A TRADITIONAL home of Rugby League, the game has been a part of the cultural heritage of the town of Maryport since the codes inception in 1898.

Situated on the North-West coast of England, in the county of Cumbria, the present Maryport club are members of the Cumberland Amateur Rugby Football League.

There has, however, been rugby played in the town for more than one hundred years. When the Northern Rugby Union first came to the County of Cumberland in June, 1898. Maryport were one of the founder clubs along with Millom, Workington, Wath Brow and Brookland Rovers. Maryport were the first champions

The name of Maryport and surrounding district has, down the years, spawned some of the greatest Rugby League talents ever to grace the game in either hemisphere - The illustrious Jim Lomas,first captain of a British touring side to Australasia, the immortal Douglas Clarke and the great Joe Oliver, are just three who first saw light of day in Maryport and went on to scale the heights of the code.

The Maryport club have enjoyed some golden periods, including reaching the first round of the Rugby League Challenge Cup in 1937/38 season, losing out to the eventual finalists Barrow at Craven Park. And at other less successful times in a long and eventful history have played in the shadow of near neighbours Glasson Rangers and the now defunct Brookland Rovers.

The present club to bear the town name was reformed in 1967 as Maryport British Legion Amateur Rugby League Club, as part of a deal that allowed the British Legion to build a Social Club on part of the Athletic Ground, Maryport.

The club enjoyed mixed success in it's early years, with the club's most successful seasons coming in the mid-seventies. During a seven year period the club won the First Division Championship (undefeated), the Cumberland Cup, the Amateur Cup and the Top Four Play-Offs.

Another major honour came in 1982 with a victory in the Cumberland Cup Final. The club then went into steady decline in the mid-eighties, spending most of the last fifteen years in the Second Division, with the exception of a two year stint in the First Division between 1992-94.

The club has enjoyed many successful seasons in Division Two, with an array of silverware being collected. The second team has also enjoyed it's fair share of success, including an undefeated season in 1994/95.

The 1999-2000 proved an excellent one with both the Second Division Championship title and Dale Campbell-Savours Cup finding their way to the trophy cabinet.

The loss of key players during the close season to other clubs and the departure of coach Barry Baxter after only one season in charge demanded a complete re-think.

An inspired appointment of Cumbria County coach Alan Davidson, has proved a masterstroke and the club look to the future with great optimism.

With major re-development projects both on and off the field Maryport are building a strong foundation for the long term future of Rugby League in the town.

.... More detailed history to follow ....

Maryport ARLFC

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