| Full name | Pinner and Grammarians Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | RFU |
| Nickname(s) | The Pelicans |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Ground(s) | Shaftesbury Playing Fields |
| Chairman | Andy Wright |
| President | Dave Hiles |
| League(s) | Herts/Middlesex 2 |
| 2010/11 | 4th[1] |
| Official website | |
| www.pinnerrugby.com | |
Pinner and Grammarians Rugby Football Club is a rugby club in Pinner, northwest London and covers the London Borough of Harrow, the London Borough of Ealing and the London Borough of Hillingdon.
The club fields a first XV, 2nd XV, veteran's team and a club for children. The first XV play in the Herts/Middlesex Division 2. The club is a member of the Rugby Football Union. The club hosts the Socious Sports summer rugby camp for children.[2]
Pinner RFC was formed at a meeting in the Queen’s Head public house in July 1934.[3] Records have shown that a Pinner Rugby Football and Penny Farthing Racing Club played a match against Rosslyn Park in 1886 and then Harrow and Wealdstone in 1889, though the official year of formation is accepted as 1939. Pinner RFC played on several venues including Montesole Playing Field and during the Second World War at Old Millhillians off Headstone Lane, though all matches controlled by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) were suspended during the war. After the end of the war the club switched to Shaftesbury Playing Fields, Hatch End where the club still play.[4] The original pavilion was formally opened on 23 January 1954 by Bill Ramsey, the then President of the RFU.[3] The club President around during this period was international referee[5] Cyril Gadney MBE, who was an important member within rugby union societies, later becoming president of the London Society of Referees, the Middlesex Rugby Football Union (1957-60)[6] and the Rugby Football Union (1962-3).[7] Indeed, Pinner is the most junior rugby club to have one of its members become the president of the RFU.[8] At his invitation the visiting New Zealand national rugby union team spent Christmas at Pinner.[3]
In the 1950s Bryn Jones, who had had a Welsh trial, introduced rugby to Pinner Grammar School. The old scholars club was formed in 1964 playing home matches in Roxbourne Park or at the school. The school produced several outstanding players. Most notable was Stewart Wilson who was a British Lion and captain of Scotland.[8][9] His brother Jackie played at first class level. Howard Walters went on to captain Leicester University but returned to the club as it captain in the 1970’s eventually becoming the Honorary Treasurer and then auditor.[3]
By 1968 both Pinner and the old Scholars team (Grammarians) clubs were experiencing difficulties. To ensure the clubs' survival a merger took place on 1 January 1969. The team, now operating as Pinner and Grammarians RFC, spent the rest of that season under joint administration and captaincy. The 1970s represented a ‘golden age’ for the club with up to six teams playing on Saturdays and a successful Colt’s XV operating on Sundays.[3]
On 11 April 2002 a fire destroyed the clubhouse, which was first built in 1954.[10] The club lost its trophies, memorabilia and photographs in the blaze. The club, through fund raising and a grant from the Rugby Foundation, rebuilt a new clubhouse soon after. In 2010, the pitch underwent construction to implement a new comprehensive drainage scheme funded by the RFU and the Harrow London Borough Council.[11]