Welcome to Letchworth Garden City RFC
Given that the outside world looked at the first Garden City founded by Quaker Ebeneezer Howard as a bunch of sandal wearing fruit cakes and religious eccentrics it may seem strange that North Herts first ever rugby club was formed here in 1924, over thirty years before any others in what might be seen as more traditional rugby towns.
Yet the pioneering beliefs of those early founders Arthur Lamb , Claud Sykes and others whose mantra .... country first, club second, county third and yourself a very poor fourth persist at Letchworth Rugby Club to this day in an environment that not only still provides the top level of amateur rugby football in the area but also is a scintillating social hub and very much part of the larger community in the Garden City, next door neighbour Baldock and surrounding villages.
In the past five years the club has invested over half a million pounds in club house and changing room refurbishment, a new car park and pitch surrounds as well as a full range of groundsman equipment to provide superb facilities for all its playing members irrespective of size, age, ability or gender.
We field three senior teams with an occasional “Ebeneezers” veterans side. The first team play in London North West 2 providing challenging competition for any aspiring player. The seconds play in the competitive Hertfordshire & Middlesex Merit Table 2 league and complete the overall squad of some forty players at this level. The thirds or Wanderers play a more relaxed but no less enjoyable level of rugby and certainly know how to socialise off the field. All sides have fully qualified coaches and managers to provide support for the players on and off the pitch whilst our physios take good care of those sustaining injuries over the playing season.
In addition the Braveherts, founded by club stalwart Nick Winwood, have pioneered rugby for people with learning difficulties in the U.K. and play and train all the year round.
The mini and junior sections are both vibrant and headed by qualified coaches at every level, and the newly reformed girls section continues to grow apace.
For those too old or not inclined to play there is social membership and ex-players and helpers are elected as Vice Presidents and attend many of the social functions held throughout the season.
Our large phalanx of local sponsors provide vital funds for the clubs continuing success from as little as £50 through to the award winning Business Around Rugby scheme which is considerably more. All support is received with equal gratitude by the Club.
Since that time nearly a century ago when a rugby ball was first flung about by a few diehard ex-servicemen in the then fields around Pixmore Way the club has grown exponentially but remained loyal to the original ethics of its founders and the spirit of the great game of rugby football when a century before that a certain William Webb Ellis with a fine disregard for the then laws of the football game picked up the ball and ran with it ... Letchworth Rugby Club fully intend to run with it into the second century of their existence.
