History - History 1
On Amnesty Night 1929 the Reverend J H Parsons MC founded Saint Andrews Boys' Club to enable boys "to take part in those games which build character as well as bodily health".
To this end, a recreation area in Mill Road was rented in 1930 and in the following year thanks to the massive fund raising efforts of Rev. Parsons, Saint Johns Hall was opened as the home to the Club.
In their first season, the Rugby XV played 9 games as a junior side against school sides. The inaugural match was against Saint Matthews School and under the captaincy of Bill Howlett the Boys Club won 18 points to 3. The side went on to win 3 more game, loose 4 and draw 1 scoring 109 points and conceding 71.
The 1931/32 fixtures were still predominantly against school sides one of which was on the School Close where Rugby School were the opponents in a game refereed by England International H Kittermaster, the school won comfortably by 39 points to nil.
The next two seasons saw Saint Andrews playing successfully at senior level against the second teams of well known local sides such as Lutterworth, Old Laurentians and Long Buckby.
1935 proved to be the next major landmark in the Clubs history. On the strength of the enviable record of the previous season in which they lose only a dozen games, the first XV reform as Saints Andrews Old Boys and took on much stronger fixtures. The Boys Club continued to run its own official team and the overall playing strength was supplemented by a number of boys from the distressed area of Wales who later went on to form Rugby Welsh Rugby Football Club.
Close links with the Boys Club were retained and the team continued to change at St Johns Hall and play at Mill Road. Still under their original captain, Bill Howlett the Old Boys continued their string of successes until the outbreak of war in 1939. During this period they had one unbeaten season 1935/36 winning all 22 games and scoring 516 points and conceding only 67 and in 1936/37 won the Ralli Cup at their first attempt. To do this they beat old rivals Newbold 6-3 and New Bilton St Oswalds 23-6 in the final.
To this end, a recreation area in Mill Road was rented in 1930 and in the following year thanks to the massive fund raising efforts of Rev. Parsons, Saint Johns Hall was opened as the home to the Club.
In their first season, the Rugby XV played 9 games as a junior side against school sides. The inaugural match was against Saint Matthews School and under the captaincy of Bill Howlett the Boys Club won 18 points to 3. The side went on to win 3 more game, loose 4 and draw 1 scoring 109 points and conceding 71.
The 1931/32 fixtures were still predominantly against school sides one of which was on the School Close where Rugby School were the opponents in a game refereed by England International H Kittermaster, the school won comfortably by 39 points to nil.
The next two seasons saw Saint Andrews playing successfully at senior level against the second teams of well known local sides such as Lutterworth, Old Laurentians and Long Buckby.
1935 proved to be the next major landmark in the Clubs history. On the strength of the enviable record of the previous season in which they lose only a dozen games, the first XV reform as Saints Andrews Old Boys and took on much stronger fixtures. The Boys Club continued to run its own official team and the overall playing strength was supplemented by a number of boys from the distressed area of Wales who later went on to form Rugby Welsh Rugby Football Club.
Close links with the Boys Club were retained and the team continued to change at St Johns Hall and play at Mill Road. Still under their original captain, Bill Howlett the Old Boys continued their string of successes until the outbreak of war in 1939. During this period they had one unbeaten season 1935/36 winning all 22 games and scoring 516 points and conceding only 67 and in 1936/37 won the Ralli Cup at their first attempt. To do this they beat old rivals Newbold 6-3 and New Bilton St Oswalds 23-6 in the final.
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