Cleve Rugby Football Club is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

amateur

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

club founded in 1922 and based in

Mangotsfield Mangotsfield is an urban area and former village in the unitary authority area of South Gloucestershire, in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England, to the north-east of Bristol. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. The club play in the seventh-tier of the English league system;

Tribute Western Counties North Counties 1 Western North (known as Counties 1 Tribute Western North for sponsorship purposes) is an English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called W ...

. They are a member of the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination, an organisation which promotes junior rugby union in the city of Bristol.

History

Cleve Rugby Football Club was formed in 1922 as “Cleve RFC Downend”. They played their first game in a field in Staple Hill, which is now Staple Hill Park. The club later moved to Vassells Park in

Fishponds Fishponds is a large suburb in the north-east of the English city of Bristol, about from the city centre. It has two large Victorian-era parks: Eastville Park and Vassall's Park (once the Vassall Family estate, also known as Oldbury Court). ...

, the players changing in the back room of the Full Moon Public House. It was at this time that the club became known simply as “Cleve RFC”. The club purchased a wooden pavilion in November 1934 for £200. When Cleve were forced to move to Bromley Heath Road in Downend in 1939, because of a housing development, their wooden pavilion went with them. In 1947 further land was purchased and was farmed by club members, as a source of income. Eventually, to meet the growing local interest in rugby football, more pitches were developed. Then, between 1969 and 1971, members added more facilities, which carried the club through the next 25 years. The club badge is based on the coat of arms of the Cave Estate, from whom the ground in Downend was purchased and the ears of wheat acknowledge the club’s farming activity after the War. The club motto ‘''We sow to reap''’ also records these early events but also reflects the club’s commitment to providing rugby facilities and coaching for children from the age of 6. The next milestone in Cleve’s history was the club’s move to its new clubhouse and grounds in

named ‘The Hayfields’ in September 1997. The club runs three senior sides on Saturdays and all mini and junior levels, from under-7’s to colts.

Honours

Bristol Combination Cup The Bristol Combination Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination – one of the five bodies that make up the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union. It was first int ...

winners (3): 1980, 1983, 1985, 2013 *

Gloucester 1 Gloucester 1 is an English rugby union league which sits at the ninth level of league rugby union in England for teams based primarily in the county of Gloucestershire but also on occasion teams from Bristol. Promoted clubs move into Gloucester ...

champions: 1994–95 *

Western Counties North Western Counties North (known as Tribute Western Counties North for sponsorship purposes) is an England, English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues cal ...

champions: 2000–01 * South West Division 2 East champions: 2005–06 *

South West 1 West Regional 2 South West, (formerly known as South West 1 West) is an English, level six, rugby union league for clubs based in the south-west of England; i.e. Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset. It is one of twelve leagues at this level in Eng ...

champions: 2014–15

Coaching staff

1st XV : Nathan Huntley Paul Vinicombe 2nd XV : Simon Clarke 3rd XV : Mark Jones Colts Coach:

Club officials

President : Howard Owen Chairman : Simon Wilstead Vice Chairman :Lee Williams Director of Rugby Adam Shepherd Hon Secretary : Steve Bracey Hon Treasurer : Tim Sperrings Hon Match Secretary : Fred Stapleton

Notable former players

* Ryan Davis –

London Wasps Wasps Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby union team. They last played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby until being suspended on 12 October 2022. On 17 October 2022 the club entered administration, resulting in r ...

* James Phillips –

Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played its home m ...

* Chris Brooker –

Redford Pennycook Redford Pennycook (born 27 November 1985) is a rugby union player for Bristol in the RFU Championship. A flanker, Pennycook played for Bristol for five seasons before joining Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that ...

–

Ealing Trailfinders Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team are the current champions of the RFU Championship but will remain in that league due to ineligibility for promotion to Premi ...

Chevvy Pennycook Chevvy Pennycook (born 6 April 1987) is a rugby union player for Moseley in the Aviva Championship, who formerly played for Bristol in the Premiership. He played for England under18s-20s. He plays at flanker. His brother is Bristol player Re ...

–

Moseley Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...

/Bristol * Jack Tovey –

References

{{Rugby union in England English rugby union teams Rugby clubs established in 1922 Rugby union in Bristol