It\u2019s incredible to think that prior to 1987, rugby union never had an \u2018official\u2019 national league competition in the UK for its major clubs.<\/p>\n
The likes of Leicester Tigers, Harlequin, Bath and Wasps, all formed back in the late 1800\u2019s and with more than a hundred years of history and existence, would play over ten decades of exhibition games, local competitions and friendly matches against varied level opponents from neighbouring<\/em> club sides or thrown-together outfits<\/em> like the Barbarians to elite<\/em> level magnitude matches such as hosting the New Zealand or Australian test teams, this before the (then Nottingham brand sponsored<\/em>) John Player Cup would come along in the 1970\u2019s, which at least provided a regular prize to play for in pitting the wits of the country\u2019s best.<\/p>\n The RFU had long resisted a \u2018league format\u2019 which they said would \u2018increase dirty play\u2019 and put pressure on clubs to pay players\u2026 But in 1987 they succumbed.<\/p>\n After much deliberation a new national league structure was finally implemented following the growing success of the John Player Cup. The Courage League would feature twelve of England\u2019s finest, although there was initially no fixture list, teams would arrange fixtures themselves with most playing eleven games over the course of the season with some only playing ten in its debut year.<\/p>\n Leicester Tigers were the first ever winners in a division that included Bath, Bristol, Coventry, Gloucester, Harlequins, Moseley, Orrell, Sale, Wasps, Waterloo and Nottingham.<\/p>\n By then, Nottingham were over 110 years old <\/em>themselves having been in existence since 1877. Based at Ireland Avenue in Beeston the club was considered as one of the best<\/em> in the country. The previous season they reached the fourth round of the John Players Cup only to lose to eventual finalists Wasps who also beat them the year before in the Quarter Finals en-route<\/em> to losing the first of two successive finals against Bath at Twickenham.<\/p>\n In 1986 a Green and Whites<\/em> team that included a young fly-half<\/em> called Rob Andrews, would be minutes<\/em> away from beating their London opponents in a muddy match at Beeston before a late try saw the visitors struggle through, the match ending 13-13 with the away side going on to the semis\u2019 after ending the 80 minutes all-square but progressing thanks to tries scored<\/em>.<\/p>\n A year later, England International<\/em> Andrew would turn out for<\/em> Wasps against<\/em> Nottingham in a reverse fixture a round earlier, this time it wasn\u2019t so close as the home side went through 25-10.<\/p>\n But proof if any was needed Nottingham could mix it with the best. Wasps fell short of Leicester Tigers to finish second in the first ever Courage League campaign whilst Nottingham finished a credible eighth. A side that included the legendary likes of Gary Rees, Brian Moore and Simon Hodgkinson, would do even better the year after finishing fourth behind champions Bath, Gloucester and yes you\u2019ve guessed it, Wasps. A 10-6 win against Bristol, a 12-0 win against Harlequins and a 12-12 draw against the previous seasons champions Leicester Tigers three results at Ireland Avenue that more than<\/em> stood out.<\/p>\n It was finally Wasps turn to be crowned champions in 1989\/90 as Nottingham finished sixth with wins against Bath, Saracens and Harlequins amongst others, the season after the side finished eighth in the table but by then a major shift towards \u2018professionalism\u2019 was on its way.<\/p>\n Brian Moore had left Nottingham for London based Harlequins, a solicitor in the Midlands who by now was playing for England, was one that was \u2018helped\u2019 by Harlequins hierarchy to become a solicitor in London for a much healthier wage than what he could perhaps achieve up north. It wasn\u2019t uncommon to hear of teams \u2018assisting\u2019 new players with \u2018better\u2019 jobs to get them signed up and committed in a lucrative loophole that saw the best players join the best ‘connected’ clubs.<\/p>\n By 1991\/92 Nottingham had all but surrendered their status amongst the top echelons of English rugby for good, they haven\u2019t been back since, the advent of professionalism and Nottingham not having the \u2018buying power\u2019 to compete with those elsewhere meant that relegation to the second tier along with little old Roslyn Park was on the cards.<\/p>\n Turning fully professional in 1995 the game had \u2018shifted\u2019 from the initial resistance of the RFU to the reality that competition creates business and with it success brings cash. The reluctance from the RFU to originally create competition eventually faded, as did the competitions original ethos on \u2018amateurism\u2019 and ‘sportsmanship’ in favour of good old pound notes.<\/p>\n Whilst the likes of Bath and Leicester Tigers would see regular gates in excess of 10,000 at their quaint grounds and having lucrative sponsors on board with TV revenue helped by growing demand to watch elite level rugby on the box, Nottingham, now outside the top tier, like many others unable to step up fully to professionalism, would fall on harder times and after the turn of the millennium only just avoided relegation to the regional leagues in what would have been a disaster for the sport in our city.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a tough battle since, the move from Ireland Avenue to Lady Bay in between a tenancy at Meadow Lane and the recent move to go part-time professional prior to covid ripping through the game has all been traumatic and turbulent but the future is that one day Nottingham can repeat the success of the late eighties and early nineties and again challenge the elite with a few new stars of their own.<\/p>\n