Hungerford Rugby Football Club is a vibrant sporting association, which has come a long way since its reformation twenty years ago. Hungerford RFC are gaining a reputation outside of the community as a competitive club with a lively social side, but also within the community as a catalyst for sporting excellence and social enjoyment. The rugby club as ambassadors for the community have spread and enhanced the name of the rugby club and the community of Hungerford across the South West, further afield across the UK and abroad.
Hungerford RFC believes that a strong rugby club will give additional sporting options for the community of Hungerford, especially the youth. Rugby along with the other sporting, cultural, artistic and social societies, gives a diversity of recreational alternatives. Rugby can appeal to people who may be unsuited to any other sport, social or cultural leisure pass time. The large, tall and stocky individual, who may have difficulty fitting in, can be an asset to a rugby team. In addition to being ambassadors for Hungerford, the rugby club has hosted many civic occasions, including the memorial game, and gala balls at the town hall for visitors from France and Italy .
Hungerford Rugby Club's first incarnation dates back to 1929 when a group of gentlemen met over beers and pipes in the Plume of Feathers and decided to form the club. The team played regularly until the outbreak of war in 1939 and it was not until 1983 when in almost identical circumstances but this time in the John O' Gaunt and minus pipes a group of enthusiasts revived the club.
Starting as a Sunday morning XV with home games played on Hungerford Common, courtesy of the Town and Manor, the club gradually grew in number and in reputation as a sporting club with a lively social side.
Gradually more Saturday fixtures were taken and the standard of rugby improved and in 1987/88 the decision was taken to join the newly formed Courage League as was. In that first year Hungerford found itself up against strong opposition in the Berkshire Dorset and Wiltshire League, Division 1. Since then the club has seen varying levels of success in Berks Dorset Wilts Divisions 2 and 3, being twice promoted to Division 2. Recently HRFC topped Divison 3 in an unbeaten season 1999/2000 and is currently hoping for a top three position in Dorset and Wiltshire North Division 2.
One of the trademarks of the club is its annual overseas touring tradition which has taken it to France (three times), Italy (twice), Portugal , Ireland (twice), Belgium , Malta , the Czech Republic and Estonia . This year sees the club visiting Spain at the end of the season.
The Club takes pride in its involvement in the local community and contributes whenever possible to local causes. Perhaps one of the highlights of HRFC's achievements in this area was the organising in 1988 of the Hungerford Tragedy Match between a Metropolitan Police XV and an International side which saw the likes of Jeremy Guscott and Wade Dooley weaving their magic on the cowfield of Hungerford Common. Several thousand pounds were raised toward the Tragedy Appeal Fund.
Hungerford Rugby Club is now in its sixth season at the Triangle Field which was the culmination of a several year long council funded project. The upshot is that the club now enjoys pitch and changing facilities of a quality that match that of many larger clubs and the focus is now on extending these facilities to include a clubhouse for the use HRFC and other Hungerford sports clubs and associations. It is hoped that the ability to generate revenue through such amenities will help the club in its stated objective of initiating mini rugby in the town.
The badge shows a lion, representing our home country of England , holding a rugby ball and supporting an English rose, the red Lancastrian rose to remind us of Hungerford's early association with John O'Gaunt (then Duke of Lancaster). The lion's claws rest upon John O'Gaunt's Horn given to the town in medieval times and still blown annually from the balcony of Hungerford Town Hall to denote the start of celebrations at “Hocktide” or “Tutty Day” every spring.
This club crest was designed by Martin Simons, former club president in 1983 when the club reformed and reflects well the strong ties which link it to the traditions of Hungerford and its history.
• Procure a club house
• Gain promotion for the first team
• Regularly field a second team
• Widen social playing membership
Medium term objectives
• Help to develop youth rugby in the town
• Develop a pipeline of youth players flowing from Colts to Second team and then into the first team
• Improve training facilities and coaching standards
• Increase the number of spectators and their general sporting and social experience
• Encourage family involvement in playing, social, coaching and administration
• Regularly host social events that are eagerly anticipated by the community at large
Long term objectives
• Develop a mini rugby section
• Host sevens and “tag rugby” tournaments
• Increase levels of sporting achievement, including developing players capable of representative honours
All of the objectives are inter-linked, however if we were to pick one that would have a major impact on all of the rugby club's objectives, it would be the procuring a clubhouse. This will help us recruit more payers, attract more spectators and improve the whole match experience. In addition it will improve the training facilities and attracting more players to training. All of this will help us to grow as a club and be able to spread our wings to develop youth rugby. 
Hungerford celebrate winning the Berkshire, Wiltshire & Dorset Division III
For more information, please contact Steve Mills ..... e-mail address stevemills36@hotmail.com
This page provided courtesy of the Hungerford Town Council Website