From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Millwall Rugby Club
Millwall Rugby Club
Millwall Rugby Club
1st kit
Official website
www.millwallrugby.com
Full name Millwall Rugby Club
Millwall Rugby Club is an English amateur rugby union
Founded 1995 as Millwall Albion team. The men’s first team was born from Millwall Albion
RUFC who were formed in 1995 on the Isle of Dogs. Also
Location London, England
known as Millwall RFC or Millwall RUFC.
Ground(s) Millwall Park & Victoria Park (Capacity: Millwall currently usually play their home games at
Limitless) Millwall Park or on Victoria Park (also known as Fortress
Chairman Vicky), which is located in Bow. There is a First XV and
David Leftley
also a 2nd men’s XV called the "Llamas", a 3rd men’s XV
President Jim Fitzpatrick MP unofficially dubbed the "Pumas" and since 2009 a 4th XV
has also been entered in the Essex BL Merit Table. Hack-
Coach(es) Warren Abrahams (Director of Rugby) ney Marshes is also used on the rare occasions that 3
League(s) Essex County Rugby Union or more teams are playing at home on the same day. As
well as adult men’s rugby, there is a women’s team called
2009/10 6th Venus and a very successful youth section called the Mill-
wall Lions.
History
1995-2009
Millwall Albion Rugby Union Football Club was founded
in 1995 as a small, informal collection of local men shar-
ing a common interest following on from the 1995 Rugby
World Cup. Interest quickly began to grow and as more
people joined in sessions on Millwall Park and it was de-
cided to formalise things into a registered and RFU af-
filiated Rugby Club. From humble beginnings using bor-
rowed shirts and as more funds came in it was possible
to buy proper rugby kit and the recognisable black, white
and red strip became a fixture in the local area. Millwall
Rugby Club quickly gained players and in September 1996
was granted league status and accepted into Division 5 of
the Eastern Counties Rugby Union (the regional organis-
ers of rugby in an area covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Cam-
2nd kit bridgeshire and Essex) winning the division in its first
season.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Millwall Rugby Club
After an unprecedented season in 2006/07 many The end of the season is rounded off by an annual din-
players and coaching staff were acquired by another very ner and awards ceremony at the Palace of Westminster
successful rugby club. This led to a player shortage on all hosted by the Honorary President of Millwall Rugby Club,
fronts but was also the catalyst for many players from Jim Fitzpatrick MP.
the other teams within the club to show their worth
and many of these players have now made the positions
and teams their own. Although all teams within the club
Clubhouse
struggled for the first season after many departures, they
have all gone on to dominate their respective leagues 2007-2009
within the Essex County setup. In 2007 Millwall acquired the disused railway arches on
Millwall Park next to Island Gardens DLR station. Work
Millwall Lions began in August 2007 with the removal of old equipment
In the summer of 2003, 18 players from the Adult Section that had been laid unused for nearly 20 years. Over the
of the club volunteered to take the training course to be- next 2 years walls, floors, piping and new facilities were
come qualified as RFU Level 1 (Youth) Coaches to help all laid down. The work was only made possible by the
get a Youth Section up and running. Jamie Rockman, who help from many committed volunteers and the club-
was also running the Adult 1st team at the time, agreed house eventually had its official opening day on 28 March
to become the club’s first "Youth Chair". 2009. In 2009 Millwall RFC were granted permission from
November 2003 saw a very successful "Tag Rugby Fes- the Tower Hamlets Burough Council to play adult men’s
tival" at which over 150 local Year 6 children attended, rugby on Millwall Park in front of the clubhouse. This was
representing 6 local schools. In December 2005 Pat Sal- an historic occasion for the club and home matches are
mon took over as ’Youth Chair’, and after completing her now attended by many local spectators on Saturday af-
coaching training in January 2006, she took on the coach- ternoons.
ing too.
In the years since, former Club Chairman Matt Shor- Honours
rock has been running the youth section and through
• • Champions - 1996/97
successful recruitment of enthusiastic volunteers, Mill-
• • Champions - 1998/99
wall Lions have gone from strength to strength, fielding
• • Champions - 2003/04
teams in many different age groups with fantastic results
• • Champions - 2006/07, 2008/09
including Under 10, 13, 15 & 17’s. Millwall Lions now
• • Winners 2006/07, 2008/09
boasts over 30 volunteers helping with the running and
management of the youth section.
External links
England v Rest Of the World day • Official site
Every year at the end of the regular season an inter club • Millwall Lions
game is played between all the English players of the club • Millwall Venus
and the players from elsewhere. Early matches saw sev- • Facebook Site
eral England victories but it has been most notably dom- • Millwall Rugby Club Twitter
inated by the ‘Rest Of the World’ teams for several sea- • Venus Rugby Club Twitter
sons now. The day also involves teams from all areas of • Millwall Lions Twitter
the youth section on what is always a good mannered and Coordinates: 51°37′50.00″N 0°48′00.73″W / 51.63056°N
well attended fun day out for all the family. 0.8002028°W / 51.63056; -0.8002028
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Millwall_Rugby_Club&oldid=462507060"
Categories:
• Sports clubs established in 1995
• English rugby union teams
• Rugby union clubs in London
• Sport in Tower Hamlets
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