OCRFC chairman Will Fawcett reports on a memorable evening at Twickenham
A magnificent occasion saw 300 hundred guests unite in celebration of the centenary of the Old Cranleighan Rugby Club.
Serenaded by a Mariachi band, a champagne reception set the mood for an excellent three-course dinner, wine a plenty, raffle and auction, culminating in a vibrant set from our live band.
The dinner took place in the newly refurbished East Stand at Twickenham, dining tables decked in club colour livery, giant ‘OC100’ illuminated lettering providing the backcloth to a night of warm nostalgia, tall stories, laughter and fun. Martin Reader and his wife Amanda, along with a table of last year’s school leavers, joined guests aged from 18 to 80, past and current players, parents and coaches from the thriving Minis section, the evening providing a genuine sense of a history past and yet to unfold.
Guest speaker Ian Robertson regaled his audience with some wonderful memories, and treated all to an inspired rendering of his iconic 2003 Rugby World Cup final commentary as Jonny Wilkinson dropped for rugby immortality.
Fortunes may have ebbed and flowed across the century, but what was abundantly evident was the sheer joy, passion, humour, camaraderie and spirit that have so characterised the OCRFC across the decades. 100 years in the making, the centenary was celebrated in style, loud and proud into the night, and onward into a second century.
