St Francis Rugby Football Club, known as 'Saints' or 'Frannies', is a Rugby union in Sussex, England. The clubs runs three league (two male and one femaile) and a vets social side, with the first team competing in the Sussex 'Canterbury Jack' intermediate league, the second team in Sussex 'Late Red' 3 West league and the ladies in the RFUW NC South East East 3 league.
The club plays at the Emerald Club in Crawley which is located on Southgate playing fields where training takes place twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Up-to-date details can be found on their website.
There has been some controversy surrounding the club since the acceptance of its first pre-op transsexual player Brendan Mallet. Although he/she has been welcomed with arms wide open and has happily joined in the group dynamic as best he can, the controversy over his proliferation of Rugby Club kit order monies in order to finance his impending sex-change operation, he has become at the very bottom of the pile as whipping boy of the club aka Club Bitch! It has only been the recent be-friending by Jack Norrie that has aided Brendan in his quest for social acceptance.
The Rugby Club has a very diverse range of players from the average second row Tom Burn who does his bit around the park to obtain cult status. St Francis Rugby Club have had the enviable luck in the 2011/12 season to possess a forward line almost entirely made up of Number 8s, whilst this has yet to be acknowledged by the Sussex RFU, we believe that this is a World First. Some of the player's to have attempted a shift at 8, include Will Arney, Brenda(n) Mallet and Jack Norrie, who has re-written the book at 8, this has made the whole team step up there game bringing the club to it new level. This has miitigated the loss of Brenda Mallet's retirement on health grounds/personal issues/being a big wuss.
Another World First for the Rugby Club is the possession of probably the two best sets of Brothers to have played the Union code and definitely to have graced the Emerald Club. The Young brothers, Gorm and Guy have marshalled the Frannies defence superbly in the games they have played, bringing a tear to the eye as, undoubtedly comparisons with the Underwood brothers could be made. Not to forget the amazing, incredibly good-looking Singh brothers in the pack. One supporter commented that never before have they seen "such shining beacons of masculinity and virility being present on a Rugby pitch since that Cad and bounder, Will Carling hung up his boots." Probably the most talented Indians to have ever graced the Union code.
As one can see, St Francis are an inclusive, friendly and famous Rugby Club within England and are also currently recruiting for new players.