Scarborough RUFC

Scarborough Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club that is based in Scalby near Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The clubhouse is the UK's largest amateur clubhouse and is set within a 32-acre site with 5 senior pitches, a training pitch and 6 minis pitches. The club operates four senior men's teams, a women's team and pre-micro/micro/mini/youth rugby (ages 3–17).[1][2][3] The men's 1st XV currently plays in North 1 East – a league at level 6 of the English rugby union system – having been promoted into the division from Yorkshire 1 via a playoff at the end of the 2017–18 season.[4]

Scarborough RUFC
Full nameScarborough Rugby Union Football Club
UnionYorkshire RFU
Founded1926 (1926)
LocationScalby, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Ground(s)Silver Royd (Capacity: 4500 (425 seats))
ChairmanKen Anderson
CEOGraeme Young
PresidentNigel Wilson
Coach(es)Matty Jones
Captain(s)Drew Govier
Top scorer18/19 J Perit
League(s)North 1 East
2019–208th
Official website
www.scarboroughrugby.co.uk

History

Early years

Scarborough RUFC was founded in 1926 following a meeting held at the Pavilion Hotel, and played its first ever game away to Whitby later that year. As the new club did not have its own ground, home fixtures during the 1926–27 season were played at Seamer Road (Athletic Ground), with rent and a percentage of the gate money paid to the owners, Scarborough Football Club. Rugby Union had not been expected to take off in Scarborough, but by the fourth game the club enjoyed an attendance of over 1,000. In 1927, Scarborough left Seamer Road for new premises at The Old Showground in Newby, which would be its home for the next 82 years.[5]

In 1933 Scarborough reached the final of the Yorkshire Shield for the very first time, losing 6–13 to Sandal at Bridlington. Later in the decade, Dr. I Stevenson (who had been medical man for the New Zealand All Blacks) became the club's honorary coach, helping it to become one of the strongest clubs in Yorkshire and also producing the club's first England international, Robert Michael Marshal, who would gain six caps for his country prior to World War II (he died during the conflict).[6][7] During this time the club also installed floodlights enabling evening training sessions.[5] A 300-seater grandstand was erected at the Old Showground, enabling the ground to host Yorkshire county games, and in 1953 the club purchased the former chapel at St Margaret's School for £400 to use as its club-house.[8]

League rugby

When the leagues were introduced during the 1987–88 season, Scarborough found itself in Yorkshire 1 – a league at the 7th level of the English rugby union system. Despite winning the first fixture 10–6 against Driffield, the rest of the season did not go to plan and Scarborough was relegated to Yorkshire 2 at the end of the season.[9] The club remained in Yorkshire 2 for a decade until it was promoted as champions at the end of the 1998–99 season.[10] That year, Scarborough also reached the semi-finals of the Tetley's Bitter Vase but were denied a Twickenham appearance by eventual winners, Billericay, losing 6–18 away to the south-east club.[11] Promotion from Yorkshire 2 heralded the beginning of a yo-yo period for Scarborough, with a second promotion from Yorkshire 1 (via the playoffs) in 2002, relegation from North 2 East in 2003 (the highest level the club had reached), another relegation from Yorkshire 1 in 2004, before winning Yorkshire 2 (for the third time) in 2006.[12][13][14][15]

Move to Silver Royd

While Scarborough found stability in Yorkshire 1, the focus switched to finding a new ground as The Old Showground in Newby was starting to deteriorate and could only accommodate one pitch.[8] Despite some opposition from local residents, the club decided that the Scalby area to the north of Scarborough was most suitable, providing plenty of room for improved facilities and additional pitches.[16] By 2009, led by unpaid CEO Graeme Young, the club had agreed the sale of its former home and was ready to move to the new site at Silver Royd, a venue spread over 32 acres, including the largest amateur club-house in the country, five senior pitches, five mini pitches, indoor facilities and grandstand, all at the cost of 4.5 million pounds. The ground is owned and operated entirely by Scarborough RUFC and the members have introduced some additional sports to complement rugby. On 24 January 2009, and after 82 years, the last ever 1st XV game was played at The Old Showground as Scarborough said goodbye with a 19–6 league win over Glossop.[8][17][18] On 31 January 2009, Scarborough played its very first game at Silver Royd – a 3–15 loss against local rivals Bridlington.[19]

A new era

Although league rugby was relatively unspectacular in the initial years following the move to Silver Royd, the cup competitions provided more interest. In 2014, Scarborough made the final of the Yorkshire Shield held at Clifton Park in York, losing 10–38 to Ilkley.[20] The following year the club was entered into the RFU Intermediate Cup, defeating Blackburn, Medicals and Consett to book its place as the north's representative in the national semi-finals. Unfortunately, Scarborough was unable to reach the Twickenham final, losing a close game 6–10 to Midlands regional winners Bridgnorth.[21]

