Wheels turning at Falmouth rugby club
The Cornish seaside town are celebrating their 150th anniversary while looking to the future.
Falmouth is one of Cornwall’s largest towns, lying in a sheltered bay and offering Blue Flag beaches.
At its heart is Falmouth Rugby, one of Cornwall’s oldest rugby clubs, and they are currently celebrating their 150th anniversary and aiming to create a legacy by forming their first women’s team.
It’s a busy time for the club which started in 1873. In the summer their 150-mile fundraising cycle visited some other South West clubs approaching 150 years old. There’s an Academy Festival taking place in the new year and plans to play a Cornwall President’s XV at the Recreation Ground.
The club's second team and veterans side are also getting their boots on to play Bolingey Barbarians, who support Cornwall children’s charities. Club chair John Bullock, who has just turned 60, is already in training!
Building towards women's team
John said: “It’s certainly a busy time with lots going on. We are gradually building towards a women’s team, having held introduction to rugby sessions in the summer. We now have a group of players training and playing touch on Monday evenings with our Falmouth Smugglers team.
“It would be really brilliant if we could create a women's team at Falmouth during our 150th year, to make the club completely inclusive. Our women’s team will be called the White Tails – a name that complements the men’s first team, the Eagles, and links with the White-Tailed Eagle recently found to reside in Cornwall.
With a thriving age grade section enjoying Sunday training and matches, at the start of the season the club unveiled a new crest, alongside wider branding and playing kit. We also have a new two-storey street art mural of our club crest which greets visitors on the wall of our kit store. Next Easter Annual Old Dunstonians will be at Falmouth on tour, with a charity auction taking place.
And at the end of the season, they will have a gala dinner with Gareth Chilcott as their guest. Then they are getting back on their bikes to cycle around all the clubs they play in the league and complete their fundraising for MIND, Children's Hospice South West and Jay's AIM who help clubs with defibrillators.
