THE Manchester-based club was founded in 1932 at a public meeting held in a temperance bar.

Their very first ground was a farmer’s field in Whitefield and despite their name the club has never been based at Sedgley Park.

Despite primitive conditions, with a cowshed for changing and a farmyard pump for washing – the club thrived.

A clubhouse had been built and three teams were being fielded when World War Two broke out in 1939.

They survived the war years and a difficult period afterwards when they lost their rented ground.

For two years all games were played away with barely enough players for two teams until in 1955 they moved to their present site, Park Lane in Whitefield, then followed an immediate improvement in playing standards.

During the next 20 years Sedgley Park became a successful and respected junior club and a two-storey clubhouse was completed in time for their Golden Jubilee in 1982 – just before the introduction of leagues.

The club was placed in North West Two (Level Eight) and gained promotion to North West One at the first attempt, then remained there for seven seasons.

In the 1990s they were promoted three successive times and in 2001 another advancement took place to National League Two, Level Three of the English game. Amenities improved accordingly.

The Tigers attained National League One status in 2004, their sixth promotion since 1987, but were relegated back to Level Three in 2009.

They dropped down again after five seasons before winning National League Two North by a runaway 12 points in the 2022/23 season.

Sedgley Park, whose first XV is known as Sedgley Tigers, were beaten 41-20 in a gripping tussle in the first game between the sides last September, a result which ended a 24-match winning home run at Park Lane.

Prolific fly-half Warren Seals landed an early penalty for the Manchester men before debutant Ed Hoadley dived under the posts for the visitors, Fraser Honey with the extras.

A second Seals three-pointer cut the gap, but Honey was again on target after a Niall Kidd score and then landed a penalty for a 17-6 half-time advantage.

Sedge grabbed a converted try through Matt Riley, but Rams – aided by a superb defensive effort – scored through Max Hayman, Ben Atkins and Dan Swain to take command, Honey with two more kicks.

Seals slotted after Danny Maher crossed for Park, but the away side had the final word with Henry Bird’s injury-time try.

Rams completed a double with a 28-7 home triumph in January, man-of-the-match Mike Hoyt and Max Hayman over before the break as Honey converted both.

A 66th-penalty try was followed by Olise Monye’s effort and the boot of Honey, the visitors gaining a late consolation via Austin Downham and Seals.

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