Club Info
Club Officers Affiliations & Honours Clubhouse & Grounds History Constitution
Updated by Peterb, 17 Nov 2006
Club Officers
President
Roger Chamberlain
Immediate Past President
Roger Berry
Secretary
Alan Forfar
Chairman of Finance
Neil Doody
Affiliations and Honours
CAMBERLEY RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
(Founded 1931)
Affiliated to:
Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union for WomenSurrey County Rugby Football Union
Hampshire Rugby Football Union
Middlesex Rugby Football Union
Berkshire Rugby Football UnionMembers of:
Powergen London League Four South West
Surrey Valley Merit TablesHonours
Surrey Cup Winners 1973
Middlesex 7’s Finalists 1992
London Division 2 Champions 1993
London Division 1 Champions 1995
Surrey Cup Winners 1995
National League Division 2 South Champions 1998
Surrey Cup Winners 1998
Surrey 7’s Winners 2000
Surrey 7’s Winners 2004Ladies
South East 2 League Champions 2005
National 7’s Winners 2005
Surrey 10’s Winners 2005Clubhouse and Grounds
Watchetts Recreation Ground, Camberley
A Brief Background
Camberley Rugby Football Club
The Club was founded in 1931 and re-formed after the Second World War in time for the 1947/8 season. Watchetts Recreation Ground has always been the home of the club and it is believed that it shared the distinction with Bath of being the only clubs in the National leagues that play its rugby on a public park, when we were at National levels.
Prior to the commencement of the league structure in 1987 Camberley's greatest success on the field of play was the winning of the Surrey Cup in 1973. However, the infrastructure of the club was very strong with seven senior sides being fielded at its peak and the club was one of the first in the region to introduce mini and junior rugby in 1973/4.
Colts rugby was introduced a couple of years earlier and it was at this time that the club's main strength as a family club became established.
At the start of the Courage Leagues, Camberley was placed in London Division Two South alongside neighbours Basingstoke and several London based Old-Boys sides.
After a few years of consolidation, the league title was won in 1992/1993, followed by the Division One title two years later with a 100% record. The old Jewson Two South title followed in 1997/1998 when only two league games were lost.
Thus the club found itself in National One (level 3) alongside Blackheath, Nottingham, Otley and Harrogate. In the meantime the Surrey Cup was won in 1995 and 1998. The coming of the professional era brought the problems of touchline support dwindling and finances being stretched. Whilst the first half of our first season in National Two was reasonably successful, injuries to key players, retirements and lack of income led to a barren season and a half. Only great efforts by coaching staff and players alike enabled the club to avoid relegation in season 1999/2000, with key doubles over Blackheath and Nottingham and wins against Lydney and Fylde.
The club managed to survive in National Three South for a couple of seasons but, in hindsight, it was clear that with the lack of adequate funding and the loss of key players this league was much too high a level for the club to sustain.This slipping down the leagues continued for a couple of more seasons in the belief of the committee at that time that the club should find its own level however when we were relegated from London Division 2 South West, our starting point in the Leagues, it was agreed that more drastic measures were required.
We along with some other major clubs discovered that our journey through the National Leagues had had a serious impact on the Club as the 1stXV had effectively separated from the other sides. This had resulted in a significant reduction in the number of senior players available each week and also a split between the mini /youth sections and the adult sides.
Much work has been done by many people over the last year or so and we are now in a position where we have returned to operating as a single club financially and also on the playing field..
For the 2007/2008 our new coach, Jon Cant, has already started by integrating some of the training sessions of the Academy and the senior squad and it is likely that a number of our 18s will gain experience this season in the 1sts and 2nds – something which has been lacking for a number of seasons. So we enter the 2007/2008 season in London Division 4 South West division in much better shape as a club and ambitions to reverse the clubs slide over the last 7 years
Our Ladies team
We were formed in the early nineties, from an idea spawned by the then Bar Manager Pauline Ballard. She and some of the other female bar staff were so intrigued by the stories told by men and their funny shaped balls that they decided to give it a go themselves.
The very first game was played at a foggy Wasps ground, the team numbered around 12 and only 10 shirts (found in a dark corner of the club house) were available so it was a case of bring your own boots and shirt. After a few more warm up matches we ventured into the Leagues, and in our first year failed to cross the try line in any game. However, we persisted and eventually notched up a first win against Old Abbotsonians.
The most successful season in the Ladies team history to date kicked off with winning the Surrey 10s competition. It was then into the season proper. It was a long season, starting with a friendly in August and not really ending until the National 7s on the last weekend of May. In that time we played 24 matches, won 22, drew one and lost one. We scored 664 points and conceded only 83. As well as becoming Surrey 10s champions, we won the National 7s Bowl and only narrowly lost in the semi-final of the National Cup to London Welsh. We also became the South East Division 2 League Winners. As well as finally winning some team silverware, squad members continued to rack up individual honours with Clare Denison, Carol Cross and Sheree Crabb being selected for regional. Emily Price was also chosen to play for England under 19s.
It was certainly a change from the previous year and Camberley felt defeat for the first time in a long while but it only took a couple of matches to hit our winning stride once more. We finished a respectable fourth and continued our 7s success with the team winning honours at several tournaments and once again reaching the final of the National 7s shield. More players also received regional honours, namely Denise Walsh, Jessica Mourad and Georgie Crabb.
We continued our success into the 06/07 season and finished third in the league and runners up in the Old Cats 7s tournament, under coaches Simon Burgess and James Dunne. Clare Denison and Sheree Crabb received regional honours while Georgie Crabb was called up for both regional and England under 19s sides.
Following an RFU restructure we now go into 07/08 in Championship 2, facing previous foes such as London Welsh and Wasps as well as new teams including Aylesford. Simon Burgess continues to coach us, supported by James Dunne and Gareth Dunne. We have high hopes for the season ahead and are looking for new members as a matter of priority to ensure our continued success.
Mini and Juniors
Camberley RFC started their mini junior section in 1973/74, held its first tournament in 1975 and remains today the largest single group within the club boasting a membership in excess of 300 boys and girls ranging in age from 5 to 18.
More details of this and the club over the decades is available in the short History which is available from either club Secretary Alan Forfar (01252 653715) or Roger Chamberlain (01483 723832) in the club house at £5.0 or by post £6.50.
Club Constitution
A clean copy of the club's constitution is being prepared and when available will be posted on a separate page so club members may read it more easily. In the mean time a PDF file made from the Club Secretary's copy may be viewed here. This opens in a new window.
