The original Barnes Rugby Club existed in the late 1800s but ceased to exist long ago. It was regenerated in the late 1970s as the third team of the Harrodian Rugby Club when a third team was not officially allowed. This 2012-3 season is the 101st of the Harrodian RFC which now operates as Barnes Veterans. In the 1960s and 70s the best pub in Barnes for girls was the Sun but the beer was Watneys and poor. Several players then lived in West Kensington and often drank in the Cedars there. In those days rugby players always sang after matches and also on other occasions. Unsuspecting English, Welsh and Scots there sang songs encouraged by Irish republicans, completely unaware of the troubles in Ulster. Many who played for Harrodians from the 1960s onwards also played for a team that played only on Sundays, except abroad and only about 6 games per season. This was and is the Sinners Rugby Club, although it doesn’t play rugby much any more since the only rugby on Sundays is either minis or professional. The Sinners RFC was founded at the Sun in Splendour pub in Notting Hill Gate (S-in-S => Sinners). The beer at the Sun in Splndour was Charringtons and wasn’t that great either. The Sinners regularly toured abroad. At the demise of the founder of the Sinners, the pub landlord, John Harris and when many had moved away from central London the White Hart became the second home of the Sinners. Barnes RFC was regenerated by past president Neil Copp at the White Hart. Sinners, Harrodian and Barnes players enjoyed much hospitality from the landlord of the White Hart, John Lockwood, especially another past president of Barnes, Paul Kirby. Mr Lockwood did ban Neil Copp for a while. Harrodians played Civil Service long before Barnes was restarted and walking over Barnes Bridge to their ground was usual. Stoker (on his bike) and Boyd did this on Saturday and then back to the White Hart afterwards and were pleased to see most of the team come in later on (the two Bobs, Blair and Allon supported at Chiswick but didn’t come back). John Lockwood is long gone but the beer is still Youngs and the best you can get.