Whitehall
FOLLOW
US ONLINE TWITTER . COM / RUGBYCLUBMAG
Whitehall RUGBY CLUB
Whitehall Rugby Club was founded on the 11th May 1931 . The original chairman was Mr A Hamlin who was the games teacher at Whitehall School . The majority of the players at this time were 16 years of age and the club was originally called Whitehall Old Boys , this was later changed to Whitehall Rugby Club .
In the early days games were played on council owned land and a local pub served as the clubhouse . By the 1980s , as the Club continued to grow , they approached the council to build their own clubhouse on the land where they played . They were offered an alternative site , a filled in quarry at Foundry Lane , this was accepted and eventually after being built by the players themselves the Clubhouse was officially opened in October 1984 . We are located a stones throw away from the heart of the City of Bristol , less than a mile from our local rivals .
My involvement with Whitehall Rugby Club began on a Sunday morning in October 1996 , when my eldest son , then aged seven , had his first taste of playing rugby , with the minis . My youngest son followed two years later . I helped with coaching his team and held the role of Junior Chair for a number of years until they were both playing senior rugby . This season , twenty one years later , I have the honour of being the Club Chairman .
One of the first things I noticed in the clubhouse was the family friendly atmosphere . There is a long tradition of families playing for the club . Men who played or who are still playing sit amongst their children and sometimes grandchildren on a Saturday or Sunday enjoying the post-match discussions . There are at least thirty pairs of brothers who have or are still playing for Whitehall , the majority of these coming through the Junior Section .
Our Junior Section has always been a valuable source of players . It was established in 1970 and has always been a vibrant and integral part of Whitehall RFC , endeavouring to teach girls and boys how to play skilful rugby in a safe , competitive and sporting atmosphere , endorsing the RFU ’ s philosophy of fun first , results second . We are proud to have had several players who after playing as juniors , have gone on to play for Bristol Rugby Club . We do not currently have a ladies side but a past player Danielle Burrows represented Wales and
34 Issue 75