Broadstreet RUFC
Encyclopedia
Broadstreet Rugby Football Club is a rugby union
club based in the city of Coventry
, West Midlands
, England
. In 2008/2009, the team finished as champions of Midlands 1 League. The 2009/2010 season in National League 2 was their second season in the National Leagues, but they were relegated straight away after finishing 3rd from bottom. Recently The club have enjoyed plenty of success winning the Warwickshire Cup a record 13 times.
Their home ground is The Ivor Preece Field
, named in honour of former President Ivor Preece
which was opened in Coventry in 2002. Their previous ground from 1973 to 2002 was located on Brandon Road , Coventry. Previous to this clubhouse the club played from their Henley Road ground where the club still have an active social club with over 300 members.
, Coventry. The club's history goes back even further to when Broad Street School was opened in 1911. It was many years later that the club decided drop the "old boys'" title and merge the two words to become one and known as Broadstreet Rugby Club.
It was after winning the Coventry F.C. Shield in 1929 the old boys' club was formed with the help of the school sports master 'Pop' H.T Suddens. With seven former schoolboy internationals, it was a formidable team. In fact, the school went on to have twenty-two schoolboy England players and three senior England players, Ivor Preece
, Ernie Robinson and Phil Judd who went on to captain England in 1967.
When the ‘Old Boys’ was formed, a farmer’s field at Bedlam Lane was the home ground and this was used until after the Second World War. After the war, the club rented grounds in various parts of Coventry
, eventually using the War Memorial Park, Coventry
as its base until the 1950s. A site for a new ground was purchased in Henley Road from a Colonel Bushill in the early 1950s. Raising the money to purchase the ground and to build the clubhouse was an enormous task, but it was a very proud day for all involved at the time, when Cliff Harrison, President of the Warwickshire
R.F.U., opened the club in 1955.
Over the next few years the club extended, but it became obvious that the facilities at Henley Road were no longer large enough to cope with the number of teams that we regularly playing, and in 1970 the club entered into an agreement with Alf Youell of Youell Investments, to sell only the pitches at Henley Road, and to move to a new ground and clubhouse at Brandon Road.
The new ground was opened in 1973 by Bob Weighhill, Secretary of the Rugby Football Union
, and it was named the Ivor Preece Field
, in honour of Ivor Preece
, England and British Lions
, who was also the club's President at the time. The club retained the Henley Road clubhouse still run it as a social club with over three hundred members.
Once again, the club outgrew the facilities at the Brandon Road ground, and have now moved to the other side of the Coventry Eastern Bypass, to the new Ivor Preece Field
. Alf Youell was also heavily involved in this move, along with Persimmon Homes, the purchasers of our previous ground. The new ground was opened by the great Rugby World Cup
winning captain Martin Johnson (rugby union), captain of England national rugby union team
, The British and Irish Lions
, and Leicester Tigers
.
The new clubhouse has facilities, a 250-seater stand, car parking, five senior pitches, (two floodlit), mini and junior pitches, and forty-six acres of ground. The Ivor Preece field is used for representative rugby with the semi finals of the Daily Mail schools rugby played at both age groups here. England Deaf Rugby use the rugby facilities for training sessions and international matches.
Broadstreet Rugby Football club regard themselves as one of the top fifty clubs in England
. The club regularly field five senior sides and one colts team during the season. At under-age level, the club run one of the most successful Mini and Junior sections in the country, with over 200 boys and girls of all ages being coached by a band of qualified coaches.
Nick Bingham(Prop) Ben Dawes(Prop) Carl Southwell(Hooker) Matt Deardon(Prop) Ciaran Price(Hooker/Prop) James Rooke(Second Row) Tom Greevy (Second Row) Eddie Simkiss(Second Row/Number 8) Simon Morris(Openside Wingforward) Damian Taylor(Blindside Wingforward) Mark Challis (Number 8) Nick Pratt (Number 8) Brett Chatwin (Wing) Chris Dodd (Wing Forward)
Champions of Midlands One 2008 - 2009,
Winners of the “Don Robbins Shield” Warwickshire RFU Double Tops Midweek Rugby Competition
Ernie RobinsonPhil Judd Adam Balding Lee Crofts
.
Ivor Preece
Ernie RobinsonPhill Judd
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club based in the city of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 2008/2009, the team finished as champions of Midlands 1 League. The 2009/2010 season in National League 2 was their second season in the National Leagues, but they were relegated straight away after finishing 3rd from bottom. Recently The club have enjoyed plenty of success winning the Warwickshire Cup a record 13 times.
Their home ground is The Ivor Preece Field
Ivor Preece Field
The Ivor Preece Field on Rugby Road, Binley Woods, Warwickshire is the home ground for Broadstreet RUFC designed by SR Davis architects with the sports ground designed by Peter Jones Associates, Quantity Surveyors Bucknall Austin, project managed by Falcon House Project Management.The first game...
, named in honour of former President Ivor Preece
Ivor Preece
Ivor Preece was an English rugby union footballer who represented and captained England Schools, England and Coventry. He is the only Coventry RFC player to have achieved this accolade...
which was opened in Coventry in 2002. Their previous ground from 1973 to 2002 was located on Brandon Road , Coventry. Previous to this clubhouse the club played from their Henley Road ground where the club still have an active social club with over 300 members.
History
The Broad Street Old Boys' Rugby Club was founded in 1929 by former and current pupils of the Broad Street School in Broad Street, FoleshillFoleshill
Foleshill is a suburb in the north of Coventry in the West Midlands of England.Longford. Courthouse Green and Rowley Green are to its north and Keresley is to its west.- History :...