After nine fruitless seasons at Silver Royd, Scarborough's luck would finally change during the 2017–18 season, gaining promotion by default having finished as runners up in Yorkshire 1 after Durham/Northumberland 1 side Durham City was unable to raise a side to contest the playoff game.[4] The season got even better when Scarborough finally won the Yorkshire Shield at the third time of asking, defeating Old Rishworthians 41–27 at Brantingham Park in Brantingham on 18 May 2018.[22] Despite being newcomers to North 1 East – which incidentally was the highest level the club had reached since the 2002–03 season – Scarborough more than held its own and booked a second successive promotion playoff after finishing runners up to champions, Morpeth. Sadly, Scarborough was denied its highest ever league position, as it lost 7–17 away to North 1 West runners Blackburn in the match held on 27 April 2019.[23]

Ground

Scarborough RUFC plays home games at Silver Royd on Scalby Road (A171), on the northern outskirts of Scalby – a village to the north of Scarborough.[24] The ground was built in 2009 at the cost of 4 million pounds and includes a clubhouse, fitness centre, all-seater grandstand, five full size pitches (two of which have floodlights), five mini pitches, a cricket pitch, and parking for 350 cars. The J.M. Guthrie Clubhouse contains three bars, Harley's cafe-bar (a coffee shop) meeting and function rooms, a snooker room, eight changing rooms and the club shop, while the Barons fitness centre contains a sports hall, four squash courts, two state of the art gyms and two fitness studios.[8][25]

Due to its location on the outskirts of town, the ground is best accessed by car and there is plenty of parking on site. It is possible to catch a train to Scarborough railway station but a 3.5 mile walk to the ground would dissuade all but the keenest walkers. Capacity at Silver Royd around the main pitch is approximately 4500 – 425 seated in the grandstand, the rest standing pitch side or on the clubhouse balcony. The ground has also hosted the Yorkshire side in the County Championship on a number of occasions – most notably in the 2016 Bill Beaumont Cup when 1,896 supporters were at Silver Royd to watch Yorkshire play eternal rivals Lancashire.[26] Yorkshire Carnegie have also played several British and Irish Cup fixtures at Silver Royd.[27]

Club honours

Notable former players

References
  1. "Senior Mens". Scarborough RUFC. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  2. "Senior Womens". Scarborough RUFC. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  3. "Youth Rugby". Scarborough RUFC. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  4. "Skipper Jones' delight at promotion success". The Scarborough News. 4 May 2018.
  5. "The history of Scarborough RUFC – 1926 to today". Scarborough RUFC. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  6. "RM (MIKE) MARSHALL DSC". FROM THE TOUCHLINE BY DAVE CAMPBELL. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  7. "MIKE MARSHALL England". ESPN. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  8. "Scarborough leave Newby with win". BBC Sport. 26 January 2009.
  9. "I CALL IT A DAY FOLLOWING 40 YEARS REPORTING ON SCARBOROUGH RUFC". FROM THE TOUCHLINE BY DAVE CAMPBELL. 24 April 2019.
  10. "1998–1999 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  11. "Rugby: Vase final to spark Billericay exodus". RFU. 15 April 1999.
  12. "2001–02 North Playoffs". England Rugby. 18 May 2002.
  13. "2002–03 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  14. "2004–2005 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  15. "2005–2006 Northern Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  16. "Rugby club location is wrong". The Scarborough News. 7 October 2006.
  17. "Newby men sign off with a farewell win". The Scarborough News. 25 January 2009.
  18. "Rugby club says: 'Goodbye Newby, thanks for the memories'". The Scarborough News. 26 January 2009.
  19. "Battling Brid spoil the opening party". The Scarborough News. 1 February 2009.
  20. "Dave Campbell's FROM THE TOUCHLINE Yorkshire Shield Final report". FROM THE TOUCHLINE BY DAVE CAMPBELL. 4 May 2014.
  21. "Bridgnorth – We're off to Twickenham". The Shropshire Star. 5 April 2015.
  22. "Scarborough win thriller at Hull to clinch league and Shield double DAVE CAMPBELL'S FULL REPORT". FROM THE TOUCHLINE BY DAVE CAMPBELL. 18 May 2018.
  23. "Scarborough RUFC battle hard but edged out in play-off at Blackburn". The Scarborough News. 27 April 2019.
  24. "Scarborough Rugby Club". Discover Yorkshire Coast. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  25. "Walk links old and new". Scarborough RUFC. 27 April 2009.
  26. "Bill Beaumont Cup". The RUGBYPaper (399). Rugby Paper Ltd. 8 May 2016. pp. 28–29 & 34.
  27. "Yorkshire Carnegie return to Silver Royd". The Scarborough News. 18 January 2018.
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