Hackney Rugby Club veteran to share team’s rich history with anniversary book

Hackney Rugby Club’s founders celebrate its 60th anniversary. Photograph: Courtesy of Hackney Rugby Club

As Hackney Rugby Club was approaching its 60th anniversary last October, Richard McDonald thought, ‘What better time to begin writing its history?’

The idea, he said, was met by shrugs from former teammates. Undeterred, McDonald pushed ahead with the project himself. If there was a man for the job, it was him; he joined the club in its second year, at a time when the players would find out whether they were playing that weekend via postcard.

Some 60 years after he first put on a Hackney shirt, McDonald spoke to the Citizen from his home in Reading, proudly leafing through scrapbooks, newspaper cuttings and faded club photographs he collated during his research.

He said: “In the 10 years I initially played with the club, I kept newsletters, a couple of small wallet folders, and my fixture cards from that time. My wife kept asking me when I was going to get rid of them, but I insisted on keeping them for the history.

“When I realised the club was approaching its 60th anniversary, I asked my friends if they had kept anything, and suddenly everyone started digging through their attics, saying, ‘Oh, I’ve got some!’

“For the past six months, I’ve been writing this story. The special thing is that it’s 60 years of history, and along the way I’ve discovered things other people have written over the years, things I wouldn’t have known before”.

Hackney Rugby Club members in 1975. Photograph: Courtesy of Hackney Rugby Club

A task that has proved both arduous and time-consuming, with Richard admitting: ‘My wife keeps asking me when I will come downstairs!”

Hackney RFC can trace its roots back to Woodberry Down Comprehensive School, where former pupils formed Old Griffins RFC to keep playing rugby after they completed their education. McDonald joined during those formative days.

He said: “It was quite rare for a comprehensive school like ours to have a rugby team; most teams came from grammar schools. We thought rugby was a ruffian’s game played by gentlemen, but actually, we were the ruffians.

“When we left school, we formed Old Griffins RFC, named after our school badge. But as no one was coming through from the school, they decided to change the name. Back then, we were playing on Hackney Marshes, with just two rugby pitches among all the seemingly endless football pitches”.

McDonald played from the ages of 17 and 27. One particularly memorable moment occurred when Hackney reached the fourth round of the Middlesex Cup and went head-to-head with the mighty Saracens.

The club at a game in Bournemouth in 1973. Photograph: Courtesy of Hackney Rugby Club

“I’ve still got the programme from that day”, McDonald said proudly.

“It was in the days before serious professional clubs, but they were still a top, top side. The game was played at Saracens’ ground up in Southgate.

“We had a big support, there wasn’t quite 60,000 but the attendance was certainly in the hundreds, and it felt special”.

McDonald said another personal highlight came a few years prior, when he won a seven-a-side tournament at Wanstead Rugby Club with the club’s second team.

The prize? A now beer-stained, pink tie which he still proudly wears from time to time.

Richard left the club in 1975 after moving to Reading. In the 50 years since, the club has survived fires which threatened its very existence, played fixtures at the legendary Twickenham Stadium, and expanded to include women’s and youth teams.

The women’s team being clapped off the pitch last year. Photograph: Courtesy of Hackney Rugby Club

But while he may have stopped playing, McDonald has never truly left the club. He regularly makes the short trip from Berkshire to Clapton to watch Hackney play.

And the spirit of the 1960s and 70s still lives on, with the core of the team getting together whenever they can.

“We have regular meet-ups at our old boys’ team. There’s about 10 of us who go on walking sort of trips for a week each year.

“We have been all over, to the Peak District, to South Wales, to the South Downs, and it’s always good fun!”

Richard’s history book meticulously traces the club’s past from its formation, from the early days right up to the present day. The first team is currently sitting top of the Counties 2 Middlesex League.

“I had initially hoped to get it finished in time for the club’s 60th anniversary, but actually, my friends started to say let’s not rush this.

“I have almost finished collating all the information I need, so really, I just need to format it, and I have already spoken to some publishers down here in Reading. 

“Someone told me we can have it published by the end of April. I think that’s probably wishful thinking now, but I hope to get it out there as soon as I can”.