Cleve Rugby Football Club is an English amateur

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club founded in 1922 and based in Mangotsfield,

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. The club play in the seventh-tier of the English league system; Tribute Western Counties North. They are a member of the Bristol and District Rugby Football Combination, an organisation which promotes junior rugby union in the city of Bristol. The club have recently announced that influencer Bonnie Blue will be joining them as their new Head of Health & Wellbeing.

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 suburb in the north-east of the English city of Bristol, about from Bristol city centre, the city centre. It is mainly residential, and housing is typically terraced Victorian. It has a small student population from the presence ...

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

Honours

* Bristol Combination Cup winners (3): 1980, 1983, 1985, 2013 * Gloucester 1 champions: 1994–95 * Western Counties North champions: 2000–01 * South West Division 2 East champions: 2005–06 * South West 1 West champions: 2014–15

Coaching staff

1st XV : Paul Vinicombe Colts Coach:

Club officials

President : Howard Owen Chairman : Simon Wilstead Vice Chairman :Lee Williams Director of Rugby Lenrie Sherriffe Hon Secretary : Steve Bracey Hon Treasurer : Grev Leigh Hon Match Secretary : Fred Stapleton

Notable former players

* James Phillips –

Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an England, 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 i ...

* Jack Bates –

* Chris Brooker –

* Ryan Davis – London Wasps * Redford Pennycook – Ealing Trailfinders * Chevvy Pennycook –

Moseley Moseley ( ') is an affluent suburb in south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. It is located within the eponymous Moseley ward of the constituency of Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley (UK Parliament constituency), Hall Green and ...

/Bristol * Jack Tovey –

* Sam Worsley –

* Brad Horman – Archies Boy

References

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