ABOUT US
In 1823, during a game of school soccer in the town of Rugby, England, a
young man named William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran towards
the opposition's goal line.
The Harlequin Football Club was founded in 1866 (first recorded game was
not until 1867) as Hampstead Football Club - renamed in 1870.
Two accounts. The first - there was a meeting under a street lamp at two
o'clock in the morning in Hampstead! Second (more believable) is that the
name was changed when membership was no longer a purely local.
A meeting was called, a dictionary was produced and, when the reader
reached Harlequin, he was stopped and all present agreed and so the new
name was born.
1902: After war Civil Servants moved up from Cpt; Dbn; PE; - Civil
Services Club. Presidency of the Attorney General of Transvaal.
First Game played on 10 May 1902 against Wanders in Jhb.
Membership extended beyond Civil Service, in 1903 name change to “The
Harlequin Rugby Club” - affiliation to the London Quins.
Carlton Cup named after a trophy that was founded in the “Carlton Bar” on
Church Square.
The 1995 Rugby World Cup winning coach, Kitch Christie was first a
player and then a coach at Pretoria Harlequins.
Affiliation: The right to wear the London club colours (namely: - light
blue, magenta, chocolate, French grey, reversed on the back, sleeves light
green and black reversed, white shorts and dark stockings with the Club
Colours in diamonds around the tops)
