History

Bahrain Rugby Football Club – A Brief History….

Bahrain Rugby Football Club started life as a section of the British Club in 1971, becoming it’s own separate entity in 1974 taking up residence at a small ground on the perimeter of the Bahrain International Airports Muharraq Runway. The early days saw games played largely against local sides and the occasional visiting side.

The clubs ambition and its rapidly growing fixture list saw it outgrow its original home and a new one was located in 1977 in Saar. This was to be home for the next 18 years seeing games against all of the countries of the Gulf, in a league program Bahrain RFC was instrumental in forming. Bahrain’s legendary hospitality (alongside that of its Rugby Club) saw the club rapidly gain an international reputation seeing visiting sides from all over the rugby playing world.

Bahrain RFC’s growth and success in the 1980’s was prolific, rapidly rising to dominate the regions rugby scene perhaps peaking in 1988 when the club completed an unprecedented triple winning the Arabian Gulf League, Cup and Dubai 7’s championships in an undefeated season. Indeed such was Bahrain’s reputation and strength that. It was frequently asked to represent the Arabian Gulf region without the need to call on other clubs help. The 1990’s brought the Gulf War and with it numerous visiting military sides in desperate need of a little relief. Bahrain RFC immediately stepped in to the breach playing an unbelievable 50 different sides in six months on top of managing to fulfill visiting friendlies with neighboring Arabian Gulf Countries in an otherwise suspended Arabian Gulf League Program. This helped to establish a relationship with the Naval teams that exists to this day.

Another signify cant development that occurred in 1991 was the formal recognition by and association with the General Organization for Youth and Sports giving the club much needed recognition and guidance from its local hosts. GOYS patronage of the Club enabled the Club and its members to go forward in to their future endeavors to promote both the club and their adopted country with renewed confidence. The mid 1990’s also saw the club finally start to plan its next move. For although its crushed coral pitch was much loved the introduction of Netball for the Ladies of the Club and the Junior Rugby programs for the children put pressure on the facilities as numbers increased.

A new site was identified end, not too far away, in Janabiyah. Negotiations commenced with the Landlord Sheikh Attiatullah bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifah, who agreed to give the club every assistance and the next phase of our clubs expansion began.