The Outcasts were set up in the year 2000 by Laurence Alexander and myself Neil Lewis from what was the bulk of the players who made up Hove RFC's 3rds. Hove were at the time, running three selectable teams and one social side.

As the 3rds were the lowest of the selectable teams, our players were continually being purloined on a Friday night (and even on a Saturday morning) as players dropped out from the 1st and 2nd teams meaning that our games were cancelled, often at short notice owing to the unexpected reduction in our squad.

After a meeting held in, where else, a pub!, a letter was sent to Hove RFC's committee explaining that reluctantly we were as a group leaving to play elsewhere. The plan at the time was to go to Shoreham RFC. A further meeting took place with the committee and it was agreed that we could continue as the 3rd team but be unselectable, like the 4th team.

Our early matches were in Hove Park before Hove RFC moved to Hove Recreation Ground at the start of the 2002-2003 Season. As Hove Park only had one pitch, the majority of our home games were played at either Hove Park School or Hove Recreation Ground.

O2 were our sponsors for the first five years due to Laurence Alexander holding a senior position within the company. It was with great pride that the only sports teams sponsored by O2 in this period were Arsenal, England Rugby and The Outcasts!

Why are we called the 'Outcasts'? The name came when a committee member at the time, hearing of our impending departure, said that we would be the Club's outcasts - a name we adopted from that moment on. The skull and crossbones motif was put on the next kit we purchased with our sponsorship from O2.

Who is Glorious Leader (Gloria)? For my part, I have been the Outcasts Team Manager since 2000 and still (at the time of writing) play. I was given the nickname Gloria by Peter Henning in 2007 after using the title 'GLORIOUS LEADER' before any messages to gain the team's attention in the emails I sent out which tended to disappear in the multitude of emails the player's sent to each other. Both names have now stuck and I am rarely now called Neil.

Being Social - The Outcasts quickly became known for the social side of the game and became the home for all those who's work or family commitments stopped them playing for other teams. We also began to acquire friends who wished to play rugby together but the differences in their abilities would have made this impossible in a selection process.

Several traditions started at this time including our pre-season annual coach trip to Windsor RFC which has happened every year since 2000.

The team has always run social training for us and any other players either not good enough or motivated enough for the higher teams, including touch rugby throughout the summer which has now become an institution. Everybody is made to feel welcome.

Over the years the team has become home to many different players with a high percentage from overseas many of whom still keep in touch. Bearing this in mind, we have an Outcast's rule that you should be wearing the socks from your country of origin. This rule has come under a lot abuse by people claiming that they come from some unpronounceable little island in the Pacific which has multi-coloured socks.

End of Season Do - Each year we have an end of season celebration and from 2009 we have held this at the Bali Brassiere in Hove with around 80 people joining in. The event includes our annual end of season awards and a raffle which raises a large sum of money for a charity of our choice. The raffle prizes are donated by members of the team who try to out do each other each year.

The Leagues - In the first four seasons we competed in the Sussex Merit tables which were the precursor to the more formal Leagues which began in the 2004-2005 season. We were awarded two of these merit tables.

At the beginning of the more formal leagues we were placed in Sussex Two East and stayed at that level for the next five seasons although moved across to the West side in a reorganisation before the start of the 2007-2008 season. We also changed between being Hove 3rds or 4ths depending on how many players the club had who wished to be compete for a place in the 1st team.

For the next five years we had improved as a squad and were usually in the Sussex Intermediate league. We won the Sussex Vase in 2012, the League in 2013, and the Salver and League in 2015.

Our move to Brighton Rugby Club - The Outcasts continued to play at Hove RFC until the end of the 2014-2015 season when we moved to Brighton for the start of the 2015-2016 Season.

PITCHERO

2000-2015 We have loaded information on a separate Pitchero site - which we are still working on - relating to our time at Hove, which contains information going back to when we were formed (the photograph is one of the earliest of our Team from our 2000-2001 Season).

2015 onwards To reflect our move to Brighton Rugby Club, information will be loaded onto this 'Brighton Blues' site.

Photographs - Please feel free to download any of these, all we ask is that if you repost them anywhere, you add "Courtesy of The Outcasts".

Match Reports - Kindly advise us if you spot any errors or have any additional information. Also feel free to download any of these, all we ask is that if you repost them anywhere, you add "Courtesy of The Outcasts".

FACEBOOK & TWITTER

As you may be aware, we already have a Facebook Page Outcasts Rugby and a Twitter account @OutcastsRugby. Both of these accounts will also be used for the more social side of the Outcasts. Our Pitchero site content will show the playing side of the Outcasts, and include more photos of our opponents than the Facebook Page. Both will have the match reports added.

COME ALONG TO TRAINING ........

The Outcasts run training sessions on a Wednesday evening at Brighton Rugby Club throughout the year commencing at 7 pm until 9 pm. Everyone over the age of 18 is welcome (unfortunately we cannot accept anybody younger as we are a Social Team and as such there are restrictions) just turn up and ask for Gloria. If training is cancelled for whatever reason, notification will be sent via email and also our Facebook Page, Pitchero will not be updated.

KINDLY NOTE: Whilst we take our Rugby very seriously, a great part of being an Outcast is to also have fun and banter is rife throughout the squad. This may be reflected in some of our site content but comments made are not at all meant to offend.

Finally, if you find any errors or have any more information that we can upload, please feel free to contact us via Email or mobile: 0775 9779651

NEIL 'Glorious Leader' LEWIS