| Full name | Ravenscourt Park Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Football Union | |
| Nickname(s) | Ravenscourt Park | |
| Founded | 1865 [1] | |
| Disbanded | pre-1880 | |
| Location | London, England | |
| Ground(s) | Ravenscourt Park | |
| ||
Ravenscourt Park was a short lived 19th century English rugby union club that was notable for being one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union, as well as supplying a number of international players for the sport's early international fixtures.
Ravenscourt Park was founded in 1865. It was a club made up almost exclusively of Old Rugbeians. [2] This was partially due to its establishment at such an early period in the sport's history, and there were few schools that played football in the style of Rugby School. As an extension, this meant that Ravenscourt Park was one of the few non-school sides that Rugby School elected to play, because the rules by which it played were the same. [3] Old Boys clubs for former pupils of certain schools emerged towards the end of the 1860s, such as the Marlborough Nomads which served Marlborough College. However, Ravenscourt Park was not considered to be an Old Boys club, rather a club that played rugby and therefore attracted old boys of Rugby School.
In December 1872, Bell's Life referred to Blackheath, the Gipsies, and Ravenscourt Park, as being the three crack clubs. [4] Among its many opponents were Blackheath FC, Richmond F.C., Oxford and Cambridge Universities, The Gipsies, Marlborough Nomads, Woolwich, Sandhurst, Cooper's Hill, St. Andrews Rovers, Clapham Rovers, and West Kent. [4]
Despite its prominence in the early 1870s, the club was disbanded by 1880. [4]
On 26 January 1871, 32 members representing twenty-one London and suburban football clubs that followed Rugby School rules (Wasps were invited by failed to attend) assembled at the Pall Mall Restaurant in Regent Street. E.C. Holmes, captain of the Richmond Club assumed the presidency. It was resolved unanimously that the formation of a Rugby Football Society was desirable and thus the Rugby Football Union was formed. A president, a secretary and treasurer, and a committee of thirteen were elected, to whom was entrusted the drawing-up of the laws of the game upon the basis of the code in use at Rugby School. W. F. Eaton represented Ravenscourt Park and was one of the thirteen original committee members. [4]
The first international rugby match was played between Scotland and England in 1871. Ravenscourt Park provided two of the 20 man team to face Scotland in the very first international rugby match in 1871. [5] A Davenport and J. M. Dugdale. Moberly and Isherwood played in the second match in 1872 and in 1873 E. R. Still was the last international representative of the team.
A number of Ravenscourt Park players represented England in the early international fixtures: Aidan Murrihy Marty Murrihy Thomas Murrihy
Alfred Davenport - capped 1871 John Marshall Dugdale - capped 1871 W. O. Moberly - capped 1872 Francis Isherwood - capped 1872 Ernest Still - capped 1873No Ravenscourt player represented England in the 15-a-side era, which was one of the many signs of the slow shift of the game from the absolute dominance of its public school roots as the club network expanded.
1871 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
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The Old Alleynian Football Club is an open rugby union club founded as a team for the old boys of Dulwich College, themselves known as Old Alleynians. Founded in 1898, it is one of the oldest clubs in London and was the last of London's old boys clubs to become a fully open club. It is notable not only for its longevity, but also for the prominence it once attained on the club circuit and for the number of eminent players that have been members of the club, some of whom gained their international caps whilst at the club.
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct. The club played variously on Clapham Common, Tooting Bec Common and Wandsworth Common and wore a cerise and French-grey kit.
Charles Plumpton Wilson was an English amateur footballer who played at wing-half. He made two appearances for England in 1884. He was also capped for the England national rugby union team in 1881, and was one of only three players to be capped for England at both Association football and rugby football.
The Gipsies Football Club 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, as well as producing a number of international players in the sport's early international fixtures.
The Marlborough Nomads was a 19th-century English rugby union club that was notable for being one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union. They also supplied a number of players for the sport's early international fixtures.
The West Kent Football Club 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, as well as producing a number of international players in the sport's early international fixtures.
William Octavius Moberly was an English sportsman who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and represented the England national rugby union team.
Law, or The Law Club as it was also known, was a 19th-century football club that fielded teams playing by rugby football codes. It is notable for being one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union and for producing in a very short life span, a number of international players.
Lieutenant Charles Arthur Crompton RE, was a rugby union international who played for England in the first rugby international against Scotland in 1871. His Irish birth made him also the first Irish-born player to play in a rugby international and he was additionally, along with Lieutenant Charles Sherrard RE, the first member of the armed forces to represent their national side.
There was a single international friendly between the England and Scotland national rugby union teams in the 1871–72 season. With no other recognised rugby union teams in Great Britain or the rest of the world, the encounter between Scotland and England represented the only possible match that could be arranged, and would continue as such until 1875, when Ireland formed their national team.
The 1872–73 Home Nations rugby union matches was a single international friendly held between the England and Scotland national rugby union teams. With no other recognised rugby union teams in Britain or the rest of the World, the encounter between Scotland and England represented the only possible match that could be arranged, and would continue as such until 1875, when Ireland formed a national team.
The 1874–75 Home Nations rugby union matches are a series of international friendlies held between the England, Ireland and Scotland national rugby union teams. This season of games was notable as it saw the first international appearance of the Ireland team.
Francis Luscombe was a rugby union international who represented England from 1872 to 1876. He also captained his country.
John Marshall Dugdale was a rugby union international who represented England in the first international rugby match in 1871.
George Carmichael "Tot" Robinson (1876–1940) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1897 to 1901. After retiring from playing rugby he became a sports administrator and rugby selector, eventually serving as president for the Rugby Football Union.
Sydney Morse (1854-1929) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1873 to 1875.
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