By AlanQuin
May 31 2006

The season just ended has been a very unusual season. It has been very different from all my previous seasons following Harlequins because for the first time we have not been in the top flight of club rugby. Nor have we been in European competition. No Harlequin has been in the England team. Almost since rugby has been played, Harlequins have been at the game’s top table. They have been in the top division since leagues began. They have played in the Heineken Cup and in the Challenge Cup (variously also known as the European Shield and the Parker Pen Cup) winning the latter competition twice on famous days at the Madejski Stadium. When I watched the final of the World Cup in 1991 there were seven Harlequins in the England side and the captain of England, Will Carling, was a Harlequin. There was even one Harlequin in the Australian team.

This season has seen Harlequins resurgent. Quins have risen from what could easily have been the major disaster of relegation and regained their place at the top table. Promotion has been won with three matches to spare. The National Trophy took Harlequins back to their former home pitch at Twickenham in a final for the first time since that never-to-be-forgotten “Lander’s Blunder” match against Newcastle. Victory over Bedford completed an unusual double.

The two leg A League final against Leicester Tigers was won in the first leg at The Stoop but finally narrowly lost at Welford Road in an excellent match before over 12000 spectators. The possibility of the unique treble evaporated.

But perhaps the most memorable aspect of the season has been that wherever Harlequins have travelled, over the length and breadth of the country, from the long grass of Otley to that muddy hill-top in Truro, the team, the management and the massive support both at home and the ever-growing travelling support have together enormously enhanced the reputation and image of the club.

It is ironic that in many ways this has been almost the most successful season in the history of Harlequins rising from the despair of relegation and with a playing record overall of P 45 W 40 D 0 L5 with massive scoring of points, over 1000 in the league alone and several hundreds more in the Trophy matches and A League.

It is a season that has seen the ending of two great rugby careers with the retirement of Tony Diprose and Will Greenwood. They were both fine players of the game and truly great Harlequins. We have said farewell too, to other faithful servants of the club among the back room staff.

We have seen the strength of our Academy players and how they have stepped up and taken the chances they were very properly given to play in the 1st XV. Masson, Turner-Hall, Amesbury, Brown, Guest, Rogers, Robson, Robshaw and Inglis are part of the future of Harlequins and their progress is something I look forward to continue to watch. With Tony Russ becoming Chief Scout, continuity in the Academy is guaranteed by the promotion of Colin Osborne to Academy Manager and the appointment of Tony Diprose as his Assistant.


It has been a season to remember and to relish in remembrance. I hope not to experience another like it again. There have been many fine tries and some excellent rugby. Some of that will remain, of course. But it is off the pitch that memories of National One will be rekindled, memories of the friendliness and welcome of the supporters of the other clubs and their genuine pleasure at the opportunity to see Harlequins at their ground. The memory too of Andrew Mehrtens, surrounded by crowds of autograph seekers and others just wanting to have spoken to him, still there thirty minutes after the match has ended, happily chatting and signing despite having played eighty minutes of hard rugby.

So another season ended and the next is in prospect. Already the news of signings of new players to meet the challenge of the Guinness Premiership is filtering out. The season ticket sales have started. The Anglo-Welsh Cup and the European Challenge Cup with further travels in Europe await. Everything will be restored to previous normality as trips to Kingsholm, Welford Road and Kingston Park are in prospect. We will have to get used to losing a match or two again – not a pretty thought.

All will be restored again as once it was But I have a sneaking feeling that it will be a disappointment. In a curious way I know that I am going to miss Otley and Nottingham and Truro and other National One grounds and the excitement and pleasure that went with winning so consistently and made for an unusual Harlequin experience.