Rosslyn Park F.C.

Last updated

Rosslyn Park
Rosslyn Park F.C. logo.png
Full nameRosslyn Park Football Club
Union Middlesex RFU, Surrey RFU
Founded1879;145 years ago (1879)
Location Roehampton, Wandsworth, London, England [1]
Ground(s)The Rock, Priory Lane (Capacity: 2,000. Additional games at Richmond Park)
ChairmanAdam Tyrer
PresidentNick Goddard [2]
Director of RugbyKieran Power
Coach(es) John Mills [3]
Captain(s) Hugo Ellis [ citation needed ]
League(s) National League 1
2022–23 4th
Kit left arm thinnavyborder.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body thinredhoops.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm thinnavyborder.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks hoops red.png
Kit socks long.svg
Home kit
Official website
rosslynpark.co.uk

Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union club based in south west London.

Contents

History

Founded in 1879 by cricketing friends in north London, at the end of their first season, Charles Hoyer Millar proposed forming a football club to keep the players together during the winter. There was already a Hampstead Football Club (from which both Wasps and Harlequins sprang), so the cricket club's name was adopted, reflecting the area of Hampstead where the cricketers first played their scratch games in the grounds of Rosslyn House. Their original rugby ground was at South End Green, Hampstead, then Gospel Oak and Acton before a lengthy tenure at Old Deer Park, Richmond until 1956, when Rosslyn Park moved to its current premises in Roehampton. After an initial blue shirt with white Maltese cross, its current red-and-white hoops were adopted in 1881. It still remains a Football Club, without the need for the word Rugby, and so is correctly Rosslyn Park FC, not RFC.

The Rosslyn Park squad in 1892 Rosslyn park 1892.jpg
The Rosslyn Park squad in 1892

Early fixtures were generally against second XVs of leading clubs, but in the 1890s Rosslyn Park joined the first rank with fixtures against Oxford University, London Scottish, Richmond and Harlequins. Park's acceptance into the elite was signalled when venerable Blackheath agreed to play home and away fixtures in 1909. The club became the first English side to play rugby internationally when it beat Stade Français in Paris on 18 April 1892. [4] In 1912, the club played exhibition matches in Prague, Budapest and Vienna - the first rugby matches ever played in those cities - and in 1913 played two games in Hanover, Germany. [4] In 1939, Rosslyn Park inaugurated the annual Rosslyn Park Schools Seven Tournament, which expanded from sixteen schools to 350 in 1996. With some 7,000 players annually, it is the world's largest rugby tournament. [4] After the Second World war, Park again led the way with a first international fixture in 1945 against traditional rivals Stade Français. In 1951, Park was the first to bring the Ladies' Cup from the Melrose Sevens south of the border. In 1975 and 1976, the club played in the final of the John Player Cup, narrowly losing on both occasions

The club runs five senior men's sides (the 1st XV, "B's", "Hatters", "Fours", and "Nomads") and a ladies side (the "Slingbacks") who play on Sundays. Rosslyn Park also have one of the country's largest mini- and youth-rugby set-ups with sides at all age groups from under-6s up. When English league rugby began in 1987, Park were placed in Division two, which they won. The first team currently play in the third division of the English league system, National League One.

The club plays at Priory Lane, Roehampton in South-West London on a ground leased from the next-door Roehampton Club. There is one 4G (4th generation synthetic turf) pitch at the main site; additional games are played on grass pitches in nearby Richmond Park. Changing facilities for both sets of pitches are at the main site in Priory Lane. The clubhouse has two bars, which are named after two of the club's famous players – Andy Ripley and Alexander Obolensky. The first floodlights for the main pitch were famously provided by the hell-raising actor Oliver Reed who was also a member of the club and occasional player. Those lights have now been replaced after storm damage.

Some 350 Park members served in the Great War, of which 109 died, believed to be the highest number from any club. The story was told in a 2012 book The Final Whistle: the Great War in Fifteen players. The original memorial was lost but was replaced with a new board in 2014 when a Centenary memorial match was played under the Laws prevailing in 1914 and the memorial was unveiled by Bill Beaumont, Chairman of the RFU.

