History of Rodillians R.U.F.C.

Rothwell Grammar School came into existence around 1933, and was always a school that believed in sport and recreation as a contrast to tutorial studies, the old maxim "a healthy body leads to a healthy mind etc." In its history, the school produced many fine sportsmen and athletes, who went on to play for various other clubs in the surrounding hinterlands. In the 1950's at least, the school played an annual fixture against the old boys of the school (who played in kit borrowed from other clubs, usually Castleford) and two or three of the old scholars thought it might be a good idea to form their own rugby club and preserve some of the old traditions of the school. In 1960, this idea came to fruition, with a few friendlies played, before a full fixture list was arranged for the 1960-61 season. At first, the club had to play weak fixtures as the modus operandi of that time ensured a class system amongst the elite of rugby. Several former pupils, who had been playing senior rugby in the area, joined the club and the name of Old Rodillians was selected, depicting the old name of inhabitants from the Rothwell area. With this strengthening of players, the clubs fortunes quickly grew and they became a force to be reckoned with, the result being better fixtures being obtained and in 1962-63 the club had their best season (on paper) with the record of played 26 won 25 and drew 1, scoring 700 points in the process and conceding only 55. They also fancied their chances of winning both the Yorkshire Shield and the Yorkshire Cup, but due to the extraordinary bad weather after Christmas, both competitions were cancelled.

In this season Ken Hardman scored 50 tries, which is still a club record. Obviously, the club was out of its depth on the playing side and better fixtures were being obtained all the time along with more recruits from the school. However, as the first team grew in strength, there were still not enough regular players for the second fifteen, they quite often turned out one or two short and so at an annual general meeting in 1967, the monumental decision to become an open club was taken.

Although everybody was not in favour of the move, the clubs fortunes really took off with being able to recruit from other clubs and schools in the area and in 1967 (at their first attempt), the side reached the final of the Yorkshire Shield. This was played at Huddersfield against the powerful Sheffield University team who won through by 14 - 6, although Rods had the satisfaction of scoring 2 tries to 1. The following year, they returned to the final and beat Heath O.B. 17 - 3 at Morley. They were then exempt from the competition until 1973 when again they reached the final at Morley and beat Pontefract 14 - 6 after extra time.

The side originally played on the "rec" at Lofthouse, after changing in the rear of the Rose & Crown pub but had to move for a year to Rothwell Haigh after a dispute with the landlord at the time. Whilst at this ground they reached the last 8 of the Yorkshire Cup beating a senior side (Otley) 23 - 3 along the way. They lost at home to the eventual cup winners Roundhay by 9 points to 3. They then moved back to Lofthouse cricket field for a season or two until their newly acquired land at Stanley was levelled and seeded, to form two pitches and a clubhouse. The club moved to its new premises in time for the 1970-71 season and this also brought a further strengthening of players. A match to mark the opening of the new ground was arranged against a select side from the County, Yorkshire Wanderers, who proved too strong on this occasion. These proved to be halcyon years for the club as they were among the top 10 teams in the County in the 70's but gradually as the current crop of players grew older or retired, the club lost ground on the playing field as adequate replacements were not forthcoming from the local schools. The club had proposed leagues in the 1970's but the Yorkshire committee rejected this move, but it was felt that if they had started at this time, the club would have retained its place among the elite. Alas, leagues arrived 15 years too late and in the 1980's a decline and fixtures carefully picked up over the years were then surrended until the club was back in a league where it started from.

Hope springs eternal, however, and the committee does feel it is time that the club was moving up the ladder again and hope to recruit for this purpose. Off the field things are always changing and they are hopeful of collecting a lottery grant to improve further the already resplendent facilities.

Past players of note besides those mentioned above are Roy Place, who represented Yorkshire at scrum half, Neil Bennett a wingman who had a few games with the Rods before moving to Wakefield and representing Yorkshire and the North of England against the All Blacks, Glyn Thompson second row, who joined Roundhay and played for and captained Yorkshire, Gary Demaine, prop, who has played for Yorkshire. Mick Wrigglesworth, winger, who was subject to a �3000 offer from Wigan rugby league (this was the price of a semi-detatched house). However, there are too many to list, many having played senior level or were capable of in the 1960/70's.