History of North Manchester Rugby Union Football Club
1922 - present day

In the beginning

The club was formed in the 1921 / 1922 season by Eric Pendlebury and Alan Farmer. It went under the name of Prestwich Rugby Union Football Club. Although they only started with one team there were enough players to finish the season in 1922 with two teams.

The first ground was on Phillips Park Road near the centre of Prestwich. The teams washed and changed in the Wilton Arms pub. A local farmer kept cows on the playing field during the week. The original strip of Royal blue and gold was quickly changed to chocolate brown with gold trim as this was easier to keep clean!

In 1926 the club moved to Heaton Park, to fields near to the St. Margarets entrance. The club paid £2 12 shillings annual rent for a small house nearby for changing.

During the early 1930s the club moved home again to two pitches owned by Waterdale Dyeing and Finishing company. They recruited enough players to run three teams and built pavilion. The popularity continued and in 1936 Prestwich RUFC had enough money to erect a covered stand.

The Second World War meant play was suspended between 1939 to 1945.

During the war the Ministry of Agriculture took over Waterdale for the “Dig for Victory” campaign. Unfortunately the M.O.A. did not release the ground after the war had finished. A nomadic existence then followed and the club played at various grounds in and around the Prestwich area for five seasons directly after WWII.

In 1951 there was a move to the old Rhodes cricket club in Broad Street, which was owned by Calico Printers Association. A seven year lease at £10 per year was agreed. The ground was eventually bought from CPA in 1961 for £2,230. A new location also resulted in a new name – Prestwich & Middleton RUFC.

In the early 80s the club fell into financial difficulties. An offer too good to ignore was made to the club to purchase the land for building. Having agreed to the sale a suitable alternative venue was sought. In 1985 M&P RUFC moved to the current Tudor Lodge location in Moston. The ground was owned by the Co-operative Wholesale Industrial and Provident Society Ltd (CWS). A 10 year lease was agreed to initially. The club was renamed for a second time to reflect the new location and mark the beginning of a new era - North Manchester Rugby Union Football Club.

In 1991 NMRUFC was joined by Oldham colleges RUFC as both clubs were struggling to get two regular teams. The joint venture meant in the early 90s the club enjoyed once again the luxury of three teams. This dropped back to two teams in mid 90s.

In 1995 the CWS extended the lease for a further twenty five years. This was not without lengthy negotiations to persuade the CWS not to dispose of the entire site. The CWS sold off land to various builders. Firstly the Toy Box Pub was built and then later Fitness First health club.

The Ministry of Transport also needed land for the new M60 motorway. The playing field size was drastically reduced. In 1997 the three pitches and large training area were cut down to two pitches and a small training area as the diggers and dumper trucks reshaped the landscape.

In the late 90s the 1st Team enjoyed reasonable success in North Lancashire Division 2. Unfortunately new recruits were thin on the ground and by season 1999/2000 only 1 regular team turned out. Twelve months in the rugby wilderness followed and the club nearly folded. A few committed members pulled out all the stops and began to treat the rot. A brand new committee was formed and club development plan was put into place.

In 2003 NMRUFC became part of the Manchester Rugby Union Development Group. The group is made up of clubs from around the Manchester area. Their brief is to promote rugby union for all ages.

By season 2003/2004 the club was getting a regular 1st team plus a 2nd team occasionally. The Tudor Lodge took a step towards becoming a multi sport centre of excellence. Oldham Victoria AFC became affiliated to NMRUFC. This expanded the social membership of NMRUFC and allow the club to push on with an ambitious programme of improvements to club and grounds.

Season 2004/5 saw entry in the newly formed Miller Homes Leagues. The first season in the league, NMRUFC narrowly missed promotion into Division 4. An influx of new young players meant that most games had a squad of 25. The more lenient rules of the league allowed most of these players to at least get on the pitch. The emphasis was on getting players involved.

The summer of 2005 had an excellent pre-season training. A partnership was formed with Manchester City Council as part of a Community Sports programme. In exchange for use of the facilities the playing surfaces are cut, marked and maintained by the Council. The bar area was redecorated, fitted with new carpet and false ceiling. New picture windows were installed allowing spectators to watch from the comfort of the lounge bar during cold, wet winter afternoons. The changing rooms and exterior of the club house were also been re-painted. A cash injection from the RFU and the Council enabled the club to install new showers in the early part of 2006.

Season 2006/7 saw the first junior side at the club for over 10 years. The U13s trained well in the pre-season and embarked upon a first season with great enthusiasm from the players and coaching team. Although many of the players were new to the sport their lack of experience was more than made up with determination. It is hoped to grow the number of teams when the opportunity arrives.

Season 2007/8 saw the 1st XV move back into the RFU main leagues. North Lancs 2 in the Northern divsion should provide a decent yard stick to measure progress. The 2nd XV continues in the Millers home leagues and is hoping to build on the previous season's experience. A development colts side also made half a dozen appearances. NMRUFC goes from strength to strength.