Richmond F.C.

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Richmond Rugby

Full name	Richmond Rugby Club
Union	Surrey RFU
Founded	1861; 163 years ago (1861)
Location	Richmond, London, England
Ground(s)	Athletic Ground, Richmond (Capacity: 4,500 (1,000 seated))
Chairman	John Heaton
President	James Foster
Coach(es)	Rob Powell
Captain(s)	Alexander Post
League(s)	National League 1
2022–23	Championship, 12th (relegated)
Team kit
Official website
richmondfc.co.uk

Richmond Rugby Club is a rugby union club in Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs (of any code). It fields teams in both men's and women's rugby; the men's first team currently play in National League 1 following their relegation from the RFU Championship at the end of the 2022–23 season, while the women's first team play in the Women's Championship.

History

Formed in 1861, it is one of the oldest football clubs in the world and holds a significant place in the history of

In the 2009–10 season a colts team was revived based on the highly rated U17 age group team of the previous season, and several U19 players returning to further bolster the squad. They entered the National Colts Cup and having defeated eight opponents most notably Blackheath, they beat former champions Old Northamptonians, 25–12 at Franklin's Gardens.

Home ground

Richmond play at the Athletic Ground, Richmond, which borders Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club, and is close to other sporting facilities such as Richmond Swimming Pool, Old Deer Park and also a gym. The complex includes two pitches (pitches 3 & 4) by the front gate, the 1st team pitch and perpendicular to that, pitch 2. The site also has a disused driving range behind the 1st team pitch which has three pitches on it, and a disused bowls club. One side of the pitch has a large concrete all-seater stand, under which are the changing rooms, a canteen, shop, physio room and two bars. Also on this southern side of the pitch is a disused cricket pavilion which also contains several more changing rooms and showers. During the early professional years, a temporary stand was erected along the north side of the pitch.

Later on in the professional era, Richmond 1st team moved to the Madejski Stadium, Reading, where they played until bankruptcy. The stadium would later become London Irish's home ground, and was an early example of London rugby clubs playing in football grounds – London Wasps played at Loftus Road before moving to Adams Park, and Saracens moved to Vicarage Road.

Rivalries

Richmond contested the first ever rugby match with Blackheath F.C., and the clubs have continued to play an annual fixture to uphold the tradition – now referred to as the longest-running annual fixture in rugby. As of 2013–14, the two clubs are in the same league, after many years apart, meaning that they play each other at least twice during the regular season, in addition to the traditional pre-season fixture.

Richmond shared the Athletic Ground with London Scottish, and this rivalry is very intense. Both sides experienced a high point at the beginning of the professional era and played in the Premiership. Both teams also fell into administration and dropped down to a level well below the national leagues, and though the routes taken have been slightly different, both clubs have battled their way up the leagues. As of 2019–20, London Scottish were also in the Championship. In years when the clubs are in the same division, the two "home" and "away" matches are two of the most well-attended and hotly contested of the year.

Richmond also have a local rivalry with

At youth level, Richmond's strongest rivalry tends to be with nearby Rosslyn Park. A Richmond vs Rosslyn Park game is always surrounded by controversy of some sort.

Honours

• Middlesex Sevens titles: (9)
  • 1951, 1953, 1955, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983
• National League 1 champions: (3)
  • 1991–92, 2015-16, 2019-20
• Courage League National Division Two champions:
  • 1996–97
• Herts/Middlesex 1
  champions:
  • 2000–01
• Surrey Cup titles: (6)
  • 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007
• London Division 4 South West champions:^[3]
  • 2001–02
• London Division 3 South West champions:^[4]
  • 2002–03
• London Division 2 South champions:^[5]
  • 2003–04
• London Division 1 champions:^[6]
  • 2007–08
• National League 2 (north v south) promotion play-off winners:^[7]
  • 2011–12
• Gala Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1984

Current squad

The Richmond squad for the 2022–23 season are:^[8]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Alex Post Hooker Hong Kong Callum Torpey Hooker Ireland Arun Watkins Hooker England Vaughan Bentley Prop South Africa George Cave Prop England Ben Christie Prop England Jonny Harris Prop England Jimmy Litchfield Prop England Conor Maguire Prop Ireland Ntinga Mpiko Prop South Africa Luke Spring Prop England Timmy Walford Prop England Will Carrick-Smith Lock England Sam Collingridge Lock England Cameron Gray Lock England Byron Hodge Lock Australia George Nugent Lock England Ayanfe Oladukun Lock England Henri Williams Lock England Ethan Benson Back row England Mark Bright Back row England Graham Geldenhuys Back row South Africa Bailey Marshall-Telfer Back row Wales David Massey Back row England Toby Saysell Back row England Oscar White Back row England Miles Wakeling Back row England

Player Position Union Aaron Bagwell Scrum-half England Alex Crocker Scrum-half England Toby Dabell Scrum-half England James Lennon Scrum-half Ireland Callum Watson Scrum-half England Stephen Kerins Scrum-half Ireland Alex Burrage Fly-half England Bill Johnston Fly-half Ireland Ted Landray Fly-half England Paddy Case Centre England Craig Duncan Centre England Harry Hunter Centre England Zuriel Makele Centre England Raz Patel Centre England Jake Caddy Wing England Tom Caesar Wing Ireland Hamish Graham Wing Ireland Rhys Lewis Wing Wales Alex O'Meara Wing Ireland Owain James Fullback England Will Kaye Fullback England Tom Mills Fullback England

Notable former players

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List of seasons (since the beginning of professional era)

See also

• Rugby union in London
• Stefan Czerpak

References

External links

• Official website