Rectory Field
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Rectory Field rugby pitches
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| Ground information | |||||||||
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| Location | Blackheath, Royal Borough of Greenwich | ||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°28′41″N 0°01′41″E / 51.478°N 0.028°E | ||||||||
| Home club | Blackheath Football Club | ||||||||
| Establishment | 1883 | ||||||||
| Capacity | 6,000 | ||||||||
| Owner | Blackheath Sports Club | ||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||
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| As of 30 August 2016 Source: CricInfo |
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Rectory Field is a famous sports ground in Blackheath, south-east London. It was built in the 1880s for local sports clubs. For many years, it was the main home for the rugby union team Blackheath F.C..
This field has hosted important international rugby matches. It was even an unofficial home for the England national rugby union team. Kent County Cricket Club also played many first-class cricket games here. The field is named after the Charlton Rectory, a building that used to be on the site. Today, Blackheath Sports Club uses it for cricket, rugby, tennis, and squash.
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Where is Rectory Field?
Rectory Field is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Greenwich town centre. It is near a busy roundabout called the Sun in the Sands. The main entrance is on Charlton Road.
How Rectory Field Started
Before Rectory Field, sports were played on the open land of Blackheath. Blackheath Football Club played rugby on the Heath from 1871. As rugby became more popular, games attracted bigger crowds. Sometimes, too many people would rush onto the pitch.
In 1877, a match was stopped because of a pitch invasion. The club decided they needed a proper, marked-out ground. A club member found a piece of land owned by his father. This became known as Richardson's Field. It even hosted the first rugby match between England and Wales in 1881.
In 1882–83, Richardson's Field was sold for building. The rugby team needed a new home. The club captain, Lennard Stokes, found a new spot nearby. This 5-acre (2-hectare) plot became Rectory Field. Cricket started there in 1886. The Blackheath Cricket, Football and Lawn Tennis Company was then formed. This company helped manage the ground for all the different sports.
Rugby's History at Rectory Field
Blackheath Football Club played its first game at Rectory Field in 1883. The match was against Guy's Hospital.
On January 2, 1886, Rectory Field hosted its first international rugby game. England played against Wales. The field also welcomed the world's first touring team from the Southern Hemisphere. This was the New Zealand Māori in 1889.
Rectory Field was one of England's main international rugby venues. It was used alongside the Richmond Athletic Ground. This was before Twickenham Stadium became the national team's home in 1910. Rectory Field hosted one last historic international match in 1909. This was when the first touring Australian rugby team visited.
In 1921, the field was almost sold for building. But £9,000 was raised to buy it. This made Rectory Field a permanent home for the cricket and rugby teams.
Blackheath F.C. played their last main team game at Rectory Field on April 30, 2016. They won against Blaydon 45–17. After 133 years, the club moved to their training ground in Eltham. This move helped them earn more money. Other Blackheath teams still use Rectory Field. Since 2021, Askeans RFC has also called Rectory Field home.
Cricket's History at Rectory Field
The first cricket match at Rectory Field was on April 26, 1886. It was between Blackheath and GG Hearne's XI. The first first-class cricket match was in 1887. Kent played against Surrey.
Kent played regularly at the ground until 1971. They played 84 first-class matches there. Most games were against Surrey, whose home ground is nearby. The last first-class match was in June 1971 against Derbyshire.
Kent also played three List A cricket matches at Blackheath. These were in 1969, 1970, and 1972. Kent stopped using the ground because they wanted to focus on their main ground in Canterbury. Issues with car parking and the quality of the playing field also played a part.
A famous story from Rectory Field is about Colin Blythe. He later became a great bowler for Kent and England. In 1897, he was spotted bowling at Rectory Field. He was invited to a trial and went on to become a top player. Blythe played 381 times for Kent and 19 Test match games for England.
Blackheath Cricket Club has used the ground since 1886. They play in the Kent Cricket League. The club has many teams, including a youth section.
Cricket Records at Rectory Field
Here are some interesting records from the 84 first-class matches played at Rectory Field:
- Highest team score: 560 for 6 by Kent against Essex in 1959.
- Lowest team score: 51 by Essex against Kent in 1964.
- Highest individual score: 250 runs by Colin Cowdrey for Kent against Essex in 1959.
- Best bowling in one innings: 10 wickets for 54 runs by Tony Lock for Surrey against Kent in 1956.
In the three List A matches:
- The highest team score was 201 for 8 by Lancashire in 1969.
- The highest individual score was 69 runs by Kent's Brian Luckhurst in the same match.
Other Sports at Rectory Field
Besides rugby and cricket, other sports are played here. Tennis has been played since the ground was created. There are eight hard courts and three grass courts. All of them have lights for playing at night. Two squash courts were built in 1937 and are still used today.
