Recent History
The new wave of success started to come through in 1986/87 season when under coach Mike Hodgson and Captain Paddy Hutchinson the club had a record number of wins in a season 28 in fact.This beat Arthur Phillips great side of the 1950’s era
Paddys side also won the Ingram Pinkney Memorial Trophy v Scarborough , The Bill Hutchinson Exiles Trophy on Boxing Day , beat Hull & East Riding to win the Alveronic Cup Final , beat Driffield to win the Turnbull Trophy and won the Brid 7’s Plate Final .
The season saw 49 players play for the first team .
The clubs first major trophy came the following season 1987/88 when Bridlington beat Wibsey 21 points to 3 at Selby for Club Captain Paddy Hutchinson to lift the Yorkshire Silver Trophy only the second East Riding team after Beverley to do so .
Man of the match Neil Arton scored 14 points with Dave Robinson’s drop goal and the only try of the match by Pete Wetherell the Bridlington hooker making up the points .
At this time we also saw the return from Senior Rugby of Kevin Brown and Albert Thundercliffe.
Bridlington’s Silver Trophy side was as follows ;
Simon Smith, Kevin Brown, Richard Girking, Paddy Hutchinson Captain, Nick Earnshaw, Dave Robinson ,Neil Arton , Robin Shepherdson, Pete Wetherell, Mike Thompson, Paul Chapman ,Reno Langton, Rick Hunter and Paul Evans , the side were coached by Mike Hodgson .
The 1st Xv also went on that season to win the Brid 7’s , the Turnbull Trophy and finished their league programme as Yorkshire League Division 3 Champions .
Neil Arton took over as Captain for the 1988/89 season which was to see the great success of the previous years continue .
The major prize was the winning of the Yorkshire Shield especially against local rivals Driffield in a final played at Scarborough !
The score 11 points to 3 in what were atrocious conditions scorers were a Neil Arton try , a Dave Robinson converted penalty and a Kevin Brown match winning try .
The team was as follows:Duncan Hughes ,Kevin Brown ,Rob Fussey , Adrian Cobb , Richard Girking ,David Robinson and Neil Arton , forwards Albert Thundercliffe ,Peter Wetherell , Robin Shepherdson ,Steve Hyde,Karl Cragg, Paul Chapman , Rick Hunter and Paul Evans , substitutes were Simon Smith and Mike Thompson.
This was Bridlington’s 6th consecutive win over Driffield in 4 seasons .
More important we defeated Scarborough 9 points to 0 in the final league match to finish as league champions for the second consecutive year and win Yorkshire Division 2.
The following years saw Bridlington promoted almost year on year through the Yorkshire divisions and North East divisions one and two most years as Champions.
Eventually we peaked in North One only one league off the National divisions .
Great wins occurred against sides such as Aspatria who Brid beat by 50 points to 3 in the Pilkington Cup probably our best ever performance at Dukes Park certainly equalling the defeat of Otley in the Yorkshire Cup .
During this incredible purple patch we had a number of players gaining County and England honours .
Namely Mike Cawthorn England Colts who played for Wakefield then Leeds RUFC in the Premier Division , Paul Evans Yorkshire and Durham caps and West Hartlepool again in National One .
We also saw Karl Craggs, Neil Arton , Jonty Tinsley and John Clappison playing for Yorkshire .
Eventually a decline set in as players grew older and the professional era took over .We found we were competing against sides who were paying players wages and Brid could not afford that so eventually we were to find our selves back in Yorkshire One after two relegation years .
A new era is hopefully now starting we have a new young coach in Carl Thewlis from Leeds this coupled with one or two new signings ,the return of players from abroad and two or three New Zealanders coming across to play for the club augers well for the future .
The policy is though that BRUFC are and will be an AMATEUR club we will put our future in the hands of developing youngsters including coaching at the schools particularly the secondary schools .
Grants from the Sports England will hopefully continue and help towards funding this.
First XV: 2002-2003
Neil Arton. Rob Waller,Andy Smith, Miles Richardson, Ken Ridsdale, Alex Grimshaw, Phil Waller, Glen Hawden, Steve Hodgson, Richard Medforth Captain, Callum Chapman, Matthew Adams, Andy Lintern, Liam Smith, Adam McTurk, Carl Thewlis Coach.
Adam Thomas, Albert ThundercliffeJnr, Alistair Sutton, Martin Robinson ,Gary Wiles, Steve Craven, Alistair Blackhall, Joe Dearing. Richard Girking .
RFU.com 
Club Search
