Alton Rugby Club to start centenary celebrations with exhibition match against RAF Odiham

Alton Rugby Club will play a centenary match against RAF Odiham at Anstey Park.

In October 1924, a group gathered at The Swan Hotel on Alton High Street and resolved that rugby would be the recognised winter game of the district.

One of them was Tommy Rose – First World War flying ace, Harlequins forward, and a man who'd faced the All Blacks.

⁠⁠Rugby was hence born in the town of Alton, and a couple of years later on April 8, 1926, Alton Rugby Club were officially formed at the Assembly Rooms.

The first official rugby match was played by Alton RFC against Flowerdown Wireless School, RAF Flowerdown, on April 14, 1926, with Alton losing 27-3.

⁠⁠This Saturday (April 18), 100 years later, Alton are kicking off their centenary celebrations with an exhibition match replicating that fixture back in 1926.

RAF Flowerdown no longer exists and the unit it was replaced by doesn't have a rugby team, so RAF Odiham have stepped up to provide the opposition.⁠ Saturday’s match kicks off at 3pm.

There will be a hog roast and music after the game. The bar is open to the public from midday.