History
Introduction
As the Club goes back over fifty years it only seemed apt that part of the website is dedicated to history of the club and for members of the club to recount their various experiences whilst being part of Old Olavians Rugby Football Club.
Any anecdotes, photos and suchlike should be sent to me and I will put them on the website (edited if necessary!).
To inch our way forward (at the speed of a lumbering OORFC pack) in the history of the Club I have pinched an article written on our 50th anniversary by George Snelgrove for the rugby In Touch magazine.
'This is the fiftieth season for the Old Olavians Rugby Football Club. Rugby started at St Olaves in 1947 when the school was at Tooley Street in Bermondsey. At the time, an Old Olavian called Geoffrey Cramp, who was also a parent of a pupil, offered his help to the staff. As a London Society referee, his services were very welcome and his knowledge and experience proved invaluable.
Five years after this, in 1952, Geoffrey Cramp founded the OORFC. Unsurprisingly, the idea for an old boy's club had come about whilst 'talking rugby' in a pub and he had encouraged the former St Olave's players that he knew at the time to bring along players to make up the numbers.
During that first year, Geoffrey Cramp, organised the team, got the fixtures, refereed, washed the shirts and taught a lot of young men how to run a rugby club.
For a brief spell in the 1950's the OORFC used Wormwood Scrubs for home games. Apart from that it was a nomadic club until 1968 when the school moved to its present Orpington location and provided a clubroom and pitches.'Â
The rest is not just history but also an opportunity for us all to give some flavour as to what it has been like to play and socialise for the Old Olavians Rugby Club so please start sending me articles etc now.
Keith Ridge
Vice President
(Club member 1974 - to date)
As the Club goes back over fifty years it only seemed apt that part of the website is dedicated to history of the club and for members of the club to recount their various experiences whilst being part of Old Olavians Rugby Football Club.
Any anecdotes, photos and suchlike should be sent to me and I will put them on the website (edited if necessary!).
To inch our way forward (at the speed of a lumbering OORFC pack) in the history of the Club I have pinched an article written on our 50th anniversary by George Snelgrove for the rugby In Touch magazine.
'This is the fiftieth season for the Old Olavians Rugby Football Club. Rugby started at St Olaves in 1947 when the school was at Tooley Street in Bermondsey. At the time, an Old Olavian called Geoffrey Cramp, who was also a parent of a pupil, offered his help to the staff. As a London Society referee, his services were very welcome and his knowledge and experience proved invaluable.
Five years after this, in 1952, Geoffrey Cramp founded the OORFC. Unsurprisingly, the idea for an old boy's club had come about whilst 'talking rugby' in a pub and he had encouraged the former St Olave's players that he knew at the time to bring along players to make up the numbers.
During that first year, Geoffrey Cramp, organised the team, got the fixtures, refereed, washed the shirts and taught a lot of young men how to run a rugby club.
For a brief spell in the 1950's the OORFC used Wormwood Scrubs for home games. Apart from that it was a nomadic club until 1968 when the school moved to its present Orpington location and provided a clubroom and pitches.'Â
The rest is not just history but also an opportunity for us all to give some flavour as to what it has been like to play and socialise for the Old Olavians Rugby Club so please start sending me articles etc now.
Keith Ridge
Vice President
(Club member 1974 - to date)
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