Waterloo R.F.C.

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Waterloo
Full name	Waterloo Football Club
Emblem	Lancastrian red rose with a black griffin
Colours	myrtle green, white & scarlet
Founded	1882
Sport	Rugby union
League	National League Division 1
Ground	St Anthony's Road
Official website	www.waterloorugby.com

Waterloo Football Club is an English Rugby Union team based at St Anthony's Road, Blundellsands, Crosby in the north of Liverpool. 2006/7 will be its 124th season, having been founded in 1882 by brothers Sidney and Harry Hall and George Abercrombie. From 1882 until 1884 the club was known as Serpentine after the road near it's original ground. In 1884 a dispute prompted a relocation to Waterloo and so the club's name was changed. The club returned to the Blundellsands area in 1892 and has remained there ever since.

Formerly nicknamed 'The Drummers' they play in myrtle green, white and scarlet hooped shirts, green shorts and green socks.

Former players include Dick Greenwood, Ben Kay, Will Greenwood, Andy Titterrell, Watcyn Thomas, Kyran Bracken, Austin Healey, and Paul Grayson.

Contents 1 Notes 2 2005/2006 Season 3 2006/2007 Season 4 Colts 5 Internationals 6 Other 7 External links

[edit] Notes

• In 1977 they were the runners-up in the John Player Cup.

• They competed in the top division of English rugby for the first two seasons after the league structure was introduced but were relegated in 1989.

• In Season 2003/2004 the 1st XV gained promotion to National League Division 2, reached the final of the Powergen Shield at Twickenham and was Rugby World Magazine 'Team of the Year'.

• In 2005/2006 they secured promotion to National League Division 1.

• In 2005 club president and former England women’s rugby union international Gill Burns received an M.B.E. for services to sport.

[edit] 2005/2006 Season

The 2005/2006 season saw both the men's & women's teams near the top end their respective divisions.

The men's XV finished in second position behind divisional champions Moseley, this secured them promotion to National Division One. In April the coaching team of Ian Aitchison and Phil Winstanley announced they would be stepping down after the end of the season because of the demands of trying to balance their fulltime occupations and coaching a first division rugby team.

The women's XV finished top of the northern regional division and so entered the promotion playoffs against the winners of the Midlands, South West and South East divisions. They won the playoffs and gained promotion into the Premiership 2 division.

At the end of the season Waterloo players Neil Kerfoot, Freeman Payne, Jan Van Deventer, Steve Nutt, Martin O'Keefe and Dan Palmer made a notable contribution to Lancashire's national county championship campaign culminating in a 32-26 triumph over Devon at Twickenham.

[edit] 2006/2007 Season

The close season has seen 37-year-old Australian Mick Melrose installed as coach with Ian Aitchison moving from chief coach to director of rugby. Gill Burns stepped down as club president to be succeeded by former Waterloo and Scotland forward Colin Fisher.

Full back Peter Murchie has joined from Bath, New Zealander Sam Woods has signed from Orrell and Scottish lock Rory McKay & Jonathan Brandling Harris have arrived from Australian club Manley and Chad Erskine arrived from the USA.

Front Rower Rob O'Donnell left the club to join Guinness Premiership Champions Sale.

[edit] Colts

Waterloo has an exceedingly successful Colts Rugby section (u17-u19). Under the captaincy of Tom Benbow, and featuring such players as Matt Daley (son of former flanker Mick Daley), Tom White and Michael Bates the most successful team brought home several pieces of silverware, winning a Lancashire and Cheshire League in 2002-03, and the Lancashire Cup the following season. In 2005-06 the team won their league.

[edit] Internationals

The full list of Waterloo players to earn international caps is as follows :

England : Alan Ashcroft 1956-59, Jasper Bartlett 1951, Reg Bazley 1952-55, N.O. Bennet 1948, Eric Bole 1946, John Cain 1950, Roy Foulds 1929, Dick Greenwood 1966-69, Dicky Guest 1939-49, Jack Heaton 1935-47, Chris Jennins 1967, Roy Leyland 1935, Humphrey Luya 1948-49, Graham Meikle 1934, Steve Meikle 1929, Joe Periton 1925-30, Sam Perry 1948, Gordon Rimmer 1949-54, Jim Syddall 1982-84, Peter Thompson 1959, Bert Toft 1936-39, Dick Uren 1948-50, Harold Uren 1946, Jack Wallens 1927, Bob Weighill 1947-48.

Ireland : Robin Godfrey 1954.

Scotland : Alistair Fisher 1947, Colin Fisher 1975-76, Jackie McArthur 1932, Sammy McQueen 1923, Allan Roy 1939, J.W. Scott 1928-30.

Wales : Raymond Bark-Jones 1933, Watcyn Thomas 1931-33.

USA : Chad Erskine 2006

[edit] Other

• They are affiliated with Liverpool's Capital of Culture 2008 promotions (official website).

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• Current National League 1 Table (BBC)
• Liverpool Echo Rugby Union pages
• Waterloo on itsrugby.co.uk