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Clifton Rugby Football Club History |
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Clifton Juniors |
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On the 16th October 1977, 4 club members initiated the first session on a very wet Sunday morning, in the long grass of the 1st XV goal area at Cribbs Causeway. 6 small boys turned up for the first week, a good coaching ratio, 16 came the second week but were still not allowed on to the pitches proper. The parents soon took an active interest on and off the pitch
4 club member were, 3 teachers, club captain Ian Elvin, John Cannon and Roger Opie plus Steve Rowlands who was keen to input some Welsh creativity into the sessions.
Above an advert for Clifton Juniors from a senior match programme in 1980.
The club now boasts one of the largest junior sections in the United Kingdom with nearly 300 players spread over 12 age groups. We are a Regional Development Centre of Bristol Shoguns and some of our players now perform in Premiership Rugby and represent their Country. Some of the players who have gone through the junior ranks at Clifton are
Marcus Barrow - New Brighton (formerly Manchester) and Cheshire
Ross Blake - Cambridge University and London Irish (formerly Bristol and Bath) and Scotland u21
Alex Brown - Gloucester (formerly Pontypool, Bath and Bristol) and England
George Davies - Exeter (formerely Worcester)
Joe Ewens - Weston (formerly Stourbridge, Rotherham, Bristol, Bath, Bedford and Gloucester) and England u21.
Duncan Hayward - London Welsh (formerly Bristol) and England u21
Ollie Kohn - Harlequins (formerly Plymouth and Bristol)
Sean Marsden - Glasgow (formerly Bristol, Exeter and Neath) and England u21
Rhys Oakley - Leeds Carnegie (formerly Gwent and Bristol) and Wales
Jonathan Pritchard - Cleve (formerly Bath, Bristol, Newport and Rotherham) and Wales A
John P O'Reilly - Esher (formerly Leicester, Worcester and Leeds Tykes)