Sport
Towcester is famous for its racecourse, originally part of the Easton Neston estate on the east side of the town. Many important national horse racing events are held there.
Nearby is the Silverstone motor racing circuit, currently home to the British Grand Prix. In fiction, the "Saracen's Head Inn" in Towcester features in Charles Dickens's novel The Pickwick Papers as one of Mr Pickwick's stopping places along what is now the A5 trunk road.
Towcester is also home to Towcestrians RFC, a rugby club founded in 1933. Towcestrians play in the Midlands 2 East (South) Division and are affiliated to the RFU, East Midlands Rugby Union and the Northants Rugby Alliance.
Since 2010, Towcestrians RFC has hosted the Towcester Beer Festival, marrying a festival of guest ales and ciders with rugby and live music. In 2011 the festival took place on April 29 and 30, the weekend of the Royal Wedding. In 2012, the festival will take place over the first May bank holiday weekend - May 4, 5 and 6.
Towcester's cycling club, the A5 Rangers, was founded in 1948 and aims to cater for all aspects of racing, touring, MTB and social events associated with cycling. All ages (5 to 85!) are encouraged to enjoy the benefits of cycling, whether simply a gentle leisure ride through the beautiful local countryside or challenging themselves in the club's time trial series. Many of the club's riders have enjoyed success in district, regional and national level events, whether it be veteran national time trial champions or junior cyclo-cross champions. The club also organises a number of events including GoRide and grass track racing for juniors, introductory cycle rides on behalf of South Northants District Council, weekly club leisure and training rides, club time trial series open to guest riders from other clubs as well as some come and try events for novice racers, district level open time trials and cycle jumble sales to name just a few! The club is based at its own club rooms on Watling Street, next to The Peacock inn. The club welcomes interest from prospective members, whether Bradley Wiggins wannabees or those who just like some fresh air and exercise.
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Famous quotes containing the word sport:
“Drag racing is a sport of egos, and it’s all male egos.”
—Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney (b. 1940)
“Rabelais, for instance, is intolerable; one chapter is better than a volume,—it may be sport to him, but it is death to us. A mere humorist, indeed, is a most unhappy man; and his readers are most unhappy also.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The sport of digging the bait is nearly equal to that of catching the fish, when one’s appetite is not too keen.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)