This is where and when it all started, in early 1923, with these fine gentlemen from Strabane. If we look a bit closer at this 100 year old picture, we can see our venerable club founder holding the rugby ball, Mr Jimmy Ross Esquire. He was helped by the man to his left, also sitting on the bench, Mr Alfie Roy, who would gain Ulster honours the following season.
Jimmy was a local Customs & Excise Officer and Alfie Roy a local wine merchant. Alfie obviously had a keen eye for promoting his business, with alcohol being a constant companion in rugby, past and present. The first match we played was in February 1923, against Foyle College, on the site of the current Asda car park.

A general meeting was held in the townhall in September that year, and it was unanimously decided to form Strabane Rugby Football Club, and to affiliate to the Northern Branch of the IRFU (now of course Ulster Branch), which we did on the 9th of October of 1923. At that same general meeting, a local vet called Bob Campbell (PIC) suggested that the club adopt the colours red, yellow and black 2 inch loops, only because he had played for Lansdowne RFC, and it would save him having to buy a new jersey.
The original ground we played on that first season was at the Melmount Rd, where Home Bargains is now. We moved to the Holm Field on the Lifford Rd for the 1924 season, and stayed there until our unceremonious eviction in 2007.
During the 1930’s, the club continued to ply its trade from the Lifford Road, in the Northern division of the Ulster league. During this time, Canon Moriarty was a prominent member of the club, a retired player himself and the team manager. I’m memory of his death in 1955 the club introduced the Moriarty shield. This would be presented annually to the club’s seconds player of the year.
The club closed down during the second world war, as did every other club, and reformed in 1946. One of the club’s most successful era’s was in the 1950s, when the fearsome Snodgrass brothers were in action
George , who also represented junior Ulster, was the club captain during the famous 1957-58 season, when Strabane won their league with 156 points scored for, and zero against. There are rumours that the opposition were that scared of the 5 Snodgrass brothers, they didn't dare go near the Strabane 22.
Another highlight from that period is a picture from 1954 at Ravenhill. Ulster’s legendary out half Jack Kyle is captured passing to our very own winger Robert Smyth, from Plumbridge, during an inter-provincial game against Connaught. Robert was the first person to play for ULSTER SENIORS while also playing for a junior club; quite an achievement.
Canon Moriarty -
Strabane had such a good pack in those days, that the senior Ulster squad used to travel down to train against our forwards. The current 1st XV pack assure me they could still teach them a thing or 2.

Strabane was forced to close in 1972, due to The Troubles, with reports of shots fired over Lifford Rd at the army checkpoint, during a match. The club was reformed in 1982, when the young farmers of Strabane and Castlederg played, or more accurately, fought, a game of rugby, and a team was cobbled together from whoever survived.

Gerry Taylor was instrumental in the restart and was the backbone of our club for most of our lives. Gerry started playing for us in 1948 and played until at least 1963. He skippered the side, won the inaugural Moriarty Shield, was team manager for god knows how many sides, Hon. Secretary for 13 years and President since 1989, but it is in his role as Club Chef that he may be most fondly remembered and well known all over the country. Pie and beans was his signature dish, with all the white buttered bread that you could eat. Asked once by a visiting player what the choice of pies were, gerry informed him "chicken or beef". Pointing at the nearest pie, the lad enquired if that was chicken or beef? Gerry jabbed his thumb into the pie, licked it and said "that’s beef". "I'll have the chicken" was the reply.

On a personal note, the most significant season in my time with the club was 2012-13 season. Our 1st XV won their league and got to the final of the Gordon West, the 2nds won their league, undefeated I might add, and reached 2 cup finals. But surely the achievement of the year was we started our mini rugby section.
10 years ago this project began, and we now have about 120 minis playing in 6 teams and 70 youth players in 3 teams, all playing against senior clubs, and we're beating them too. As the first crop of youth players starts to filter in to the senior club, it should fill everyone that has helped build our minis and youth with tremendous pride. we have never been in a stronger position, both in playing numbers and volunteers working behind the scenes to keep our club going. The future is very bright indeed.

Here we are now in 2023, with 100 years of history, and thousands of players, behind us. All of us think that the team we played in was the best Strabane ever had, and we fondly remember what rugby has meant to us. To quote some very true words from a famous poem -
From the first time that you laced a boot and tightened every stud
That virus known as ‘rugby’ has been living in your blood
When you dreamt it; when you played it all the rest took second fiddle
Now you’re standing on the sideline but your heart’s still in the middle.

Looking back at this old image, we see we have lost too many good friends lately, but they are not forgotten. As long as this club exists, as long as we play on, they will live on in our memories and the fond stories that we tell about them.
We pay tribute to all those people and dedicate ourselves to continuing their work.
Strabane Rugby Football Club has survived a war, the troubles and plenty of strife.
With your help, we can look forward to the next 100 years.

Strabane Rugby Football Club

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