Reading Abbey was born in the early 1950s as a youth side meeting the playing demand of boys who went to non-rugby playing schools. As a consequence when they wanted adult rugby they were uncomfortable with the established hierarchy at the two clubs in town. So in 1956 they formed Abbey RFC and played in the Town's public park moving from pub to pub for changing and post match refreshments. By 1971 life had become more heterogeneous and the club scraped together the wherewithal to buy 22 acres of ground and by their own efforts three pitches and a clubhouse were built. With all the energy released by the change of venue and an ever growing membership, it rapidly established itself as a leading club in the area for adult and youth rugby, three of whom have represented England at various youth levels. League rugby saw Abbey start in South West 2 with a declared policy of amateurism aiming to cultivate rugby within the community; membership has thrived and leading it to adopt the name Reading Abbey; the club is proud that its finances are sound and the 22 acres are owned outright without any borrowings. Its playing fortunes have been equally stable for, bar a couple of years in one level below and one level above, Abbey has remained a constant dynamic force at the same level at which it entered the leagues.
