BIG MATCH
FYLDE V BILLINGHAM We are delighted to welcome the players, officials and supporters of Billingham RUFC to the Woodlands today (ko 15.00) for the first ever match between the two clubs. This is especially notable as our visitors are celebrating their 100th anniversary in this 2023-24 season, being formed four years after Fylde in 1924. Fylde last lost at the Woodlands in April 2022 and have subsequently gone 15 games without defeat. They will hope to build on the excellent performance at a sweltering Lightfoot Green last Saturday when they came away with a 27-41 victory over local rivals Preston Grasshoppers. So they will be hoping for more of the same against their North East visitors. Billingham is situated north of the River Tees in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees. Gaining promotion from the North East Regional Premiership to the National Leagues marks the Club’s highest level achievement in their long history. In 2022-23 they led the division for a long period and shaded nearest competitor, the Yorkshire club Heath RFC, by 12 points with a record of 19 wins and 3 defeats at the end of the season, with 812 points scored and just 292 conceded. The Club’s 2nd XV (Lions) play in The “Candy League” Division 1. The 3rd XV play in The League “Candy League” Division 2. and the Colts play in a Saturday Colts League. The junior section range from u-7 minis to u-16’s with teams winning Durham county cups and leagues recently. Billingham play their home matches at Greenwood Road. Billingham Rugby Club was formed in 1924 as the rugby section of the Synthonia Sports Club at Synthetic Ammonia and Nitrates Company, which later became Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Once established, the club became a force in Durham County Rugby Union, especially after the Second World War and the first team was very strong during the 1950s and early 1960s. The early 1970s saw a downturn in the chemical industry and with the decline of ICI, the rugby club suffered. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s the club became somewhat nomadic in its socialising, although still playing on Central Avenue. 1989 was an important year in the life of the club. The youth section was founded and boys and girls from the age of eight upwards playing mini-rugby. Since then, this section of the club has gone from strength to strength and has provided several current members of the first XV squad.
The 1990s saw an upturn in the club’s fortunes and three teams were regularly playing each week with socialising based at the Synthonia
Cricket Club. The club moved to play on Greenwood Road in 1996 although until late 2000 there were no facilities whatsoever, just three pitches. For these years we had a three-site existence, changing, playing and socialising in different locations. However, December 2000 and a £750,000 lottery grant brought the opening of the new clubhouse giving the club a solid base and identity and that has served as a stepping-stone to current success and advancement. This is an ambitious club with very strong roots in the local community accompanied by careful financial and sporting management. Their vibrancy is reflected in a buoyant playing membership, from the U6s to Colts, 4 senior teams, 3 girls teams - 19 teams in all! Their debut in the National League on 2nd September was a little painful when they were beaten by a powerful Rotherham Titans outfit in Yorkshire by 52-24. Their speedy backs had insufficient possession to threaten the Titans who are again setting out their stall for a promotion campaign. Last Saturday Billingham made their home debut in the National League and celebrated by beating North East rivals Tynedale by 20-17 in front of an extended and refurbished clubhouse. It was always a tight contest, 12- all at the interval. The visitors scored an unconverted try before Billingham equalised with a try in the 63rd minute and then a 75th minute penalty earned the victory and the enthusiastic crowd acclaimed their heroes. Playmaking flyhalf and goal kicker Peter Evans is also the clubs Head Coach. He’s also a long term Billingham servant, a characteristic he shares with a few other team mates. For instance, backrower Dan Burns made his 250th appearance and centre Luke Wilson his 200th 1st XV appearance against Tynedale.
www. fylderugby .co.uk
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