Our History

In 2025 Syston Rugby Football Club is on the brink of promotion to the RFU National Leagues for the first time, but our story goes back a long way.

Founded in 1887 by players who had discovered the game at Humphrey Perkins Grammer School in nearby Barrow, Syston Rugby Football Club started out as a small local team on the northern side of Leicester. By the early 20th century the club had become established and changed in the old Fire Station behind the White Horse on Bath Street while playing games on “Donkey Park” next to the main railway line in Syston.

Up to the 1960s we still played at the park but after the wars we changed behind one of the nearby Pubs – The Queen Victoria or The Dog & Gun – depending on which one we had not fallen out with. Around that time our members managed to raise sufficient funds to buy the 3.5 acre Fosseway ground on very generous terms from the Murphy family, and in 1969 Syston RFC had a permanent home. Around this time, the local secondary school, Roundhill, became a “Rugby school” and has provided us with a steady stream of keen young players ever since.

In the 1970s our members raised more funds to build and then extend our Clubhouse and we added Minis and Juniors to our existing Colts. The Club playing membership grew steadily until we were able to field five senior sides and started to attract attention season-by-season with strongly improving results. In 1986 our 1st XV won the Leicestershire County Cup for the first time.

Around that time, additional housebuilding in an expanding Syston led to offers to sell our small ground and relocate to a purpose-built facility. So in January 1989, we moved to our current 28-acre site near Queniborough.

Our training facilities have been used over the years by the All Blacks, the Springboks, Italy, Leicester Tigers, Clermont Avergne, Llanelli, England A, and England Women.

Since the move, our Mini/Junior section has gone from strength to strength and produced many schoolboy internationals – including four Syston players in the same England U16s side – as well as players at professional level for Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints and several other major clubs. We also produce 80-90% of our current playing strength from our 1st XV to our “Development” or 4th XV.

Towards the end of each season, our Veterans XV reunite for a few fixtures, once the weather has improved.

Our Senior players are still amateur and all our playing members – from 6 to 60+ - pay the same membership fee each season. We field four senior sides as well as Colts on a Saturday afternoon and on Sunday mornings there is Mini Rugby for boys and girls from U7s to U12s as well as Junior Boys from U13 to U16s. 2025 also sees Syston relaunch our Girl's teams.

We welcome players of all ages and standards. Training is on Tuesday + Thursday for Seniors, Tuesday or Wednesday for Juniors, Thursday for Colts, and Sunday mornings for our Minis. We currently have around 250 Mini and Junior players, 150 Seniors and Colts, and an army of volunteers.

Our Coaching team is led by Head Coach Alex White and 1st XV assistant Danny Riley. Our 2nds are led by Rob Nockles and Rob Booth, our 3rds by Andy Moore and James Vamplew, and our Development XV by Malc Trobe.

Admission to Syston RFC on match days is free and we welcome all visitors to come and enjoy the games - and the hospitality of our Bar which opens at 1.00. Sept/Oct and March/April our matches Kick Off 3.00 pm, Nov to Feb is 2.00 pm or 2.15 pm.

Once a month our President hosts a Pre-Match sit-down Lunch before a 1st XV home fixture.

Dogs are not allowed at Syston RFC.