The closest of rivals
One of the closest geographical rugby rivalries in England resumes this weekend…
When Park House RFC’s first team leave their ground on Saturday it will take them one minute to arrive at their ‘away’ fixture, at Bromley RFC.
That’s because, not only do Park House and Bromley share the same road, they share the same London 3 South East league.
The 324ft distance from clubhouse to clubhouse is shorter than the pitch at Twickenham Stadium - shorter still if you choose to walk through one of the many openings in the treeline that run along each other’s grounds - and it is this territorial tension that adds to a fierce fixture.
“Traditionally they’ve always been the ‘bigger’ club, and we’ve always been the underdogs,” says Park House captain, Ashley Holdaway. “But more recently the fixtures have been competitive; we won there last year, and they’ve beaten us on our patch. It’s a great game because it’s well supported, bragging rights are on the line, and each side literally wants to send the other packing back over the road.”
Holdaway knows the fierceness of the fixture better than most; he’s played in over 20 derbies since joining the club in 2002, and his experience acts as a source of preparation for those less familiar in the build-up to the games.
“We have a lot of youngsters that have come through and we emphasise to those boys just how important this game is,” Holdaway added. “Educating those players in what the fixture means is essential, because if you’re not ready for it, the intensity of the game can blow you away a little bit. Those first ten minutes are hectic.”
You can’t pick your neighbours, but Bromley and Park House maintain a respectful relationship, where conflict happens on the pitch and not off it. Opportunities to boast who is better have been taken in the past however, as Bromley captain Callum Hughton recalls after his side won the RFU Senior Vase at Twickenham in 2015.
“We beat West Leeds in the final and when we got back to the clubhouse, after a lot of post-match celebrations, we decided to decorate the Park House sign with our winner’s banner and posters. We were just having a laugh and they took it in good jest,” he added.
“We respect them greatly; if they ever need help we will help and vice versa. The only time we change is on game day. Amicable before and after, but hell-for-leather for those 80 minutes.”
Holdaway and Hughton agree when it comes to being the ‘away’ team, changing rooms and facilities should be used as if it were any other away game in the league, though mind games have been alleged in the past.
“We always go to their place and always get changed there,” explains Holdaway. “I cannot speak for them; they’ve changed and trained on their own pitch before a game at ours. Those are just moments that come with any good rivalry though.”
The good rivals are good friends, and nothing exemplified that more than when the Park House grounds were trespassed on and clubhouse broken in to causing mass damage.
“When we had a major issue and were in a moment of need, Bromley were one of the first responders,” Holdaway remembers. “They turned up and helped us with the clear up, aided with fundraising and contributed too. They were excellent.”
Good will is on hold this weekend though - in this the last fixture of 2019 - as vital points are up for grabs, with Bromley 11 behind table toppers Ashford, and Park House in a tie for tenth needing a momentum shift.
Remarkably, in their last six meets each side has won three. Holdaway has never done ‘the double’ over Bromley, and highlights it as a goal before retirement. He gets a shot at doing half the job this weekend, and what a Christmas present that would be.
