A WARM WELCOME TO WORTHING RFC
Like ships passing in the night, we play against some clubs only periodically as promotion, relegation and divisional realignments force moves up and down the leagues.
Worthing RFC is one such club for us, so we are delighted to welcome back everyone associated with The Raiders after a 20 year absence from Plymouth Drive.
Our West Sussex visitors started life in 1920 (a belated congratulations for their 100th anniversary) with no clubhouse, hardly any equipment, and the use of a farmer’s meadow for a pitch. After seven seasons and two productive moves, they settled at Castle Road, in the centre of their town, for over 45 years, within which the usual WW2 interruption occurred.
As rugby’s popularity increased in the 70s, especially with the onset of mini and more junior rugby, the need for expanded facilities became paramount. So the big move from Castle Road, now unrecognisable with houses taking over, to Roundstone Lane in the adjacent village of Angmering was finalised in the second half of that decade. The new pavilion, looking out on six pitches, was opened in 1977 by the legendary Dickie Jeeps and since then the Raiders have gone from strength to strength. The club is now officially designated as the Centre of Excellence for Sussex Rugby.
As noted regarding previous visitors to Knole Paddock, it was only the introduction of leagues in 1987 that gave clubs the opportunity and desire to play matches beyond the usual local opposition. Our first encounter with Worthing was in September ’95. In those early seasons the divisions, while made up of 13 teams, were played on a once-only basis rather than home and away. We made the (then) long journey down to the South Coast and came away with a 23-23 draw. The following season, with the divisions organised on the same basis, we triumphed 37-24 on the way to one of our promotions. Then following Worthing’s own promotion we locked horns again in 02/03, this time playing home and away. This time Worthing were the victors both times while on their way to a second successive promotion.
Now 20 seasons later we meet up again and at two levels above our last encounter. The earlier match this September was a close affair with Worthing prevailing 32-27. We look forward to today’s intriguing fixture and to many more meetings in the coming seasons.
Howard Pearl
Other National League 2 East Division matches being played today:
Bury St Edmunds v Tonbridge Juddian Canterbury v Westcliff
Dorking v Barnes Guernsey v Henley
Old Albanian v North Walsham Rochford Hundred v Blackheath