Hull Ionians
Encyclopedia
Hull Ionians are a rugby union
club in the East Riding of Yorkshire
, England
.
Hull Ionians RUFC play in National Division 2 North.
Their home ground is Brantingham Park that opened in September 1995. It is situated in Brantingham
off the A63 road
between Brough
and South Cave
.
At this stage Hull and East Riding were down to a small 1st XV squad without ownership of their own ground or clubhouse. Ionians owned their ground and clubhouse had a thriving mini/junior section that was developing many excellent young players, but a first team that required more experience in order to retain them. The merger was therefore a perfect arrangement and proved to be just that immediately.
The success of the merger was greatly assisted by the C-CAT Cup staged at Ionians Elloughton ground the previous season. Ionians made an early exit from this sponsored mid-week competition and gave full support to their prospective new members who went on to win the competition and the first set of shirts in the new club colours. The plans for the move to a new ground, literally over the fence in Brantingham, evolved at this time, moving to the ground in 1994 with the Brantingham Park Club house opening in 1995.
Hull Ionians remained in North One until gaining promotion to National 3 North in 2002 via the play-off route, at last ending their record of being the longest serving original member of North One. Unfortunately they came down again the next season primarily because the squad was not big or experienced enough to withstand numerous injuries. The 2004–05 season saw Hull Ionians again gain promotion via the play-off route. This time with a more experienced and bigger squad, under the experienced coaching duo of Mick Watson and Steve Townend, after taking a few games to settle they have established firm foundations from which to build, having finished mid table in each of the next 3 seasons.
Hull and East Riding
Hull and East Riding were formed in 1901 but before that as Hull go back to at least 1875 when I. Hutchinson was the club's first International player. They have also played at various locations moving from Goddard Avenue to the circle in 1972, before league rugby forced the need for a senior club to own its premises and control its bar income. In the early 1970s Hull Spartan Rugby Club had merged with Hull and East Riding and for the next two decades the club 2nd XV was known as Hull Spartans.
Hull and East Riding historically were one of the top teams in Yorkshire frequently providing many players to the County Team and also providing several International Players, the last one being Roger Sangwin who played for England and the Barbarians in 1963-64.
Ionians
Ionians RUFC was formed in 1926 at a meeting at 37 Marlborough Avenue, Hull, interestingly enough from a local viewpoint as a break away group from Old Hymerians. The historians in the group chose the name Ionians from the ancient all conquering tribe based in the Greek Islands.
After playing at various venues they leased a ground at Dunswell north of Hull in 1932 before purchasing the land at Elloughton in February 1961. Initially the only buildings were rather spartan, changing rooms in corrugated iron buildings, which later became the kitchen, with meetings in the local hostelry. This all changed in 1963 when the Elloughton Club house was opened with a lounge bar and improved changing rooms added over the next two decades. This clubhouse was demolished when the Elloughton ground was sold for building houses that funded the roll over move to Brantingham that retained the existing 3rd team pitch in Brantingham Park.
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 in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, 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...
.
Hull Ionians RUFC play in National Division 2 North.
Their home ground is Brantingham Park that opened in September 1995. It is situated in Brantingham
Brantingham
Brantingham is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated about north of Brough, and west of Kingston upon Hull. It lies to the north of the A63 road...
off the A63 road
A63 road
The A63 is a major road in Yorkshire, England between Leeds and Hull.-Leeds – Howden:The route out to Selby is shadowed by the Leeds-Selby railway....
between Brough
Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire
Brough , or Brough-on-Humber, is a small town in the civil parish of Elloughton-cum-Brough in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town has a population of around 7,000.-Location:...
and South Cave
South Cave
South Cave is a town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies approximately to the west of Hull city centre on the A1034 road just to the north of the A63 road. North Cave is approximately to the north west.- Overview :...
.
Club history
Hull Ionians was formed in 1989 by the merger of Hull and East Riding with Ionians. Leagues in rugby union had started two season earlier with Hull and East Riding playing in North One and Ionians in Yorkshire Three, six levels lower at that time. The new club took on the old Hull and East Riding fixture list and adopted the Elloughton ground as their home, the freehold property then owned by Ionians.At this stage Hull and East Riding were down to a small 1st XV squad without ownership of their own ground or clubhouse. Ionians owned their ground and clubhouse had a thriving mini/junior section that was developing many excellent young players, but a first team that required more experience in order to retain them. The merger was therefore a perfect arrangement and proved to be just that immediately.
The success of the merger was greatly assisted by the C-CAT Cup staged at Ionians Elloughton ground the previous season. Ionians made an early exit from this sponsored mid-week competition and gave full support to their prospective new members who went on to win the competition and the first set of shirts in the new club colours. The plans for the move to a new ground, literally over the fence in Brantingham, evolved at this time, moving to the ground in 1994 with the Brantingham Park Club house opening in 1995.
Hull Ionians remained in North One until gaining promotion to National 3 North in 2002 via the play-off route, at last ending their record of being the longest serving original member of North One. Unfortunately they came down again the next season primarily because the squad was not big or experienced enough to withstand numerous injuries. The 2004–05 season saw Hull Ionians again gain promotion via the play-off route. This time with a more experienced and bigger squad, under the experienced coaching duo of Mick Watson and Steve Townend, after taking a few games to settle they have established firm foundations from which to build, having finished mid table in each of the next 3 seasons.
Hull and East Riding
Hull and East Riding were formed in 1901 but before that as Hull go back to at least 1875 when I. Hutchinson was the club's first International player. They have also played at various locations moving from Goddard Avenue to the circle in 1972, before league rugby forced the need for a senior club to own its premises and control its bar income. In the early 1970s Hull Spartan Rugby Club had merged with Hull and East Riding and for the next two decades the club 2nd XV was known as Hull Spartans.
Hull and East Riding historically were one of the top teams in Yorkshire frequently providing many players to the County Team and also providing several International Players, the last one being Roger Sangwin who played for England and the Barbarians in 1963-64.
Ionians
Ionians RUFC was formed in 1926 at a meeting at 37 Marlborough Avenue, Hull, interestingly enough from a local viewpoint as a break away group from Old Hymerians. The historians in the group chose the name Ionians from the ancient all conquering tribe based in the Greek Islands.
After playing at various venues they leased a ground at Dunswell north of Hull in 1932 before purchasing the land at Elloughton in February 1961. Initially the only buildings were rather spartan, changing rooms in corrugated iron buildings, which later became the kitchen, with meetings in the local hostelry. This all changed in 1963 when the Elloughton Club house was opened with a lounge bar and improved changing rooms added over the next two decades. This clubhouse was demolished when the Elloughton ground was sold for building houses that funded the roll over move to Brantingham that retained the existing 3rd team pitch in Brantingham Park.