The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It promotes and runs the sport, organises international matches for the England national team, and educates and trains players and officials.
Belsize Park is an affluent residential area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden, England.
London Welsh Rugby Football Club was a rugby union club formed in 1885. Based in Old Deer Park, Richmond-upon-Thames, London Welsh RFC played in the English Premiership in the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seasons, after gaining promotion from the RFU Championship in the 2012 and 2014 play-off final. The club returned to Old Deer Park in 2015 after three seasons at the Kassam Stadium, Oxford.
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. 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.
Wasps FC is an amateur rugby union club formed in 1867. The men's first team was split from Wasps FC at the turn of professionalism, for the 1996-97 season, to become Wasps RFC, who formerly played at the Coventry Building Society Arena in Coventry. The men's team currently plays rugby in the Counties 2 Herts/Middlesex league. Wasps Women compete in the Premier 15s, the highest women's league in the country, the ladies section has been established since 1984 and have consistently been a top 7 team in the country. Wasps Women have attracted elite athletes from around the world including England international Danielle Waterman and global brand sponsors. Wasps FC owns the Twyford Avenue Sports Ground that was also used by the Wasps professional teams for training until the end of the 2015–16 season.
Old Albanian Rugby Football Club (OAs) is a rugby union club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. The club currently play in National League 2 East.
Exeter University Rugby Football Club (EURFC) is the University of Exeter's rugby club. The men's side boasts nine sides competing in BUCS competitions, as well as a Saturday XV, currently playing in National League 2 West – a level 4 league in the English rugby union system – following their promotion from South West Premier as champions in 2021–22. The University 1st XV compete in BUCS Super Rugby, the flagship university rugby league in the United Kingdom.
Built in 1886, and located in Richmond upon Thames, London, the Athletic Ground is a rugby ground, managed by Richmond Athletic Association, home to RFU Championship side and London Scottish and National League 1 side Richmond. The first team pitch has a stand capable of seating around 1,000 people, though in the past temporary stands have been erected in the considerable space around the pitch to boost the seated capacity. Lower league side, Old Tonbridgians RFC, also play home games at the Athletic Ground. As well as rugby, a small football team by the name of Mortlake FC play at this ground.
Belsize Park was a short-lived 19th century rugby football club that was notable for being one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union. Although there is no direct link between this club and the modern day Belsize Park RFC which was founded in 1971 the modern club do deem themselves a re-establishment of the former and thus could be considered spiritual successors to the former club.
Hackney Rugby Football Club is a rugby club based in Hackney, London, England. Hackney RFC has five senior teams. They are currently playing in London 2 North West after gaining promotion from London 3 North West as champions in the 2016-17 season.
Harlequin Amateurs Rugby Football Club are a Hampton Wick-based English rugby union club who play their rugby in the RFU league system, currently in Surrey 3. They train and play in Bushy Park.
London 1 North was an English level 6, rugby union league for clubs in London and the south-east of England including sides from Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, north Greater London, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 2 North, changing to its final name ahead of the 2009–10 season.
London 3 North West is a level 8 league within the RFU league structure and is made up of teams predominantly from north-west London and Hertfordshire. Promoted sides tend to move up to London 2 North West while relegated teams drop to Herts/Middlesex 1. Each year all clubs in the division also take part in the RFU Senior Vase - a level 8 national competition.
Hove Rugby Club is an English community rugby union club, who play at Hove Recreation Ground in Shirley Drive Hove, and are affiliated to the English RFU via the Sussex RFU. They currently play in London 2 South East - a league a level 7 of the English rugby union system - following their relegation from London 1 South at the end of the 2018–19 season.
Middlesex Rugby is the governing body for rugby union in Middlesex, England; Middlesex is a historic county of England that covers areas in the ceremonial counties of Greater London, Surrey and Hertfordshire. The historic county is still in use when referring to sport, and some businesses in the area. Middlesex RFU was originally created as the Middlesex County Rugby Club but within six years was being referred to as the Middlesex County Rugby Football Union and is now known simply as Middlesex Rugby.
Herts/Middlesex 2 is a tier 10 English Rugby Union league. It is organised by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union and is the second division competition for clubs in Hertfordshire and parts of north-west London that traditionally was encompassed by the historic county of Middlesex. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex is a tier 7 English Rugby Union league. It is organised by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union and is the top tier competition for clubs in Hertfordshire and parts of north-west London that traditionally was encompassed by the historic county of Middlesex. When it was formed ahead of the 1992–93 season it was known as Herts/Middlesex, changing to Herts/Middlesex 1 name by the 1996–97 season. After the restructuring of the English rugby union system ahead of the 2022-23 season, the league was renamed to Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex.
St Albans Rugby Club is a rugby union club based in St Albans, South-east England. The 1st XV currently plays in London NW3 following promotion from Herts/Middlesex1 at the end of the 2019-20 season.
Thomas Cook’s amateur Rugby Football Club was founded in 1910 as part of a wider sports club established by the company in 1897, with the ground at Ravensbourne in Kent.
The first club president was Frank Henry Cook, who had played his rugby at Mill Hill School.
It ceased playing during both World Wars, and like many ‘house’ rugby clubs it no longer exists. At its most popular the club ran two XV's until it closed in 1966. During its lifetime the club played against well over 100 different clubs in London and the South East.
It also established a regular Easter tour to the Netherlands in 1958 playing RC Hilversum. which helped to promote Dutch rugby during the 1960s. The original tour fixture was filmed for Dutch cinemas and television in front of crowd of over 2,600 at the AGOVV Apeldoorn stadium in Apeldoorn.
