Beccehamians RFC

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Beccehamians Rugby Football Club
Full name	Beccehamians Rugby Football Club
Founded	1933
Location	West Wickham, England
Ground(s)	Sparrows Den
Chairman	Clive Putner
Coach	Michael J Hooke, Tom McCorkick
League	London South East 4
Official website
www.beccehamians.co.uk

Beccehamian Rugby Football Club was formed in 1933 as Old Beccehamian Rugby Football Club by former pupils of Beckenham County School for Boys.

The Club is a member of the RFU, the Kent County Rugby Football Union and the Kent Society of RFU Referees and is affiliated to Middlesex County Rugby Football Union.

There are three full-size pitches at Sparrow's Den and we currently field four senior mens teams per week along with a ladies side who are affiliated with the RFUW. This season the First XV are playing in London South East 4 with the ladies team compteing in RFUW Division 3 SE-E.

[edit] History

Beccehamian Rugby Football Club was formed in 1933 by former pupils of Beckenham County School for boys (later Beckenham and Penge Grammar School for Boys and now Langley Park Boys School) and was originally called Old Beccehamian Rugby Football Club. In common with all 'Old Boys' clubs membership was originally restricted to former pupils of the school and 2-3 teams were run regularly until play stopped due to the Second World War.

After the war the club expanded and began to field 3-4 teams a week, playing most of the home games at Langley Park school in Beckenham. The club began to accept playing members who had not attended the school however to begin with they were not allowed to play for the first XV. However from around 1960 all members were eligible to play in the first team.

In the early 1960's the school moved to a new building and became Langley Park Boys School and the club still maintains close ties with the school. Our president Clive Putner was a pupil and later a master before retiring recently. The current headmaster is also Vice President of the club.

Further development of the club was soon hampered by not having a permanent ground and in particular no clubhouse and bar. Members would meet up in local pubs, the West Wickham Home Guard Club becoming the place for after game entertainment on a Saturday evening. In 1960, with financial support from the RFU and Middlesex County RFU the club built its first club house and bar in West Wickham, playing games down the hill at Sparrow's Den where the changing rooms were shared with two soccer teams and often by the newly formed Shirley Wanderers. After matches, members would have a steep climb up Corkscrew Hill to get to the club.

In 1972 the club came up with a proposal to pay for a new club house and changing facilities at Sparrow's Den if the London Borough of Bromley would similarly pay for new soccer changing rooms. When this was agreed the current clubhouse was built and opened in 1973 under lease from the council and with a long term licence to use the three pitches each week. More recently the club has become delegated managers of rugby at Sparrow's Den.

Beccehamian RFC is now an open club but still draws many new members from Langley Park School. The senior playing membership is currently around 130 but this is eclipsed by a mini rugby playing membership of over 150.