United Services Portsmouth RFC is now 140 years old and once featured amongst the top clubs of English rugby. With a proud history and boasting of many former international, county and inter-service players. Currently re-building from the difficulties of covid-19.

History

It is believed that United Services Portsmouth RFC was founded in 1882, there being records of the club from that dateW. W. Wakefield, H. P. Marshall, ''Rugger - The History, Theory and Practice of Rugby Football'', pages 364-365, With the exception of the 1884-5 season and the War Years, the club has unbroken records of fixtures. At the beginning of the twentieth century the club found it hard to gain support from service players, because it was considered necessary to turn out for civilian clubs to get first-class games. However, in 1902 the United Services Recreation Ground began to give financial support to the club to stimulate interest and by the time a

Royal Navy Rugby Union The Royal Navy Rugby Union (RNRU) was formed in 1907 to administer the playing of rugby union in the Royal Navy. It fields a representative side that competes in the Army Navy Match, although a side representing the Royal Navy predates the formati ...

was formed in 1906 the club was performing strongly with an excellent reputation and equally strong fixture list. It was described by

Wavell Wakefield William Wavell Wakefield, 1st Baron Wakefield of Kendal (10 March 1898 – 12 August 1983), known as Sir Wavell Wakefield between 1944 and 1963, was an English rugby union player for Harlequins, Leicester Tigers and England, President of the ...

in the 1930s as one of the strongest clubs in the country. This dominance was helped in no small part by the continued sponsorship of the Royal Navy. Until the start of league rugby. the fixture list boasted the elite of domestic football (including

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, Harlequins, and

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)
Official site - History
/ref> In the professional era, the club no longer features as a first-class side. The early twenty-first century saw the club fielding three squads, The Bulldogs, Buccaneers & Crusaders. In order to shore up numbers the club is also open to civilians to join. This results in a club that boasts a combination of players from the Royal Navy, Army, Air Force, local Civilians and the Students from Portsmouth University. The first squad, the United Service Portsmouth Bulldogs, compete in London 3 South West and play at the Burnaby Road ground. In the season 2014/15 the club won the Hampshire 1 League with an unprecedented 18 wins out of 18 and gained 18 try bonus points. The club is still backed by the

.Official site - history
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Notable players

International players include: * - W N Lapage * - Fischer Burges-Watson * -

George Hamilton D'Oyly Lyon Admiral Sir George Hamilton D'Oyly Lyon, KCB (3 October 1883 – 19 August 1947) was a distinguished Royal Navy officer as well as an English sportsman who played first-class cricket and represented the England national rugby union team. ...

* - John Skinner Wilson * -

Louis Greig Group Captain Sir Louis Leisler Greig, KBE CVO (17 November 1880 – 1 March 1953) was a Scottish naval surgeon, rugby player, courtier and a friend of King George VI. Rugby union Greig was a successful rugby player, and was capped for an ...

* - H C Harrison * - A D Warrington-Morris * - A C Bolton * -

Norman Wodehouse Vice Admiral Norman Atherton Wodehouse (18 May 1887 – 4 July 1941) was a Royal Navy officer killed in the Second World War. He had gained 14 caps for England at rugby union, including six as captain between 1910 and 1913. Wodehouse was acti ...

* - W E Mann * - Cecil Abercrombie * - W B Hynes * - A H MacIlwaine * - J L Boyd * - Francis Oakeley * - W. J. A. Davies * - A L Harrison * - Cecil Kershaw * - C F Hallaran * - Cecil MacKenzie * - A E Thomson * - P B William-Powlett * - M S Bradby * - H W V Stephenson *{{ru, Ireland - W F Browne

Club Honours

Hampshire Cup Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire i ...

winners (6): 1971, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983 * Hampshire 1 champions (3): 1999–00, 2014–15, 2017–18 * Hampshire Plate winners: 2009

References

External links

Official Website of United Services RFC
Rugby union teams in England Rugby clubs established in 1882 Rugby union clubs in Hampshire Sport in Portsmouth Military sport in the United Kingdom 1882 establishments in England

History

Notable players

Club Honours

See also

References

External links