Old Laurentians finally able to mark their centenary with a ‘Festival of Rugby’

Two hundred years ago the game of rugby football originated, reputedly, from the day when a pupil of Rugby School, William Webb Ellis, flagrantly disregarded the rules of football to catch the ball and run with it in a game on The Close and the school are celebrating the bi-Centenary of the game this year, writes Bill Wallis.

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Less than 100 years later, in 1919, the Old Laurentian Rugby Football Club was founded by Old Boys of Lawrence Sheriff School.

And, last Sunday, OLs celebrated their centenary with a Festival of Rugby on The Close, the outbreak of Covid having been responsible for the delay since the original date set for the event in 2020.

To play at the birthplace of the game and on the pitch where it all began, is a rare privilege.

Players of all ages were on hand to help celebrate Old Laurentians' centenary at The Close. Picture by Chris Reading

On Sunday, a conservative estimate saw over 600 players of all ages celebrate the club’s centenary.

Eight other clubs and Warwickshire RFU sent teams and throughout the day, 15 games were played from micros, all mini and junior age groups from under-7 to under-16, OLs Phoenix Ladies and Dragonesses playing touch rugby and the Fosse Falcons ladies playing contact rugby right through to the club’s first XV.

After a chilly start, it had turned into a perfect spring day by late morning and The Close was swarming with young players.

The day ended with a game between Old Laurentians’ first-team and a Warwickshire President’s XV which produced an entertaining encounter and a scoreline of 33-26 in favour of the Warwickshire.

OLs were very grateful to Rugby School for allowing the club to stage the event, to the coaches of all teams and visiting clubs who turned up, to the referees who make it all possible and to club members, led by chairman Andrew Spriggs, who pulled things together, with a special mention for Linsey Green for her tireless work behind the scenes.