Esher
Rugby - Community Network/Business to Business Club Package
- Community Network / Business
to Business Club Package
- Why Choose Esher Rugby
- History of Esher Rugby
- Media and Press Coverage
- Footfall and Online Exposure
Esher Rugby Football Club history
In
1923, four rugby enthusiasts met in a pub and decided to
form a rugby club. One of them, a Welshman, insisted that
the club should adopt his native Welsh club's colours,
the Black and Amber of Newport. Looking for a pitch, they
found a friendly farmer's field, which, when not being
used for rugby, was used for grazing cattle. For changing
rooms they used two bedrooms and a bathroom in a local
pub. By the outbreak of the Second World War,
Esher had moved to its present site and was fielding
eight sides, but war disrupted activities and the pitches
were ploughed up for food production. The club restarted
after the war and, by the 1950s, was back on its re-sown
pitch. With a huge influx of players, it ran as many
as fifteen sides each Saturday.
With the introduction of the league system,
Esher was placed in London League One but, after relegation
in its first year, took until 1993 to regain London One
status. In the 1993/94 season the club won the Surrey Cup
and was elected Rugby World and Whitbread Brewery 'Junior
Club of the Year'. The club remained in London One until
its promotion to the National Leagues in season 1997/98,
finishing fourth.
In the 1998/99 season the club finished
second in the Jewson National League Two, finishing one
point behind the winners. The first XV scored a total of
1017 points and conceded only 377. In that season the club's
supporters and players enjoyed the thrill of playing Harlequins
in the Tetley Bitter Cup, going down bravely in defeat.
In the 1999/2000
season the club put the disappointment of the previous
season behind them and gained a worthy promotion to National
League One, finishing five points clear of their nearest
rivals and bettering the previous season's record by
scoring 1018 points with only 356 against.
Season 2000/01
marked a new adventure for the club. After gaining promotion
to National Division Two things were bound to be different.
Opposition sides were tougher and well drilled, but Esher
rose to the challenge to finish a creditable 8th.
With the arrival of Mike Schmid as the
Director of Rugby the 1st XV saw a turnaround in their
fortunes. First, they finished third in the league, their
highest league finish since 2002/3 and their best ever
performance in League Two. Then, capitalising on this
dramatic improvement, Mike Schmid took the players on to
become National Division Two champions 06/07 and to secure
a place in National Division One, competing with the likes
of London Welsh and Northampton. All the club’s seven
sides are in league or merit tables.
During
the past 30 years, Esher has bought its 27-acre ground,
built a 1200-seater stand, become the first club in London
to erect floodlights and hosted more and more representative
matches, including an England trial. The clubhouse is
now complemented by new fencing around the 1st XV pitch.
The success in the growth of the club’s
Mini and Junior section has put pressure on playing space.
To meet this need, we have just finished developing two
new pitches and a training area. There are now four playing
pitches, as well as a newly refurbished first-team pitch,
which is now known as the Pillar Data Arena.
- Community
Network / Business to Business Club Package
- Why Choose Esher Rugby
- History of Esher Rugby
- Media and Press Coverage
- Footfall and Online Exposure |
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