Club History

Swindon Rugby Football Club was formed in November 1895,but they were not the first rugby team in in the town.

As early as 1870 there has been at least one Rugby Union team in Swindon.The earliest reference that can be found so far is in the Swindon Evening Advertiser and refers to a match played on 26th November 1870 between Swindon Rangers and Highworth on some land loaned to the Rangers by a Mr. J Brunsden in Gorse Hill. There is not much information in the report (see below) but it does state Swindon one by 1 goal and 3 ranges.

An entry in Astills Original Swindon Almanac of 1881 details the committee of the Swindon Rangers to be

President - W. Dean Esq

Vice President- J. Armstrong

Captain - H.D. Millett

Dept Captain - E.E. Hanies

Hon Sec - J. Wickenden 83, Regent Street

Treasurer - W.W. Bliss Alama House Bell Vue

One of the main driving forces in the development of rugby in Swindon was John Armstrong. On leaving school in Wolverhampton in 1866, aged 15, he joined his father, Joseph Armstrong and family at Swindon and became a pupil at the GWR works, under his father.

He played for the Swindon Rangers Cricket Club from which the Swindon Rangers Football club emerged. He was supposed to have captained the Rugby (Football) club for 7 years, but at the moment the dates do not match up.

On 1st January 1881 the Swindon Advertiser reports of a rugby match played on Boxing Day 1880 between a team called GWR and a London sided named the Falcons. GWR won by “4 tries and six or seven touches to nil”. Not much is known about the GWR team but one can assume that they were people who worked for the Great Western Railway works in Swindon.

At the same time certain schools in Swindon had taken up the sport. In March 1881 two schools, High School and Swifts, were playing rugby. High school played Tollington House School in Farrington and Swindon Swift’s played Weston School from Bath.

As already stated Swindon Rangers were playing in Gorse Hill in 1870. This is possibly the first ground they played at.

GWR seemed to play most of their matches at the Park, which is near to the railway village. This is now known as Farringdon Park.

By 1879 they were playing at the Croft, which seems to have been their home ground for many years as they were still there in 1892. The season after they were playing at the Sands which was near to the Victoria Hospital at the top of Victoria Hill.

While investigating the origins of Swindon RFC it is noticeable what clubs were playing rugby in the area at the same time.

On Saturday 12th February 1876 Swindon Rangers played Cirencester at a ground in Swindon.

In a report in the Evening Advertiser on the 25th October 1879, it states that a trial game between Mr. Milletts XV vs. Mr. Haines XV was held at the Croft. This was in preparation for the first game of that season against Gloucester Football Club, which was to take place at the Croft on 25th October. No match report can be found at the moment!!

In another Swindon Advertiser report the location where the GWR matches took place is given. On 5th January 1881 GWR played a side called Rovers at the Park, New Swindon. The score was nil nil, but Swindon won by two “touches” to nil.

Further reports in the Swindon Advertiser during 1881 showed that GWR played teams such as Devizes and Cheltenham Training College, winning against both sides.

The team seems to have flourished and again played in 1882, playing against teams such as St James in which people such as Hacker, Yule and Hedges (Capt.) shone.

In 1882 Swindon Rangers played a match against a team know as XX (Twenty) at the Croft on 21st January. The Twenty seemed to be made up mainly of GWR players. The Swindon Advertiser reports on the 23rd January that this was a “local match watched by 300 people, including the fair sex”.

The Rangers again played Gloucester at the Spa ground on 14th January 1883. Gloucester until that time were unbeaten, but the Swindon Rangers came away victorious, winning by 2 tries and 2 “touches” to 1 try and 2 “touches”

There is a nice report of two games played on 31st January 1885. Swindon Rangers 2nd XV played a match against Purton F.C. Then on the same pitch the Rangers 1st XV played Bath Volunteers F.C. The unusual thing about the games was that two players, Brunsden and Horsington, played in both games. Swindon Rangers won both games.

Another team to play the Rangers was Bath. On the 12th January 1889 both teams met at Henrietta Park in Bath. Bath came out the winners by 2 goals, 1 try and 3 minors to 1 minor.

One reference in the Swindon Evening Advertiser to the Rangers was in the 1st October 1892 issue and is a small paragraph explaining that Bristol had moved on to play stronger opposition, Gloucester, as they were improving so rapidly, as Swindon Rangers had found to their detriment in the previous season. This implies that Bristol had beaten the Rangers convincingly the previous season!

On 8th October 1892 Swindon Rangers played Stroud at Swindon. Swindon lost 10 - 2 (see old points scoring appendix). The second XV played Stroud away and lost by 3 goals to nil.

The first reference that I can find as to where Swindon Rangers played came in the Swindon Advertiser on 21st January 1893. In a report on a match between Swindon Rangers and Bridgewater Albion on 14th January, it states the game was played at the Sands which is located near the Victoria Hospital in Swindon. The game was drawn but each team “scored” a minor each.

In the Swindon Advertiser on 20th January 1894 it was reported that on the 13th January the season had resumed after bad weather had stopped games for sometime. Swindon Rangers game on that day was against Bath, who won the match 7 - 0.

It was reported in the Swindon Advertiser on the 12th January 1895 that a meeting was held at which it was suggested that due to lack of support at committee level the Swindon Rangers would cease to exist

The next indication that the Swindon Rangers had disbanded came in a report in the Swindon Advertiser on the 16th November 1895.

It was stated that a second general meeting was held at the Cricketers Arms public house on 14th November at which a captain, Mr. C Brimson, and a vice captain, Mr C.M. Partridge, where elected for Swindon Rugby Football Club.

It was also announced that the first match of the new club would be played on the 16th November. The game was against Walcot (Bath) at Walcot. Swindon RFC won 5 - 0.

On the 23rd November 1895 a practice match was organised in preparation for the following weeks match against Eastleigh away.

On the 30th November Swindon traveled to Eastleigh but unfortunately lost the game by 2 goals and 4 tries to nil. Did the long journey affect players in those days as well?

A milestone was reached the following week when Swindon entertained Jesus College Oxford at the Sands. This was the first game that Swindon appeared in their new club colours of Navy Blue.

The following week, 14th December, Bath Hornets were the visitors. This game was played on “a field near to the Victoria Hospital” which gives a good indication of the Sands location.