On the playing field the Club had very successful seasons in 1980-81 and 1981-82 when under coach Mike Gosling we reached the quarter finals and semi finals of the Middlesex Cup, losing to Wasps on each occasion.

Following the introduction of leagues in 1988 we were neither promoted nor relegated for 13 seasons until 2001 when we won the Herts/Middlesex League 2 title. The following season we won all our games and were chosen Rugby World Team of the Year. Two more successive promotions as league champions followed in 2003 and 2004. In 2006 we were runners up in London 2 North but lost the play-off game for promotion. We did, however, reach our first ever Middlesex Cup Final, losing 23-36 to Ealing in a game whose outcome was in the balance until the last few minutes.

2006/7 was a particularly dramatic one. Tony Chapman, coach throughout Civil Service’s successful run, might have been forgiven the odd doubt when, after 8 league matches, we had won only 4 and stood seventh in the London 2 North table, 8 points behind the unbeaten leaders. A run of 13 wins followed to secure a fifth promotion in seven seasons, all as champions.

The consequences of our rapid rise up through the leagues were apparent from the 2007/8 London 1 fixture list. First -up was Richmond at the Athletic ground! We struggled initially to find our feet at this level and, despite some gritty performances, particularly in the home fixture against Richmond, we were relegated after finishing 10th out of 12. We did however carry off the Middlesex Cup for the first time in our history with a win against Enfield Ignatians.A season of consolidation back in London 2 North followed.

The announcement just before the beginning of last season that the Civil Service Sports Council was closing the bar and catering facilities at its erstwhile “jewel in the crown” Chiswick facility might have been expected to dampen club morale. Instead adversity off the pitch was to breed triumph on it. With just three seasons to go to our 150th anniversary we have been promoted to that oxymoron of a league : National 3 London & South East - a level we have attained only once before and then only fleetingly.

Our first team squad showed great resilience and, under the determined guidance of coach Nigel Rosser, was able to showcase its very considerable flair. Our play-off victory against Dover (31-14) was a tremendous advertisement for rugby at this level. Including the play-offs we scored over 1,000 points (145 tries) in Competition games : leading try scorer was Phil O’Leary with 22, the most in the league, followed by Scott Hadden with 14 and Chris McKay with 10. Scott Hadden was also the league’s second most prolific kicker. Darryl Gore lead the pack and the team with great determination and on the occasions that we did find ourselves behind we invariably fought back with great tenacity.

The club is hugely indebted to the hard work and ingenuity of our stalwarts in keeping the show on the road and grateful both for the tolerance shown by our opponents towards our catering efforts and for the loyalty of our supporters. The Civil Service Boat Club was for much of the season our home from home.

The 2010/2011 season bought new challenges on and off the field. Nigel Rosser stood down as 1st team coach to concentrate on his business interests. We welcomed Stefan Smith to the club as the new 1st team coach, via Ponsonby RFC and Chingford RFC. Old players retired or had moved on, new players were no where to be seen and 5 days out from the season starting the club was considering if it was viable to complete at level 5. We did compete and with a small player base, we fought above our weight and dismissed a lot of doubters by finishing a credible 7th in the league. Significant contributions came from Tom Sincock off the field and on the field Darryl Gore lead the team with distinct, Scott Hadden finished the season with 16 tries and , and overall points leader with 267 points; James Houstoun chimed in with 14 tries from fullback and was ably supported with 12 tries from winger Jess Logan.

The success of 2010/2011 extended beyond the playing field with a very successful charity ball organised by the players for the Pike Mine River disaster and Christchurch Earthquake appeal. Darryl Gore, Hayden Roach, Phil O'Leary and Gareth Cox were instrumental in the organisation of this event in late March. Which raised £25,000 for the families effected by the events. It truly demonstrated the spirit which existed within the team.

2011/2012 was another step up as the management team was strengthened, preseason was well organised and ran by Jon Cree and new players arrived. We had many good reasons to be optimistic. After the first 3 games the team was undefeated and sitting top of the league, however rugby being as it is, the team struggled to maintain this excellent opening form ultimately finishing 6th comfortably and ruing a number of missed opportunities throughout the season. We suffered awfully on the injury front, but we were able to utilise a number of 2nd team players, giving them much needed experience and belief. Again Darryl Gore successfully led the team, supported strongly by Cameron Reed, Sam Glasson. Scott Hadden finished the season with 9 tries and 154 points, from only 12 games; Ross Yiend rushed in with 15 tries, followed by James Houstoun again with 14 tries and surprise try scoring machine Cameron Reed with 10 tries from lock!

After 2 seasons at level 5 we have consolidated our position and are looking forward to 2012/2013 with much anticipation. The talent is available and the off field management structure is very strong. It is indeed exciting times for this founder member of the RFU in our 149th year.