It is believed that the Club first played in 1888, one of the main fixtures being Downton, the journey undertaken by horses and traps. Due to various stops en route and the state of the winding roads, the away matches were inevitably started late. The difficulties of transport and the dearth of nearby fixtures were obstacles that even the most enthusiastic could not overcome and gradually the Clubs activities ceased.

About 1893 another Bournemouth club was started, the home matches being played at Dean Park and their colours being a blue jersey with a broad white hoop and dark (blue?) shorts. The main fixtures being against Trojans, Portsmouth and Sherborne School. Transport was usually by train. Once again the difficulty of arranging nearby fixtures caused a lapse of several years before the club was restarted by a Major Langley Taylor in 1906. It continued playing for some three seasons with fixtures against the Trojans, Castle Carey, Sherborne School and a Dorchester and District XV. The colours were then large red and white hoops. Once again transport difficulties and lack of support caused failure. However, during the 1914Ð18 War a New Zealand Forces XV played rugby football in Meyrick Park.

In 1923 the Bournemouth Sports Club started a team, playing at Iford, the colours being green and white hoops but it was not a financial success and the majority of the players formed the Bournemouth RFC with Meyrick Park as their home ground. Starting in season 1928/9 something like half the games were played at Dean Park for reasons that are not explained. The colours were narrow black and white hoops. A very useful side was got together and there were fixtures against the London Banks, Barnstaple, Exeter, Sidmouth and Bath United. Unfortunately only scratch sides could be raised for these long-distance fixtures although, however, a good show was put up at home. The Club then cut the long-distance fixtures and played within a 50 mile radius of Bournemouth. On one occasion D A Kendrew (who won 10 caps for England between 1930 and 1936) played for the 'A' side! He also won four DSO's in the 1939/45 war.

In 1929, the Sports Club purchased the ground at Kinson Park Road, Northbourne and, as there was room, Bournemouth RFC were offered a pitch. However, the offer was declined owing to the distance from the town.

Dicks Richards then undertook the job of raising the newly formed Rugby Section of the Sports Club and, within a month, two teams were being fielded, playing in black, yellow and blue striped shirts. The Poole RFC closed down about this time and, fortunately, the services of all their members were obtained. As the ground at Northbourne was not ready, a ground was hired at Muscliffe Farm, near the Horse and Jockey pub on the Wimborne Road. Changing and bathing were in a loft followed by tea in a cow shed. The farmer was paid 2s6d to clear the pitch of cow dung but his idea of clearance seemed to be spread it evenly over a larger area!

After going for three seasons, the Sports Club beat Bournemouth RFC by an unspecified narrow margin and a very keen and even contest developed between the two clubs. The Bournemouth RFC fixture card of 1930/1 (the second or third season of the new Rugby Section of the Sports Club?) shows two fixtures between the two 'A' teams and two fixtures between the Bournemouth RFC 'B' and the Sports Club 'A' team.

The Sports Club eventually obtained a stronger fixture list, including games against the 'A' XVs of some of the leading London clubs such as Blackheath, Harlequins, London Scottish and Richmond plus Woodford 1st XV, Bath United, Bristol United, Clifton, Old Redingensians, Taunton, Torquay, Sidmouth, Exmouth and Somerset Police and of course the local 'blood battles' such as Yeovil, Salisbury, US Portsmouth, Berkshire Wanderers, Portsmouth and the Trojans.

Again the question of raising a representative side for the long-distance matches caused much trouble and in the 1938/9 season it was suggested that the two clubs should merge to ensure adequate reserves and to field six sides on Saturdays ( the Sports Club)s colours of black shirts with narrow gold hoops to be worn. The war, however, interfered with this programme but in the full postwar season the idea was put into practise and to be called Bournemouth RFCÑa Section of the Bournemouth Sports Club. Through the hard work of succesive Fixture Secretaries, the Club's fixtures started to improve but it was hard work.

However the question of expense and raising sides for the long-distance fixtures initially curtailed the programme somewhat, the nearest club of 1st XV standard being 30 miles away.

The Rugby Section (of the Sports Club) was the only rugby club in Hampshire and Dorset to keep going throughout the war and this was due to the hard work and enthusiasm of Ken Baily and Dicks Richards who was still the Hon Secretary until 1948, a fine record.

The Easter Festivals, first organized by the Sports Club in 1937, were always a tremendous success with many prominent London, Northern and Welsh clubs coming to play with great enthusiasm over the four days, Friday to Monday in a programme with as many as eight games in a day. Although the festival continues to this day at the club only hockey is played. With the advent of league rugby there was less and less enthusiasm for touring and it became difficult to raise enough interest to make the venture worthwhile and the last Easter Festival rugby was played in 1995.

The 7-a-sides were revived after the war after a lapse of some years and were unofficially known as the Hampshire 7s. Bristol for many years sent a team as did Exeter University (St Lukes). But they also declined with ever decreasing interest and the competition stopped in the early 1990s.

It was felt in the immediate postwar period that the Club was well served by the local schools but Bournemouth School played rugby football from 1935 to 1955 under Percy Cushion (Bournemouth and Hampshire) and several of the members of these pre-war sides played for the Club. Just before the war, the Old Boys became a section of the Sports Club and played under its auspices but nine of them lost their lives in the War. The annual match against a Club XV on Boxing Day became a postwar feature although this became The Chairman's XV v The Vice-chairman's XV certainly by the early 60s. However, as rugby football was not immediately restarted at the school after the war, the Club turned to and supported Portchester School and several useful players have helped the Club although National Service deprived the Club of their services for long periods.