Blackheath Rugby Club (BRC) is a rugby football club originally based in Blackheath in south-east London, but now playing at the Rectory Field in neighbouring Charlton. It is the oldest rugby club in the world, dating back to 1858.

History

Early history

Blackheath Rugby Club (BRC) was founded in 1858 by old boys of Blackheath Proprietary School who played a "carrying" game of football made popular by Rugby School. BRC was the first rugby club in the world without restricted membership.

In 1862 the club developed the tactic of passing the ball from player to player as an alternative to the solo break and the "kick and follow-up".

In 1863 BRC was a founder member of the Football Association which was formed at the Freemason’s Tavern, Great Queen Street, on Lincoln Inn Fields, London October 26 1863 with the intention to frame a code of laws that would embrace the best and most acceptable points of all the various methods of play under the one heading of "football". Mr Francis Maude Campbell (F.W.C.) a member of Blackheath was elected treasurer. At the 5th meeting F.W.C argued that hacking was an essential element of 'football' and that to eliminate hacking would “do away with all the courage and pluck from the game, and I will be bound over to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practice”. At the 6th meeting on December 8 F.W.C. withdrew Blackheath explaining that the rules that the FA intended to adopt would destroy the game and all interest in it. Other rugby clubs follow this lead and did not join the Football Association. In this way the great divide between soccer and rugby took place.

In December 1870 Edwin Ash , Secretary of Richmond Club published a letter in the papers which said, "Those who play the rugby-type game should meet to form a code of practice as various clubs play to rules which differ from others, which makes the game difficult to play". On January 26 1871 a meeting attended by representatives from 22 clubs was held in London at the Pall Mall Restaurant . As a result of this meeting Rugby Football Union (RFU) was founded. Three lawyers who had been pupils at Rugby School drew up the first laws of the game which were approved in June 1871. BRC is one of seven of the original twenty clubs to have survived to this day.

Later history

Blackheath Rugby Club initially played its matches on the heath (meeting and changing at the Princess of Wales public house) but occasional interruptions from spectators led the club to move, initially to a private field (Richardson's Field) in Blackheath before moving to the Rectory Field in 1883.

On 27 March 1871, England (captained by Blackheath's captain and with three other BRC players in the 20-strong side) played Scotland at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, losing by one goal. This was the first international rugby union game in history. Richardson's Field hosted the first England v. Wales fixture on 19 February 1881, which England won, again with four BRC players in the side.

Past Players

• Mike Campbell-Lamerton

External links

• Home page of the Blackheath Rugby Club