Clubs
- Anstey RFC
- Ashby RFC
- Aylestone Athletic RFC
- Aylestone St James RFC Ltd
- Belgrave RFC Ltd
- Birstall RFC
- Burbage RFC
- Coalville RFC
- De Montfort University RFC
- Hinckley RFC
- Leicester Forest RFC
Abridged from the book by S. I. “Van” Hopkins:
Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987.
One Hundred Years of Rugby development in the County.
In Leicestershire, Rugby Football caught on quickly. Many of the teams in the early days were based on churches and Sunday Schools`, and that is not particularly surprising. Many clergy were involved as players since Rugby Football largely developed in the public schools, notably Rugby School, and many of the clergy of the time were products of those schools and the universities. Factories too were quick to produce sides, no doubt as part of the drive to produce team spirit amongst the workers.
Frank Daisley wrote in 1906: “ A rugby team in connection with St Margaret’s was started by the Reverend Pertwee in 1869 which played both codes as the St Margaret’s United up to 1872 and from then Rugby only up to about 1880. Leicester Athletic Society started a Rugby team about 1872 – Mr Henry Howe was the 1st Captain and in the 2nd season, Mr J Collier. The Amateurs then started in 1873, and then the Alert came about 1875. Later, about 1878 (sic) came a general amalgamation under the title of Leicester Rugby Football Club, or Tigers. Amateurs claim to have played Lutterworth about 1875 (several amateur players having recollections of changing in a Baker house).”
The writer’s memory errs somewhat as the amalgamation of Leicester Football Club actually took place in 1880.
The advent of the First World War caused the demise of the Midland Counties Union to which Leicester and Leicestershire had contributed so notably, and in 1920 Leicestershire became a constituent body of the English Rugby Union.
The history of the Leicestershire Rugby Union is therefore practically in two parts – 1887 up to the First World War, when they were part of the Midland Counties Rugby Football Union. Then afterwards in 1920 when the Midland Counties and the East Midlands were re-grouped, the Leicestershire Rugby Union taking an Individual part in the County Championship as an independent constituent body.
The first official meeting after the war was held on 20th May 1919 at the Junior Training Hall, Aylestone Road, Leicester. This time, however, there were but eight clubs represented, in addition to the Schools’ Union and the Referees’ Society.
In December of that year, a meeting of the Union was informed that the Counties Championship Committee had approved a scheme that included Nottinghamshire and Rutland within the umbrella of the Leicestershire Union. This was later approved by the ERU general meeting in May 1920.
The Annual General Meeting held at the Junior Training Hall on 10th June 1920 was the first meeting of the recognised Union which now embraced the counties of Nottingham and Rutland. The name of the Union was altered from “Leicestershire County Football Union” to “The Leicestershire Rugby Union”.
The practice of having a President hold office until he himself decided to resign came to an end with the passing of a resolution at the April 1921 meeting, that he should henceforth hold office for one year only.
Though the new Union was still in its first year, it reached the County Championship Final. The County side at this time was almost entirely composed of Tigers players.
There is no report of any attempt to form an official body to control the development of Rugby Football on an organised area basis until we come to the 1886/87 season – 18 years after the first clubs were reported to have been operating.
Apart from LFC there were several early clubs in Leicester and Leicestershire, St Margaret’s Church Guild had a team in 1869, Leicester Athletic Society FC 1870, Leicester Alert 1876, Leicester Amateur 1871, Lutterworth 1873, Kibworth 1874, Ravenstone 1876, Victoria FC 1876, Market Harborough 1877, Belgrave St Peters 1881, Hinckley 1881, Loughborough Rangers 1882, Bellows (later to become Swifts) 1883, Old Nelson 1884, Dover Street (later Crusaders) 1885, St Leonard’s 1885, Wimbledon 1885, Tyro 1885, South Wigston 1886, Knighton 1886.
Discussions between clubs, players and committee-men resulted in a meeting of representatives of Leicester Clubs on 23rd March 1887, held at 21 Gallowtree Gate, Leicester with the purpose of the meeting being the organisation of inter-club competitions.
A further recorded meeting took place on 24th September 1890, held at the Old Horse, London Road, Leicester at which 12 clubs were represented. This meeting capitalised on the work done during the previous three years and stabilised the organisation.
In August 1893, it was passed that the Leicestershire Rugby Union should become affiliated to the English Rugby Union.
A year later in 1894 saw the formation of the Leicestershire Schools Rugby Union.
In 1895 the Referees Association, which was run by the officers of Leicestershire Rugby Union, at that time, joined the Midland Counties Referees Association. They then formed into the Referees Society in September 1897 to run its own affairs independently and to appoint referees to all matches under the aegis of the Leicestershire Rugby Union, which they have continued to do ever since.
In addition to success at County level, the junior clubs continued to flourish. Many pre-war sides failed to reform after the end of hostilities, some merged, others started from scratch as completely new clubs.
In 1920/21 season apart from Leicester FC there were Aylestone St James, Aylestone Athletic, Belgrave, Depot Leicestershire Regt, Fosse Road, Granville, Hinckley, Knighton Old Boys, Loughborough Technical College, Lutterworth, Moat Road Athletic, Melton Mowbray, Medway Athletic (Alliance & Friendly), Newark, Nottingham, Oadby, Old Newtonians, Stoneygate, South Leicester, St Hilda’s, South Wigston and Westleigh.
During the next 15 years there were added Avenue Athletic, Aylestonians, British United, Claremont, Coalville, Kibworth, 56 Leicester BP Scouts, Leicester Technical College, Vipers, Leicester YMCA, Loughborough, Market Harborough, Highfields Medway, Melbourne, Mellor Bromley, Oakham, Old Ellisonians, Old Ricardians, Old Wyggestonians, Syston and Wolsey.
