Droitwich
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Droitwich
RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
D
roitwich Rugby Football Club was founded in 1972 by a group of local rugby
enthusiasts. Its original members didn’t want to travel further afield to Worcester
or Bromsgrove for home matches, so they became part of the St. Peter’s Field Association. This
allowed them to share the town’s cricket pavilion and use the school for changing facilities.
Not long afterwards, the club
established new headquarters and two
pitches at the rear of the Vernon Arms
pub in Hanbury, where they converted
some stables, installing showers and
changing rooms. Droitwich RFC played
here for a number of years and established
themselves as a growing ‘small’ club. A
change of ownership at the Vernon made
it no longer viable as an HQ.
The club then relocated to King
George V playing fields, entertaining
guests at the Freemason’s Arms and then
at the Old Fire Station. The latter on lease
from the council was converted into the
clubhouse, with bar, creating a unique
atmosphere.
It was during this nomadic period
that the club identified and acquired
a plot of land zoned for playing field
use along the Hanbury Road. This was
developed as the club headquarters and
officially opened in 1984.
Droitwich RFC spent fourteen years
on Hanbury Road and this was the
time of greatest expansion in the club’s
history. The advent of league rugby in
1986 enabled Droitwich RFC to measure
their development in real terms.
Another great leap forward for the
club was the establishment of the Minis
and Juniors section in 1990. Initially there
were around 20 youngsters between the
ages of seven and sixteen, playing other
local clubs with similar sections. With the
town of Droitwich Spa growing rapidly
during the 1990s, Droitwich RFC’s site on
Hanbury Road came increasingly under
the eye of local property developers.
After much debate within the club the
decision was taken to sell and move on.
In April 1998, Droitwich played
their last game at the Hanbury Road
ground and prepared for the largest,
and potentially most daunting move of
their short history. The Glyn Mitchell
First Team After North Midlands Senior Vase Tournament
60 Issue 71
Memorial Ground, named after one of
our founding fathers who did so much
to acquire and develop the ‘old’ Hanbury
Road Ground, was officially opened on
August 29, 1998.
Since the turn of the century, Droitwich
have enjoyed a relatively successful time,
especially in cup competitions, reaching
the final of the North Midlands Shield on
four consecutive occasions, winning the
trophy in 2011 and 2012.
The Minis & Juniors section continued
to thrive with well over 300 youngsters
enjoying rugby every Sunday. Moreover,
the majority of the seniors, including
most of today’s team are products of the
club’s Mini and Junior section.
Content provided by Club Chairman
Steve Bradbury.