Cumnock Rugby Club History

55 Auchinleck Road, Cumnock, Ayrshire KA18 1AN Telephone Number 01290 420292

www.yell.com map of Cumnock RFC

CLUB HISTORY

Following the traditional end of season Old boys versus Cumnock Academy 1st XV game in March 1961, Jim Donaldson, Kenny Blair and Ross MacPherson discussed the possibility of forming a local rugby team. Indeed a Cumnock Academy FP club had been discussed on and off for a few years. The main stumbling block was however a lack of changing and training facilities at the Cumnock Academy School.

It was decided to approach the Head Teacher of the newly built St Conval’s School. After assurances that the new club would indeed be open to all, irrespective of class and creed the Head Teacher gave his permission for his school facilities to be used. Following an advert in the Cumnock Chronicle on 29th September 1961, inserted by Ronnie Houston and Allan Davidson, a meeting was held in the Dumfries Arms Hotel Cumnock on Friday 6th October with a view to forming Cumnock Rugby Football Club. It was at this meeting that Cumnock Rugby Football Club was officially formed. The following weeks Cumnock Chronicle read “Birth of a New Club”.

The report went on to state that although rugby had been played at Cumnock Academy almost consistently since 1935, this was the first effort to form a senior Rugby Club in the District. Until now rugby players in the district have had to travel to Ayr, Kilmarnock and even Glasgow clubs to continue playing, may of them achieving First XV status. Now it is hoped that the Club with these new facilities at Broomfield will be able to arrest this flow of talent from Cumnock. With this thought in mind, messrs R Houston and A Davidson (Ayr Rugby Club) and J Donaldson (Kilmarnock Rugby Club) got together and decided there was sufficient enthusiasm in the district to warrant the formation of a club. The enthusiasm was amply rewarded by the attendance at the meeting where there was between twenty and thirty prospective members present and the promised support from a like number.

The question of colours, practice nights, games etc was discussed and a running Committee was formed to deal with these problems for the remainder of this season. The Committee consisted of J Donaldson, J Ferguson, J R McClure, R Houston, W Morris, R Jess and A Davidson. The meeting was chaired by Mr J McClure who, in closing, said he was particularly pleased with the turn out and hoped that those present would pass on the word to any one interested. The first official committee meeting was held on 17th December 1961 when the under noted were elected.President:
L Sim
Vice President :
Ronnie Houston
Secretary:
Allan Davidson
Treasurer:
W Davidson
Captain:
Bill Cooper
Vice Captain:
Ronnie Houston
Committee:
Adam Blair, Robin Armour, Harry Scott and Jim Donaldson
A typical early First XV game was against the Ayr Seconds on 8th December 1961 when the team was D Johnstone, W Lammie, W Morrison, W Cooper, A Stirling, A Blackwood, A Davidson, F Little, S Stobie, A Blair, J McAtee, B Gunn, J Jenkins and K Blair.

THE EARLY DAYS


From these early days the club has grown from strength to strength and from 1962 when they really got started up until the opening of their own clubhouse at Broomfield in June 1979, the club used St Conval’s for changing and Broomfield for training and used the local pubs, Craighead, or the Tup Inn for their after game hospitality. In 1976 the club obtained a lease from the district council for Broomfield house and spent the next three years completely renovating with the help of a grant of £5000 from the Sports Council and a brewers loan from IND Coope.


PRESENT DAY


In season 1993/94 Cumnock won the Glasgow and District league gaining promotion to National League Division 7. League reconstruction then saw Cumnock promoted to Division 6. In 1998 we carried out major internal changes to the clubhouse at a cost of £20,000 making it one of the most envied in the district. In season 1998/99, Cumnock won National League Division 6 clinching the title with a hard fought win away to Earlston. However league reconstruction saw Cumnock entering National League Division 5 West. In season 2002/03, Cumnock won Division 5 West beating Newton Stewart in the play-off gaining promotion to National League Division 4.

1st Team Scores and Table from Scottish Rugby website

Reports from the games will follow (I hope).

Cumnock 2nd Team league can be found on Div 6 west fixtures and results website

Hopefully I will get results as well for these.

Membership

TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP
FEE (YEARLY) FOR SEASON 2009/2010
Playing member:£40
Social member:£20
Under 18/student/unemployed:£20
School student:Free

Match Fee per game:- £5 per player

CLUB OFFICIALS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Office Bearers
President Alex Dunsmuir alex@dunsmuir5.freeserve.co.uk
Vice President Jim Morrison
Secretary Jim Morton
TreasurerRobert Hunter
Club CoachKevin Horton
General Committee Members
Daniel McLaren
Robert Horton
Mick Smith
Morton Houston
Thomas Cunningham
Marie Johnson
Yvonne Bennett
Catriona Hunter


ANY COMMENTS FOR CUMNOCK RFC CONTACT ME ON:- trobert_c@yahoo.co.uk
That includes reports, pictures, suggestions. Just let me know.

Thomas Cunningham.