Sandersons help put Kirkham on the map

Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools

- Brendan Gallagher

LANCASHIRE might not quite be the rugby hotspot at senior level it once was but the Red Rose county remains a powerhouse at schools level and Kirkham GS have been one of the schools to sustain that tradition.

Kirkham, situated midway between Preston and Blackpool, switched to rugby from football relatively late in 1924 and for a while it would be fair to say they operated in the shadow of other schools in the north west – the likes of Blackpool GS, RGS Lancaster, Cowley and St Edwards.

They had their moments – Stephen Wilcock just missed out on an England Schools cap in 1961 and in the 1972-73 season both Keith Aitchison and Clive Hughes won England 19 group caps.

The turning point came soon after the school went independent and co-educational in 1979, a move which many feared might reduce their competitiveness on account of reduced numbers. That was always a possibility but, as is often the case, an exceptional coach stepped forward to breathe life into the rugby programme.

That man was Brian Gornall, a future England Schools coach, who saw the big picture and the need for a long-term plan. As he was to serve as head of rugby for 28 years, he had plenty of time. The improvement did not happen overnight but gradually Kirkham became a force to be reckoned with.

Success at the Preston Grasshoppers tournament – a highly prestigious event in its day – offered early encouragement while KGS set their sights high with a successful world tour in 1987. Heading into the 90s they had become one of the teams to beat and then came an exceptional group, led by brothers Pat and Alex Sanderson, that raised the bar even higher.