Mosborough Rugby Union Football Club was formed in 1984 to begin playing in 1985/86 season, (Initially as Mosborough Athletic RUFC), when a group of drunken Ex. Westfield School pupils decided they needed an excuse to go out for a pint on a Saturday or Sunday lunch. They decided to form a rugby club centered around the Ex. Westfield pupils so as to keep the rugby on a “very social” level.

 

The first season wasn't so good and Mosborough was successful in loosing all their games that season, (usually by quite a large margin). The following season players flocked to the pre season training, having “got the bug” after getting back into competitive rugby. The season got off to a flying start with the clubs first ever victory in the first weekend of the 1986/87 season against Manton Colliery under the captaincy of Stuart Hinde. The Mosborough ball had started to roll!!

 

Season after season players came and went but the team and team spirit continued developing until in 1988 Mosborough Rugby Union Football Club was accepted into the Courage League system, in Yorkshire division 6, for the following 1988/89 season (Note that the “Athletic” had been dropped from the clubs name in 1987 for two main reasons):

 

It sounded too much like a football team,

It did in no way describe our fitness levels within the club.

 

The 1988/89 season, under Bob Lees, proved to be a very hard one with the entry to the league system, but with a little bit of luck Mosborough could well have got promotion in that first season. It was not to be and the club finished mid-table, a great feat at the first attempt.

 

Season after season promotion chances were there but were always thrown away until in the season 1991/92 promotion was gained from Division 6 by the virtue of winning every league game in the season. The captain for this memorable season was Phil Barker.

 

The season 1991/92 was also memorable for the formation of the clubs 2nd XV. This came about due to players not getting a game on a Saturday afternoon despite training 2 or 3 times a week. At last support was given to the players who were going to feed the senior side in order to help further promotion chances. A mention must be made here about Phil Smith and Andy Proctor who, through those first 2 years of the 2nd XV, were forced to play with 12-13 men some weekends, but still managed to keep up the spirit and began to get results so justly deserved.

 

Due to a major Courage League shake up, Mosborough then found themselves in Yorkshire 4 where they then played for the next 2 years, and in 1992/93, as the new boys, we acquitted ourselves very well and ended up in the top half of the league.

 

Then started a new era for Mosborough RUFC. The development of the club in the 1993/94 season has been highlighted by the fact we were able to field regularly a 3rd XV, despite our short history.

 

This development was mainly due to Phil Mortlock and Lawrence Hannon who, after being concerned about the number of people not getting a regular game, organised our first 3rd XV game for one Saturday morning against Sheffield Club select XV. Although Mosborough lost, a great performance was put up by the team and the side has gone from strength to strength, now playing most Saturdays along with the 1st and 2nd XV sides.

 

This history anecdote has been taken from the Season Handbook 1994/95. The club is now facing its 25th year as a rugby club, the history from 1995 until now is being drafted and will be added shortly.

 

Until then, as Phil Barker said at his dinner speech (1995)

“Don’t leave your seats because something will happen, I promise you!”