Carlisle growing their own as they approach 150
Carlisle RFC are looking to the future as they build towards their 150th anniversary in 2023.
The club, a leading light in Cumbria for almost a century and a half, saw Covid persuade many of their male players aged 30+ to hang their boots up. This has resulted in a very young 1st XV as well as less regular 2nd XV players which hit the club hard, especially as the last time they struggled for numbers was well over a decade ago.
Undeterred, the club was determined to grow their own future players and appointed Rugby Development Officer, Ross Cooke, who has been working with 56 local primary and seven secondary schools.
Ross plays full back for Tynedale in National 2, as well as for Poland, his grandfather having come to the UK from Poland aged 18 and is passionate about promoting rugby among youngsters in a predominantly football area.
The club knows what it takes to dig in and rebuild. They have had to deal with significant flooding in recent times, including in 2005 when the water level on the pitch almost reached the cross bar. But their resilience and the team spirit among the local rugby community has seen them determine to continue to develop all areas of the playing structure, with the Cougars women's team a real driving force at Warwick Road.
Appeal to former players for memories
Season 2023-2024 will see the club celebrating their 150th anniversary, having been formed on 8th October 1873. They are appealing to former players and members with memories or memorabilia from their time at Warwick Road, to volunteer information because the two recent floods saw them lose many records, documents and archives; apart from some believed to be with a local archivist.
On reaching their 150th birthday they will begin to celebrate all the benefits the club has brought to the city and the hinterlands for over a century and half, and all the great volunteers who have helped to make a difference over the years. They may have lost a lot of historical documents and photographs in the two great floods that devastated Carlisle in 2005 and 2015, but still retain their fighting spirit.
And, as they grow numbers among younger players, the critical transition between youth and senior rugby, sees RFU Coach Developer Struan Hutchison adding value to their development plans.
At the start of the 2022/23 season they recruited former Scotland prop, George Graham, who lives locally, as their coach. In 1997 George won his first cap for his country, in his first year playing for Newcastle Falcons and went on to achieve 25 international caps. He played 128 games for Newcastle and his career highlights included winning the Five Nations with Scotland and topping the Premiership with the Falcons.
A variety of social events are held in the club for members, with the club manager, Katie Johnston creating a great programme of events which are always popular with members and the local community.
Club Secretary David Morton said: “The club has had some challenging times, not least with floods followed by the pandemic, but like many we are rebuilding and look forward to celebrating 150 years of rugby.”
