RUGBY- it would never get off the ground, was the word around Helston 41 years ago when it was revealed that a few dedicated followers of the oval ball had gathered around a small table in the town's Red Lion public house and had agreed "let us form a rugby club."
Bill Stancumbe was the landlord of the Red Lion Inn at the time the club was launched. He said that it all came about because of a chat - or several - with former AFC goalkeeper Sam Reel.
"All you could talk about with Sam was football. So I said to him one day that I had a good mind to start a rugby club in Helston. He said it would never get off the ground": Helston Rugby Club was the end product.
Mr Stancumbe added: "We had a hell of a job to get the council to let us have the King George V Playing Fields - and then to get rugby introduced into local schools which were dominated by soccer."
HELSTON TEAM 1965
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Helston's introduction to a full competitive rugby season began with a visit by Penryn reserves, with Helston losing by 14 points to nine.
However, a few games later the newly formed club notched up their first win by stinging Newquay Hornets reserves with a six points to nil victory.
HELSTON TEAM 1966/67
Winners of the Goldsworthy Junior Cup (best Junior team)
Helston only losing to Redruth Abany and the Junior Group during that season
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Over the years the club has produced a number of players of outstanding ability
Colin Laity played for Cornwall, Neath, Barbarians, and Wales "B".
Peter Phillips, Paul Strike and Jim Agnew played for the county all starting their rugby careers at Helston.
Dave Lockwood the most prolific kicker of the ball the club has had. Helped Helston create history in Cornwall by becoming the first club to break the1000 point barrier in two successive seasons
It was in April 1981 - the year Helston topped the 1,000 point barrier for the second successive term - that the club first had its name stamped on the famous Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Trophy beating Bdmin at Redruth by 18 points to 8
Graham Oates was making his 500th appearance for the club, and leading his side to victory was Dave Muirhead. Man of the match was Dave Lockwood.
HELSTON 1st XV 1981
David Muirhead with the Trophy
HELSTON CRICKET and RUGBY SOCIAL CLUB was formed in 1979
And continued until 1997 when the respective clubs went there separate ways.
MINI & JUNIOR'S
The Helston Mini Rugby Football Club was launched during October 1979, the meeting held in the Halzphron Inn at Gunwalloe. Landlord at the time was John Mills, who became the clubs first president. Local police sergeant John Wherry was elected chairman, Chris Holloway, secretary, and Bob woods, another policeman, treasurer.
An enthusiastic publicity campaign was initiated and it invited all "young gentlemen" under the required age to attend the first training session at the King George V Playing Fields.
But the organisers were not quite prepared for the response, especially when almost 150 eager youngsters turned up to learn the basics of the game!
Interest was so great that the club officials were overwhelmed and there was e rsce to find additional help. As the the weeks passed by the influx of minis settled into a more comfortable but still impressive 50-60 minis an average which exists today.
During 1985 the under 12's won "the big one," the county tournament held at Penzance.
Peter Philips and Dennis Trethowen played senior rugby at St Ives and returned to Helston to develop
mini and youth rugby.
Twickenham season 1995/96
President Jack Gilbert Chairman David Lockwood, Captain Mark Hocking
Helston play The Newcastle Medicals at Twickenham.
Helston lose the game, The Newcastle Medicals 16 points to Helston's 6 points.
A fantastic cup run by any standard. (Twickenham season is being worked on)
Helston may be a soccer stronghold but Helston RFC has had considerable sponsorship from the town's business community
Whirlwind Sports, Red Lion, Flambards, Ward Vauxhall, Brewers South Eastern Ffarmers, to mention a few.
Simon Rogers was elected as chairman for the 1997/98 season,
heading the committee whose aim was to obtain a suitable lease on King George V Playing Fields for a clubhouse to be built.
It has taken 9 years of hard work with many setbacks and hurdles to overcome. Finally the lease was signed on June 13th 2005, and building started 8 July 2005.
David Martin opened Helston Rugby Football Clubhouse 20-4-2006
This is a very brief history of HRFC much of it taken from 25 Years A Potted History.
Many club players, coaches & volunteers are not mentioned a more detailed history needs to be written. Any comments or information contact merrickj@tiscali.co.uk
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