History


1976 - Ex – Teesside Polytechnic ( formerly Constantine College ) players formed Acklam Rugby Club and adopted the Acklam name because the then headmaster of Acklam Hall Grammar allowed the team to use the school changing facilities and we played our games on the nearby Sandy Flatts.
The team adopted the Schools badge, the Talbot dog, as it’s emblem and subsequently the name of the present ground - Talbot Park.
The very active social side of the club centred around the local public house " The Endeavour "

1981 / 82 - The club bought the present grounds and purchased the old wooden Wilton golf Club for the princely sum of £ 5,000, dismantled it and rebuilt it at this location.

1992 - The club was burnt down by a local arsonist and the club struggled for a time but luckily were able to use the local Tennis World after games.

1995 - The University of Teesside were looking to provide extensive sporting facilities for the University and agreed to lease our pitches for 126 years and agreed to build the facilty. It has 13 changing rooms and the function room. The function room was furnished and is maintained by the club and is our major source of income.

Season 2003 / 2004 - Was again a monumental year for the club. We were one of the first clubs in the country to be awarded the RFU’s Seal of Approval, we were hosts for the World Cup in February and last but not least , with help from the RFU, Teesside University, the Local Community and money raised by the club we were able to erect a perimeter fence around our four pitches and thus were able to provide a first class, safe, secure environment for all our playing members

Season 2007/2008 - Floodlights erected on No. 4 pitch thanks to the RFU, Teesside University, the Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency and the Tees Valley Community Foundation. The club is indebted to all these organisations for their valuable contributions in enabling the club to improve our already impressive facility.

Development Plan. The club are always looking to fund improvements to the club and our plan is to install improved drainage to pitches 1, 2 & 3.

We now have a first class facility which together with the football and other pitches on the other side of the lane provides one of the largest amateur sporting facility in the North East.
All at Acklam RUFC are intent on developing the club into a centre of rugby excellence for the area and are working towards the RFU Whole Club Seal of Approval in 2010.

Thanks to our ever improving facility, the club continues to work in conjunction with Middlesbrough schools and colleges to provide the opportunity for young people to be involved in the game of rugby.

The RFU continue to use our club for district and county development squads.