1930 – 1937: Club founded and played at Mountfield Road until Albert Turner presented land to the Borough of Lewes in 1937 in memory of his brother Stanley. This consisted of over 40 acres, most of it on the south side of the Cockshut stream, and the then Lewes Borough Council agreed to 'maintain and improve the area for public recreation'. About 12 acres were initially developed and a wooden grandstand and changing rooms built - they still stand today and are used as changing rooms. The remaining 28 acres or so were let by the Council as grazing land to a local farmer - and remain so to this day nearly 70 years later - unimproved and unmaintained - so much for 'public recreation'. The famous England 'flying winger', Prince Obolensky, once played here for the 'Oxford Greyhounds' - a photograph is held in the Clubroom.

1939 - 1945: During the war years Richard Rees, then aged 17, who was later to become our President, helped to keep the Club going by arranging irregular games which included using some local servicemen in order to field a full team. Thirteen Club members gave their lives on active service during World War II and are commemorated in the Clubhouse.

1946 – 1964: Two teams were fielded, playing mostly against Sussex Clubs, usually arriving by public transport. Players were notified by a card, posted on Sunday, arriving Monday. Players signed the tear-off slip and posted it back, to arrive at the Team Secretary by Wednesday morning! The Club expanded to four men's sides in the early 1960's. A bar was created in the original 'pagoda' building. 'Lewes Sports Club' was formed with Lewes Priory Cricket Club and non-resident members, Lewes Hockey Club and Lewes St. Michaels Cricket Club, to hold the drinks licence.

1965 – 1970: Old Clubhouse bar extended. First tour to Blois (France), the twin town of Lewes - these exchanges continued for over 25 years. At the 1968 AGM, a group of players, dissatisfied with the way things were going, voted the whole Committee off and replaced them with younger members. Two of those 'younger members', Terry Powell and Peter Sealey, remained on the Committee until 2014. Appointment of first Club Coach (Doug Hallums, later followed by Terry Powell) in Sussex and regular floodlit training was reflected in improvement in playing strength. A sixth men's side fielded occasionally. Richard Rees was elected President in 1970 - an office he held until 2005.

1972 - 1975: Three pitches in use. Stand erected. County KO Trophy presented by Lewes RFC. Merit Table instituted unofficially. Five men's and colts' sides fielded regularly. Competition victories lead to better fixtures. In 1972 1st XV score 1000 points and Club becomes strongest in Sussex.

1976 - 1981: Drought completely destroys pitches. The 1976 drought completely destroyed their pitches and Lewes Rugby faced the most serious threat to its existence. That Summer was the hottest and driest within memory.  No rain fell for weeks on end, and it soon became obvious that all the rugby pitches were breaking up.   By September there were huge cracks up to two feet deep, and broken drainage pipes were forced to the surface. Games had to be played for three years at Priory School and on cricket outfield.

Discussions were opened with Lewes DC in their role as Trustees of the Stanley Turner Trust. Cyril Mann the Chief Executive, the Council Leader, Dennis Wheeler and club chairman, Peter Sealey spent many hours in discussion, and, after looking at several very expensive schemes, a chance in a million, brought a solution. At that time the Lewes by-pass was being built, and the contractors were tasked with creating the large cutting near the Swan pub. This involved removing thousands of tons of chalk, and taking it miles away to be dumped. Cyril, and Dennis did a deal with the contractor which involved bringing the spoil only few hundred yards. 

This saved them many thousands, and in return they paid to remove all the turf, topsoil and old drainage from all three pitches, then dump and level three feet of chalk spoil from the cutting over the whole area, before re-laying the topsoil, installing new drainage and replanting the grass. As a bonus, the current Clubhouse was built, and the old pavilion building renovated. The pitches were not completed until 1979, but they were now well drained and ready for the challenges of both the county cup and national cup. Financial crisis as inflation increases playing, travelling and equipment costs.

1st XV unbeaten in Sussex for three years, win County KO Trophy for the seventh time. Colts win Sussex Shield KO Competition which Lewes RFC present to Sussex RFU. Lewes DC re-lay pitches and partners Rugby and Cricket Clubs in rebuilding of Clubhouse. Tours made to France and Holland. Teams from France, Holland, USA, Portugal and Czechoslovakia entertained. Club field six men's sides, Colts, U16, U14 teams and Mini rugby.

1982 - 1991: In 1985 Lewes RFC played Gloucester RFC, led by England Captain John Orwin,in the last 32 of the RFU Senior KO Cup losing by 24 points to 10. Development of junior rugby with U14 and U16 teams, Sussex KO Cup won for eleventh time. Club reaches 2nd round of John Player Cup on three occasions. Club plays in London Div I of Courage League. Covered stand destroyed in 1987 hurricane but improved and re-built following season.

