Blackheath Rugby Club (BRC) is a rugby football club originally based in Blackheath in south-east London, but now playing at the Rectory Field in neighbouring Charlton. It is often said to be the oldest rugby club in the world, dating back to 1858. However, this is incorrect as other clubs have existed for longer periods.[1] Jump to: navigation, search Argentina-France Rugby Union match Rugby football refers to sports descendent from a common form of football developed at Rugby school. ... Blackheath is a place in London, divided between the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Greenwich. ... Jump to: navigation, search The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Charlton is a place in south-east London, in the London Borough of Greenwich, sandwiched between east Greenwich and the Woolwich Dockyard area of west Woolwich. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ...

History

Early history

Blackheath Football Club (later Blackheath Rugby Club) was founded in 1858 by old boys of Blackheath Proprietary School who played a "carrying" game of football made popular by Rugby School. BRC was the first rugby club in the world without restricted membership. Jump to: navigation, search 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... A view of Rugby School from the rear, including the playing field, where according to legend Rugby football was invented Rugby School, located in the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, is one of the oldest public schools in the United Kingdom and is perhaps one of the top co-educational...

In 1863 the club developed the tactic of passing the ball from player to player as an alternative to the solo break and the "kick and follow-up".

In 1863 Blackheath was a founder member of the Football Association which was formed at the Freemason’s Tavern, Great Queen Street, on Lincoln Inn Fields, London October 26, 1863 with the intention to frame a code of laws that would embrace the best and most acceptable points of all the various methods of play under the one heading of "football". Mr Francis Maude Campbell (F.W.C.) a member of Blackheath was elected treasurer. At the 5th meeting F.W.C argued that hacking was an essential element of 'football' and that to eliminate hacking would "do away with all the courage and pluck from the game, and I will be bound over to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practice." At the 6th meeting on December 8 F.W.C. withdrew Blackheath explaining that the rules that the FA intended to adopt would destroy the game and all interest in it. Other rugby clubs follow this lead and did not join the Football Association. In this way the great divide between soccer and rugby took place. The Football Association (The FA) is the governing body of football in England (and the Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man). ... Jump to: navigation, search October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... 1863 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Jump to: navigation, search December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In December 1870 Edwin Ash, secretary of Richmond Football Club published a letter in the papers which said, "Those who play the rugby-type game should meet to form a code of practice as various clubs play to rules which differ from others, which makes the game difficult to play." On January 26, 1871 a meeting attended by representatives from 22 clubs was held in London at the Pall Mall Restaurant. As a result of this meeting the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was founded. Three lawyers who had been pupils at Rugby School drew up the first laws of the game which were approved in June 1871. BRC is one of seven of the original twenty clubs to have survived to this day. 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Richmond Football Club is a rugby union team from Richmond, London. ... Jump to: navigation, search January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the rugby union governing body in England. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Later history

Blackheath Rugby Club initially played its matches on the heath (meeting and changing at the Princess of Wales public house) but occasional interruptions from spectators led the club to move, initially to a private field (Richardson's Field) in Blackheath before moving to the Rectory Field in 1883. An amusingly named pub (the Old New Inn) at Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswold Hills of South West England A pub in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland A public house, usually known as a pub, is a drinking establishment found mainly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

On 27 March 1871, England (captained by Blackheath's captain and with three other BRC players in the 20-strong side) played Scotland at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, losing by one goal. This was the first international rugby union game in history. Richardson's Field hosted the first England v. Wales fixture on 19 February 1881, which England won, again with four BRC players in the side. March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (87th in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1871 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... England Rugby is the name of the English national rugby union team. ... Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union, a founder member of the International Rugby Board in 1886 with fellow Celtic nations Ireland and Wales. ... The first international rugby union game was played at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh on March 27, 1871 between England and Scotland. ... Jump to: navigation, search Edinburghs location in Scotland Edinburgh viewed from Arthurs Seat. ... The Welsh rugby union team, as the highest level of Welsh rugby union, represent Wales at the national sport of rugby union. ... Jump to: navigation, search February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Past Players

• Mike Campbell-Lamerton

Mike Campbell-Lamerton (soldier and sportsman), August 1, 1933 - March 17, 2005. ...

External links

• Home page of the Blackheath Rugby Club