User:Quorn RFC/sandbox

Quorn RFC (officially Quorn Rugby Football Club) is an English rugby union club based in the Leicestershire Village of Quorn, England that only play non competition fixtures.

Created in 2013, the club are the only side in the county that provide a purely 'friendly' fixture calendar refusing to play in Midlands & Leicestershire Leagues and Cups. The ethos of the club is one that rugby should be a game for all to enjoy and the modern mentality of needing recorded competition as a way of identifying ones success as a club should be rejected in the place of regular playing members, the quality of rugby played and the enjoyment of all those involved as a true measurement of the games success.

Now approaching its 3rd season the club can boast a healthy number of playing members, vice presidents and sponsors that all equally share not only the volunteering responsibilities in order for the club to operate but also the financial costs of doing so.

Within its first few seasons the club has gained a reputation as a fixture that many clubs who feature on its fixture card as one to look forward to with great quality rugby on offer played in the true spirit of the game and even greater post match hospitality in the White Horse public house.

Early Days
During the winter of 2012 on a dark night in a local pub in the village of Quorn two rugby enthusiast sat debating what they saw as the problems surrounding modern grassroots rugby.

During this conversation they also questioned why a village such as Quorn had never had a rugby club in over 140 years of the games existence. This lead to only one conclusion, to create a rugby club the village could call their own whilst reverting back to the traditional values of the game that gave rugby football its rise as a community sport.

Both agreed that the season should only run from mid-September until the following Easter, a format that had been ever present for a number of years before the elite game turned professional in 1995. It was believed that this condensed season would be much more manageable for players to commit to whilst balance family and personal life. The second action was to create a purely friendly fixture program of which the club would invite local sides to be part of whilst also staggering games throughout the season allowing rest weeks for players to recover and allocate free weekends to family commitments.

The final principal agreed upon was that all players regardless of experience and ability be given equal game time and that participation be made a priority over winning, a complete about turn on the mentality of many ‘social’ teams competing in local competitions today.

So the two gentleman in question (David Bonser & Nathanael Holden) set about creating what they saw as a utopia of social rugby for players within the local area. In a short space of time an agreement was reached with Rawlins Academy to make use of their rugby pitch and changing facilities and further local enthusiast joined the social rugby crusade in order to help raise funds and awareness within the local community (Adey Bloodworth & Jeremy Simpson).

As the months ticked by and interest began to grow it was agreed that a unique identity be chosen to incorporate the history of the local area, a fox would be decided upon as the clubs emblem along with a kit consisting of red shirts, white shorts and black socks as a nod to the areas hunting heritage. The clubs year of formation would be included in the form of Roman numerals to represent the influence of Roman Britain in the area, of which Quorn paid huge part in literally building Leicester as a major Roman village thanks to stone quarried from Buddon Wood on the edge of the village Parish.

In the summer of 2013 local public house ‘The White Horse’ agreed to host the club after matches placing the club in the centre of village life and soon became a place to call home for the players of Quorn Rugby Football Club.

The First Season
On Saturday 7th September two peoples dream became a reality when Jerome McCormack led out the first ever Quorn RFC team (pic) out to play a Birstall XV in a game they won 17-0 thanks to tries from Nathanael Holden and Joe Bowden (2), with further points being added from the boot of fly half Mark Snutch.

This victory spring boarded the club onto winning 10 of 20 games which included notable results including a Boxing Day victory against Soar Valley rivals and friends Sileby RFC, a win against a Leicester University Freshers XV and a dominate performance against a Melton Nomads side. All very noticeable achievements for a club in its infancy. More importantly the club attracted a large number of player wishing to see for themselves what was on offer including that of former England cricketer Matt Hoggard who managed to squeeze in for a try on his debut.

The club also held its first awards evening in July of 2014 awarding Henry Mitchell the first player of the season award and Billy Munden the young player of the season award. Even more impressively Oliver Bazire became the first ever player to appear in every fixture during the season and was inducted as the first name to join 'The 100 Club'.

The Tricky Second Season
The question on everyone's lips following a successful first season for Leicestershires youngest club was, how do we follow that? The answer it turns out was, very well indeed! Recruiting a number of new young chaps the club recorded a first victory against Stoneygate FC in front of a large crowd including Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan following our annual Presidents lunch. Further noticeable victories followed against Oadby Wyggs, Belgrave and Vipers sides climaxing in a first win against Aylestone Athletic on Leicesters Victoria Park.

The season was also a huge successful away from the playing pitch as the club became incorporated, achieved the RFU club accreditation award and in the summer of 2015 was accepted as a full member of the Rugby Football Union.

Brighton 2016
In March 2016 the jolly gents of Quorn shall be visiting Brighton for their annual hurrah! More details to follow.....

TBC 2017
As yet no destination has been selected however rumours are rife that the gents of Quorn shall be looking Eastwards to completed their recent trips to the North, West and the South before embarking on travels over seas to celebrate the clubs 5th season!

Club Incorporation
In February 2014 a whole club EGM was held for paid members to discuss and vote upon becoming a limited organisation. This would involve the club members in effect becoming shareholders within the club and appointing a board of three directors to oversee club operations in their interest.

It was agreed unanimously that this should be the case and after tireless hours club stalwart Simon Reed was able to present final papers to the club at the following AGM that would see David Bonser, Nathanael Holden and Gary Mills become club directors.

The club now oporates on a legal basis as Quorn Rugby Football Club Limited.

RFU Club Accreditation
The success of this first season saw Quorn Rugby Football Club establish themselves firmly on the map of Leicestershire club rugby and in September 2014 awarded accreditation by the games governing body The Rugby Football Union.

Notable former players

 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Matthew Hoggard - Former England Cricketer
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Thomas Yule - Former Commonwealth & Olympic Weightlifter
 * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ed Winterton - Current England Polo International