1991 - 1995: Relegated from London Div I to London League Div III, South East. Twenty-fifth anniversary tour to Blois and Blois return tour to Lewes. Juniors and Minis increasing in strength. U14s and U16s flourish. Colts side re-established. Club reaches third round of Pilkington Cup.

1996 - 2000: Club embarks on major re-development and re-structuring exercise and wins London League Div III, South East. Sussex Cup finalists 1997 and 1998 and position in London 2 consolidated. First Women’s team and Development Squad established. Leagues re-structured and Lewes placed in new London League III South East.

2001 – 2003: Lewes launches web-site and refurbishes some facilities such as new floodlights. Youth Section continues to flourish and U18 side wins Sussex Shield KO Competition, 2001. Several young players selected for county honours and two players in girls’ squad selected for England team. Lewes youth policy bears fruit with many young players progressing into men's sides. Lewes Women’s team continues to strengthen, gaining promotion in 2003.

2004 – 2006: We celebrate our 75th season, with success for all teams - none more so than the Womens' XV who become County Champions and the first XV who establish themselves back in London 2 South and again reached the Trophy Final.

Funding for Phase 2 of our development plan - to re-drain Pitches 2 and 3 and extend training lights to cover Pitch 2 - is successfully negotiated and the work commenced in the summer of 2005. Our greatly respected President for the last 35 years, Dick Rees, retires and the Club hosts a 'Tribute' dinner attended by 70 members - including 6 from the 1949 First XV of which he was Captain. The Club becomes a limited company in 2006.

2007 - 2008: Relegated from London South 2 to London 3 South East. New perimeter fencing installed gives professional look to ground and enables other forms of sponsorship. Paul Taylor retires as Director of Rugby after eight years. Pitchside advertising boards installed in 2008. Bar refurbished, funded by the Sports Club and Shepherd & Neame for the cellar including new pumps, the major bar refurbishment work was carried out by Dave Winsor.

2009 - 2012: In June the council complete the remedial drainage work to the training pitch. Nigel Baker returns to the Club as the men's coach following his spell at Haywards Heath. The Colts are triple champions, winning the League as well as the Under 17 and under 18 county cups.

2013 - 2015: The ladies are promoted to RFUW National Challenge South East 1. A new committee formed around the concept of One Club joining the separate committees and budgets of senior and junior committees. Although the 1^st XV is relegated to London and SE Division - Sussex Spitfire 1, the club appoints former Sale Academy player-coach Mike Stubbs to aim for immediate promotion. Clubhouse interior refurbished. Junior sides flourish to 300 players.

2016 -2017: Lewes RFC win the merited RFU accreditation which recognises the club as being a well run organisation with plans in place to make it even better. The 1^st XV are Champions of the Sussex Spitfire 1 League with 102 points out of a possible 110, also beating Bognor Regis 22-15 in the final of the Sussex Shield. The Women win the Junior Cup Final in 2017, beating Reading Abbey 12-3 at Royal Wootton Basset, and also gained promotion that season to Championship 2 South East.

2018 -20i9: The Women’s 2nd XV begins and are promoted to National Challenge South East 2 in their first season. A new girls’ squad (“The Lionesses”) is introduced and begins actively recruiting players in school years 7-10. The Men’s 2^nd XV win the Sussex Trophy in 2018, but narrowly lose out on the league title. The Women’s 2^nd XV reach the final of the National Junior Cup, but are beaten by Cannock 24-12 in Derby. The Men’s 1^st XV are relegated from London 3 South East in 2019, with player availability becoming a major problem (over seventy players turned out that season for the 1^st XV), but their first season back in Sussex One is aborted due to lockdown..

2020 -2022: As the new decade begins, disappointedly, the twin perils of brexit and covid see off the Women’s Section. The Men battle on under their new South African coach, Brandon Palmer, in the counties leagues that emerged after lockdown. The President of the RFU comes to Lewes on his nationwide tour to mark the RFU’s official 150th Anniversary in 2021, and sees an exciting game of rugby against Eastbourne with both sides scoring four tries each.

2023 -2025: The 1^st XV lose their place in Counties Two in 2023, but the following year bounce back as champions of Counties Three. Brandon returns to South Africa, with Sean Sayers taking over as coach, who oversees some promising Colts players transitioning to the first team. The relaunch of the Women’s Section is set in motion. The interior of the pavilion is completely refurbished by LDC, so that changing rooms are up to modern standards. An electronic scoreboard replaces the old one on the main pitch, and plans are set in motion to install floodlights on the clubhouse pitch, which will enable Friday evening matches to take place.

4. SAFEGUARDING AND PLAYER WELFARE