ENFIELD IGNATIANS rugby club celebrated its 60th birthday at the Royal Chace Hotel, where 200 guests enjoyed a three-course dinner, writes Jonathan Landi.

Club president Martin Baker said: “It was a fantastic way of celebrating the club’s glorious history, and let’s hope that the next 60 years are just as successful.”

The evening also raised £4,500.

Mr Baker added: “We are very lucky to have some generous members and parents at the club, and they donated some excellent prizes which were put up for auction.”

This set the tone for some spirited bidding, as the lots snapped up included a rugby shirt signed by England and British Lions stalwart Jason Leonard.

Founded in 1949, the blue and golds led a nomadic existence until putting down roots at its current home at the Enfield Playing fields. The club also survived the trauma of having its clubhouse burned down in 1995 following an arson attack.

However, since the late 1980s, it has been a story of steady ascent from the nether regions of the Middlesex Leagues, to its current reference point, London Three North-East.

The club has kept its level, for it has finished in the top half of the table three times, as well as reaching the Middlesex Cup final for the first time in the 2007-08 season, when going down 41-8 to the two divisions higher Civil Service.

Enfield Ignatians can also reflect with pride at the relaunch of its youth section in 2003, which has gone from strength to strength.

Indicative of the progress is an excellent colts side, which finished second in its league, as well as reaching the Middlesex Cup semi-final.