HISTORY BOYS

Horsham Rugby Club Enjoys Its Biggest Day In 95 Years

Horsham Rugby Club enjoyed one of the greatest days in its history on Sunday 7 May. The 1st XV took to the hallowed turf of Twickenham Stadium, home of the England national team, to compete in the Men’s Regional 2 Final of the Papa John’s Community Cup. Despite a narrow defeat to Old Northamptonians, it was a day the players and supporters will never forget. Here, Head of Rugby Nick Stocker and Club Chair Richard Ordidge relive a recordbreaking season…

Richard: It has been an incredible year for Horsham RUFC. We led the Regional 2 South East division for most of the season and by Christmas were clear at the top of the table. We stuttered in the New Year and lost a few games, but still won the league with a round of games left to play. Next season, we are stepping up to Regional 1 South Central, which is the highest level in our 95-year history. This puts us in level five of the rugby pyramid, akin to football’s National League.

Nick: Rugby’s national cup competitions have been restructured in recent years. They used to run much like the FA Cup, with knockout rounds held throughout the season, culminating in a final at a famous venue, such as Twickenham. After consulting with clubs across the country, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) decided to hold cup competitions after all league games had been played. The winners of all three Regional 2 divisions in the South East were put into a mini league, with the highest ranked runners-up from the three leagues making up the fourth team. First, we travelled to Thames region winners Hammersmith & Fulham, who we beat 14 – 37. Next, we hosted Letchworth Garden City, who dominated the Anglia division and were undefeated all season until we beat them 45 - 14. Our final fixture was against Tottonians, but they had nothing to play for and forfeited, confirming us as group winners.

Richard: That took us through to the semifinals to face St Austell, winners of the South West pool. We had to make contingency plans to travel to their ground in Cornwall, as we didn’t know if we would be drawn home or away. That is one of the problems caused by an end of season competition held on consecutive weekends! It was only on the Monday that we were informed we’d be at home, which was fortunate. We did a fantastic job of mobilising our supporters at short notice. People will always follow a successful team and as the season reached its climax, we saw some big crowds. A typical game attracts about 150 supporters, but we saw upwards of 700 at some of our most crucial fixtures. This made a huge difference against St Austell, as we won 22 - 20, with Declan Nwachukwu scoring a hat-trick of tries to send us to Twickenham.

Richard: The final was held in the midst of the Coronation celebrations, yet 1,000 fans came with us to London. We hired 12 coaches, all setting off from our ground. We would have hired even more, but they weren’t available because of the Coronation! The team at Visit Horsham did a superb job at publicising the final and that helped attract a large crowd. We also received ‘good luck’ messages from Horsham FC, Horsham YMCA FC, Horsham Cricket Club and many others, as the match galvanised the whole community. It has been a long time since Horsham reached a national final in any sport, and who’s to say when it will happen again, so people wanted to be part of it.

Nick: It was a hugely unifying event and the support was phenomenal. We had boys and girls from the minis joining us as well as former players and coaches, loyal supporters, and some who had never watched a rugby match before. A parent of a boy in one of our minis squads asked if the 1st XV could sign his shirt, as he’d been so proud of the team that we’d worn it to bed that night. When you hear things like that, you realise the impact of the achievement.

Richard: The supporters formed a tunnel as our players arrived, which was a lovely touch and added something extra to the experience for everyone. However, the team couldn’t actually gain admittance to the stadium without having their bags searched. We were all joking, wondering if the England national team had to go through the same level of security!

Nick: Three finals were held earlier in the day, so ours was the fourth and final match, after the Counties 1, 2 and 3 Final. Because of the tight schedule, we warmed-up on a small training area outside the ground, and only the kickers had stepped foot on the pitch to practice for a few minutes before kick-off. So, you could forgive the players if they were nervous as they stepped on to the grass for the first time. To sit in England’s changing room, on seats where so many legends of the game have been before, was a proud moment for the players. It doesn’t get any better for someone playing at this level. Our captain was Tom Johnson, who has always been a fierce competitor but whose season has been largely blighted by injuries. He performed very well at the end of the season and indeed in the final itself.

Richard: Most players in the 1st XV has come through the youth teams at Horsham. We don’t pay players, so everyone is here because they love the game. There are a few lads who live outside the District, but the vast majority live in the town and surrounding villages, or have a close connection to it, so they all wear the shirt with pride. When you’re a homegrown team, there is a greater sense of loyalty and camaraderie in the squad. The supporters get to know the players better too, as they’re not hired hands with no affiliation to the club, playing for a season or two before moving on. That’s why it was an emotional day for many people.

Nick: Unfortunately, we lost 35 - 40. We started strongly and led 21 – 7, scoring tries through Aaron Linfield, Richard Tredgett and Jordan Smith, all of which were converted by Oli Chennell. Then we found ourselves 33 –21 behind as we went off-pattern for a while. We played too much in our own half, invited pressure, and our mistakes were punished. With ten minutes to go, we scored a try after Joe Blake’s breakaway run led to Ed Mannhardt going over. We pushed for a final score to give us the win, but conceded once more. We scored a fifth try through Jonny Goward with the final play, but it was too late. It was frustrating, as the match was there for the taking.

Nick: The defeat has given us added i ncentive and we will be back, mark my words! There are two ways to get to Twickenham again. The first is to be relegated next season and win the Regional 2 title once more, but obviously that’s not something we want to do. The second is to win the Regional 1 title, which will be tough, particularly at the first attempt. The team is in a good place, with the right blend of youth and experience. Players like Jamie Redmayne and Richard Tredgett have been great servants to the club and are still performing at a high level, but we also have the likes of Oli Chennell, Joseph Blake, Declan Nwachukwu, Aaron Linfield and others who are still young and are only going to improve.

Richard: Little old Horsham is now playing a level of rugby that is really quite serious. We will be facing traditionally much bigger clubs next season including Bournemouth, Brighton and London Welsh. We will have to travel further than ever before, meaning a greater commitment from players and coaches in terms of their time and effort. But that is the nature of success and we’re looking forward to seeing how we fare against higher quality opponents.

Nick: In many ways, our recent success is the culmination of everything we’ve worked towards for a decade. Ten years ago, we had no women or girls’ squads, and the changing rooms were almost condemnable. The new changing room block served as a catalyst for change. It meant we could introduce women’s rugby, which led to our eligibility for the artificial pitch, which was funded by the RFU. We now have three men’s teams, two women’s teams and a very strong minis and colts section, as well as great support and sponsorship from local businesses. There’s now a real sense of community and team spirit at the club, and it feels like a family.

Sometimes, it’s quite a dysfunctional family, but the Twickenham experience has brought us closer together and reminded us all why we love this game called rugby.