Graham Like
Reading Rugby is delighted to announce that it has teamed up with a sponsor, SELECT CAR LEASING, a national company based in the town.
With RRFC being the city’s leading community club, it is no surprise that Reading Rugby could secure sponsorship from Select Car Leasing.
SCL has been prominent in Reading for many years as a major sponsor of Reading Football Club. The stadium where Reading football matches were held changed its name to Select Car Leasing (SCL) Stadium and this was a major deal for Reading Rugby when SCL decided it could include a rugby club and a football club in its portfolio.
It must be the only sponsorship in the country. I don’t think there are any other rugby and football clubs named after this town that have the same sponsors.
Reading Rugby had the pleasure of unveiling their new shirts featuring the Select Car Leasing logo as they beat local rivals Abbey in a hard-fought match.
Reading Rugby are delighted to host SCL representatives for a pre-match lunch and would like to thank the SCL for their generosity.
So how did Reading Rugby Club get started?
The idea for Reading’s rugby club was born when three enthusiasts met in Pangbourne on a summer evening in July 1898.
They were England player and RFU president Roger Walker, RFU secretary G. Rowland-Hill and local headmaster GRJoyce, also from Cambridge Blue. The three felt that the county town of Berkshire would be an ideal center for the game.
The Berkshire Wanderers were born.
In 1936, after living a bit of a nomadic life, his dream came true and he bought 11 acres of land in Sonning for £900. The changing rooms were in the cellar of the nearby Shepherd House Hotel!!
There was a jubilee season in 1947-48 and Claude Davey of the Welsh International and Syd Fox of the Cambridge Blue played for the club.
The club was renamed Reading Rugby Club in 1956 and the current clubhouse was built in 1969. 1973-74 is 75 yearsDay It was the club’s anniversary and the Reading team played a President’s XV, which included three Wales internationals and one England player.
Reading won their first Berkshire Cup in 1970 but had little success over the next 15 years.
A revival occurred in the mid-80s when Reading won the Berkshire Cup in 1986 and went on to lift the trophy seven times since 1988.
Club history continues
This rise in fortunes was based on a very successful Colts side and their first major tour in years, which included four games in Canada.
1 in 1986-87castle The XV won 30 of their 34 games with the help of former British Lion and Wales player Clive Rees. In their first National Cup campaign they beat Taunton and Sudbury before going down to Coventry 26-12.
The league began and Reading won promotion to South West 1 at the first attempt in 1987-88. In the 1990s, with the advent of the professional game, English rugby was promoted to the third tier.
Sponsorship of the club by an American company fell through and there was no major financial backer. Over the years, RRFC have had some tough times as the top leagues have faced clubs with a lot of money.
For around 15 years, Reading were in South West 1, with occasional visits to the top league, and South West 2, where they competed against more prominent players.
They were relegated in 2017 and moved to Southern Counties, before joining County 1 Tribute Southern North in the subsequent season due to league realignment.
current day
And the club now has a very young team, with many recent former Colts players playing in the top division.castle XV.
They have found it difficult to face bigger, more experienced teams and are currently at league level 7. This club is a community club aiming to achieve level 5 in the short term.
RRFC runs several teams for all ages and genders, including one team.castle There is an XV men’s team at level 7 and a women’s team at level 4. We have the Rhinos, a veteran team that has been around since 1986.
The women’s team has been very successful and current Red Roses Abby Dowd and Alex Matthews, who have been named Women’s World Player of the Year, are former Redding players.
RRFC were the first club in England to start playing walking rugby, and the game’s guidelines were a blueprint for many other clubs to adopt the sport for their oldest players.
This has expanded the playing careers of former players, new players and female players. There are also mini rugby matches for younger players.
Berkshire Rogue
A unique part of Reading Rugby is the Berkshire Brigands, Berkshire’s first mixed ability rugby team. Founded in 2020, Brigands was inspired by a young man at the club who wanted to play alongside his older brother.
The team is open to players of all abilities, and disabled players can also participate in contact rugby against skilled players.
Reading RFC is a thriving club offering cradle to grave rugby and a Community Day on September 7th.Day It showed the club at its best.
We have partnered with the Wooden Spoon Society and Howdens Insurance, sponsor of the 2025 Australian British and Irish Lions, to celebrate Lion #512 playing for us, Clive Rees. A plaque was awarded.
Reading Rugby celebrates 125 years of rugby in 2023-24 and continues to provide a welcoming playing and social environment for all members and welcomes anyone wishing to join the club.
