HISTORY OF O.A.R.F.C. up to 2009/10 SEASON

For seven years now we have been settled into ‘Woollams’, our state of the art sporting complex in St Albans, covering 70 acres and acknowledged as the largest sporting development in Europe during its construction. ‘Woollams’, which regularly hosts RFUW and Junior International games, as well as a number of Saracens fixtures, is regarded by many as the finest amateur sporting venue in the land and the hospitality and social facilities offered by our colleagues in OA Sport has won a massive reputation for quality and high standards.

In 1987 we are selected, with only 2 other Hertfordshire clubs, to form part of the London League Division 2 and in 1998 we celebrate winning the Herts. President’s Cup. In the following year the Old Albanian Sports Association finally gains planning permission to develop Cheapside Farm and the Club says an emotional farewell to its spiritual home at Beech Bottom.The new complex is named ‘Woollams’ in honour of Charles Woollams, en ex Mayor of the City and great benefactor of the School. In September 2002, a match against a star studded international XV led by Peter Winterbottom forms the centre-piece of the opening ceremony.The move proves to be a great omen for the Club as, in our first season at our new HQ, and in front of a huge home crowd, our men’s first XV win promotion to the London League Division One.

Saracens are our local Premiership club and many of our members are life long supporters of ‘The Men in Black’. As a club we have been busy forging links with them since we moved into our ‘state of the art’ facilities at the Woollam Playing Fields some seven years ago. ‘Woollams’ as it is known locally, and increasingly throughout the rugby fraternity, has become one of the largest community based sports clubs in the country being the base of OA Cricket and OA Tennis, as well as ‘The Home of OA Rugby’. Saracens originally chose Woollams as the venue for their floodlight ‘A’ team fixtures and have regularly staged rugby camps where hundreds of children have benefited from coaching, often passed on first hand from stars such as Richard Hill.The ties strengthened last year when ‘Sarries’ moved their administration into our premises and under the deal completed in July, the Premiership outfit moves in its entire training operation for a ten year term.

The arrangement appears to be a perfect fit for both sides. ‘This is a magnificent sports complex and I doubt any other rugby club in the country has better training facilities’, explained Brendan Venter, Saracen’s Director of Rugby. ’Where you train is very important and we are very lucky to be working in such a fantastic environment’. We believe that the arrangement offers OA Rugby a great opportunity to develop and extend our existing links with ‘Sarries’ in the pursuit of success for our own teams on the field of play. Our objectives include securing the benefit of wider coaching support and developing all opportunities for the sourcing of new players. We will continue to host ‘A’ matches and benefit from Season Ticket discounts and hope to secure the presence of ‘big names’ in support of future fund raising initiatives such as the OA Network’ scheme recently launched and bringing together a wide range of sponsors, their businesses and our members.

Prompted by our own Director of Rugby, Bruce Millar, who earlier in his career was in charge at Saracens, our relationship has already worked to improve our performances on the pitch. Our senior squad has been strengthened by the skill and experience of former Sarries stars such as Gregg Botterman, Alex Bennett, Darragh O’Mahoney and latterly, Paul Gustard who made such an impact in 2008/9.

Our home, the Herts. market town of St Albans, is lucky to have a number of thriving sporting clubs in the vicinity. The length and breadth of our own activities tends to keep us at the centre of our community and our HQ, managed by our colleagues in OA Sport, has become a popular meeting place for a wide range of local organisations and first choice with numerous residents for parties, dinner dances and wedding receptions.

The essence of our appeal, however, is the marvellous game of rugby which we make available to men, women, boys and girls of all ages and abilities. Our mens’ First XV has completed its seventh successive season in what is now known as National 3 South, widely regarded as one of the most competitive around , and our women made a serious challenge for honours in National Two last season where players with World Cup experience were often lined up against them. There is no doubt that success at the senior level serves to inspire our other teams who rightfully also look to OA’s management for support in meeting their own particular goals.In 2009/10 we shall be running 6 senior mens’ teams and 2 senior womens’, a Development squad, 2 Colts teams and a more recently formed girls’ squad.

Underpinning our confidence of being able to push on as a club is our booming Mini and Junior section. At 700 strong, and rising, ‘they don’t come much bigger’ and it is a source of satisfaction that OA Rugby appears to be the first choice for a lot of discerning parents as the introduction to competitive, team sport for their offspring, played always in the right spirit with a respect for all involved.

Where we are today seems a far cry from our beginnings when the Club was formed in 1924 by a group of far sighted Old Boys of St Albans School with a mutual love of the game (and doubtless an ale or two as well!) and acquired our first pavilion, a timber WW1 Barrack Hut. Organised rugby was thus established in St Albans and 13 years later, in 1937, OA’s become an open club providing Rugby Union for all.

The Club has produced many players who have won representative honours whilst with us, including Barbarians, Gregg Botterman, Darragh O’Mahoney and Steve Pope. We are particularly proud of Geoff Probyn, who started his illustrious rugby career here and, Welsh International Paul Turner who played regularly in OA hoops before finally hanging up his boots to concentrate on his coaching career.

OA Saints, our womens’ squad, currently boasts 3 internationals, Sarah McKenna (England ‘A’, England u/20), Karina Page (England’A’, U/19) and Nadia Dickinson (Italy).

Bruce Millar has made a number of close season signings to further strengthen our senior squad. Our attempt to break into the league’s top three , an achievement which has just eluded us to date, will also be bolstered by a number of ‘young guns’ who burst onto the scene in 2008/9, the majority being home grown talent.