Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club set for milestone moment
Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club has announced its schedule of activities ahead of its 100th anniversary celebrations.
The club will mark 100 years of existence over the August Bank Holiday weekend (August 28-29) with a festival of rugby and fun for all the family over the Saturday and Sunday.
It will include a series of rugby matches across all age groups over the two days plus children’s entertainment, a beer festival for adults and live music plus food from Eat Street Retreat.
Centre stage on the rugby front will be a game between Sutton’s First XV and Stourbridge on Saturday afternoon. This will re-enact Sutton’s first recorded competitive game after they formed in late 1921 against a Stourbridge XV, who themselves were reforming in 1921, after their first incarnation folded in 1893.
The game played in January 1922 brought together two sets of aspiring young sportsman, who were the start of a successful dynasty for both clubs.
The weekend will also feature a ladies game to recognise the introduction and rapid growth of the women’s rugby at Sutton and across the country in more recent times plus mini and junior games to recognise and embrace the strong support for youth rugby amongst the many young players and their enthusiastic parents.
An All Stars Team and Presidents XV will celebrate and underline the importance of social rugby and the strong camaraderie it generates amongst older and young players who just want to enjoy playing rugby for the exercise and the fun of it without the pressure.
The weekend will be held at the Roger Smoldon Rugby Ground, Walmley Road and is free to enter for all.
At 12 noon on the Saturday, local dignitaries and club officials will gather on the training pitch to officially switch on new floodlights over the training pitch.
Sutton Coldfield Mayor Terry Wood and other members of the Town Council, who funded the new drainage system on the pitch, will be in attendance along with MP Andrew Mitchell, Warwickshire RFU President, Steve Wilkes and representatives from sponsors, Ansons Solicitors.
There will also be representation from Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust, who helped fund the new floodlights while Tom Jones, chairman of Sutton Coldfield Recreational Trust, who manage the Walmley Road site, Del Green, President of Sutton Coldfield RFC and Geoff Fletcher, chairman of the rugby club will also attend.
