Billingham Rugby Club

General information

Billingham RUFC has four senior teams: the 1st XV currently playing in National 3 North, four leagues from the Premiership; the 2nd XV (Lions) currently playing in The "Candy League" Division 1; the 3rd XV currently playing in The "Teesside Merit League"; the Colts playing a competitive Saturday Colts League.

The club has a promising junior section ranging from u7 minis to u16's with teams winning Durham county cups and leagues. Players who have come through the junior section have gone on to higher levels. Christopher Hyndman, playing for England under-21s and Northampton with Craig Willis currently attached to Newcastle Falcons Academy although he is currently on loan to Blaydon.

A bit of history.....
Billingham Rugby Club was formed in 1924 as the Rugby Section of the Synthonia Sports Club at Synthetic Ammonia and Nitrates Company, which later became I.C.I. Once established, the club became a force in Durham County Rugby Union, especially after the Second World War and the first team was very strong during the 1950s and early 1960s.

The early 1970s saw a downturn in the chemical industry and with the decline of I.C.I., the rugby club suffered. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s the club became somewhat nomadic in its socialising, although still playing on Central Avenue.

1989 was an important year in the life of the club. The Youth section was founded and boys and girls from the age of eight upwards starting playing mini-rugby. Since then, this section of the club has gone from strength to strength and has provided several current members of the first XV squad.

The 1990s saw an upturn in the club's fortunes and three teams were regularly playing each week with socialising based at the Synthonia Cricket Club.

The club moved to play on Greenwood Road in 1996 although until late 2000 there were no facilities whatsoever, just three pitches. For these years we had a three-site existence, changing, playing and socialising in different locations.

However, December 2000 and a £750,000 lottery grant brought the opening of the new clubhouse giving the club a solid base and identity. This served as a stepping-stone to future success.