Hackney RFC
Encyclopedia
Hackney Rugby Football Club is a rugby
club based in Hackney
, London
, England
.
Hackney currently field three senior men's teams as well as one women's team. The men's 1st XV compete in Herts/Middlesex One (Level 9). The 2nd XV play in the Hertfordshire Merit League 5, while the 3rd XV have entered Merit League 7 for the 10/11 season. The main aim of the club is to create playing opportunities for every group within the London Borough of Hackney
and surrounding areas, from mini (U9-U10) level continuously up to senior level. The local newspaper, the Hackney Gazette, regularly report on the clubs progress throughout the season.
Hackney continues to use the Lea Valley Rowing Club's changing facilities but in 2008 lost the use of The Swan Public house when the owners sold the premises to a local synagogue. The club are currently working with Hackney council to re-build a sport facility on the ground of the old clubhouse. Hackney Bulls are the thriving youth section affiliated with the senior side, with over 200 children playing from aged 6 up to 16 years old.
Club Together competition. The scheme is a free programme aimed at supporting grassroots rugby clubs across the UK. Hackney was awarded the title having doubled its playing membership over the last year, in spite of the lack of facilities. Hackney travelled to Twickenham
on May 16, 2009. Starting with a training session with legendary coach Shaun Edwards
(of London Wasps
, Wales and The British and Irish Lions
) the teams were driven to HQ and ran out onto the hallowed turf as a curtain raiser for the Guinness Premiership
final. The Griffins beat the Gargoyles by 12 - 5,
, Munich
, Budapest
and Malta
playing against RFC Chaminade, Studentenstadt Munchen RFC, Medvek RFC and Valletta Lions RFC respectively.
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
club based in Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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...
.
Hackney currently field three senior men's teams as well as one women's team. The men's 1st XV compete in Herts/Middlesex One (Level 9). The 2nd XV play in the Hertfordshire Merit League 5, while the 3rd XV have entered Merit League 7 for the 10/11 season. The main aim of the club is to create playing opportunities for every group within the London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
and surrounding areas, from mini (U9-U10) level continuously up to senior level. The local newspaper, the Hackney Gazette, regularly report on the clubs progress throughout the season.
Formation
The club as it is now was formed in 1963, when it was run as an old boys club for former pupils of Woodberry Down Comprehensive (now Stoke Newington School). Adopting the school’s 6th form logo, the club became known as The Griffins. Eventually the club was opened to all members of the community. As a consequence the club changed its name, becoming Hackney RFC, and based itself at Springhill Sports Ground, its current home.Clubhouse fire
The prospects for Hackney RFC were severely damaged when their clubhouse was destroyed by a fire in April 1999. At the beginning of that season, the club fielded four sides on a regular basis with the 1st XV competing in London 3 (Level 7). Without facilities, the club lost a large part of its playing base. The club plummeted down through the leagues and in 2004 were playing in Herts/Middlesex North 3 (Level 11) fulfilling their fixtures on an intermittent basis and often playing without a full complement of 15 players. The club had no changing rooms and used the facilities of the Lea Valley Rowing Club. Post-match hospitality was provided by The Swan Public House.Recent history
In recent years the club has managed to reverse the decline through player enthusiasm and the unwavering commitment of the club's committee. The 2004/05 and 2005/06 season saw the club fulfil every fixture. Building on this progress, the club won Herts/Middlesex North 3 but were not promoted to Level 10 due the RFU restructuring the lower leagues. The club demonstrated that they belonged at a higher level by winning promotion again in the 2008/09 season. The 2008/09 season also saw the launch of a 2nd XV side, nicknamed the Hackney Gargoyles. In only their first season, they finished as runners up in the Hertfordshire Merit Table Plate Final, narrowly losing to Old Ashmoleans 3rd XV. The club's 7's side also finished runners up in the Middlesex Sevens Jug Competition.Hackney continues to use the Lea Valley Rowing Club's changing facilities but in 2008 lost the use of The Swan Public house when the owners sold the premises to a local synagogue. The club are currently working with Hackney council to re-build a sport facility on the ground of the old clubhouse. Hackney Bulls are the thriving youth section affiliated with the senior side, with over 200 children playing from aged 6 up to 16 years old.
Guinness Club Together
Hackney RFC were this year’s winner of the GuinnessGuinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
Club Together competition. The scheme is a free programme aimed at supporting grassroots rugby clubs across the UK. Hackney was awarded the title having doubled its playing membership over the last year, in spite of the lack of facilities. Hackney travelled to Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
on May 16, 2009. Starting with a training session with legendary coach Shaun Edwards
Shaun Edwards
Shaun Edwards OBE is an English rugby union coach and former rugby league player. He is defence coach of Wales, a post he has held since 2008. In November 2011 he left London Wasps after 10 years with the club, latterly as head coach....
(of London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
, Wales and 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...
) the teams were driven to HQ and ran out onto the hallowed turf as a curtain raiser for the Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
final. The Griffins beat the Gargoyles by 12 - 5,
Tours
Hackney RFC have recently toured to MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
playing against RFC Chaminade, Studentenstadt Munchen RFC, Medvek RFC and Valletta Lions RFC respectively.