Fylde Rugby Club
Encyclopedia
Fylde Rugby Union Club (icon) is a rugby union
club based in Lytham St Annes
, on the Fylde coast
in Lancashire
, England
. Its home venue is the Woodlands Memorial Ground
on Blackpool Road in Ansdell. The first team plays in English rugby's National League One.
The club has four other senior teams, the Wanderers, the Saracens, the Vikings and the Vandals who play in the English North West League: respectively in the NW Premiership, NW3 North, NW4 North and NW5 North. There is also a colts team who play in the Lancashire & Cheshire regional leagues.
Woodlands Memorial Ground is shared by Blackpool Rugby League Club
.
businessmen met at Ansdell Institute to discuss the formation of either a rugby union or a football club. A coin was tossed and it fell in favour of rugby union. The club grew steadily and achieved a strong fixture list by the 1960s and has been in the National Leagues
since their inception in 1987.
It takes its name from The Fylde
, a roughly 13-mile (20-kilometre) square
-shaped peninsula
, bounded by Morecambe Bay
to the north, the Ribble
estuary to the south, the Irish Sea
to the west, and the Bowland
hills to the east, and Blackpool
to the south.
and the first yearly gate receipts amounted to just over £57. In 1922, Harold Brooks was elected President and through his efforts Fylde progressed. He also provided the present stand. In 1924 the club was represented in the Lancashire
team by players such as "Ham" Neville, who was capped 33 times, and "Pop" Ogden, who was classed as the most successful kicker of the time. He was the originator of the "round the corner
" style of kicking now used by more or less all kickers worldwide. The club was strengthened by the merger with Blackpool Old Boys in the 1934–35 season.
During the World War II
, Fylde, along with many other clubs, had to close as the Army
took over the ground. In 1946 the President, G.W. Parkes, welcomed back members from the war and by this time the ground had been purchased and named the Woodlands Memorial Ground in recognition of those members who gave their lives during the war.
In 1964 the second England
trial was held at Fylde and Sir Laurie Edwards opened the new pavilion extension and presented the club with a rugby union shield which is still on the clubhouse wall.
1969 was Fylde’s jubilee
year, when they were fielding six or seven teams every Saturday. The club's two most famous players were home grown, Malcolm Phillips and Bill Beaumont
. Phillips, who attended Arnold School
in Blackpool
, won 25 England caps at centre between 1958 and 1964. He was President of the Rugby Football Union
(RFU) from 2004 to 2005 and has served on the International Rugby Board
(IRB) for a number of years. Beaumont was also a one club man having joined Fylde as a 17 year old in 1969 and stayed with the club until injury forced him to retire in 1982. His father had also played for Fylde and he wrote suggesting that his son be given a trial. His first game was in the sixth team as fullback. With his size and his 6'3" height, he was very quickly made into a forward to play for the first team. He earned 34 England caps between 1975 and 1982, 21 of them as captain. This included leading the side to the Grand Slam
in 1980, as well as skippering the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa
. In retirement he has remained in the public eye as a broadcaster and columnist. He is still a regular face at Fylde. He has also made major contribution to rugby administration in the United Kingdom
and internationally as an IRB Member, with the RFU and he was manager of the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
.
In the same era, a young Roger Uttley
, subsequently to skipper and then manage England, and Brian Ashton
, England's Head Coach
, also played for Fylde. Other more recent internationals associated with Fylde include England wingers Tony Swift and Simon Smith, who were capped in the 1980s after leaving the club and locks Steve Bainbridge
and Wade Dooley
, established internationals who won further caps whilst with Fylde.
England 'A' winger Mark Preston had a record of scoring 98 tries in 131 appearances. He subsequently made a similar impact in rugby league with Wigan
and Halifax
.
, attendances at home matches have fallen in recent years. In the early 1990s, 2,000 spectators would watch local derbies with Preston Grasshoppers
and as many as 5,000 attended in 1982 to see Bill Beaumont's XV play Lancashire, staged when he retired through injury. But the club still stages representative games such as the England v Scotland
Under 19 international in January 2004 which attracted 2,500 spectators. There were 1,500 people at the Fylde v Preston Grasshoppers league match in December 2006.
Today, the teams still go onto the field wearing the colours of claret, gold and white, which were originally the colours of the Huddersfield Old Boys. It has never been resolved why the colours were chosen. The colours have not changed, although the design is now rather different.
Recent seasons have seen Fylde move between National Division One
, National Division Two
and more recently National Division Three North
(from which the club gained promotion during the 2010/11 season). The club ran up significant debts in trying to compete in National One from 1997 to 1999 and had to sell a small portion of the Woodlands' grounds in order to re-establish financial health. With the receipts of the sale, a period of redevelopment of various facilities at Woodlands began in January 2005. The new clubhouse opened in October 2005 and houses 500 people.
