BlackHeath FC Rugby Club

Blackheath FC rugby club, or ‘The Club’ as it is known holds a very special place in the history of rugby football. Not only is it the oldest open club in existence, but it and its representatives have played a crucial part in the development of the game itself; indeed over 240 players of international standing have played in The Club’s famous red-and-black shirt – a record that cannot be matched by any other rugby club.

This book illustrates that proud sporting heritage with over 200 high-quality pictures, including team photographs, action shots, player portraits, fixture cards, programmes, cartoons and other significant items of memorabilia. The selection includes many rare images and traces the history of the club from the early Proprietary School days through its progression into the premier club in the world and right up to the present day. There is a chapter dealing with the great sportsmen associated with the club, such as C.B. Fry, Andrew Stoddart and, more recently, Mick Skinner, as well as sections on the representative games, the Barbarians and the touring tradition, the Womens, the Veterans, Sevens and Youth sides as well as The Rectory Field itself in various stages of its development.

With expert captions from Dave Hammond, a professional writer and rugby enthusiast, this will delight anyone who has an interest in Blackheath FC or the game of rugby.