Launceston RC

The seeds were sown for a “town rugby team” in September 1948 at the annual fixture at Launceston College – a game between the College and their “old boys”. Spencer Toy the Headmaster at the College and the main driving force behind setting up the Club was sure the time was right with the end of the Second World War for a “Rugger Club” in the town. He and three others  Arthur Venning, Gordon Reeve and Eric Smith present at the game took it upon themselves to see if the young men in the town and surrounding areas were of like mind. A meeting was arranged at the Guildhall Committee Rooms on 15 October 1948 and an advertisement appeared in the local “Post”. Handbills were distributed and posters put up.

The “Founders” were delighted when some 50 people attended the inaugural meeting and the elected officers were President Spencer Troy, Chairman Gordon Reeve, Treasurer Peter Heale and Secretary Les Warren. The other members elected to the Committee were Graham Phillips, Pete Cotton, Bill Tippett along with Graham Reeve as Club Captain and Arthur Venning as his Vice Captain.  All names with revered and historic significance at the Club.

The mention of the new Club was to provide an opportunity for playing rugby for as many men as possible in the town and surrounding areas. The Club did not have to worry about a ground or changing rooms as Spencer Toy was able to provide the College facilities.

After a trial match arranged with the Launceston College to gauge the enthusiasm for rugby in the town which the Club won by 13 points to 3, the first inter-club game was against St Columba (from Torpoint) which the visiting side won 3-15. Invitations for fixtures followed on from that game and teams as far west as Hayle and as far east as Newton Abbot were added. In the inaugural season of 1948-49 there were twenty two games played with Launceston winning only seven but with a notable success against RN Hospital Devonport which had only lost twice in the season and had won three cups in the Plymouth area.

At the first AGM those present were told that there was an upswelling of interest in playing rugby and a decision was made to run a second team. Many new players joined from Cleave Camp at Bude which was an Army training base at the time and also masters (yeachers) from the College. In latter years interestingly the local banks provided 8 players – how times have changed.

In the spring of 1949 the club was on the lookout for its own ground and found the ideal place -   the former soccer ground at Hurdon owned by the local Council. The landlords only required a peppercorn rent and when officials of the club inspected the site they were pleased to find next door on the former POW Camp two Nissen huts which were requisitioned by the club. One of them had basic showers and a boiler to heat the water which was an added bonus. Jack Hobbs, a local builder, kindly donated scaffolding poles - ideal uprights for goal posts. It wasn’t long before the pitch was transformed into a rugby ground. The members were able to clear away the debris from the old camp site and were pleasantly surprised that it was large enough for a second pitch too.

In the first full season 1949/50 the first fifteen played 36 matches, won 17, lost 17 and drew 2. The second fifteen newly formed, played 156, won 1, lost 11 and drew 4. It was reported at the second AGM that 91 players had turned out for the two sides during the season.

The Cornwall RFU were helpful in promoting rugby in the north of the county by staging a county trial at Hurdon on 24 September 1949. Amongst those present were Internationals Keith Scott, John Kendall Carpenter and Vic Roberts . Another great boost to the club in the early years was Harold Stevens bringing up a Cornwall Fifteen annually consisting of players such as Alvin Williams, Paddy McGovern, the mighty Bonzo Johns, Kenny Abrahams, Peter Mitchell and John Cobner. This made the Launceston Club feel part of the Cornish Rugby community because, at that time, rugby hardly existed further north than Truro.

It didn't take long for a new clubhouse and two changing rooms to take the place of the Nissen huts at Hurdon. The new building was opened by the Mayor, C H Robbins.

Launceston were classified as a Junior side in Cornwall when the club was first formed and were also affiliated to Plymouth Combination being near to Plymouth where a lot of rugby clubs existed. In the early years the first team found it hard to arrange games against Cornish “senior” opposition. The best they could do was to have fixtures with the second teams of the “senior” clubs. This situation persisted for some clubs until the early seventies. Truro were actually the first club to extend a field a first team against Launceston shortly followed by Penryn. A few seasons later the Club beat Truro by three points at their ground with Peter Cotton scoring the only try.

First Black shirts provided by New Zealand cruiser Ballona

The first shirt colours Launceston played in were navy blue and were donated by Smiths’ Garage which were in fact a set of eleven soccer jerseys and for the first game the club purchased an additional four shirts which were dyed to near enough the same colour giving a full set for their first match. These were not strong enough for the physical game of rugby and within a few months new kit had to be purchased which included socks. This time the kit was blue and white hoops.

The “famous” black shirts first appeared at the club in the 1949-50 season and were first worn by the newly formed second team. They had been given by the crew of the New Zealand cruiser Ballona after their match against the Launceston first team.

The Club had to travel what was considered long distances deep into Cornwall to fulfill their fixtures and with few players having cars busses had to be hired. It was therefore essential to have adequate funds. The first Annual Ball at the Town Hall had been such a success that in 1954 the Fundraising Committee organized a second Ball there with the theme being a Rugby Pitch

A set of full size goal posts were erected at the two ends of the hall with touch flags of the club’s colours (white and blue) setting out the “playing” area. The Tramps’ Balls   at the various venues over the years were another course of valuable income. These fund raising events helped to forge an everlasting relationship with the town.

Towards the end of the 1950s the club recognized the importance of schools as a way of introducing rugby to a younger generation encouraging them to be interested in and play for their local club. The new Pennygillam County Secondary School was close to the rugby pitch and the club was only too willing to offer their ground for the school’s use for home rugby matches and also to provide them with a set of shirts for the youngsters as well as readily loaning them equipment. This was the inspiration needed to start a Colts side