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A brief history of time

A brief history of time

john blower14 Mar 2018 - 12:49
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From the Big Bang to who knows

Cheshire RFU recently introduced their new website, which includes some archive documents, so what can we discover since the big bang the arrival of Northwich Rugby Club.
Some details of our successes were published in our 50th anniversary booklet, which you can read for FREE (HERE)

Most will know that Northwich RUFC formerly known as Mid-Cheshire College RUFC (MCC) was established in 1964 as a casual team, but a structured club did not commence until the following season. MCC applied to join Cheshire RFU in 1967.
It is unclear when we were formally accepted but our first appearance in any Cheshire minutes came in 1973/74 listed as an affiliated club named Mid-Cheshire College of Further Education. Our first venture in the Cheshire Cup was in 1974/75 against Old Parkonians.

Innovators
In 1986 Cheshire Clubs enthusiastically supported the RFU pilot scheme of league rugby football in the North West. It was very successful and well received by the Clubs. Mid-Cheshire College were the top Club in Division 2. In season 1987-88 league football went national and ail Clubs in membership of the RFU were invited to participate.

Today there are an abundance of rugby festivals & tournaments, but in 1989
Mid-Cheshire College were one of the firsts to officially request permission to hold a 'Training Festival' on 27th.August.They proposed to invite eight clubs to play in l5-a-side games. The Committee agreed in principle but the final decision rests with the RFU.

1994 The RFU President, lan Beer, says that Cheshire have set an excellent example to the rest of the Counties with their contribution to his S.P.I.R.E. charity (Spire later developed into RFU Injured Players Foundation) Cheques were presented to him during his visit to the Cup Final at Chester from Cheshire (£1000) Birkenhead Park, Northwich.

Northwich assisted the birth of a new club and helped them achieve their first win. In 2004 a new rugby club was formed in Knutsford, they had already played their first fixture defeating Northwich 3rd XV and are now registered for the intermediate leagues next season.

Naughty Boy’s Club
Over the years a number of our membership have been summoned to appear before Cheshire discipline committee some names expected some not so.
1990 J Carroll 56 days, 1995 I Gilchrist 28 days & K Harrisson 56 days, 1996 M Penny 56 days & J Cartman 28 days. There are more but we will leave them (for now).

Miscellaneous
Aussie flu was topical this year as it was in Season 1990/91. Owing to a shortage of players due to the flu epidemic, Old Instonians were unable to fulfill the Cheshire Cup fixture at Mid-Cheshire College. It was agreed that clubs should honour fixtures even if it means turning out a very weak side. In this instance the host club had incurred considerable expense with pre match arrangements. This matter will be discussed further by the Cup sub-committee.

It appears endemic throughout the rugby hierarchy that decisions are frequently passed down the chain or as Stephen Hawkins may of said “something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen. Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling us to work together to build the impossible. The greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn’t have to be like this. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.” No wonder at the bottom volunteers can become a little frustrated at times.

Further reading