Ormskirk Rugby Union Football Club

A short history...

The Club was founded in the 1926/27 season, by “enthusiasts who had played the game at public school”.

The first captain, Dennis Suffern, was the son of a local doctor and matches were played at the back of the Eureka Hotel, on land owned by Thomas Coulton, whose son, Joe, became the next captain.

The first official game was against King George V school from Southport, where Ormskirk lost 105-3. However, by the end of the 1920’s the club was improving, completing a full season in which they won all but three matches.

Team Captain, Phil Anderton, was followed by John Emmison, who’d featured in the first match but actually played as a schoolboy for the opposition. Four members of the side were from the Lumby family. H.P. Lumby was Club President for many years and John Lumby was capped for Lancashire, whilst playing at Ormskirk.

Ormskirk struggled with grounds for some years, playing at Churchfields and Cottage lane. The Green Lane pitches became available in the mid 1950’s, with the approval of the local council, and, after a great financial struggle, the present clubhouse was opened in 1965 with the support of grants and loans from both the RFU and Lancashire RFU.

Sam Botfield, a stalwart at the club for many years, ran a successful recruitment drive in the pubs and alleyways of Ormskirk town. His efforts led The Club to fielding 8 winning teams on the weekend of the 2nd-3rd October, 1993 - not bad for a market town, with a population of 20,000.

Many members of the front row union will remember encountering Paul “Blackie” Blackwood, who played as a 1st XV prop between 1979 & 1995, who appeared a total of 432 times for The Club, a feat unlikely to be bettered anywhere else.

The Club now runs a successful Ladies Team, playing in the Inner Warrior League, along with a vibrant Mini and Junior Section, whose numbers keep expanding.

The Senior Section Men's 1st XV currently play in the ADM Lancashire Premier league, while fielding a 2nd XV and 3rd XV team in the Halbro North West leagues.