2017 marks the 70th season of Bath Saracens RFC. The club was formed on a permanent basis on 13th March 1947, as the Admiralty (Bath) Rugby Football Club. The 1947-48 season was the Club’s first season, winning 10 of the 23 matches played. For the first few years they played on many different grounds, which lacked even the simplest facilities, but all this changed with the formation of the Civil Service Sports Association (Bath Area) in summer 1951, when the club renamed itself Bath Civil Service Rugby Football Club. The club house was located in a large prefabricated hut at Norwood, which is now Bath University. Compared with today, the facilities could be described as primitive, but luxurious when compared with some opposition clubs. It was on 16th February 1952 that for the first time the club was able to play on its own ground, which afforded all the normal facilities.
During the 1952-53 season, two teams were fielded each week for the first time in the club’s history and in 1955 they went on their first-ever tour, to Devon. During the 1955-56 season the club’s colours were changed from navy blue to the present navy blue, cardinal red and gold. In 1970 the Civil Service Club moved along the road to its current site at Claverton Down to make way for the University to be built. To round off a brief history, the club’s name was changed to Bath Saracens in 1992 because of the increasing proportion of non-Civil Servants within the membership.
To commemorate this landmark year the Saracens will be holding a number of events throughout the season, engaging with a whole host of past players to hear their experiences at the club and releasing a range of limited edition leisurewear, which will be available to purchase on the club’s new online shop (further details of this will be announced in the next few weeks).
If you have any stories that you would like to share about your experience with the club over the years then please do not hesitate to get in touch!
