A WARM WELCOME TO CANTERBURY RFC
It has been a long wait since February 2002, but we are delighted to welcome everyone involved with Canterbury RFC back to Knole Paddock. Before the advent of Leagues in the late 80s the Canterbury Saturday, involving six sides each, was an integral part of our fixture list and coincidentally always in late October as today.
Formed in 1929 CRFC started out with two sides and a Thursday XV with their first ground in the New Dover Road. They then moved to Merton Lane in 1937 which boasted one pitch and a small hut! Unlike some other clubs, Canterbury kept going during WW2, arranging matches mainly involving military personnel based in and around the city.
After the war, more ground was obtained at Merton Lane, and the clubhouse was built in 1953. These advances predicated success on the pitch, especially in 7-a-side competitions; then a first Kent cup win in 1975 set the seal on the club’s first fifty years.
The advent of leagues came at a bad time for Canters. After several relegations, they found themselves in Kent 2, the bottom division. Then the big revival began in 1991. Sure and steady progress was achieved in the 90s and would have been even more impressive but for RFU officialdom. Halfway through the 99/00 season, it was decided that there would be no promotion that time as the following season leagues would be organised on a home and away basis rather than larger divisions with once only matches. Canterbury finished top but did not get promoted. How would any club feel with that kick in the teeth? If it happened to us, Trevor wouldn’t have written to The Times, he would have got Laura Trott to raise the matter in Parliament!
Canterbury rectified the situation two seasons later and from there reached the heights of Level 3 for a season. They are now a major force to be reckoned with back in Level 4.
The cathedral city club also boasts a highly successful women’s rugby squad which was founded in 1994, an equally thriving wheelchair section started in 2014, and of course mini and junior sections for all ages to adult.
Our league history with Canterbury has involved ten matches to date, with the last one in 2002 as previously noted. The records show some good news and some bad. We lead 6-4 in terms of wins but the For and Against stats are unprintable due to a couple of right royal stuffings we endured down at Merton Lane. We did upset the form book in that Feb ’02 match winning 13-5, after losing 10-83 earlier in the season!
So the pendulum has swung and we find ourselves together again in what we always knew would be a highly competitive division. Both clubs are striving to be the pride of Rural Kent, so we are sure to witness a competitive afternoon.
Howard Pearl
Other National League 2 East Division matches being played today:
Barnes v Rochford Hundred Blackheath v Guernsey
Dorking v Bury St Edmunds Tonbridge Juddian v North Walsham
Westcliff v Henley Worthing v Old Albanian