The club finished in sixth place in National Division Three North in the 2003–04 season, fourth in 2004–05 and seventh in 2005–06. The club's rugby management, including coaches Stuart Connell, who used to play for Fylde and Cumbria), Martin Scott, who played for Orrell
, Fylde and Scotland, as well as Alistair Atkinson who played for Orrell and Sedgley Park
. They are planning a promotion bid back to National Division Two.
Leading scorers in the 2005–06 season included skipper and fly-half Mike Scott with 300 points, and one of the top goal kickers in national rugby, winger Nick Royle with 16 tries and flanker Andy Atkinson with 11 tries. The Players' Player of the Season was Paul Newton who was appointed skipper for the 2006–07 season.
Like so many clubs, Fylde has struggled in the professional era to maintain a balance between a members' club, based on traditional local community values and structures, and a professional outfit able to compete for players, regionally and nationally. The club has reasserted itself as a community-oriented members' club, basically amateur, bringing together experienced players in the area, together with nurturing considerable local talent and a sprinkling of overseas players. The club fields ten mini/junior sides, a Junior Colts squad and four other senior teams, the Wanderers, the Saracens, the Vikings and the Vandals. Apart from a new clubhouse completed in September 2005, the club's strategic plan to 2011 envisages an expansion of community multisports facilities including an all-weather pitch and floodlighting.
Midway through the 2007–08 season the coaches Stuart Connell and Martin Scott were replaced with Mark Nelson the Lancashire coach who has previous experience of coaching at the club along with a successful spell as backs coach at Sale
. Nelson has recruited a number of high calibre players including England Counties' Steve Nutt, Craig Aikman and David Wilks. He has also rekindled the club's relationship with Sale
which has allowed him to call on some of the Premiership club's young players whilst Sale have also given game time to Fylde's Nick Royle
. Roger Banks is the current 1st XV captain.
In June 2010, it was announced that former manager Brian Ashton would be a coaching consultant for his former club.
On the 26th of July 2010, it was announced that former international Jason Robinson
would be making his comeback at the club.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club based in Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Anne's-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort...
, on the Fylde coast
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its home venue is the Woodlands Memorial Ground
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Woodlands Memorial Ground is a rugby stadium in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England. It is the home of Fylde Rugby Club and Blackpool Panthers between 2006 and 2010....
on Blackpool Road in Ansdell. The first team plays in English rugby's National League One.
The club has four other senior teams, the Wanderers, the Saracens, the Vikings and the Vandals who play in the English North West League: respectively in the NW Premiership, NW3 North, NW4 North and NW5 North. There is also a colts team who play in the Lancashire & Cheshire regional leagues.
Woodlands Memorial Ground is shared by Blackpool Rugby League Club
Blackpool Panthers
Blackpool & The Fylde Panthers RLFC was an English professional rugby league club based in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. They played at Woodlands Memorial Ground owned by Fylde rugby union club...
.
Overview
Fylde Rugby Club was founded on 25 July 1919, literally on the toss of a coin when a group of ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
businessmen met at Ansdell Institute to discuss the formation of either a rugby union or a football club. A coin was tossed and it fell in favour of rugby union. The club grew steadily and achieved a strong fixture list by the 1960s and has been in the National Leagues
Rugby union in England
Rugby union is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports in England. A popular myth is that Rugby was created in England in 1823, when William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a football match at Rugby School. In 1871 the RFU was formed by 21 clubs and the...
since their inception in 1987.
It takes its name from The Fylde
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
, a roughly 13-mile (20-kilometre) square
Square (geometry)
In geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral. This means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles...
-shaped peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, bounded by Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay
Morecambe Bay is a large bay in northwest England, nearly due east of the Isle of Man and just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of 310 km².-Natural features:The rivers Leven,...
to the north, the Ribble
River Ribble
The River Ribble is a river that runs through North Yorkshire and Lancashire, in northern England. The river's drainage basin also includes parts of Greater Manchester around Wigan.-Geography:...
estuary to the south, the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
to the west, and the Bowland
Forest of Bowland
The Forest of Bowland, also known as the Bowland Fells, is an area of barren gritstone fells, deep valleys and peat moorland, mostly in north-east Lancashire, England. A small part lies in North Yorkshire, and much of the area was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire...
hills to the east, and Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
to the south.
