Newport, being the School Masters and boys from Adams' Grammar. One of those stars of the early days was Ron Anderson, a master at Adams', who later played for and served Newport RUFC for many years, including 18 years as President. As with a large number of Clubs, the Second World War curtailed activities. However, at the cessation of hostilities the Club was never reformed.
When the war ended, an ex-soldier, Roy "Squash" Lemon, settled in Newport. He had previously played for Torquay and during the war for the Combined Services (Far East) in a match against the "All Blacks". He was a Second Row who was missing his rugby. Having decided to resolve this matter, he placed a notice in a local newspaper, calling on "All like-minded persons and any other interested parties" to attend a meeting. That meeting, in 1947, agreed to start Newport (Salop) Rugby Union Football Club and since that time the Club has grown in stature.
The first match was against the Royal Navy Air Force based at Hinstock, which resulted in a 6 all draw. Among the local teams played in that first season were Shrewsbury and Old Whitchurchians. The home games were played at Adams' Grammar School and the teams changed at the Vine Vaults Public House. The Club colours were adopted as maroon and white hoops and are still the colours today.
In 1948 a Second XV was fielded for the first time and in 1949 the Club rented a ground at Chetwynd End and played there, on 2 pitches, until 1981. By 1955 a Third XV was added and in 1957 a Fourth Team. In 1956 the Club converted a warehouse in Water Lane into a Clubhouse. 2 changing rooms, with separate showers rooms downstairs and a Club Room with bar upstairs. The renovation cost £400. This work provided the Club with its unique atmosphere for the next 25 years. In 1962 a Colts XV was formed and coached by Reg Eales, a Sports master at the then Newport Modern School, now the Burton Borough School. The side contained a large number of boys from that school. This squad grow in strength over the years with large numbers of those boys progressing into the First XV. Over the years Colts from Newport have represented the Club at Shropshire and the North Midlands levels with some going on to play for the Midlands and even England Trials. Throughout the "Sixties" the fixture list of the Club was strengthened and included such Clubs as Dudley Kingswinford, Bromsgrove, Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Kidderminster. All of these Clubs were considered to be of a high standard at that time.
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