Spalding Rugby Union Football Club [SRFC] came into existence in the autumn of 1923. The first practice was reported as taking place at 2.30pm on Saturday September 15th and another took place 2 weeks later.

Mr Willis White was elected first SRFC captain at a meeting held on Tuesday 25th September.

The first game was reported as being played on Saturday November 3rd 1923 at Stamford and against the Stamford school 1st XV – unfortunately Spalding lost 9-14.

The team that played in that first game was reported as :-

• back: A Shipton
• three-quarters: B Tointon, E Kingston, J Candy, MH Clark
• halves: WM White (capt), D Maxey
• forwards: FS Heard, TL Maybe, J Royce, R Tointon, PS Burman, ? Munro, M Hardy, J Teesdale.

The first club win was to come in possibly the second ever game played away at the Kings School Peterborough on January 26th 1924 when Spalding RFC won 30 points to 13.

In those early days practices and competitive matches were played on a number of different grounds – including, probably our first home ground which was a field belonging to the father of our first captain in the Little London area of town.
After the interruption of the second World War from 1939-45 a major event in Spalding’s history also dramatically affected the rugby club. The serious flooding in the winter/spring of 1947 led to the construction of flood defences and the route of the Coronation Channel that opened in 1953 ran through at least 1 and possibly 2 then home grounds and the club was left “homeless”.

The Headmaster and Governors of Spalding Grammar School came to the club’s rescue and offered use of the school playing fields on St Thomas’ Road, subsequently, the school allowed the club to build its first clubhouse – which would go on to replace The White Hart Hotel in the middle of the town as the club’s headquarters.

In the early 70’s construction of a new brick clubhouse started and in 1973 Spalding Sports Club was opened providing a home for both the rugby club together with the town’s, hockey and cricket clubs.

This continued until recently, when due to the rugby club’s enlarged playing numbers, both larger playing fields and premises became a necessity and the whole club relocated to Centenary Park on Drain Bank North ready for the start it’s Centenary season in September 2023.

On the playing front in the post war years the rugby club had become increasingly successful.

Playing one season unbeaten [1949/50] and in 1960/1, under the captaincy of Jim Peach, the first XV won all 33 games they played – conceding just 59 and scoring a mammoth 609 points – and don’t forget tries were only worth 3 points in those days!

Leagues were formed in the English community game in the mid 80s – replacing games which were erroneously described as “friendlies”!

Like most small town clubs, success comes and goes but in the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennium the club had perhaps its most consistently successful period, winning numerous Lincolnshire and Notts Lincs and Derbys Cups and being promoted to the Midlands 1 league.

More recently consistent success has not been so dramatic but the club first XV gained promotion last season and will compete in Counties 1Midlands East (South) in our Centenary season 2023/24.

In addition our senior 2nd XV will compete in an NLD merit table and the Veterans will turn out on occasions.

Meanwhile our younger teams will be increasingly active – our Colts XV will once again compete in the NLD league and all ages from under 6 and older will train and play as often as their coaches can manage!

Our Centenary Book is now on sale and available to purchase at the clubhouse for £20.