Crowthorne RFC (Broadmoor RFC)
Broadmoor Staff Rugby Club was founded in 1995 following the closure of a neighbouring Psychiatric Hospital, (Brookwood) that a number of Broadmoor employees represented on the rugby field.
Three of these individuals cajoled, persuaded and bribed the hospital employees into turning out in the original black strip. At this time all fixtures where 'away friendlies', fixtures where obtained via a number of bureaus and exchanges and the side travelled the home counties and Southern London each Saturday playing fourth team XV's and getting beaten up by the occasional fixture with a wily vets XV.
The development of a 'Home pitch' situated in the shadows of the hospitals secure perimeter in 1998 encouraged the recruitment of additional players from the local community and allowed the team to consider entry to a local league system.
The Thames Valley Invitation League provided the initial platform for the Hospital side to play competitive rugby but the growth of the team can be reflected in its consistent rise through the league structure up to the 'A' division and then into the RFU league structure for the 2005/06 season, where the club was placed at level 9 in the South West Division, Berks Bucks & Oxon League 1 South. The first season saw instant promotion to level 8, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier. After 3 years the Club progressed further, winning the BBO Premier and gaining promotion again to level 7 in the RFU Southern Counties North Division for the season 2010/2011. This division represented the hardest trial in the clubs short history and retaining the promotion came down to a win the last game of the season.
