Clydebank RFC is a rugby union side based in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.[1] The club was founded in 1969.[2] They play their home games at Dean Street in the Clydebank Community Sports Hub; a purpose built facility which opened in 2018, featuring several rugby pitches.[3]
Three rugby enthusiasts in 1969 regularly met at a local garage in Hardgate, near Clydebank; and other rugby minded locals then followed suit. Deciding to play for a local team they turned out for a Dumbarton club which was temporarily short of players - but when the Dumbarton regulars returned the Clydebank enthusiasts were dropped. It was then that they decided to form a Clydebank side.[3]
The club was formally founded on 24 May 1969 at the Radnor Hotel in Clydebank. The first game on 1 September 1969 was a friendly played against a Presidents XV. The local Hardgate garage owner, Kinloch Campbell, supplied a 'ringer' for Clydebank RFC; his cousin was the Scotland international Dick Allan and he dutifully scored the club's first try. However the slender lead did not last and the Presidents XV won easily.[3]
The Whitecrook Sports Centre was a 3.1 Million pounds initiative:- the Scottish Government directly giving 1 Million pounds, West Dunbartonshire Council providing 850,000 pounds; Sport Scotland with 500,000 pounds; and the Gaelic Athletic Association with 300,000 pounds, being the biggest contributors. The Glasgow Gaels, a gaelic football side, along with Kilpatrick F.C. and the local Clydebank Taekwon Do club are other users of the Sports complex.[4] The final cost for the project, which now has one of the largest 3G pitches in Europe, was estimated at 4 Million pounds.[2]
Gregor Townsend took the Scotland international team training at Whitecrook on 13 February 2019,[5]
The club host an annual rugby Tens tournament.[6]
