Brothers make club history as Beccehamian RFC continues family legacy
Beccehamian RFC recently made history as their 1st XV featured three brothers in the starting lineup for the first time.
Scott, Cameron, and Fraser Macaulay took the field together in a Kent Counties 1 derby against Bromley RFC, becoming the first trio of siblings to start for the 1st XV since the club’s founding in 1933.
For Beccehamian, however, this milestone is nothing new. Over the years, the club has been represented by multiple sets of brothers and even holds an annual ‘family’ game against Westcombe Park.
The club pride themselves on their family-oriented approach to grassroots rugby, and Youth Chairman Daniel Kemp says a lot of effort is put into maintaining the tradition.
He said: “We are so proud to see our youth development system bearing fruit, with players continuing to rise through the ranks and above all enjoying the game and pathway to the senior teams.
“We’ve worked really hard on developing the youth system of the club – both boys and girls. Over the years, that tends to feed the senior teams, and you get fathers and sons and sets of brothers playing in the same game.”
Beccehamian’s commitment to player development is evident in their youth retention rates. Of the 18 players who featured in the 1st XV that weekend, 15 had come through the club’s youth programme.
Kemp believes the club’s inclusive and welcoming environment is key to keeping young players engaged and encouraging them to progress into senior rugby.
He said: “We place a heavy emphasis on enjoying yourself. We have had several people go through the Developing Player Program pathways, so we say if you’re good enough, go and enjoy yourself, and play as high a level as you can.
“But if it doesn’t work out, you don’t have to hang your boots up. You can come back to grassroots level as well.”
With a strong commitment to youth development and a deep-rooted community spirit, Beccehamian RFC remains a club where family and rugby go hand in hand.
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