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Wimbledon RFC

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Wimbledon RFC
Full nameWimbledon Rugby Football Club
UnionSurrey RFU
Nickname(s)The Dons
Founded1865; 159 years ago (1865)
LocationRaynes Park, Merton, London, England
Ground(s)Beverley Meads
ChairmanStefano D'Anna
PresidentJim Green
Coach(es)Collin Osborne, Neil Hallett, Shawn Renwick, Marc Bertrand, James Ogilvie-Bull and William Brunt
Captain(s)Josh Bayford
League(s)London & South East Premier
2021–227th
Official website
www.wimbledonrfc.co.uk

Wimbledon Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from Wimbledon, London. The club was a founding member of the Rugby Football Union and were at that time known as the Wimbledon Hornets. The first team currently play in London & South East Premier following their relegation from National League 2 South at the end of the 2017–18 season.

History

Wimbledon’s first recorded match was against Richmond F.C. in November 1865, making the club one of the oldest in the country, and one of just twelve surviving clubs that founded the Rugby Football Union in 1871. The club’s captain at this time was L J Maton who drafted the first laws of the game and went on to become the third president of the RFU in 1875. In the same year, two club members, J D and H J Graham, gained one and four caps respectively for England.

In 1874 the club changed its name to Wimbledon RFC. It has been suggested that the change in name was due to the club's L J Maton becoming president of the Rugby Football Union, and in order to reflect their new-found gravitas they dispensed with the Hornets for a less whimsical name.[1]

The club played on Wimbledon Common until World War I, using the Rose & Crown in Wimbledon Village as changing rooms and clubhouse. The club then went into suspended animation when the First World War started, and was only re-formed in 1927.[1] It was at this time that the club changed colours from broad blue and white hooped jerseys, to maroon and Cambridge blue hooped jerseys.[2] The club's celebration of its centenary with a dinner held in February 1966, was demonstrative that it perceived itself a continuation of the original Wimbledon Hornets.[1]

The club moved to its current clubhouse on Barham Road, Wimbledon in the 1987–88 season, coinciding with the setting up of amateur league rugby in Britain.

Honours

1st team:

2nd team:

Current standings

This section is transcluded from 2017–18 National League 2 South. (edit | history)
2017–18 National League 2 South table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Cinderford (C) 30 29 0 1 1070 493 +577 27 0 143 Promoted
2 Chinnor (P) 30 26 1 3 1010 679 +331 25 0 131 Promotion play-off
3 Redingensians Rams 30 21 1 8 927 611 +316 21 5 112
4 Taunton Titans 30 20 0 10 988 745 +243 18 3 101
5 Redruth 30 16 0 14 846 708 +138 18 7 89
6 Tonbridge Juddians 30 17 1 12 749 649 +100 11 5 86
7 Worthing Raiders 30 14 0 16 824 970 −146 19 6 81
8 Bury St Edmunds 30 14 0 16 803 786 +17 14 7 77
9 Henley Hawks 30 12 2 16 755 882 −127 14 7 73
10 Canterbury 30 13 1 16 722 733 −11 12 6 72
11 Clifton 30 11 1 18 666 858 −192 12 5 63
12 Old Redcliffians 30 9 2 19 708 915 −207 12 6 58
13 London Irish Wild Geese 30 9 0 21 777 948 −171 15 6 57
14 Barnstaple (R) 30 10 1 19 608 848 −240 7 6 55 Relegated
15 Wimbledon (R) 30 9 0 21 660 943 −283 10 4 50
16 Broadstreet (R) 30 5 0 25 572 917 −345 8 7 35
Updated to match(es) played on 28 April 2018. Source: "National League 2 South". NCA Rugby.
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
    (C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Club colours

Wimbledon 1st team play in maroon shirts with blue sleeves and a blue stripe on the side. They wear navy shorts and navy socks.

All other teams play in maroon and blue hooped shirts with navy shorts and navy socks.

Teams

Wimbledon has four men's teams, a ladies team and a thriving youth & mini section.

The men's teams Wimbledon currently has four men's teams.

The 1st team play in London & South East Premier (Nat3SE), as a result of result of relegation from National League 2S in the 2017–18 season. The 2nd team play in the Zoo Sports Shield Division 1 having won consecutive promotions from Division 3 and 2 in the 2015–16/2016-17 seasons. The 3rds or Mavericks as they are fondly known and the 4ths Strollers (the Vets team) compete in the Surrey Leagues.

The ladies team The ladies team was founded in the 1990–91 season by Tina and John Ambler, club stewards from 1989 to 1993. Their team mascot is Alderney, one of The Wombles.

The first ladies match was against a selection of players from the men's teams. Due to a lack of playing experience the men emerged the victors. Since then, the Ladies section has grown from strength to strength with several of the players reaching national and international level.

The team currently plays in the Championship South West 2 League and has a regular squad of over thirty ladies as well as strong mini and youth section offering rugby for all ability levels from 5 to 18.

Notable former players

References

  1. ^ a b c Dick Tyson, London's Oldest Rugby Clubs, p159 (JJG Publishing), 2008
  2. ^ Dick Tyson, London's Oldest Rugby Clubs, p158 (JJG Publishing), 2008
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