We were proud to receive a Sporting Heritage Community Grant to create a short film celebrating grassroots Rugby teams, in the 200th year of the game that shares our town’s name.
David Eales from Old Laurentians RFC shares stories of his 62 years with the club.
2023 marks the two hundredth year of Rugby Football, born in the small market town of Rugby in 1823. To celebrate this landmark in our town’s sporting heritage, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum commissioned a short film celebrating what Rugby means to our sporting communities.
The film launched in the foyer of the Art Gallery and Museum on Saturday 30th September to celebrate Sporting Heritage Day. It stayed for two weeks, coinciding with an exhibition celebrating the bicentenary by Rugby School, where William Ellis first famously picked up the ball and ran, and the launch of our Exhibition ‘A history of Rugby in 50 Objects’, on Saturday 7th October.
Alan Parish, coaching co-ordinator at St Andrews RFC, features in the film
The film interacts with two historical local clubs, Old Laurentians and St Andrews Rugby Football Clubs, founded in 1919 and 1929 respectively. It features special memories, generations of tradition, friendships made, opportunities created, and an overwhelming shared passion for continuing to advocate for the importance of community rugby at local level.
The Old Laurentians’ Women’s Rugby Team training session
Exploring men’s and women’s teams and walking Rugby, the film exemplifies the importance of creating accessible and inclusive opportunities for all to be involved in sporting activities now, and for the next 200 years.
Over 350 people participated in our Sporting Heritage celebrations in the Art Gallery and Museum and our short film has been viewed by almost 500 people online already.
Watch the film, 200 Years Of The Game
We hope you enjoy the film, and please do share your thoughts about it on our website: www.ragm.co.uk/rugbyfootball
All images courtesy of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
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