Canterbury Rugby 1929-1979

After the desolation of the First World War, the 1920s saw a resurgence of sporting and social activity. Rugby was one of the sports that benefitted from this burst of energy and Canterbury was one of the hundreds of clubs that emerged nationwide.


Steve Uglow explores the origins of the city club, the backgrounds of its founding members, its struggle to find a ground but also how it interacted with the social and economic milieu of Canterbury. With Kent on the front line during the Second World War and with Canterbury suffering severe bomb damage, the club only just survives but their matches provide some relief for soldiers and civilians alike.


In the 1950s and 1960s, the wholly amateur club fought to establish its sporting credentials in the county but developed through some powerful and charismatic captains, until in the 1970s, it became county champions for the first time. In the modern era it would emerge as one of the top clubs in England and will reach its centenary in 2029.


At the same time, the club slowly shed some of rugby's reputation for poor behaviour and as a drinking club for young men, reaching out to the wider community through an enlightened youth policy and the development of women's rugby. This book deals with the first 50 years of the club's history, a period which laid down the roots of the diverse and vibrant club that it is today.