History - History 1
BULLDOG HISTORY
The Bulldogs RFC started some 30 years ago by the eccentric Colin Lenthall and is now firmly established in the very heart of rugby...Twickenham based and sponsored by one of the most well known riverside pubs in the rugby world, The White Swan.
A few minutes away are the playing pitches and changing rooms at Marble Hill Park offering some of the best facilities in the local area with superb pitches.
Over the 30 years The Bulldogs have seen many changes and had many players go through their paces. In the early days it was very much course rugby at its finest. In fact one ref said that two of our players he thought were medically unfit to play. He may well have been right as one of the players weighed in at around 25 stone and had to wear tracksuits bottoms as we could not find a large enough pair of shorts. When he went over we had to turn him on his side to get him up ..... he was fondly called haystack!
From one extreme to another and then we had a junior All black that was found in a Wraysbury pub.He had a N.Z accent and was asked if he would like to play rugby for us. He did! It was devastating!!
Another occasion for two seasons we went with half a dozen ex Under 21 England players all about 25 and also a B team Scottish winger....we never lost a game!!!
At one time we had the whole of the Quins front row play for us...the Claxton brothers!!
Another season we were fortunate to play a ladies side, the Top House Tarts, and had Capital Radio down and raised a lot of money for their Save the Children Fund.
Also we had connections with James Bond as we had "M" Dennis Llewellyn's son Justin playing for us ....also the ambassador for Tattinger Champagne!
Another one of our players a charming eccentric whose family owned half of the Isle of Lewis and were the original Harris Tweed family...he could be seen on international days in full Scottish clan regalia and would challenge anyone wearing as he put it "a cosmetic kilt" war would ensue!
Perhaps we are well know with our opposition for our half time hospitality
Iron Man Tony Bianchi, would erect The Bulldog tent by the touchline. Our faithful back up support of wives, girl friends and the Bulldog 'groupies' would then start up the primus stove in the tent and at half time we would serve Gluiwein to a startled opposition.
Sometimes we would make the Gluiwein a little stronger to lay the oppo out
The Bulldogs has always been a side that attracts the more eccentric players on one occasion we had a mad local vicar who played on the wing and would pursue his opposite number by ranting and raving that "the wrath of God would catch up with you" He was asked to leave following complaints from the ref....He also brought his congregation down!!
Our tours around Europe are legendary and tourists still talk about many of them including our Niemegan tour to Holland !!! We have represented very well Middx rugby at all our overseas tours.
The Bulldogs RFC started some 30 years ago by the eccentric Colin Lenthall and is now firmly established in the very heart of rugby...Twickenham based and sponsored by one of the most well known riverside pubs in the rugby world, The White Swan.
A few minutes away are the playing pitches and changing rooms at Marble Hill Park offering some of the best facilities in the local area with superb pitches.
Over the 30 years The Bulldogs have seen many changes and had many players go through their paces. In the early days it was very much course rugby at its finest. In fact one ref said that two of our players he thought were medically unfit to play. He may well have been right as one of the players weighed in at around 25 stone and had to wear tracksuits bottoms as we could not find a large enough pair of shorts. When he went over we had to turn him on his side to get him up ..... he was fondly called haystack!
From one extreme to another and then we had a junior All black that was found in a Wraysbury pub.He had a N.Z accent and was asked if he would like to play rugby for us. He did! It was devastating!!
Another occasion for two seasons we went with half a dozen ex Under 21 England players all about 25 and also a B team Scottish winger....we never lost a game!!!
At one time we had the whole of the Quins front row play for us...the Claxton brothers!!
Another season we were fortunate to play a ladies side, the Top House Tarts, and had Capital Radio down and raised a lot of money for their Save the Children Fund.
Also we had connections with James Bond as we had "M" Dennis Llewellyn's son Justin playing for us ....also the ambassador for Tattinger Champagne!
Another one of our players a charming eccentric whose family owned half of the Isle of Lewis and were the original Harris Tweed family...he could be seen on international days in full Scottish clan regalia and would challenge anyone wearing as he put it "a cosmetic kilt" war would ensue!
Perhaps we are well know with our opposition for our half time hospitality
Iron Man Tony Bianchi, would erect The Bulldog tent by the touchline. Our faithful back up support of wives, girl friends and the Bulldog 'groupies' would then start up the primus stove in the tent and at half time we would serve Gluiwein to a startled opposition.
Sometimes we would make the Gluiwein a little stronger to lay the oppo out
The Bulldogs has always been a side that attracts the more eccentric players on one occasion we had a mad local vicar who played on the wing and would pursue his opposite number by ranting and raving that "the wrath of God would catch up with you" He was asked to leave following complaints from the ref....He also brought his congregation down!!
Our tours around Europe are legendary and tourists still talk about many of them including our Niemegan tour to Holland !!! We have represented very well Middx rugby at all our overseas tours.
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