Streatham-Croydon RFC
| Full name | Streatham-Croydon Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1871 as 'Streatham FC' |
| Location | South London, England |
| Ground(s) | Frant Road (Capacity: 400 seated) |
| President |
 S.A. Lynch |
| Captain(s) |
A. Barnes |
| League(s) | RFU Surrey 2 |
| Official website | |
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The Streatham-Croydon Rugby Football Club, is an historic Rugby Union club, founded in 1871, based at Frant Road, Thornton Heath, in the London Borough of Croydon, south London. Streatham will play in the Rugby Football Union Surrey 2 league, Surrey Shield and the RFU Junior Vase in season 2016-17.
Streatham's heyday was arguably during the late 1960s, and 70s, when 9 senior teams and 4 Colts teams were active, combined with an extensive fixture list against top clubs such as Richmond, Bath, Sale, Saracens, London Welsh, London Irish and others.
The professional era and the impact of the new RFU Courage League structure through the late 1980s, and 90s led to a decline in the size of the Club as greater attention was paid to the needs of the 1st XV, and Streatham's membership struggle coincided with its drop down the National and then London leagues.
However, Streatham currently run 3 senior men's teams and a senior ladies' XV during the season, as well as a thriving Mini and Junior rugby section, and own a private ground in Thornton Heath (close to the original pitches on Streatham Common), comprising 2 pitches (1 floodlit) and a large clubhouse and grandstand, along with several squash courts, which are all in the process of extensive refurbishment and renovation as the Club looks to future growth and movement up the league system.
In the club's 140th season the Surrey 4 league title was won following only one defeat and the club were promoted to Surrey 3.
As part of the 140th season, a fixture known as 'The Skull' was revived, 20 years after it was last contested. The fixture sees all Streatham-Croydon's teams play against teams from Esher RFC with the club that wins the most matches winning the trophy. The trophy is a human skull set between a pair of rugby goalposts. In the 1960s, and 70s this would have been contested by 12 teams from each club, but now Streatham's team play against Esher's similarly ranked amateur teams.
Streatham Rugby was featured in a book titled "London's Oldest Rugby Clubs" by Dick Tyson, published in May 2008.
England prop, and later RFU committee man, Jeff Probyn played at Streatham for a number of seasons in the late 1970s before moving to Wasps and gaining his first England cap. Current Super League player Will Sharp, played for Streatham 1st XV, before signing his first professional contract with Harlequins RL in 2007. Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson played for the club's Colts side from 1969–71 before touring France to learn his trade. Recently the club has learnt that former Prime Minister James Callaghan played second-row for the club in the 1939 season. Peter Horton, Colts and 1st XV, emigrated to Australia and played hooker 19 times for Australia between 1974 and 1979, gaining his first cap against New Zealand and his last one against Argentina.
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