 Let's get this straight. For about 72 years, Fullerians was the most successful, important and senior rugby club in Watford. And it still would be if those lads from Southgate hadn't taken up residence at Vicarage and stolen our thunder. OK, so Saracens play the likes of Leicester, Bath and Northampton, but do they know what it's like to face Hemel Hempstead, Grasshoppers and Welwyn every week?
Of course they do, because Saracens come from exactly the same place as Fullerians - the grass roots of rugby, where people play because they love the game to pieces. The Saracens lads are undoubtedly world class players in a world class side, but being paid to play is merely a hard earned bonus, because even if they didn't get a penny they'd probably turn up anyway because that's the sort of game rugby is.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Cassiobury Park at the end of Coningsby Drive, Fullerians have been playing without pay for exactly 75 years, although we do enjoy the distinction of being one of the first rugby clubs in the world to be accused of "rank professionalism". That was back in the 1950s, when newspapers as far away as Australia screamed blue murder when word got out that the Fullerians first team was running a sweepstake to guess when a 14 match losing streak might end. History doesn't record who picked up the pot, but if it came to more than a fiver whoever it was would have had their name inscribed on the club walls in letters of gold. In any case, the accusation was a bit rich, aimed at a club where someone had to turn up six hours before kick-off to stoke up the boiler in time for the post-match bath so that players could wash the mud off before a few pints of Red Barrel in the gas-lit bar.
That's all part of the proud history of one of Hertfordshire Rugby Union's founding clubs, although the very fact of its existence is a paradox. Fullerians has its roots in Watford Grammar School, where for a hundred years the main game was football and rugby might never have caught hold if it hadn't been for the efforts of a sports teacher called Stanley Rous - who later went on to become president of FIFA and the most important man in world soccer! The original club, formed in 1925, gloried by the name of Watford Grammar School Old Boys Rugby Union Football Club, which was mercifully changed to Old Fullerians RFC in honour of Dame Elizabeth Fuller, who founded the school back in the 18th century. It wasn't until 1965 that we dropped the "Old" and turned ourselves into a fully open club, and five years later still before we tore down the old gas-fired shack and thanks to the back breaking labour of club members built the present clubhouse and reclaimed the wasteland upon which our four pitches now stand.
Since then we've had our moments, winning the county cup several times, making it to Twickenham in the Sevens and enjoying a run in what was then the John Player Cup which was only stopped by a Gosforth side boasting 14 current England and Scottish internationals. As a matter of interest, the week after they beat us 48-0, Gosforth put 72 points on Leicester without conceding a point.
And while Fullerians can't claim as many international honours as our good friends at Sarries, we haven't done too badly for a junior club. John Taylor, now ITV's rugby commentator and a previous British Lion and captain of Wales, was a Grammar School boy who started his club rugby at Fullerians, and Nick Stringer found his kicking feet with us before moving on to Wasps and playing full back for England. Mark Williams was a Fullers first team stalwart before emigrating to Canada and playing in the national side that beat Wales, and most recently Josh Lewsey went through our Colts on his way to first class rugby and his England caps.
We're properly proud of those guys, and we're just as proud of the fact that 75 years after our birth we are turning out five senior sides every week, providing good rugby for anyone in and around Watford who wants to play - at whatever level they can manage. We're proud of our first team, currently riding high in the London 3 North West league, and we're also proud to have formed one of the county's first women's teams. But if anything, we're most proud of our mini and junior rugby set-up - launched only seven years ago and already one of the most successful in Hertfordshire, with teams of all ages cleaning up in every tournament they enter.
It's a particular tribute to the parents, coaches and players that only three years after we started mini rugby, Fullerians were awarded the Herts mini rugby tournament. And if every child and parent came away from that rain-soaked Sunday with one golden memory it was the sight of the superstar Saracens first team, who came not for an hour or two as a duty job but for the entire day, getting down and dirty with the kids, signing autographs until cramp set in and never once showing anything but grace, good humour and genuine enthusiasm for the event. Now that's what real rugby is about, and you can't put a price on it.
If you want to join Fullerians RFC as a player at any level from first team to minis, or as a social member, please contact Clive Mulligan on 07973-176732, or Bob Dingley on 07801-081071.
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About the Club 
