AN UPDATE:
Dear all,
We have unveiled the wall! In the bright sunshine of Saturday 5 April, we were honoured to have the Town's Deputy Mayor, Cllr Emily Trow, cut the ribbon on the wall of engraved bricks... and very fine it looks too!
There is a limited number of bricks remaining. If you would like to be part of this enduring installation at the Club, please complete a form here on the website.
With best wishes,
Howard
H J P Wilkinson
Chairman, Marlborough Rugby
Dear all,
We have unveiled the wall! In the bright sunshine of Saturday 5 April, we were honoured to have the Town's Deputy Mayor, Cllr Emily Trow, cut the ribbon on the wall of engraved bricks... and very fine it looks too!
There is a limited number of bricks remaining. If you would like to be part of this enduring installation at the Club, please complete a form here on the website.
With best wishes,
Howard
H J P Wilkinson
Chairman, Marlborough Rugby
A letter from the Chairman
Marlborough Rugby Football Club
Frees Avenue
MARLBOROUGH
Wiltshire
SN8 1DL
5 March 2025
Dear Club member,
COMMEMORATING 90 YEARS OF RUGBY ON THE COMMON
Did you know? Rugby was played in Marlborough as long ago as 1852. Yes – long before the founding of the RFU in 1871! The game as we know it has changed remarkably since then, but there are records of rugby being played on The Common in the 1920s, albeit on pitches that are where the old people’s home and cemeteries now sit. We first played on the pitches where we play today in 1934. The story goes that around 1930-1931 a rugby team based at The Sun Inn was playing occasional matches on a field on Savernake Hill. The team played in Royal blue jerseys and had strong links with Marlborough College. This re-established Marlborough R.F.C. found its way back to playing on The Common during the 1933-4 season.
An anniversary project. You may already be aware that the Club Committee started work on a project in 2024 to mark these 90 years of rugby being played on The Common. Regrettably, the project did not advance as rapidly as we had hoped. It is clear that we have passed the strict ‘1934-2024’ anniversary, but we are determined to commemorate this historic event in the current season, which we see as still valid.
What are we doing? We are going to install a wall of engraved bricks on the exterior of the Clubhouse, facing The Common. This ‘memorial wall’ will help us to commemorate a significant anniversary in our Club’s rich history. Through it, we look to re-affirm links to the local population, the Town and County Councils, and other partners. We will seize and exploit a valuable media & communication opportunity, and (very importantly) we will raise funds for the Club community.
The bricks. There will be 90 bricks in total, each one representing a year since 1934. The bricks are a dark slate grey colour and will be engraved in ‘Marlborough Rugby gold’ by local monumental sculptor Martin Sly. They will be affixed to the outside of the Clubhouse, facing The Common.
How can I participate? Very simply! Please complete the form on the Club website at https://marlboroughrfc.rfu.club/. Each brick is offered for a minimum ‘VAT free’ donation of £200 and can be engraved with two lines, each with a total of 12-15 characters and spaces, for an individual, a family, or an age-grade team – for example “John Smith”, or “The Smith family”, or “The Marlborough Under 15s”.
Unveiling. The wall will be unveiled at lunchtime on Saturday 5 April 2025, just before the home fixtures against Lydney (1st XV) and Devizes (2nd XV). A number of official guests will be present, but the focus will be on those who have purchased a brick and are attending to see their names on an engraved brick that forms part of this unique and lasting memorial at the Club.
Thank you for engaging with the Club in this way. I look forward to seeing your name amongst the others when we unveil the wall!
Howard Wilkinson
Marlborough Rugby Football Club
Frees Avenue
MARLBOROUGH
Wiltshire
SN8 1DL
5 March 2025
Dear Club member,
COMMEMORATING 90 YEARS OF RUGBY ON THE COMMON
Did you know? Rugby was played in Marlborough as long ago as 1852. Yes – long before the founding of the RFU in 1871! The game as we know it has changed remarkably since then, but there are records of rugby being played on The Common in the 1920s, albeit on pitches that are where the old people’s home and cemeteries now sit. We first played on the pitches where we play today in 1934. The story goes that around 1930-1931 a rugby team based at The Sun Inn was playing occasional matches on a field on Savernake Hill. The team played in Royal blue jerseys and had strong links with Marlborough College. This re-established Marlborough R.F.C. found its way back to playing on The Common during the 1933-4 season.
An anniversary project. You may already be aware that the Club Committee started work on a project in 2024 to mark these 90 years of rugby being played on The Common. Regrettably, the project did not advance as rapidly as we had hoped. It is clear that we have passed the strict ‘1934-2024’ anniversary, but we are determined to commemorate this historic event in the current season, which we see as still valid.
What are we doing? We are going to install a wall of engraved bricks on the exterior of the Clubhouse, facing The Common. This ‘memorial wall’ will help us to commemorate a significant anniversary in our Club’s rich history. Through it, we look to re-affirm links to the local population, the Town and County Councils, and other partners. We will seize and exploit a valuable media & communication opportunity, and (very importantly) we will raise funds for the Club community.
The bricks. There will be 90 bricks in total, each one representing a year since 1934. The bricks are a dark slate grey colour and will be engraved in ‘Marlborough Rugby gold’ by local monumental sculptor Martin Sly. They will be affixed to the outside of the Clubhouse, facing The Common.
How can I participate? Very simply! Please complete the form on the Club website at https://marlboroughrfc.rfu.club/. Each brick is offered for a minimum ‘VAT free’ donation of £200 and can be engraved with two lines, each with a total of 12-15 characters and spaces, for an individual, a family, or an age-grade team – for example “John Smith”, or “The Smith family”, or “The Marlborough Under 15s”.
Unveiling. The wall will be unveiled at lunchtime on Saturday 5 April 2025, just before the home fixtures against Lydney (1st XV) and Devizes (2nd XV). A number of official guests will be present, but the focus will be on those who have purchased a brick and are attending to see their names on an engraved brick that forms part of this unique and lasting memorial at the Club.
Thank you for engaging with the Club in this way. I look forward to seeing your name amongst the others when we unveil the wall!
Howard Wilkinson
