The club crest is based on a rising bird which holds a symbolic reference to the two former rugby clubs in the form of branches of oak which should carry 15 oak leaves each. The bird was originally based on a Saxon hawk, due to Yardley being of Saxon origins and the oak tree was one of the main trees in the earlier forest of Arden representing the area, with a further reference to the clubs original ground being the Oaklands. Colours are gold feathered bird with red tongue and claw with green oakleaves on a brown bough. Above and below should be mounted a gold scroll with blue reverse on which is carried the name Yardley & District RFC.
Yardley & District RFC was formed in May 1971, from the amalgamation of two clubs: Yardley Church Rugby Club, founded in 1954 by members of Yardley Church Youth Club; and the Old Biertonians RFC, founded in 1964 by the Old Boys of Bierton Road School.
The club used the Yardley name, with the addition of District to include the wider area, and also adopted Old Biertonians Rugby Club colours of royal blue and old gold. This would maintain an historical link with both original clubs.
Yardley Church Rugby Club originated from Yardley Parish Church Youth Club, known as the ’13’ club. They were composed entirely from boys attending the club. The ages ranging from 17-19 yrs, who themselves conceived the idea for a rugby club, formed it and ran it. Valuable help and support came from various people at the church, other clubs and the Birmingham City Parks Department, who loaned a good pitch at the Oaklands, Yardley.
The first posts to be used were wooden scaffold poles purchased from a local builder. Only one XV was ran, although a junior XV was raised when occasion required. Opposition was found by playing various Grammar School teams. Many of the players, who were originally with the youth club, returned and played for the club, or when home from university.
Old Biertonians Rugby Football Club was formed from the old boys of Bierton Road School, which had a very successful rugby side, made up mostly of fifth formers, with much support from the school and staff. Such were the bonds of friendship, however, that they maintained contact and discussed the possibility of forming an Old Boys side, with advice and support from Mr R Parfitt Snr, a Police Cadet Rugby manager.
The idea became a reality and on the 12th September 1964, they played their first fixture against, as it so happened, Yardley Church Rugby Club, at the Oakland’s.
Old Biertonians, like Yardley had to rely on parks pitches and education grounds, changing home grounds quite frequently.
Yardley and Old Biertonians, both being local clubs, had regular fixtures over the years with a Boxing Day game becoming something of a tradition.
The new amalgamated club continued with their home pitch at ‘The Oaklands’ recreation ground, with the pitch marked out in front of the old wooden pavilion, which was subsequently destroyed by fire. Inaugural games held were a 1st XV game vs. a GKN works side, on Saturday 4th September 1971, which Yardley won 14 pts to 6 pts. A 2nd XV played against a Lucas 3rd works side, at Moor Lane Witton, which the 2nds also won 29 pts to 23 pts.
The club gained a reputation for providing a stern test on the field whilst entertaining the opposition in the best tradition and codes of Rugby Football social life.
During the time at the Oaklands, the club used various local hostelries to entertain the opposition, with a period between 1978 and 1980 of a Sports Association with Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club.
Yardley continued at the Oakland’s, which was rented from Birmingham Corporation. The Oaklands will always be remembered for the famous slope and the extra wide in-goal area. In 1982 the club moved to a ground at’Whitlock’s End’ Shirley, Solihull. The club retained the use of the Oaklands, as an additional pitch, until 1984. ‘Whitlock’s End’ Shirley, was taken over from a football club. With a clubhouse described as of a wooded nature and in need of some repair and decoration.
Yardley & District RFC, like many clubs, had its ups and downs, struggling for players at times, but the prevailing picture was many memorable games and Easter tours within the fraternity of rugby football. As one of the earlier club coaches was heard to say, with the immortal words, ‘Yardley would be unbeatable if they could only get the piano on to the pitch’.
In fact, the first Easter tour was in 1979, to Dublin, Ireland, playing the Catholic Colleges, losing 15-17, The Garda, which we won 9-6 and a touring Cardiff and District, which was lost 0-42.
The first interclub junior v seniors end of season game was played at The Oaklands in 1979, which the juniors won 14-0. This has been an annual fixture ever since.
Yardley & District RFC continued with their home ground at ‘Whitlock’s End’ until March 1990, the year of ‘The Great Fire’, with loss of the club house and much of the clubs history and memorabilia. Assistance was, however, at hand from our old friends and neighbours Old Yardlieans RFC, who loaned a pitch and use of clubhouse facilities, until a move to the present clubhouse and ground at ‘Colehall Lane’, Shard End, during the 1992/3 season.
The club is currently in the North Midland 4 North League, running two sides and a flourishing Youth Section. We also continue to have a strong involvement with the Shard End area and the local community. In 2017 the club introduced ladies and mixed touch rugby that was started up by parents and friends from the youth section who wanted join in the fun.
On 27 May 2010 North Midlands RFU held an awards ceremony at Worcester Warriors Sixways Stadium in recognition of volunteers at rugby clubs within the North Midlands. Many awards were up for grabs including Young Volunteer and Groundsman of the Year. But the main award for North Midlands Volunteer of the Year was won by Yardley & District’s Lloyd Winters. Winters, a former player of Yardley & District, has been chairman of Yardley & District’s youth section for 16 years and was a key figure in them becoming one of the first clubs in the country to attain RFU Seal of Approval status.
Many thanks to Yardley and District RFC for providing this history as well as Old Biertonians and Yardley Church.