Cinque Ports Rugby Football Club

Cinque Ports

Full name	Cinque Ports Rugby Football Club
Union	RFU
Founded	2006
Ground(s)	The Grove School, Darwell Close, St.Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
Team kit
Official website
www.cinqueportsrugby.co.uk

Cinque Ports Rugby Football Club is an English community rugby union club who will play in the Sussex rugby leagues in the 2007/2008 Season. The Cinque Ports Rugby Club is based at The Grove School in St. Leonard^{[disambiguation needed ]}’s between the towns of Hastings & Bexhill in East Sussex. Cinque Ports RFC is affiliated to the English RFU via the Sussex RFU.

History

The Cinque Ports Rugby Club was founded in April 2006. The purpose of founding the club was to bring the sport of rugby to the attention of a wider community than was already aware of the sport in the area. To this end it was agreed that Cinque Ports Rugby Club would play according to the rules of Rugby Football Union and where possible promote a Rugby Football League team too. It was also agreed at the founding of the club that the Cinque Ports Rugby Club would, in conjunction, with the local Rugby Regional Development Organization actively promote the sport of rugby in the area at a school level though the use of free after school rugby training. The Cinque Ports Rugby Club started with only five founding members in April 2006 however by September the membership had grown to a full playing squad and by April 2007 the club had 30 playing members and a number of non playing members.

Location

The Cinque Ports Rugby Club play their home games and train at The Grove School in the St. Leonards area of Hastings & Bexhill in East Sussex. The Grove School is a long established school in the area, where, prior to the arrival of the Cinque Ports Rugby Club, rugby was last played in the late 1960’s. The Cinque Ports Rugby Club, in agreement with The Grove School uses the schools training and changing facilities, while the school uses the posts and rugby training equipment as installed and provided by the Cinque Ports Rugby Club.

Philosophy

While a social team at heart the Cinque Ports Rugby Club, playing, training and supporting philosophy can be summed up:

Cinque Ports Rugby Club is committed to progressive rugby excellence through the practice of communication, loyalty, commitment and respect.

The Cinque Ports Rugby Club applies this philosophy throughout the club. The Cinque Ports Rugby Club coaches lead the team in all aspects of training with both group and one to one sessions, the clubs experienced players bring passion and knowledge to those in the squad who are new to the game, and those who are new bring enthusiasm and fresh ideas to us all.

League Games

In September 2007 Cinque Ports RFC entered the Sussex East 3 League. This was the first competitive games for the club. The club ended up the league in 2nd last place, with a total of four wins.

Club colours

The Cinque Ports Rugby Club, play in a red, orange and black top, black shorts and black and red socks.

The name

The Cinque Ports Rugby club name comes from the name given to a series of south coast ports. Long before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the ports around the English south east coast had formed themselves into a confederation for selfdefence. This collection of ports became known as THE CINQUE PORTS (from the French for five, and pronounced in Norman French “sink”). They became not only defensive but in return for extensive commercial privileges granted by various Kings from Edward the Confessor through to Henry II & Edward III and so on but also offensive. The ships from the Cinque Ports were to the fore in the victory at the Battle of Sluys.

The ports were the forerunners of the Royal Navy. The Barons of the Cinque Ports have always carried the Canopy over the Kings and Queens at the Coronation. Hastings has always enjoyed its status as a Cinque Port, and proudly the Borough Arms bears the motto, “Primes inter pares”, which translates to “First amongst equals”. During the First World War the Cinque Ports Regiment was mainly raised in Hastings.

The original five ports were Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich. In its medieval peak the confederation reached 42 towns in total. Only Dover is the only fully functioning port left today.

International Games

2007

On 26 April 2007 Cinque Ports RFC hosted its second international game. The game was a women’s international between a combination of South and South East of England Select XV and the Belgium National Ladies team.

On 24 March 2007 The Cinque Ports Rugby Club promoted a mini international demonstration match between the Belgium Colts Team and the Eastbourne Colts team; made possible as The President of the Cinque Ports Rugby Club, Dany Roelands, a retired international rugby referee was also the president of the Belgium National RFU. The game was played at the home of the Cinque Ports Rugby Club in St. Leonards. Belgium comprehensively beat Eastbourne, 53 to 5 with both sides showing flair, speed and skill.

2008

On 26 April 2008 Cinque Ports Rugby again hosted an international rugby game. The 2008 game was between a South & South East Ladies Select, made up of many English international players, against the Belgium Ladies National team.

Partnership with London Wasps

On 1 January 2008 Cinque Ports RFC agreed with rugby premiership club London Wasps to become community partners. The deal benefits Cinque Ports RFC with access to training from London Wasps community coaching staff.

External links

• The Cinque Ports Rugby Club website