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An acronym standing for "Sporting Community Rugby Union Museum", this is a joint venture between the 9 Clubs in Hartlepool and the Headland Development Company to established a Museum of Rugby that will reflect the history of the Game in the area from the known earliest beginnings through to today's game.
The facility will be a static display, themed displays, Rugby Archive and interactive display's and intended to be a reflection of the rich Christian Heritage of the area .
It will reflect the Victorian "Muscular Christianity" movement that can still be seen n the large number of Rugby Clubs that still operate both in the Ancient Borough and West Dock. The Victorians saw team sport as a way of teaching young men the 'manly' disciplines of Teamwork, Self-Discipline, Courage and Loyalty, and in the Public and Grammar Schools they encouraged the playing of Football (later to divide into Soccer and Rugby) as ways of enforcing these qualities and this worked through to all aspects of society with the encouragement of the Churches, as the 19th century developed and many Rugby and Soccer Clubs can trace there start from a Bible Class.
Two examples of this can been seen in the Hartlepool (Old Boys), now at Mayfield Park, and BBOB, playing on the "Friarage", they were started by Dr "Bertie" Morison from Bible classes in his home in Brougham Street and from these evolved the Old Boys Institute. Both Clubs can trace their start back to the Institute's inception in 1891 although Rugby was by then was well established in the Borough with The Hartlepool's Foot Ball Club being started in the Cleveland Hotel in Northgate 1875 (they played on the Friarage) and 4 years later a team called Hartlepool Juniors, later the Rovers , started their games on what became Galleys Field School site and now 125 years later at the "New " Friarage in West View Road.
And what a history the "Old " Friarage has, for it has witnessed first visit by a New Zealand side ,the Maoris of 1888 and it is also the place where the world renowned "Barbarians" played their first game against Rovers in 1890, the Baa Baas , as they are known, will be playing England at Twickenham on Dec 4th this year, a long way from Moor Terrace. That game with the Maoris was the fore runner of several against overseas sides that have now on to be legendary, the 1905 All Blacks played a combined West/Rovers team that season at the Friarage. A year later the First Springboks played Durham on the Victoria Ground and then in 1908 the 1st Australians played Durham at Blaydon.
Another remarkable period was the revival in the 20s when no less that 10 Clubs operated from addresses between Throston Bridge and the Fish Quay gates, with Red Rose at the Union Hotel in Laurence St., YMCA in Southgate, Seaman's Institute on the Town Wall, Brotherhood at Northgate Methodists, St.Mary's in Darlington St., Heortensians at the Independent Chapel and Throston Wanderers at the Brunswick and Old Boys and Brigade at the Old Mill on High St., Plus of course Rovers at Greencroft in Moor Terrace!
Despite the many changes over the years, Rugby still thrives, the Ancient Borough has four Clubs with Rovers, Hartlepool and Brigade still playing plus Hartlepool Athletic, remarkable that Club was formed by a group of players chatting in a 'bus shelter in the High Street in 1943, All four Clubs plus the four from West Dock (West, the Amateurs, TDSOB and Seaton Carew), are now working with the Headland Development Company to create a Museum of Rugby that will reflect the rich history of the Game in the area and beyond together its contribution to the life of the town and the many people who have worked for Rugby.
The Clubs are now involved in talks with a variety of people to enable both Static and Themed Displays feature in the Museum which will involve a Rugby Archive and Website. In addition , with some much history being in the spoken word, plans are already being made to have a facility for contributors to record their memories.
In addition, a Rugby Walk is in the planning stage with the aim of highlighting the history of the many Clubs and Christian connections that have operated on the Headland over the years. There still remains a number of buildings that maintained the Rugby game over the years and the story of Rugby in Hartlepool is well worth a hours pleasant stroll to hear it unfold.
For further details of this venture, or to donate or loan materials, please contact the Headland Development Trust: Tel: 01429 287375 or 420302.