History - 1920-1940
The first mention of the club is to be found in a letter to the Evening Gazette dated the 23rd November 1920 when Mr H.L.De Roper, who was staying at the Coatham Hotel, wrote to the editor suggesting that it was time that the town of Redcar had its own rugby club.
He said ' it seems very remarkable that rugby football has so few supporters in Cleveland, especially as it is so popular across the river in the Hartlepool area. An attempt has been made to form a team in Middlesbrough, but how can it be a success if there are no teams to play against? Possibly this example will set the ball rolling, for I know that the head of the Coatham school intends to introduce rugger into the school if he can be sure the XV will be able to play matches in the district. His suggestion to the other schools in the district met with little success, but it is hoped they will now reconsider the matter.
I am only a temporary resident at Redcar, so cannot take the initiative myself, but I am sure a XV could be raised in the town if someone would take the matter in hand. Perhaps, sir, you would help by publishing this letter, and a meeting of anyone interested could be arranged, but as I am leaving the town this week for some time I cannot take the lead myself.
I have made enquiries in the town and there seems no lack of varsity and public school men who would probably be only too pleased to play. Perhaps some of the following gentlemen would make the preliminary move.
Messrs Coulson, Hutton, Milner, Kerridge, Lord, and Weatherill (Cambridge university) Eves (Durham) Mac, Dickson (Edinburgh), Thompson (Glasgow), Simpson (Liverpool), T and G Callum (Old Sedburghians) and Sillars, Ridley and Welburn (Oundle). I found these names by casual enquiry and you will see there are just fifteen. There must be more public school men in the town, so I see no reason why the Redcar xv could not be playing its first match before Christmas. A rugby match on Christmas day between XV's from Redcar and Middlesbrough would do much to popularise the game in the district.'
The editorial in the North Eastern Daily Gazette on the 27th of November 1920 endorsed Mr De-Ropers' view when it posed this question.
" Why can't Teesside a district delighting in all manly sports conquer an honorable place in rugby annals. Small groups of enthusiasts exist in all the towns' great and small between Stockton and Saltburn. They want nothing more than a kind word and a push to launch them upon this gallant adventure. With the keenest pleasure the retired player observes that south bank has taken the plunge and Redcar is about to follow. Middlesbrough's' turn comes next. Surely the local capital has sufficient enterprise to better the example set by its smaller neighbours and put at least two XV's on the field. Durham County stands by to help"
In the same article the editor writes," rugby on the other hand is the players affair pure and simple, those who don the jersey and scramble in the mud count first last and all the time" a point well made but often forgotten.
Was it this letter and the subsequent editorial that spurred people into action and resulted in the club being formed?
Stories, rumours, whatever one cares to call them exist about the game being played at Redcar before world war one but they cannot be substantiated or they never have to the satisfaction of local historians.
He said ' it seems very remarkable that rugby football has so few supporters in Cleveland, especially as it is so popular across the river in the Hartlepool area. An attempt has been made to form a team in Middlesbrough, but how can it be a success if there are no teams to play against? Possibly this example will set the ball rolling, for I know that the head of the Coatham school intends to introduce rugger into the school if he can be sure the XV will be able to play matches in the district. His suggestion to the other schools in the district met with little success, but it is hoped they will now reconsider the matter.
I am only a temporary resident at Redcar, so cannot take the initiative myself, but I am sure a XV could be raised in the town if someone would take the matter in hand. Perhaps, sir, you would help by publishing this letter, and a meeting of anyone interested could be arranged, but as I am leaving the town this week for some time I cannot take the lead myself.
I have made enquiries in the town and there seems no lack of varsity and public school men who would probably be only too pleased to play. Perhaps some of the following gentlemen would make the preliminary move.
Messrs Coulson, Hutton, Milner, Kerridge, Lord, and Weatherill (Cambridge university) Eves (Durham) Mac, Dickson (Edinburgh), Thompson (Glasgow), Simpson (Liverpool), T and G Callum (Old Sedburghians) and Sillars, Ridley and Welburn (Oundle). I found these names by casual enquiry and you will see there are just fifteen. There must be more public school men in the town, so I see no reason why the Redcar xv could not be playing its first match before Christmas. A rugby match on Christmas day between XV's from Redcar and Middlesbrough would do much to popularise the game in the district.'
The editorial in the North Eastern Daily Gazette on the 27th of November 1920 endorsed Mr De-Ropers' view when it posed this question.
" Why can't Teesside a district delighting in all manly sports conquer an honorable place in rugby annals. Small groups of enthusiasts exist in all the towns' great and small between Stockton and Saltburn. They want nothing more than a kind word and a push to launch them upon this gallant adventure. With the keenest pleasure the retired player observes that south bank has taken the plunge and Redcar is about to follow. Middlesbrough's' turn comes next. Surely the local capital has sufficient enterprise to better the example set by its smaller neighbours and put at least two XV's on the field. Durham County stands by to help"
In the same article the editor writes," rugby on the other hand is the players affair pure and simple, those who don the jersey and scramble in the mud count first last and all the time" a point well made but often forgotten.
Was it this letter and the subsequent editorial that spurred people into action and resulted in the club being formed?
Stories, rumours, whatever one cares to call them exist about the game being played at Redcar before world war one but they cannot be substantiated or they never have to the satisfaction of local historians.
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