A brief history
Letchworth rugby club was formed in October 1924 five years after the First World War and the ravaging Spanish flu outbreak 1918/21. The two driving forces were Arthur Lamb and Claud Sykes who were determined for rugby to succeed and remained with the club for sixty and forty years respectively. They certainly had a mountain to climb! North Herts was a rugby desert and Letchworth was seen as a cranks town with many weird sects and religions, and no pubs!
It was also a transient area with many players appearing for a year or two and moving on. After early set backs, such as one reporter stating that lineouts in particular were fairly hopeless, the club was established by the early 30s with a relatively strong fixture list.
The next threat to stability was to come from within the town as two more clubs were formed at the Ascot (this soon folded) and the Tabulators, who were a highly successful side in the 30s. However they survived and under the guidance of two vicars kept going throughout the Second World War. After a plea for players in 45/6 the club never looked back, and expansion and success followed in the late 40s and 50s.
Under the guidance of Bill Howells, Gordon Collinson Ralph Wagstaff and Jack Whitney, the club found new grounds and built a fine new clubhouse at the present location at Baldock Road. The fixture list was also strengthened with many games against senior sides second teams (Bedford, Saracens, Scottish), while newly formed clubs such as Stevenage and Hitchin, only merited a second team fixture! Geoff Kelly was selected for three matches for England and more players represented Hertfordshire. Len Arnold’s side went unbeaten in 1959.
By the 60s the club was running four sides and under a succession of strong captains such as Les Denwood, Mick Paul and John Gardiner were achieving great things on the pitch while off it the social side was booming. The 50th season saw a game against Bedford followed later by a ground breaking tour to New England for three weeks!
The club now had five sides including Mike Leroy’s Wanderers who greatly added to the bar take. The first fifteen were certainly the strongest in the area with the main rivals locally being BAC (Bacavians) and there was a great crop of home grown talent such as Copper Brown, Dabber Taylor, John Daniel’s and Gordon Mackie joined later by Welshmen Johnny Walters, Richie Davies and Ade Thomas, and Northerner Alan Jones. The club was efficiently run by Bryan Barrett who did eleven years as chairman and four as President before his untimely death in 1985.
The late 70s and 80s saw Herts Cup success especially with the epic finals against Hertford with honours shared one a piece (Letchworth won the decider twenty years later!).
By the early nineties there were six sides and mini and junior rugby were firmly established with a great group of coaches and volunteers. Under ex-skipper, Nick Winwood, the Braveherts mixed-ability team was established in the early part of the 2000s which was ground breaking in the entire country. Twenty years later, Nick along with Danny Ryall, helped form the ladies section which has grown from strength to strength by 2023 both on the playing side and socially - especially in pint drinking competitions where they can put their male counterparts to shame!
However by the late 90s with the advent of leagues the first team had several poor seasons and were Languishing in London 3. Enter Graham Boss Walker, who along with President Brian Burke and skipper Paul Hughes and an ever improving first team with Christiansen, Spillane, Cooke, Faamusili and Donald all prominent saw them restored to London 1 by 2004 where they stayed for thirteen seasons. Under strong Chairmen Sharp and Lunnon the club continued to prosper and the early 2010s saw three county cup successes under the guidance of Jimmy Tirell and Jaggy Johal.
Following the last cup success, the team largely disbanded and the next few years were a struggle with relegation in 2017 and near avoidance of the same in 2018. However the team came through this adversity and grew stronger for it and following the pandemic under the guidance of experienced campaigner Baz Basra (Bedford, Northampton and Hertford) ex-players Toms Jubb and Ansell, Kieran Davies and seasoned manager Mike McKay an unparalleled chapter of success followed from 2020 to date!
Under Liam Fitts as skipper, an extremely talented squad has emerged alongside old warriors Oscar Robinson, Rambo Hughes and Harvey Howman, returnee Rick Streets and new boys Peasnell, Lewis and Sharp, the team has gone from strength to strength. Promotion was achieved in 2022 and, after a thirty nine game unbeaten run, again in the last season 2022/3.
So at the dawn of a new campaign at level 5, the highest in the clubs history, Boss Walker's dream has been realised , the club is buzzing, an extension is being built, and Letchworth rugby is stronger than ever... bring on the next century!