Newark and Nottingham left to become part of the newly formed Notts, Lincs and Derby RU in 1925/26.
Abridged from the book by S. I. “Van” Hopkins:
Leicestershire Rugby Union 1887-1987.
One Hundred Years of Rugby development in the County.
In Leicestershire, Rugby Football caught on quickly. Many of the teams in the early days were based on churches and Sunday Schools`, and that is not particularly surprising. Many clergy were involved as players since Rugby Football largely developed in the public schools, notably Rugby School, and many of the clergy of the time were products of those schools and the universities. Factories too were quick to produce sides, no doubt as part of the drive to produce team spirit amongst the workers.
Frank Daisley wrote in 1906: “ A rugby team in connection with St Margaret’s was started by the Reverend Pertwee in 1869 which played both codes as the St Margaret’s United up to 1872 and from then Rugby only up to about 1880. Leicester Athletic Society started a Rugby team about 1872 – Mr Henry Howe was the 1st Captain and in the 2nd season, Mr J Collier. The Amateurs then started in 1873, and then the Alert came about 1875. Later, about 1878 (sic) came a general amalgamation under the title of Leicester Rugby Football Club, or Tigers. Amateurs claim to have played Lutterworth about 1875 (several amateur players having recollections of changing in a Baker house).”
The writer’s memory errs somewhat as the amalgamation of Leicester Football Club actually took place in 1880.
The advent of the First World War caused the demise of the Midland Counties Union to which Leicester and Leicestershire had contributed so notably, and in 1920 Leicestershire became a constituent body of the English Rugby Union.
The history of the Leicestershire Rugby Union is therefore practically in two parts – 1887 up to the First World War, when they were part of the Midland Counties Rugby Football Union. Then afterwards in 1920 when the Midland Counties and the East Midlands were re-grouped, the Leicestershire Rugby Union taking an Individual part in the County Championship as an independent constituent body.
The first official meeting after the war was held on 20th May 1919 at the Junior Training Hall, Aylestone Road, Leicester. This time, however, there were but eight clubs represented, in addition to the Schools’ Union and the Referees’ Society.
In December of that year, a meeting of the Union was informed that the Counties Championship Committee had approved a scheme that included Nottinghamshire and Rutland within the umbrella of the Leicestershire Union. This was later approved by the ERU general meeting in May 1920.
The Annual General Meeting held at the Junior Training Hall on 10th June 1920 was the first meeting of the recognised Union which now embraced the counties of Nottingham and Rutland. The name of the Union was altered from “Leicestershire County Football Union” to “The Leicestershire Rugby Union”.
The practice of having a President hold office until he himself decided to resign came to an end with the passing of a resolution at the April 1921 meeting, that he should henceforth hold office for one year only.
Though the new Union was still in its first year, it reached the County Championship Final. The County side at this time was almost entirely composed of Tigers players.
There is no report of any attempt to form an official body to control the development of Rugby Football on an organised area basis until we come to the 1886/87 season – 18 years after the first clubs were reported to have been operating.
Apart from LFC there were several early clubs in Leicester and Leicestershire, St Margaret’s Church Guild had a team in 1869, Leicester Athletic Society FC 1870, Leicester Alert 1876, Leicester Amateur 1871, Lutterworth 1873, Kibworth 1874, Ravenstone 1876, Victoria FC 1876, Market Harborough 1877, Belgrave St Peters 1881, Hinckley 1881, Loughborough Rangers 1882, Bellows (later to become Swifts) 1883, Old Nelson 1884, Dover Street (later Crusaders) 1885, St Leonard’s 1885, Wimbledon 1885, Tyro 1885, South Wigston 1886, Knighton 1886.
Discussions between clubs, players and committee-men resulted in a meeting of representatives of Leicester Clubs on 23rd March 1887, held at 21 Gallowtree Gate, Leicester with the purpose of the meeting being the organisation of inter-club competitions.
A further recorded meeting took place on 24th September 1890, held at the Old Horse, London Road, Leicester at which 12 clubs were represented. This meeting capitalised on the work done during the previous three years and stabilised the organisation.
In August 1893, it was passed that the Leicestershire Rugby Union should become affiliated to the English Rugby Union.
A year later in 1894 saw the formation of the Leicestershire Schools Rugby Union.
In 1895 the Referees Association, which was run by the officers of Leicestershire Rugby Union, at that time, joined the Midland Counties Referees Association. They then formed into the Referees Society in September 1897 to run its own affairs independently and to appoint referees to all matches under the aegis of the Leicestershire Rugby Union, which they have continued to do ever since.
In addition to success at County level, the junior clubs continued to flourish. Many pre-war sides failed to reform after the end of hostilities, some merged, others started from scratch as completely new clubs.
In 1920/21 season apart from Leicester FC there were Aylestone St James, Aylestone Athletic, Belgrave, Depot Leicestershire Regt, Fosse Road, Granville, Hinckley, Knighton Old Boys, Loughborough Technical College, Lutterworth, Moat Road Athletic, Melton Mowbray, Medway Athletic (Alliance & Friendly), Newark, Nottingham, Oadby, Old Newtonians, Stoneygate, South Leicester, St Hilda’s, South Wigston and Westleigh.
During the next 15 years there were added Avenue Athletic, Aylestonians, British United, Claremont, Coalville, Kibworth, 56 Leicester BP Scouts, Leicester Technical College, Vipers, Leicester YMCA, Loughborough, Market Harborough, Highfields Medway, Melbourne, Mellor Bromley, Oakham, Old Ellisonians, Old Ricardians, Old Wyggestonians, Syston and Wolsey.
Newark and Nottingham left to become part of the newly formed Notts, Lincs and Derby RU in 1925/26.