The digital version of our game day programme for our Fith home game of the 2025/26 season with Scunthorpe will appear here.
Today’s Visitors : Scunthorpe RUFC
Welcome to the Ferens Ground for today’s National 2 North league game against our visitors and near neighbours from Lincolnshire, Scunthorpe RUFC.
The club was formed in 1929 and played its first fixtures in a field owned by a local farmer on the condition that the goal posts were moved after each game so that the animals could return to graze. A successful local businessman, James Reginald Heslam (b. 3 July 1893) paid for land for a sports field in Scunthorpe and for the playing area to be levelled and made fit for both rugby and cricket and in 1952 the club moved to the site known as Heslam Park which they share with Scunthorpe Town Cricket Club. Despite his death in 1965 the J R Heslam Trust is still in existence reflecting the generosity of his legacy to the City of Lincoln and the local community.
The club has continued to grow with more teams and new playing, changing and social facilities being added over the years. Rugby supporters of a certain age may remember Scunthorpe born Mike Lampkowski who played rugby union and rugby league in the 1970’s and 1980’s. As a scrum half he played representative level rugby union for England winning 4 caps in 1976.
There have only been four games between Scunthorpe RUFC and Hull RUFC in our history. We played each other for three consecutive seasons – 1993/4 to 1995/96 – shortly after our formation in 1992 with the following results ;
1993/94 16 October 1993 Hull 10-13 Scunthorpe
1994/95 31 December 1994 Scunthorpe 34-10 Hull
1995/96 20 January 1996 Hull 3-29 Scunthorpe
These were friendly matches which the RFU put great emphasis on continuing and during this time league games were fitted into a friendly based season.
We next met in season 2019/20 in National Two North following Scunthorpe’s promotion at the end of season 2018/19 as Midlands League Champions.
2019/20 30 November 2019 Hull 34-16 Scunthorpe
In March 2020 the RFU cancelled all rugby activity due to the coronavirus pandemic and in April they published details of the final league positions resulting in Otley, Preston Grasshoppers and Scunthorpe being relegated.
Last season Scunthorpe won the Regional 1 North East league to gain promotion back to National Two North and although this season has proved to be challenging with 7 defeats from their 7 games played so far it is a pleasure to welcome their players, officials and supporters and we hope they enjoy their visit.
Enjoy the game.
Stephen Hodgson
Club Historian
HULL RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB 