War was declared on Germany on September 3rd, 1939, and very soon after several County sporting bodies, including the LRU, suspended operations. Already several Coalville RFC members had joined up, Leslie and
Peter Ball were in the RAF, Reg Smart was in the Royal Artillery and Aubrey Farmer, the club treasurer, was also away. By the middle of September Coalville RFC had decided to carry on with only one team and play friendlies.

In their first fixture they lose to Nuneaton Old Edwardians and at the end of that month Coalville travel away to Newark to play an Army XV and lose again. The first home game is not played until towards the end of October, Jack Ball, who had joined the Army, played in the Army XV. Ron Ball and Jim Hill get a try apiece, as Coalville got their first victory. Difficulties in getting the pitch mowed causes some comment from the players as, it was said, the long grass had hampered them in their running game! In November, S.A Tyak, the new treasurer, is reported as saying that it has taken a war for Coalville to get a fixture with certain clubs in the County. As the season progresses Coalville get to know Loughborough well, playing the town and the college sides four times before Christmas. During this time Coalville actually turn out two teams most weeks, but at the beginning of December it is reported that Coalville are finding it difficult to keep two teams going. The difficulty being compounded, in that training was hampered by the blackout, and a good number of members had to work longer hours. Just before Christmas Reg Smart, who is said to be the boxing champ at his camp – ‘somewhere in England’, is home on leave and he plays in a match against the Vipers, as becomes the norm for many members in the services who come home on leave.

For the 1940-41 season the LRU had managed to combine clubs such that there would be 15 Leicestershire teams available to play in the forthcoming season. Four or five pitches were to be available on Victoria Park in Leicester for rugby. At the end of March the rugby club holds a ‘hot-pot’ at the Fox and Goose where it is reported that 32 members are in the forces and that 16 games had been played that season. In the following season games were played, some time irregularly, up to the end of the season and at the AGM in June, 1942, A.G Ball was able to report on 19 games being played with seven won and ten lost with 2 draws.

No more reports of Coalville RFC playing during the war years have been found. It is unlikely that there were any as that year, before August had past, A.G. Ball had lost two more of his sons, making it three of the five who served during the war who did not return. In trying to relate to such an enormous loss in one family one can but try to understand as to why, perhaps, the task of managing the rugby club may not have been the most important issue in his, and his family’s life.

Activities concerning Coalville RFC, although not playing matches, re-commence in November, 1944, when the club holds a dance at the Bath’s Hall that managed to attract good attendance. A week previously an advert had appeared in the Coalville Times asking for members to get in touch with A.G Ball.