Irvine RFC

Irvine Rugby Football Club is a Rugby Football club in the Scottish Rugby Union, that now plays its rugby in the West Regional League Division 1. They are based in Irvine, Scotland and play their Rugby at Marress.

History

Beginning

Irvine Royal Academy was predominantly a football playing school until the late forties when a rugby playing gym teacher arrived at the school. Harry Murray, or " Stasher" as he was affectionately known, set about introducing rugby football to the uninitiated of Irvine. For twelve or so years, those who wished to continue playing rugby after school, had to travel to Ardrossan to play at the club there. In the early sixties some senior pupils at the school suggested that it was time that Irvine should have a team of its own and a meeting was held. By late 1962 Irvine Royal Academicals had been constituted with Bill Inglis, a history teacher at the school, as its first president. A young Alastair McHarg was fixture secretary, with Gus McIntyre as secretary and Alister Rennie as treasurer.