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Sport HistoryRugby Union Read moreRugby Union CloseRugby Football has been played at LRGS since the 1860s, and the inaugural match of Preston Grasshoppers in 1869 was against the School. Regular fixtures took place with Sedbergh, Giggleswick, Liverpool College and Heversham GS, but with a depressing lack of success, relieved only by wins against Heversham. By 1903 the Sedbergh and Heversham fixtures had been discontinued , but Giggleswick continued to inflict embarrassingly large defeats. From 1913 a recovery began, with several new fixtures and a fair measure of success. A very good XV in 1927-8 registered ten wins, losing only to Bradford GS and St Bees, and the late thirties also saw some good seasons - ten games won out of 12 in 1937-8, and unbeaten seasons in 1938-9. and then in 1942-3 and 1943-4. In the fifties and sixties results continued to be good. By then the regular fixture list included Merchant Taylors', Crosby , Manchester GS, Arnold School, Stonyhurst, Bradford GS, Leeds GS, King Edward VII Lytham, King George V Southport, Wallasey GS, St Bees, Barrow GS and Rossall . The XV of 1962 suffered only one defeat, and its captain, KO Beeston played in the final England trial, as did his successor, MH Berryman. CW Aspden (1966) gained an England Schools cap, and the 1969-70 XV won ten and drew one of its twelve fixtures. Its finest performance was a 14-3 win over Sedbergh in the first match against that school's 1st XV. (When the fixture was resumed it had been against Sedbergh 2nd XV). In 1970-71, the first `1st XV won ten of it’s eleven games under the captaincy of Trevor Glover, a record which included a win over Sedbergh by 31 points. The 1974 1st XV was captained by Nick Preston who went on to represent England at full international level with Bill Beaumont’s Grand slam team of 1980. The 1st XV of 1976-77 was as strong as any, including Paul Tillotson, Mark Nelson (an 18 Group International,) Mike Derbyshire, Steven Gill and Doug Walker who all played in the best Vale of Lune team that won the National League Division 3. In the last match of the 1977 season, the 1st XV beat the all-conquering Cowley team who had won all their previous 25 matches. In the 80s, results continued to improve with only one or two defeats in each season, with 1981 XV losing only one match, to Cowley School who could field seven England 18 Group Internationals. In the inaugural All England 15-a-side competition, LRGS had by far the best record in the first four years. Getting to the quarter-final, two semi-finals and losing in the 1982 final to the first score of extra time. This competition included two victories over the full Japan High Schools side, a guest entry; Paul Hamer played for England at 16 Group and 18 Group, scoring three tries against Wales at Cambridge, playing wing outside Will Carling. Tom Connor and Ian McFarlane played for England 18 Group sides and Sean Hockey played at 16 Group. Following the Oxford Blues of the 70’s, Trevor Glover and John Taylor. Doug Walker, Steve Gill and Richard Bailey all played for Cambridge in the early 80’s. The 90’s saw LRGS begin the tradition of overseas tours, starting with a highly successful tour of Canada in 1994, followed by an unbeaten tour of Australia in 1997. The standard of play in the 90’s continued on a upward path with many fine teams including the unbeaten 1994 XV captained by Neil Bennetts. During this decade England 18 Group caps were earned by Matthew Dobson, Andrew Miller, George Donoghue and Phil Christophers who went onto play at full international level. Lancashire Cup competitions started at this time and LRGS won the first three on offer, at Under 13,14 and 15 level leading to confirmation as Lancashire County RUFC “School of the year.” In the 2000’s, there were 18 Group International caps for James Keany, Robin Boot, Oliver Viney and Magnus Lund who went onto play at full international level. In 2003, with the inception of a Lancashire Cup competition for 1st XV’s, LRGS were to show real dominance winning the cup for four seasons in a row between 2003 and 2007 and again in 2009. England 18 Group caps were won by Dan Birchall, James Williams, Sean Cox and Selorm Kuadey. In the Daily Mail Cup, LRGS regularly reached the quarter-final stages and a semi final in 2004. Junior sides won Lancashire Cups on a regular basis and the decade ended with a highly successful tour of South America. A history of Lancaster Royal Grammar School asserts “Rugby Football now is probably as strong as it ever has been at LRGS.” The coaches over most of the last forty years were Shaun Higgins, who coached Lancashire Schools to an unbeaten record on tour against New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and ACT in 1986 and the North of England 18 Group to consecutive unbeaten divisional championships in 1988-89. Sean was the inspiration behind a long period of development in LRGS rugby and his influence on its success cannot be underestimated. Doug Walker took on the challenge in 1990 for 12 years and also coached England 18 Group for three years including their successful tour of Canada, Australia and New Zealand where Magnus Lund and Robin Boot were in the squad that defeated, Australia. More recently Mick Curran’s record stands in comparison with anybody. As Head of Games, Brian Bonney’s influence especially in organising major tours has been very significant. In 2010 Andy Rice took over as Director of Sport and is assisted in coaching the 1st XV by former Loughborough and current Fylde captain Evan Stewart. The school has significantly expanded the amount of Seven a side rugby across all age groups. The squad of 2012/13 emphatically beat King’s Macclesfield 45-0 in the final of the Stonyhurst Sevens and reached the quarter finals of the 2012 Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens. A strong showing at the Sedbergh Super Tens tournament that year included a 31-7 victory over Millfield. Former international player and coach Brian Ashton and OL is President of the Old Lancastrian Society in 2012/13 being actively involved in the school. |