Formative years
In May, 1920 the present Woodlands site was first used for rugby. The admission was 5dBritish One Penny coin (pre-decimal)
The English Penny, originally a coin of 1.3 to 1.5 g pure silver, includes the penny introduced around the year 785 by King Offa of Mercia. However, his coins were similar in size and weight to the continental deniers of the period, and to the Anglo-Saxon sceats which had gone before it, which were...
and the first yearly gate receipts amounted to just over £57. In 1922, Harold Brooks was elected President and through his efforts Fylde progressed. He also provided the present stand. In 1924 the club was represented in the Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
team by players such as "Ham" Neville, who was capped 33 times, and "Pop" Ogden, who was classed as the most successful kicker of the time. He was the originator of the "round the corner
Round the corner kicking
Round the corner kicking was an innovation in the 1940s of Willie Horne, the Barrow, Lancashire, England and Great Britain captain and rugby league player. His distinctive round the corner style of kicking enabled him to kick over 100 goals in the 1945–46 season and then he scored more than 700...
" style of kicking now used by more or less all kickers worldwide. The club was strengthened by the merger with Blackpool Old Boys in the 1934–35 season.
During the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Fylde, along with many other clubs, had to close as the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
took over the ground. In 1946 the President, G.W. Parkes, welcomed back members from the war and by this time the ground had been purchased and named the Woodlands Memorial Ground in recognition of those members who gave their lives during the war.
Post-war years
In the 1950s, the dressing rooms were built and Pop Ogden was elected President of Lancashire. Arthur Bell and Rothwell Bamber were given life memberships for their work with the club. Bell served for 34 years as the Honorary Secretary.In 1964 the second England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
trial was held at Fylde and Sir Laurie Edwards opened the new pavilion extension and presented the club with a rugby union shield which is still on the clubhouse wall.
1969 was Fylde’s jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
year, when they were fielding six or seven teams every Saturday. The club's two most famous players were home grown, Malcolm Phillips and Bill Beaumont
Bill Beaumont
William "Bill" Blackledge Beaumont CBE was captain of the England rugby union team at a time when they struggled to win games. His greatest moment as captain was the unexpected 1980 Grand Slam. He played as a lock...
. Phillips, who attended Arnold School
Arnold School
Arnold School is an independent school located in Blackpool, Lancashire, England on the Fylde coast. It is in the United Church Schools Trust group of schools and is a member of HMC.-History:Arnold School was founded by Frank Truswell Pennington on 4 May 1896...
in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, won 25 England caps at centre between 1958 and 1964. He was President of the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
(RFU) from 2004 to 2005 and has served on the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB) for a number of years. Beaumont was also a one club man having joined Fylde as a 17 year old in 1969 and stayed with the club until injury forced him to retire in 1982. His father had also played for Fylde and he wrote suggesting that his son be given a trial. His first game was in the sixth team as fullback. With his size and his 6'3" height, he was very quickly made into a forward to play for the first team. He earned 34 England caps between 1975 and 1982, 21 of them as captain. This included leading the side to the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
in 1980, as well as skippering the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa
1980 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1980 the British Lions rugby union team toured South Africa . The tour was not a success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the first three tests before salvaging some pride with a win in the fourth...
. In retirement he has remained in the public eye as a broadcaster and columnist. He is still a regular face at Fylde. He has also made major contribution to rugby administration in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and internationally as an IRB Member, with the RFU and he was manager of the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
.
In the same era, a young Roger Uttley
Roger Uttley
Roger Miles Uttley OBE MA is a former English rugby union player.- Career :He played 23 games for England both in the second row and the back row, 5 times as captain, 4 tests in the Lions back row on the undefeated 1974 tour to South Africa.Roger was born in Blackpool, and played first for...
, subsequently to skipper and then manage England, and Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (rugby player)
William Brian Ashton MBE is a former rugby union player and the former Head Coach of the England and Ireland national rugby union teams.-Biography:...
, England's Head Coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, also played for Fylde. Other more recent internationals associated with Fylde include England wingers Tony Swift and Simon Smith, who were capped in the 1980s after leaving the club and locks Steve Bainbridge
Steve Bainbridge
Stephen Bainbridge is a former international rugby union player. In 1983 he toured with the British and Irish Lions on their tour to New Zealand and in the 1987 Rugby World Cup. He played amongst other teams for club rugby for Fylde RC, Gosforth and Orrell R.U.F.C.-External links:* *...
and Wade Dooley
Wade Dooley
Wade Dooley is a former England rugby union international who played lock forward. He played for his country 55 times and was known as the "Blackpool Tower", as a result of being 6 feet 8 inches tall and a police officer with Lancashire Constabulary in Blackpool.Dooley was born in Warrington,...
