Penzance RFC


Penzance RFC formed in 1876, was a rugby union club based in Penzance, Cornwall, England. They amalgamated with Newlyn RFC in 1944 to form Penzance and Newlyn RFC, currently known as the Cornish Pirates.

History

1870–1914

The first recorded rugby match in Penzance is from 1870, played in the grounds of Poltair House, Heamoor and organised by W Borlase of Marlborough School. The Penzance team was mostly public schoolboys, home on holiday, and the opponents the Eastern Telegraph Company based in Porthcurno.
The club, formed in 1876, played for a few seasons, did not flourish and was restarted in 1883, by J B Cornish who acted as secretary, treasurer and captain. The club initially played in claret and blue but soon changed to black and white in varying styles. Fixtures in their first season included Redruth, Hayle and Lelant and the club won all their matches with only one try was scored against them. At the 1878 AGM it was stated that it would be desirable if all the players should wear the same colour jerseys!
Arthur Trounson was the first player to win a Cornwall cap when picked to play in the first match against Devon, at Plymouth on 12 January 1894, which was lost by two goals and three tries. Club captain Cornish was to win the first of his six caps, a year later, in 1885 and captained Cornwall on two occasions in 1886–87 and 1889–90. Success finally came to the club, fourteen years after they were founded, when the Cornwall Rugby Cup was won in two consecutive seasons ; the second one unbeaten against Cornish clubs. By now the Cornwall selectors were increasingly picking Penzance players for Cornwall; on one occasion five players playing in the same match. By the Great War, thirty-eight different Penzance RFC players had represented Cornwall winning over two hundred caps between them.

1920–1945

Fixtures between Penzance and Newlyn were hotly contested and sometimes suspended. Between 1929 and 1932 matches between the clubs were cancelled, a big loss of income to both clubs and one they could not afford. In 1930 the club had a deficit of £58 for the season, in 1933 a balance of 1/3d and by 1936 there was a vote on whether Penzance RFC should continue. The club did continue and so did the poor finances and at the 1939 AGM the club had only 17 shillings. Suggestions of an amalgamation with Newlyn were considered premature by that club and the start of the Second World War put an end to club rugby for a few years. In November 1944, after a public meeting, Newlyn RFC agreed to hold talks with Penzance RFC with a view to amalgamation. A subsequent Penzance RFU committee meeting on 21 November agreed to wind up the rugby club; and at a public meeting at the Guildhall on 12 December 1944 it was agreed to start a new club. Penzance-Nelwyn RFC was born.

Honours

Grounds

A number of playing fields were used around Penzance including the Alexandra Grounds, Coombe Lane, St Just Road - until April 1905, and St Clare from the start of the 1905–06 season. Finally in January 1934 a sub-committee was formed to negotiate with the Borough Council the use of the Mennaye Fields as a rugby ground.

Internationals

Barrie Bennetts

It is considered a great honour to be invited to play for the Barbarians and in 1908 Barrie Bennetts was invited to join the annual tour to South Wales playing against Penarth and Cardiff.
A year later he was capped twice by England and in 1909 selected to join John Raphael's, 1910 Combined British team's tour of Argentina, playing in Argentina's first international test. An injury robbed him of the chance to play in the 1908 Olympics when Cornwall, as County Champions, represented Great Britain in the games.

Combined British Team to Argentina

DateOpponentsVenueResultScoreNotes
11910 June 12ArgentinaFloresW28 – 3Argentina's first International match

England

DateOpponentsVenueResultScoreNotes
11909 Jan 9AustraliaRectory Field, BlackheathL3 – 9First England v Australia International
21909 Jan 16WalesCardiff Arms ParkL0 – 8Home International Championship, with four Cornish players in the England team

Cornwall

Fifty-two players from Penzance RFC were picked to represent Cornwall with six of them going on to be captain.
First yearLast yearNameCapsNotes
118831884Arthur H Trounson2Fullback
218851889J B Cornish6
318851893George Kistler15known as “The Giant”
418851893Tom J Peake10one of three brothers to play for Cornwall
51888K Stewart1
618881895A H Thorne11
71888H Trenerry1
818891890Rose2
918891897W Dennis Lawry9brother of R C Lawry
101889A Robinson1
111890Craze1
121891Saunders1
131891Yates1
1418911895H Olivey4
1518921893G Stephens3
161892F Peak2one of three brothers to play for Cornwall
1718931895W G Peak4one of three brothers to play for Cornwall
181893Down2
1918941900Oliver Triggs19
201894J W Nunn1
211894H Lovell2
2218951897E Jasper8
2318951897B Beckerleg2
241895J Sampson1
251895J H Gartell2
2618961902Dr R C Lawry19brother of W D Lawry
271896-J T Triggs1
281896W R Trembath3
291896B Collings2
3018971903T Martin12
311897C Graves2
3218971898G E Gallaher4
3319021912Barrie B Bennetts42Also represented Cornwall at cricket, golf and hockey
341902T King3
3519021907D Brown12
3619031907F Carter8
3719091919T Floyd2
3819091910W J Vicary4
3919221923H Beckerleg3Three-quarters
4019241928H E F Maddrell9Forward
4119271932W ‘Bill’ Rowe13
4219291932C H G Penny9Forward
431931Roger Simpson1
4419321933Ronnie W Sturgess3
4519321933I Uren8
4619321936H E Thomas8
4719321935R Matthews9
481935B Edmonds1
4919351936J S Griffiths4
501936B Moffitt2
511937F Blewett1
5219381945P C Gartrell3

Key: Name in gold indicates the player captained Cornwall on at least one occasion

Other Penzance teams