Club Information 1 of 3

1. History


Five Ways Old Edwardians RFC, based on Ash Lane in Hopwood, currently runs two senior men's teams (Midlands 5 West (South) and the Merit League), a senior women's team (National Championship Midalnds 1) and an U13 girls team.

Established in 1892 by old boys and members of staff from King Edward's Five Ways Grammar School the club remains one of oldest rugby bodies within the Midlands.

A decade after the school was established a number of former pupils decided they wanted to continue playing cricket and rugby after their time at school. So in 1892 the old boys of the school began playing fixtures as FWOE. Until very recently it was understood that the Club played just Rugby in its early years but we now know both games were played from the early 1890's. Both Cricket and Rugby initially used the Schools playing fields at Portland Road, Edgbaston but in 1934 the club moved to Masshouse Lane, Kings Norton and then in 1977 to the current ground in Ash Lane, Hopwood.

Although the clubhouse was completely destroyed by fire in June 2006, thanks to hastily arranged temporary facilities, Five Ways managed to honour all their fixtures for the season. The team were without a clubhouse for the whole of the 2007 season but were delighted to be back to normal with a brand new, and much improved, clubhouse at the start of the 2008 season.

Any history of Five Ways Old Edwardians Sports Club no matter how brief would not be complete without mention of the invaluable contribution by its stalwart players, Captains and Officers over more than a century. Too many to mention, some sadly lost in the mists of time but all crucial in developing the sports club we have today and the successes we hope tomorrow will bring.

With the exception of two breaks 1915 - 1918 and 1940 - 1946 due to World War hostilities the Sports Club has provide continuous opportunities for playing and enjoying cricket and rugby, initially for Old Boys but since the early 1960's as a completely "open club".