, established internationals who won further caps whilst with Fylde.
England 'A' winger Mark Preston had a record of scoring 98 tries in 131 appearances. He subsequently made a similar impact in rugby league with Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
and Halifax
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
.
Present day
As with so many former top-flight clubs outside the Guinness PremiershipGuinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
, attendances at home matches have fallen in recent years. In the early 1990s, 2,000 spectators would watch local derbies with Preston Grasshoppers
Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C.
Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from Preston, Lancashire. It was founded on 28 September 1869 at a meeting held at the Bull Hotel, Preston making one of the oldest 'northern' rugby union teams....
and as many as 5,000 attended in 1982 to see Bill Beaumont's XV play Lancashire, staged when he retired through injury. But the club still stages representative games such as the England v Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Under 19 international in January 2004 which attracted 2,500 spectators. There were 1,500 people at the Fylde v Preston Grasshoppers league match in December 2006.
Today, the teams still go onto the field wearing the colours of claret, gold and white, which were originally the colours of the Huddersfield Old Boys. It has never been resolved why the colours were chosen. The colours have not changed, although the design is now rather different.
Recent seasons have seen Fylde move between National Division One
RFU Championship
The RFU Championship replaced National Division One as the second tier in the English rugby union system in September 2009. Unlike National Division One, which is semi-professional, the RFU Championship is a fully professional league.-History:...
, National Division Two
National League 1
National League 1, , is the third level of domestic rugby union competition in England.This is the lowest level of the English rugby union league system which is nationwide...
and more recently National Division Three North
National League 2 North
National League 2 North, is the 4th tier of the English rugby union system and provides mostly amateur competition for teams in the Northern half of England....
(from which the club gained promotion during the 2010/11 season). The club ran up significant debts in trying to compete in National One from 1997 to 1999 and had to sell a small portion of the Woodlands' grounds in order to re-establish financial health. With the receipts of the sale, a period of redevelopment of various facilities at Woodlands began in January 2005. The new clubhouse opened in October 2005 and houses 500 people.
The club finished in sixth place in National Division Three North in the 2003–04 season, fourth in 2004–05 and seventh in 2005–06. The club's rugby management, including coaches Stuart Connell, who used to play for Fylde and Cumbria), Martin Scott, who played for Orrell
Orrell R.U.F.C.
Orrell Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from the Orrell area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The club were founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986 to 1997.-1927–1939:...
, Fylde and Scotland, as well as Alistair Atkinson who played for Orrell and Sedgley Park
Sedgley Park R.U.F.C.
Sedgley Park Rugby Union Football Club, the 1st XV team of which play under the name of Sedgley Tigers, are a rugby union club based in Whitefield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester. They currently play in National Division One, the third tier of the English rugby union league...
. They are planning a promotion bid back to National Division Two.
Leading scorers in the 2005–06 season included skipper and fly-half Mike Scott with 300 points, and one of the top goal kickers in national rugby, winger Nick Royle with 16 tries and flanker Andy Atkinson with 11 tries. The Players' Player of the Season was Paul Newton who was appointed skipper for the 2006–07 season.
Like so many clubs, Fylde has struggled in the professional era to maintain a balance between a members' club, based on traditional local community values and structures, and a professional outfit able to compete for players, regionally and nationally. The club has reasserted itself as a community-oriented members' club, basically amateur, bringing together experienced players in the area, together with nurturing considerable local talent and a sprinkling of overseas players. The club fields ten mini/junior sides, a Junior Colts squad and four other senior teams, the Wanderers, the Saracens, the Vikings and the Vandals. Apart from a new clubhouse completed in September 2005, the club's strategic plan to 2011 envisages an expansion of community multisports facilities including an all-weather pitch and floodlighting.
Midway through the 2007–08 season the coaches Stuart Connell and Martin Scott were replaced with Mark Nelson the Lancashire coach who has previous experience of coaching at the club along with a successful spell as backs coach at Sale
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
. Nelson has recruited a number of high calibre players including England Counties' Steve Nutt, Craig Aikman and David Wilks. He has also rekindled the club's relationship with Sale
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
which has allowed him to call on some of the Premiership club's young players whilst Sale have also given game time to Fylde's Nick Royle
Nick Royle
Nick Royle is a current England Rugby Sevens International rugby union player. He plays as a winger.-Rugby league:Educated at Wade Deacon High School in Widnes, Nick has a strong rugby league background emanating from the age of six at local club Halton Hornets...
. Roger Banks is the current 1st XV captain.
In June 2010, it was announced that former manager Brian Ashton would be a coaching consultant for his former club.
