CLUB HISTORY | CUMBRIA CUP WINNERS | LIFE MEMBERS
Club History
The Club was founded in 1875 according to Club literature but 1878 was the date the Club was inaugurated & a committee formed to run it probably under the Presidency of the REV.WJ Wainwright who was later Cumberland RU president. The club is therefore one of the oldest in England.
The first newspaper report of a match was on October 26th 1878 when Aspatria played Wigton College; the first half being played under “Rugby” rules 15 players per side & the second “Association” rules. Aspatria won the first half by 3 goals, 2 posters & 10 tries and the second half by 1 goal to nil. The teams had “an excellent tea” before going home.Nothings changed there then!
The season of 1878 was the first recorded unbeaten season, matches being played on a field near the railway station but moved in the 1880s to a better field at Noble Croft & stayed there until 1936 but returned to the station fields again after the war. The strip was Black & Red hoops and it still is now.
During the formative years 1880-90,Aspatria & Whitehaven were the dominant teams as rugby increased in popularity. In the period 1890-1900 Aspatria enjoyed a Decade of Glory when 3 players, Joseph Blacklock, James Davidson & Joseph Davidson, played for England and the team travelled far & wide to Durham, Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Scottish Borders. The club fielded up to 7 teams & the Aspatria Agricultural College fielded another .At the end of this period the schism in the game resulting in the formation of Rugby league had a temporary disastrous effect on Aspatria. Many players left & the Club was effectively saved by the Agricultural College in the period 1900 to 1906 and by 1907 the Club was separately viable once again.& remained so until the First World War when the RFU of necessity suspended the game for 5 years.
On resumption in 1919 the club went from strength to strength, all the while losing good players to the professional League game with a few exceptions eg Thomas Holiday & Bob Hanvey who played for England many times.
In the 30’s the club performance reflected the declining fortunes of our country but recovered towards the end of the decade by winning County Cup honours again but the War then intervened for 7 years as Rugby was again suspended. The club was literally rebuilt following the War, soon after, in 1950, the playing field near the railway station became waterlogged & unfit for play, so play relocated to the council owned War Memorial Park where we remained until 1972 when the present ground at Bower Park was constructed. Playing results reached a nadir in 1955 with a severe lack of players but recovery accelerated 1963 when Edwin Brown took over chairmanship of the club a position he retained for over 20 years with the help of a strong committee. In the period 1976-92 Aspatria enjoyed their halcyon years. The Club teams swept all before them winning innumerable trophies & capturing the cream of the Cumbrian rugby talent David Pears& George Doggart both represented England and others too numerous to mention played for Regional & County sides on a regular basis. The club at its zenith rose to the height of National League Division 3 in 1991. Since then the “professional” era has dawned & the amateur Club has slid down the rankings to North 2 but has still produced a crop of very good players, the most recent being Steve Hanley of Sale Sharks & England.
{with Acknowledgements to The History of Aspatria RUFC by Terry Carrick )
Cumbria Cup Winners
1883 - Aspatria 1953 - Workington 2006 - Penrith
1884 - Whitehaven 1954 - Workington 2007 - Kendal
1885 - Aspatria 1955 - Keswick 2008 - Kendal
1886 - Carlisle 1956 - Cockermouth 2009 - Penrith
1887 - Millom 1957 - Egremont
1888 - Millom 1958 - Egremont
1889 - Millom 1959 - Egremont
1890 - Egremont 1960 - Penrith
1891 - Aspatria 1961 - Carlisle
1892 - Aspatria 1962 - Workington
1893 - Maryport 1963 - Whitehaven
1894 - Maryport 1964 - Egremont
1895 - Seaton 1965 - Wigton
1896 - Aspatria 1966 - Cockermouth
1897 - Seaton 1967 - Netherhall
1898 - Seaton 1968 - Egremont
1899 - Aspatria 1969 - Whitehaven
1900 to 1907 - No competition 1970 - Wigton
1908 - Carlisle 1971 - Wigton
1909 - Aspatria 1972 - Wigton
1910 - Carlisle 1973 - Wigton
1911 - Aspatria 1974 - Netherhall
1912 - Aspatria 1975 - Cockermouth
1913 - Blennerhasset 1976 - Cockermouth
1914 - Whitehaven 1977 - Aspatria
World War I 1978 - Aspatria
1920 - Workington 1979 - Wigton
1921 - Workington 1980 - Aspatria
1922 - Egremont 1981 - Aspatria
1923 - Aspatria 1982 - Aspatria
1924 - Workington 1983 - Aspatria
1925 - Workington 1984 - Aspatria
1926 - Workington 1985 - Aspatria
1927 - St Bees 1986 - Wigton
1928 - Aspatria 1987 - Aspatria
1929 - Aspatria 1988 - Aspatria
1930 - Aspatria 1989 - Aspatria
1931 - Workington 1990 - Aspatria
1932 - Egremont 1991 - Wigton
1933 - Silloth 1992 - Aspatria
1934 - Cockermouth 1993 - Aspatria
1935 - Silloth 1994 - Wigton
1936 - Keswick 1995 - Kendal
1937 - Aspatria 1996 - Aspatria
1938 - Aspatria 1997 - Wigton
1939 - Cockermouth 1998 - Kendal
World War II 1999 - Aspatria
1947 - Keswick 2000 - Penrith
1948 - Keswick 2001 - Workington
1949 - Keswick 2002 - Workington
1950 - Workington 2003 - Wigton
1951 - Keswick 2004 - Wigton
1952 - Keswick 2005 - Penrith
Life Members
The proposer of a Life Membership award should write to the Club Secretary with details of the nominated person a minimum of 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. To assist the assessment of the proposal it would be appreciated if the proposer would give brief details of why the award should be made.
John F Symn
Gordon Dixon
Mrs Joan Graham
Harry Pennington
David Miller
Norman Lazonby
Eric Lightfoot
Tom Borthwick
 Jimmy Miller
Peter Pattinson
Jacky Barton
Melvyn Hanley
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