, Coventry. The club's history goes back even further to when Broad Street School was opened in 1911. It was many years later that the club decided drop the "old boys'" title and merge the two words to become one and known as Broadstreet Rugby Club.
It was after winning the Coventry F.C. Shield in 1929 the old boys' club was formed with the help of the school sports master 'Pop' H.T Suddens. With seven former schoolboy internationals, it was a formidable team. In fact, the school went on to have twenty-two schoolboy England players and three senior England players, Ivor Preece
Ivor Preece
Ivor Preece was an English rugby union footballer who represented and captained England Schools, England and Coventry. He is the only Coventry RFC player to have achieved this accolade...
, Ernie Robinson and Phil Judd who went on to captain England in 1967.
When the ‘Old Boys’ was formed, a farmer’s field at Bedlam Lane was the home ground and this was used until after the Second World War. After the war, the club rented grounds in various parts of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, eventually using the War Memorial Park, Coventry
War Memorial Park, Coventry
The War Memorial Park is a large park of about 48.5 hectares situated in southern Coventry. The park was opened in July 1921 as a tribute to the 2,587 Coventrians who died between 1914 and 1918 fighting in the First World War...
as its base until the 1950s. A site for a new ground was purchased in Henley Road from a Colonel Bushill in the early 1950s. Raising the money to purchase the ground and to build the clubhouse was an enormous task, but it was a very proud day for all involved at the time, when Cliff Harrison, President of the Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
R.F.U., opened the club in 1955.
Over the next few years the club extended, but it became obvious that the facilities at Henley Road were no longer large enough to cope with the number of teams that we regularly playing, and in 1970 the club entered into an agreement with Alf Youell of Youell Investments, to sell only the pitches at Henley Road, and to move to a new ground and clubhouse at Brandon Road.
The new ground was opened in 1973 by Bob Weighhill, Secretary of the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
, and it was named the Ivor Preece Field
Ivor Preece Field
The Ivor Preece Field on Rugby Road, Binley Woods, Warwickshire is the home ground for Broadstreet RUFC designed by SR Davis architects with the sports ground designed by Peter Jones Associates, Quantity Surveyors Bucknall Austin, project managed by Falcon House Project Management.The first game...
, in honour of Ivor Preece
Ivor Preece
Ivor Preece was an English rugby union footballer who represented and captained England Schools, England and Coventry. He is the only Coventry RFC player to have achieved this accolade...
, England and British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
, who was also the club's President at the time. The club retained the Henley Road clubhouse still run it as a social club with over three hundred members.
Once again, the club outgrew the facilities at the Brandon Road ground, and have now moved to the other side of the Coventry Eastern Bypass, to the new Ivor Preece Field
Ivor Preece Field
The Ivor Preece Field on Rugby Road, Binley Woods, Warwickshire is the home ground for Broadstreet RUFC designed by SR Davis architects with the sports ground designed by Peter Jones Associates, Quantity Surveyors Bucknall Austin, project managed by Falcon House Project Management.The first game...
. Alf Youell was also heavily involved in this move, along with Persimmon Homes, the purchasers of our previous ground. The new ground was opened by the great Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
winning captain Martin Johnson (rugby union), captain of England national rugby union team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, The British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
, and Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
.
The new clubhouse has facilities, a 250-seater stand, car parking, five senior pitches, (two floodlit), mini and junior pitches, and forty-six acres of ground. The Ivor Preece field is used for representative rugby with the semi finals of the Daily Mail schools rugby played at both age groups here. England Deaf Rugby use the rugby facilities for training sessions and international matches.
Broadstreet Rugby Football club regard themselves as one of the top fifty clubs in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The club regularly field five senior sides and one colts team during the season. At under-age level, the club run one of the most successful Mini and Junior sections in the country, with over 200 boys and girls of all ages being coached by a band of qualified coaches.
Current Squad List
Andy Tee (Full Back) Stewart Hendry (Back row) Lindsey Bishop (Outside Centre) Adam Watts (Inside Centre) Andrew Skene (Inside Centre) Jordan Simpson(RightWing / Outside Centre / Scrum Half) Camron Pimlow (Fly Half) Tom Stokes (Fullback / Fly Half / Wing) Nick Thatcher (Scrum Half) Dan Phillips (Wing) Matt Fielder (Wing) Michael Hewitt (Hooker) Mark Schropfer (Scrum Half) Mark Schropfer (Fly Half / Wing)Nick Bingham(Prop) Ben Dawes(Prop) Carl Southwell(Hooker) Matt Deardon(Prop) Ciaran Price(Hooker/Prop) James Rooke(Second Row) Tom Greevy (Second Row) Eddie Simkiss(Second Row/Number 8) Simon Morris(Openside Wingforward) Damian Taylor(Blindside Wingforward) Mark Challis (Number 8) Nick Pratt (Number 8) Brett Chatwin (Wing) Chris Dodd (Wing Forward)
Recent events
Winners of the Warwickshire Cup,Champions of Midlands One 2008 - 2009,
Winners of the “Don Robbins Shield” Warwickshire RFU Double Tops Midweek Rugby Competition
Notable former players
Ivor PreeceIvor Preece
Ivor Preece was an English rugby union footballer who represented and captained England Schools, England and Coventry. He is the only Coventry RFC player to have achieved this accolade...
Ernie RobinsonPhil Judd Adam Balding Lee Crofts
International Players
The following players have all gone on to play for their country. Unless otherwise noted, all played for EnglandEngland national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
.
Ivor Preece
Ivor Preece
Ivor Preece was an English rugby union footballer who represented and captained England Schools, England and Coventry. He is the only Coventry RFC player to have achieved this accolade...
Ernie RobinsonPhill Judd