On the 26th of July 2010, it was announced that former international Jason Robinson
Jason Robinson
Jason Thorpe Robinson OBE is an English former international rugby union and rugby league player of the 1990s and 2000s. Playing at wing or fullback, he won fifty-one rugby union international test caps in total for England, and in rugby league he won twelve caps for Great Britain and seven for...
would be making his comeback at the club.
Notable former players
- Peter Altham, deaf rugby player. - Brian Ashton - managed England to 2007 Rugby World Cup2007 Rugby World CupThe 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
final. - Steve BainbridgeSteve BainbridgeStephen Bainbridge is a former international rugby union player. In 1983 he toured with the British and Irish Lions on their tour to New Zealand and in the 1987 Rugby World Cup. He played amongst other teams for club rugby for Fylde RC, Gosforth and Orrell R.U.F.C.-External links:* *...
, 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand1983 British Lions tour to New ZealandIn 1983 the British and Irish Lions toured New Zealand for the first time since 1977. The Lions went down to a 4-0 whitewash for only the second time in history - the previous was also inflicted by the All Blacks on the 1966 Lions. Overall the Lions played eighteen matches, winning twelve and...
and 1987 Rugby World Cup1987 Rugby World CupThe 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...
. - Bill BeaumontBill BeaumontWilliam "Bill" Blackledge Beaumont CBE was captain of the England rugby union team at a time when they struggled to win games. His greatest moment as captain was the unexpected 1980 Grand Slam. He played as a lock...
- won 34 England caps, 21 as Captain, including the Grand Slam in 1980. Captained the British Lions in South Africa. Beaumont joined Fylde RC in 1969 when he was 17 years old and stayed with the club till injury forced his retirement in 1982. - Lee BlackettLee BlackettLee Blackett is a rugby union footballer for Leeds Carnegie. His usual position is at wing or centre...
(RL), and (RL) - William "Bill" BurgessWilliam Burgess (rugby league)William "Bill" Burgess is an English former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at representative level has played rugby union for Lancashire, and at club level for , and Fylde RFC, and at representative level has played rugby league for Great Britain,...
- Wade DooleyWade DooleyWade Dooley is a former England rugby union international who played lock forward. He played for his country 55 times and was known as the "Blackpool Tower", as a result of being 6 feet 8 inches tall and a police officer with Lancashire Constabulary in Blackpool.Dooley was born in Warrington,...
, 55 caps for England, nicknamed "Blackpool TowerBlackpool TowerBlackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
" - Phil HassanPhil HassanPhil Hassan is a professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who at club level has played for Leeds, Worcester , Salford City Reds, Halifax, Fylde , and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, playing at , or , i.e. number 3 or 4, or, 2 or 5....
- Chris Jones - Dylan O'GradyDylan O'GradyDylan O'Grady is a former Irish rugby union player. He played at blind-side wing-forward, winning one cap for Ireland in 1997.Between 1997-1998 he played for Sale where he played in the 1997 Pilkington Cup Final at Twickenham....
- Eric PetersEric PetersEric Peters was an amateur and professional rugby union player, usually playing at No8, who rose to captain the Scotland national rugby union team.-Early life:...
- Malcolm PhillipsMalcolm PhillipsMalcolm Phillips is a former rugby union international who represented England from 1958 to 1964.-Early life:Malcolm Phillips was born on 3 March 1935 in Prestbury...
- won 25 England caps at centre between 1958 and 1964. He was President of the RFU in 2004/5 - Mark Preston, England 'A' winger who subsequently played for WiganWigan WarriorsWigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
(RL) - Nick RoyleNick RoyleNick Royle is a current England Rugby Sevens International rugby union player. He plays as a winger.-Rugby league:Educated at Wade Deacon High School in Widnes, Nick has a strong rugby league background emanating from the age of six at local club Halton Hornets...
- Simon Smith (RL) - David StephensonDavid StephensonDavid Stephenson is an English rugby league forward for Oldham Roughyeds, Hull Sharks, Rochdale Hornets. He was born in Leeds in 1972.-External links:**...
- Tony Swift - Roger UttleyRoger UttleyRoger Miles Uttley OBE MA is a former English rugby union player.- Career :He played 23 games for England both in the second row and the back row, 5 times as captain, 4 tests in the Lions back row on the undefeated 1974 tour to South Africa.Roger was born in Blackpool, and played first for...
- captained and managed England - Taylor WelchTaylor WelchTaylor Welch, born 1989 in Austin, Texas, United States is an American rugby league footballer who plays for the Aston Bulls in the AMNRL.-Playing career:...
External links
- Official site
- Fixture list
- Fylde RC stories on Lytham St Annes Express website.