Club History - by Prof. Paul Van Block
The game of rugby started way back in 1874, when documents lodged at the Rugby Football Union claim the club had 40 members, rising to 63 in 1877. At that time, records show the pitch was located near the City station and changing facilities were at the Bowling Green. At this time, the schools in the city didn't play the game, so as was customary with many small clubs of the time, the players played football one week and rugby the next.
Records of the time suggest that for some reason or other, the club was disbanded in the 1890's only to be reformed in 1925. At this time, supported by a number of prominent local families and and ex England international, Roy Leyland who became the games master of King Edwards Grammar, rugby began to flush. A pitch was found alongside the Trent Valley Road, with changing rooms and a clubhouse at the Goats Head public house.
As rugby became the dominant sport at the grammar school under Leyland, the sport became more popular in the city than soccer. The earliest photographs show the players kitted out in a claret and blue hooped shirt. However, following a memorable international fixture between England and South Africa, four committee members came back to Lichfield with tales of the highly skilled Springboks and the legendary 75 yard drop kick from Gerry Brand.
An application was made to the RFU to change the team colours in adoration of the Springboks to green and gold. However, the application was partially rejected as Lichfield would become one of three teams playing in these colours, the other being Hawick. So the committee settled on red trim to accompany the myrtle green shirts. So the link with South Africa was established and for more than 75 years the design remained the same. However in recent years, with improved manufacturing techniques and demands from sponsors, the team colours have varied somewhat, yet myrtle green and red are still an integral part of the colour scheme.
The club has experienced all the trials and tribulations of a small town club. During the 1980s, the club enjoyed unrivalled success, as champions of the County for seven years in succession. During this time, they hosted a string of top quality sides of the day including, London Welsh, Harlequins, Sale, Maesteg and Bath. The performances of the side during this period established the club as one of the top junior clubs in the country. At the height of this success, the club produced a number of international players at both school boy and full international level including Stuart Potter, Simon Smith, and Danny Bourne.
Today, the strength of the club lies in the youth teams being carefully coached and nurtured. With players from the Colts, under 17s, U16s and u15s making the Leicester Tigers Elite Development programme, and regularly supplying the vast bulk of the Staffordshire county squad players and a growing number of players making Midlands and two in recent times making England; many believe the good times are just around the corner once more for Lichfield.
As rugby became the dominant sport at the grammar school under Leyland, the sport became more popular in the city than soccer. The earliest photographs show the players kitted out in a claret and blue hooped shirt. However, following a memorable international fixture between England and South Africa, four committee members came back to Lichfield with tales of the highly skilled Springboks and the legendary 75 yard drop kick from Gerry Brand.
An application was made to the RFU to change the team colours in adoration of the Springboks to green and gold. However, the application was partially rejected as Lichfield would become one of three teams playing in these colours, the other being Hawick. So the committee settled on red trim to accompany the myrtle green shirts. So the link with South Africa was established and for more than 75 years the design remained the same. However in recent years, with improved manufacturing techniques and demands from sponsors, the team colours have varied somewhat, yet myrtle green and red are still an integral part of the colour scheme.
The club has experienced all the trials and tribulations of a small town club. During the 1980s, the club enjoyed unrivalled success, as champions of the County for seven years in succession. During this time, they hosted a string of top quality sides of the day including, London Welsh, Harlequins, Sale, Maesteg and Bath. The performances of the side during this period established the club as one of the top junior clubs in the country. At the height of this success, the club produced a number of international players at both school boy and full international level including Stuart Potter, Simon Smith, and Danny Bourne.
Today, the strength of the club lies in the youth teams being carefully coached and nurtured. With players from the Colts, under 17s, U16s and u15s making the Leicester Tigers Elite Development programme, and regularly supplying the vast bulk of the Staffordshire county squad players and a growing number of players making Midlands and two in recent times making England; many believe the good times are just around the corner once more for Lichfield.
Professor Paul Van Block
