Winter Sports
Once playing at the highest echelons of their sport, Rugby Lions RFC have, in recent years, hit on leaner times and steadily dropped down the leagues.
Now, a group of former players and other ex professionals are embarking on an ambitious five year plan to bring Premiership rugby to the home town of the sport.
Our editor catches up with an old adversary, and discovers that the grounds are in ‘pretty’ good hands in the shape of Sue Lacey, one of just a handful of women at the ‘coalface’ of the turfcare industry
illustrious history. In truth, the playing fields of the nearby Rugby School is where the game originated when, in 1823, a young William Webb Ellis cantered off with a football under his arm. The rest, as they say, is the stuff of legend. However, the Rugby Lions club, which was formed some fifty years later, is acknowledged as one of the oldest clubs in the country. Typical of many clubs, they have had their highs and lows, at one time having been at the very top level, in 1990, when they were promoted to Courage League Division One. When the game went ‘professional’ in 1997, it affected many clubs’ finances, Rugby Lions amongst them, and the club began falling back
W
ith a home ground in Webb Ellis Road, in the Warwickshire town of Rugby, the Lions can rightly claim to be a part of the sport’s
Are the LIONS
down the leagues. A further relegation in 2010-11
prompted a former player, Michael Aland, to step in and purchase the club. Michael’s vision and ambition is to put the club firmly back where he believes it belongs, contesting for honours and success in top professional rugby. The aim is to guide the club back up the leagues, with the Premiership the ultimate goal. “It will take at least five years to have everything in place in terms of leadership, facilities and academy status,” explains Michael. “We have already recruited several highly experienced players and coaches, including former England player, Neil Back as Head Coach, along with Ben Gollings, an England Rugby Sevens international. Andy Key, another former top class player - most notably with Leicester Tigers - has been appointed as Chief
about to ROAR?
Executive Officer.” “Andy has an outstanding rugby and sporting pedigree,” states Michael. “His father was a Tigers player, whilst his two brothers were professional footballers. As well as playing for the Tigers for a total of thirteen years, Andy later became their full-time General Operations Manager, so I’m delighted to have him on board.”
I was looking forward to meeting Andy, as I fondly remember turning out against him back in 1978, when my then club, Birmingham RFC, played Leicester Tigers at Welford Road - I’ve still got the match programme ... and bruises! We only lost 36-12, which was not a bad result considering how many international players the Tigers had in their line-up.
I caught up with Andy at the Lions
ground to hear, firsthand, what plans the new regime have for the club.
78 PC APRIL/MAY 2012
“It felt difficult at first, as many people didn’t think I would be able to do the work, being on my own and, dare I say, a woman!”
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