Dorking R.F.C.

Dorking

Full name	Dorking Rugby Football Club
Union	Surrey RFU
Founded	1921;103 years ago (1921)
Location	Brockham, Surrey, England
Ground(s)	The Big Field (Capacity: (1,500) all standing)
Chairman	Shaun Hammond
President	Jon Watts
League(s)	National League 2 East
2023–24	3rd
Team kit
Official website
www.dorkingrfc.com

Dorking Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union football club, originally based in Dorking, Surrey and play in the nearby village of Brockham. The club currently play in the fourth tier (National League 2 East) of English club rugby.

About

With over 700 active registered players, the club runs four senior sides and is a home-club to many internationals such as Elliot Daly, George Kruis, ^[1] and Kay Wilson; a ladies team, ^[2] and a large youth section aged between 5 and 18. ^[3]

The club holds a fierce local derby with Old Reigatian RFC

History

Dorking RFC was founded in 1921 with a single team; a second team followed in 1928. The club ceased to play in 1940 due to the demands of World War II. It was re-established in 1946, initially with a single team, but grew rapidly as 2nd (1947), 3rd (1948) and 4th (1954) teams were formed. ^[4]

Brockham Big Field (NT), pictured in 2006

The club moved to The Big Field in Brockham in 1972 when it was granted a 50-year lease by the National Trust. This was extended with another 50-year lease in 2011. ^[4]

The first youth team – Dorking Schoolboys XV – was formed in 1951 with a single team of 13- to 18-year-olds. By 1965 this had grown to the point of splitting into three age banded teams. A mini section (for girls and boys aged 6–12) followed in 1980 and the first ladies team in 1988. ^[4] Dorking youth teams have twice triumphed in the National under-17 cup, winning the main competition in 2007 and the Shield in 2012.

The 1st XV was promoted to the RFU National Leagues (National League 3 London & SE) in 2009 and at the end of the 2013–14 season won promotion to National League 2 South, finishing fourth in 2014–15, their highest league position to date. ^[4] However the 2015–16 season saw the club lose many players such as hooker Ross Grimstone to Richmond F.C. & scrum half Will Crow to Rosslyn Park F.C. who represented the England Counties side in a game against Romania in the summer prior to the end of 2014–15^{[ clarification needed ]}. The Club spent a number of years at Level 5, before winning promotion back to National 2 in 2022. In recent years, the club has seen a number of new faces join the senior section with the AXV following the 1st XV in a promotion into the Raging Bull Shield. The Women's XV currently compete at Level 6 of the League system in NC3.

Current standings

2024–25 National League 2 East table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts	Qualification
1	Canterbury	2	2	0	0	80	27	+53	2	0	10	Promotion place
2	Tonbridge Juddians	2	2	0	0	93	57	+36	2	0	10
3	Guernsey Raiders	2	2	0	0	61	42	+19	2	0	10
4	Havant	2	2	0	0	65	49	+16	1	0	9
5	Henley Hawks	2	2	0	0	42	38	+4	0	0	8
6	Barnes	2	1	0	1	71	51	+20	1	1	6
7	Old Albanian	2	1	0	1	59	54	+5	1	1	6
8	Westcombe Park	2	1	0	1	55	61	−6	2	0	6
9	Dorking	2	1	0	1	60	69	−9	2	0	6
10	Bury St Edmunds	2	0	0	2	41	49	−8	1	2	3
11	Worthing Raiders	2	0	0	2	50	64	−14	1	1	2
12	Oxford Harlequins	2	0	0	2	54	85	−31	1	1	2
13	Colchester	2	0	0	2	39	101	−62	1	0	1	Relegation place
14	Sevenoaks	2	0	0	2	29	52	−23	0	0	0

First match(es) will be played: September 2024. Source: ^{[ citation needed ]}
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

John Douglas Youth Development Fund

The official launch of the John Douglas Youth Development Fund took place on Wednesday 15 March 2017. Joined by members of John's family and his former colleagues from Surrey RFU, it was a fitting tribute to a man who gave so much to DRFC and the wider rugby community over many years and whose enormous passion for the sport has benefited so many of our players. The primary aim of the JDYDF is to "fund or part fund specific projects or initiatives in the support of obtaining the highest possible standard and engagement of rugby through Dorking Rugby Club with particular emphasis on Youth Development".

Honours

• Surrey 1 champions: 1988–89
• London 3 South West champions: 1989–90
• London 2 South champions: 1990–91
• London Division 4 South West champions: 2005–06
• London 2 (south-east v south-west) promotion play-off winners: 2006–07
• Powergen Junior Vase: 2006 ^[4]
• London 1 (north v south) promotion play-off winners: 2008–09
• Surrey Cup winners (3): 2010, 2014, 2017
• National League 3 London & SE champions: 2013–14, 2021-22

References

1. "Senior Team Home". Dorking RFC. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
2. "Ladies". Dorking RFC. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
3. "Youth Section (Minis and Juniors)". Dorking RFC. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
4. "History". Dorking RFC. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.

External links

• Official website