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University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham West Midlands B15 2TT UK Main Rugby Club Website Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it The Story The rugby section of the Bournville Athletic Club was established on 17th August 1909, when 22 members showed a strong interest in taking up the game. So it was that workers from Cadburys in Bournville village founded BOURNVILLE RFC. Donning the chocolate colours and captained by Mr J Paddison, the team won more games than they lost in the first year, playing 23 matches, 20 were won, 2 lost and 1 drawn, with 319 points for and 70 against. By the second season the team lost only 4 matches. A picture of the 1909/10 side has pride of place within the Bournville Rugby Club bar at Rowheath Pavilion and while it shows ragged shirts and hob-nail boots, there is a strong feeling of the Corinthian team spirit that has typified Bournville RFC throughout the ages. By 1910-11 BRFC entered the competition for the Midland Counties Rugby Cup and reached the third round. In 1911-12 they set up another record: they were not beaten at home and lost only 8 out of the 22 matches. In 1910 a successful 2nd team was formed under the captaincy of Mr S J Robotham. The original Bournville RFC sides consisted entirely of Cadbury employees and the company would traditionally award caps to players. Gradually through the years other players from outside the Cadbury family joined the club, whose seasons consisted of friendly matches against local rivals such as Five Ways Old Edwardian, Selly Oak and most notably, Kings Norton. During the 1960’s Bournville achieved famous results, the player base within this period was still heavily reliant on Cadbury employees and notable players for the club during this period included Dave Kappler and John Sutherland, now Executive Finance Director and Chief Executive respectively at Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Both are now Vice Presidents of Bournville RFC. The 1970s saw the birth of the Bournville RFC Colts side and included many players that were to go on and represent the club’s 1st team with distinction. These players were involved in the club’s most successful period the 1980’s before the official rugby leagues were formed. The club played in Merit Tables that were sponsored by the radio station BRMB. Official league tables were formed in the late 1980s. However the league formation coincided with a less successful period in Bournville’s history as playing numbers dwindled and the standard of rugby players fell. In the early 1990s the club faced a difficult future with poor league results, uncertainty over it’s future at Rowheath and falling numbers in players. To boost the game’s popularity the club’s Colts section was reformed by Neil Suddaby using players from local schools. The management of this side was taken over by Ivor Boehmer, who has almost single-handedly run the Junior Section of Bournville RFC for over 12 years. He is still to be found out on the field every Sunday morning. Despite falling player numbers in nearly all local clubs, Bournville has managed to maintain 3 Senior sides which is a far cry from the 6 sides of the mid-80s but admirable when one realises that other local Clubs are having to merge to stay in existence. 2009/10 will be the clubs centenary year. We are keen to hear from past members or families who have lost contract with the club, or may have some more memories of the early days of BRFC that we could add to our record. If you would like details of the club’s centenary plans, please email us (see contacts)The StoryThe rugby section of the Bournville Athletic Club was established on 17th August 1909, when 22 members showed a strong interest in taking up the game. So it was that workers from Cadburys in Bournville village founded BOURNVILLE RFC. Donning the chocolate colours and captained by Mr J Paddison, the team won more games than they lost in the first year, playing 23 matches, 20 were won, 2 lost and 1 drawn, with 319 points for and 70 against. By the second season the team lost only 4 matches. A picture of the 1909/10 side has pride of place within the Bournville Rugby Club bar at Rowheath Pavilion and while it shows ragged shirts and hob-nail boots, there is a strong feeling of the Corinthian team spirit that has typified Bournville RFC throughout the ages. By 1910-11 BRFC entered the competition for the Midland Counties Rugby Cup and reached the third round. In 1911-12 they set up another record: they were not beaten at home and lost only 8 out of the 22 matches. In 1910 a successful 2nd team was formed under the captaincy of Mr S J Robotham. The original Bournville RFC sides consisted entirely of Cadbury employees and the company would traditionally award caps to players. Gradually through the years other players from outside the Cadbury family joined the club, whose seasons consisted of friendly matches against local rivals such as Five Ways Old Edwardian, Selly Oak and most notably, Kings Norton. During the 1960’s Bournville achieved famous results, the player base within this period was still heavily reliant on Cadbury employees and notable players for the club during this period included Dave Kappler and John Sutherland, now Executive Finance Director and Chief Executive respectively at Cadbury Schweppes PLC, Both are now Vice Presidents of Bournville RFC. The 1970s saw the birth of the Bournville RFC Colts side and included many players that were to go on and represent the club’s 1st team with distinction. These players were involved in the club’s most successful period the 1980’s before the official rugby leagues were formed. The club played in Merit Tables that were sponsored by the radio station BRMB. Official league tables were formed in the late 1980s. However the league formation coincided with a less successful period in Bournville’s history as playing numbers dwindled and the standard of rugby players fell. In the early 1990s the club faced a difficult future with poor league results, uncertainty over it’s future at Rowheath and falling numbers in players. To boost the game’s popularity the club’s Colts section was reformed by Neil Suddaby using players from local schools. The management of this side was taken over by Ivor Boehmer, who has almost single-handedly run the Junior Section of Bournville RFC for over 12 years. He is still to be found out on the field every Sunday morning. Despite falling player numbers in nearly all local clubs, Bournville has managed to maintain 3 Senior sides which is a far cry from the 6 sides of the mid-80s but admirable when one realises that other local Clubs are having to merge to stay in existence. 2009/10 will be the clubs centenary year. We are keen to hear from past members or families who have lost contract with the club, or may have some more memories of the early days of BRFC that we could add to our record. If you would like details of the club’s centenary plans, please email us (see contacts) |
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