BATH RUGBY
JOHN PLAYER SPECIAL CUP WINNERS 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86 & 1986/87
PILKINGTON CUP WINNERS 1988/89, 1989/90, 1991/92, 1993/94, 1994/95 & 1995/96
COURAGE LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CHAMPIONS 1988/89, 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94 & 1995/96
MIDDLESEX 7s WINNERS 1994 - WELSH WORTHINGTON 7s WINNERS 1994
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS 1998
FOUNDED: 1865. Among the oldest Rugby Football Clubs.
GROUND: Bath have occupied the Recreation Ground (known as The Rec) since the late 1890s. By the 1900s crowds of several thousands were attracted to big matches, by which time Bath were striving for Senior status. In the 1920s (the era of Bath's first great team) crowds of 4,000 plus were drawn to top games. In November 1985 a crowd of 9,000 watched Bath defeat Cardiff
FLOODLIGHTS: The first floodlit game at Bath was staged on the evening of 15 January 1975 against the Royal Navy. (Note: training lights were first utilised at Bath in 1902).
SUCCESSES: Bath won the English Cup Final at Twickenham an unprecedented ten times (1984, '85, '86, '87, '89, '90, '92, '94, '95 and '96). The Final of 1994 between Bath and Leicester attracted a then, world record club game crowd of 68,000. In 1990 Bath defeated Gloucester by 48 - 6, which was the biggest victory margin since the Cup commenced in 1972. Bath were England's first club to win the (Courage) League and (Pilkington) Cup in season 1988/89, and headed the League on 6 occasions. May 1994 saw the unsurpassable triumph of a GRAND SLAM - CUP, LEAGUE, MIDDLESEX 7s and WELSH WORTHINGTON 7s WINNERS!
FIRST OVERSEAS CLUB GAME AT BATH: 1907 versus Racing Club de France, played on The Rec. Result 6 - 6.
BATH'S FIRST INTERNATIONAL TOUR: 1954 to France, Captain John Roberts. Very successful, three matches and three wins over St Claude, Givors and Tour du Pin.
BATH'S FIRST ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL PLAYER: Herbert Fuller in 1882, although Frank D'Aguilar, first cap: 1872, subsequently became associated with the Bath club.
FIRST OVERSEAS TOURIST: Frederick Charles Belson 1899. Member of Anglo Australian Tour Party 1899. (Forerunner of British Lions)
PLAYERS WHO WERE AWARDED INTERNATIONAL CAPS WHILE PLAYING FOR BATH: number 66. Of these, the majority were England players, 7 Scottish, 5 Welsh and 1 Irish, 2 USA international, and 2 Argentinean. David Sole, who captained Scotland to the 1990 Grand Slam was first capped as a Bath player. During the 1994/95 and 1995/96 seasons Bath had 17 Internationals on their playing strength, and in the 1996/7 season this had risen to 23, plus 2 Rugby League Internationals.
During the last 23 years no less than 53 players have received caps whilst playing for Bath as hereunder:-
Adedayo Adebayo, Ian Balshaw, Olly Barkley, Stuart Barnes, Steve Borthwick, Mike Catt, Gareth Chilcott, John Callard, Ben Clarke, Gareth Cooper, Damian Cronin, Graham Dawe, Philip de Glanville, Dan Dorsey, David Egerton, Ieuan Evans, Simon Geoghegan, Danny Grewcock, Jeremy Guscott, Martin Haag John Hall, Simon Halliday, Richard Hill, David Hilton, Jon Horton, Andy Lloyd, Andy Long, Dan Lyle, John Mallett, Federico Mendez, Chris Martin, German Llanes, Kevin Maggs, Andy Nicol, Steve Ojomoh, John Palmer, Matt Perry, Eric Peters, Nigel Redman, Andy Reed, Mark Regan, Andy Robinson, Paul Simpson, Jon Sleightholme, David Sole, Gavin Thomas, Nathan Thomas, Mike Tindall, David Trick, Victor Ubogu, Tom Voyce, Jonathan Webb and Kevin Yates.
On 4 June 1995, 7 Bath players appeared in the England v Western Samoa World Cup encounter.
On weekend 31st January, 1st February 1997, 21 Bath players were on international duty for England, Scotland or Wales at various levels including those on bench.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Bath RFU and Wigan RLFC made history in May 1996 by playing against each other at both codes; first at Maine Road, Manchester under League rules - result Wigan 82 Bath 6; then two weeks later the return match under Union rules was held at Twickenham - result Bath 44 Wigan 19
ENTER - THE PROFESSIONAL ERA: During the close season in 1996 it was announced that as of May 1996 Rugby Union should become a professional sport. Rugby League players could transfer between the codes and Henry Paul and Jason Robinson of Wigan RLFC came to Bath on a four months contract, while Richard Webster took the opportunity to return full-time to the Union game after a period of playing Rugby League. Christian Tyrer joined from Widnes R L. Bath were fortunate to hang on to most of their players, who then became contracted to the Club as ‘professional rugby players’.
PECULIARITIES OF BATH: Up to the time of the professional game, shirt No 13 was rarely worn in the Bath team, hence the Club full back wore shirt No 16. Interestingly, Bath's first Cup triumph at Twickenham was the 13th occasion of English Cup Competition. Also there was no Box No 13 in the former Teacher's Stand. In the 1920s Bath adopted the New Zealand concept of the "five-eight game". (Incidentally, I’ve just spotted that 5 + 8 = 13!)
FACILITIES: Improved facilities for season 1997/98 provided for 6000 seats, standing room for 2390 spectators, with raked terraces with the Club mindful that improvements and extensions must enhance (and not harm) the pleasing atmosphere of one of the loveliest rugby grounds in England.
Kindly donated by Peter Hall