Portobello RFC
Encyclopedia
Portobello RFC, formerly known as Portobello FP, is a rugby union
side based in Edinburgh
, Scotland
.
The first XV currently plies their trade in East Regional League Division 1 Their 2nd XV, The Sexy Two's (a reference to their purported style of play), play in the East Reserve League 2.
, once one of the largest schools in Europe. It is no longer purely a haven for former pupils and welcomes players from all over the rugby world. They play their rugby at Cavalry Park in the shadow of Arthur's Seat
The club was reformed in 1954 and enjoyed fixtures against the elite of the established "circuit". Portobello tried for many years to climb out of the old Edinburgh District League achieving that in the 1970s climbing through Divisions 7 to 2 in successive seasons.
As recently as 2007 we were a club in doldrums with playing membership down and results on the field less than inspiring. Rather bizarrely the event that acted as a catalyst for improvement was a fire which decimated the clubhouse in May of that year. This unfortunate inferno brought friends, members and players (current and past) together to rebuild the club physically and metaphorically.
The subsequent season saw a significant upturn in the playing fortunes with 1st and 2nd XV both turning in more than respectable performances. The icing on the cake was a glorious cup run culminating in an appearance in the National Plate final at Murrayfield on 3rd May 2008.
The 2008-09 season saw the 1st XV finishing runners up in their league while the 2nd XV finished top of the tree in their respective division. In 2009-10 the top team were once again pipped for the title by North Berwick and the SXY2S finished 3rd in their respective league.
The club also runs a thriving Youth Section with teams at all Micro (P1 & P2), Mini (P3 - P7), Midi (S1 up to U16) and Colts (U18) levels. All coaching is run by experienced and qualified coaches
The Gaelic football
team, Dúnedin Connolly GAC currently share their ground.
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...
side based in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, 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...
.
The first XV currently plies their trade in East Regional League Division 1 Their 2nd XV, The Sexy Two's (a reference to their purported style of play), play in the East Reserve League 2.
History
Portobello was founded as a former pupils club of Portobello High SchoolPortobello High School
Portobello High School is a large secondary school in Portobello in the east of Edinburgh. With 1450 pupils it is one of the largest state schools in Edinburgh and Scotland. At one time it was the largest school in Europe mentioned in The Guinness Book of Records as having 2,500 pupils...
, once one of the largest schools in Europe. It is no longer purely a haven for former pupils and welcomes players from all over the rugby world. They play their rugby at Cavalry Park in the shadow of Arthur's Seat
Arthur's Seat
Arthur's Seat may refer to:* Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, in Scotland* Arthurs Seat, Victoria, locality and hill in Australia* Arthur's Seat, Maharashtra, locality and plateau in India* Arthur's Seat a promontory on Otago Peninsula, New Zealand...
The club was reformed in 1954 and enjoyed fixtures against the elite of the established "circuit". Portobello tried for many years to climb out of the old Edinburgh District League achieving that in the 1970s climbing through Divisions 7 to 2 in successive seasons.
As recently as 2007 we were a club in doldrums with playing membership down and results on the field less than inspiring. Rather bizarrely the event that acted as a catalyst for improvement was a fire which decimated the clubhouse in May of that year. This unfortunate inferno brought friends, members and players (current and past) together to rebuild the club physically and metaphorically.
The subsequent season saw a significant upturn in the playing fortunes with 1st and 2nd XV both turning in more than respectable performances. The icing on the cake was a glorious cup run culminating in an appearance in the National Plate final at Murrayfield on 3rd May 2008.
The 2008-09 season saw the 1st XV finishing runners up in their league while the 2nd XV finished top of the tree in their respective division. In 2009-10 the top team were once again pipped for the title by North Berwick and the SXY2S finished 3rd in their respective league.
The club also runs a thriving Youth Section with teams at all Micro (P1 & P2), Mini (P3 - P7), Midi (S1 up to U16) and Colts (U18) levels. All coaching is run by experienced and qualified coaches
The Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team, Dúnedin Connolly GAC currently share their ground.