Current standings

2023–24 National League 1 Table
PlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstPoints diffTry bonusLosing bonusPoints
1 Chinnor 21170478232545715386
2 Rams 21160564446617816282
3 Birmingham Moseley 2113085785116711669
4 Rosslyn Park 2112186035168712365
5 Richmond 21100115835681513760
6 Darlington Mowden Park 2111010518526-811459
7 Plymouth Albion 21110105034614210458
8 Sedgley Park 219111523620-979451
9 Blackheath 2110011494477176450
10 Sale FC 2110011453477-246349
11 Bishop's Stortford 217014481596-1158541
12 Leicester Lions 218013406571-1655340
13 Cinderford 218013407615-2083338
14 Taunton Titans 214017545791-24613433
  • 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
Green background is the promotion place. Pink background are the relegation places.
Updated: 9 March 2024

Source: "National League 1". RugbyEngland.

Honours

Notable former players

List of seasons (since the beginning of professional era)

SeasonDivisionLevelLeague recordPromotion play-off
PWDLFABPPtsPos
1987-88 National Division 2 21182115583-251st
1988-89 English Premiership 111506172208-109th
1989-90 English Premiership 111407164243-810th
1990-91 English Premiership 112606216174-127th
1991-92 English Premiership 1120111111258-113th
1992-93 National Division 2 212507209199-108th
1993-94 National Division 3 3181017372240-215th
1994-95 National Division 3 3181008313280-204th
1995-96 National Division 3 3183213290426-89th
1996-97 National Division 3 33017013630620-348th
1997-98 National League 1 32613112486537-275th
1998-99 National League 1 3261718588371-353rd
1999-2000 National League 1 3261727694371-364th
2000-01 National Division 2 3251924752439-403rd
2001-02 National Division 2 3268117490605-1712th
2002-03 National Division 3 South 42624021055395-481st
2003-04 National Division 2 3269116672646-1912th
2004-05 National Division 2 3266020415671113514th
2005-06 National Division 3 South 4261501154944411716th
2006-07 National Division 3 South 4261001648566484810th
2007-08 National Division 3 South 4261201450246311599th
2008-09 National Division 3 South 426220463933810982nd
2009-10 National Division 2 South 4282314995423191132nd Loughborough Students 21-43 Rosslyn Park
2010-11 National League 1 3301301778684719717th
2011-12 National League 1 3301711276565717885th
2012-13 National League 1 3301929974638201004th
2013-14 National League 1 3302514915413171192nd
2014-15 National League 1 3302604909508231272nd
2015-16 National League 1 3302001074557815955th
2016-17 National League 1 3301611386768220866th
2017-18 National League 1 32910217752810226612th
2018-19 National League 1 3302118873699201063rd
2019-20 National League 1 325181672847216903rdSeason curtailed due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020-21Not played due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 National League 1 3281918869556241023rd
2022-23 National League 1 325160978468519834th
Total8394832533120,92116,6433902,008

Number of seasons at each level

LevelSeasons
14
22
323
46

Related Research Articles

Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition, consisting of 10 clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby union system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle Falcons</span> English rugby union club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasps RFC</span> Professional rugby team based in Coventry, England

Wasps Rugby Football Club was a professional rugby union team. They last played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby, until being suspended on 12 October 2022. On 17 October 2022, the club entered administration, resulting in relegation from the league and all staff being made redundant. They exited administration on 16 December 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Obolensky</span> England international rugby union player

Prince Alexander Sergeevich Obolensky was a Rurikid prince of Russian aristocratic descent who became a naturalised Briton, having spent most of his life in England, and who went on to represent England in international rugby union. He was, and remains, popularly known as "The Flying Prince", "The Flying Slav", or simply as "Obo" to many sports fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Scottish F.C.</span> English rugby union football club

London Scottish Football Club is a rugby union club in England. The club is a member of both the Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union. The club is currently playing in the RFU Championship and share the Athletic Ground with Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harlequin F.C.</span> English rugby union club, based in Twickenham

Harlequins is a professional rugby union club that plays in Premiership Rugby, the top level of English rugby union. Their home ground is the Twickenham Stoop, located in Twickenham, south-west London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Offiah</span> Great Britain and England international rugby league and union player and commentator

Martin Nwokocha Offiah MBE ; born 29 December 1965) is an English former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Offiah was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2013. He scored over 500 tries during his rugby league career, making him the third-highest try scorer of all time, and now features in a statue of great rugby league players outside Wembley Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond F.C.</span> English rugby union football club

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wakefield RFC</span> Defunct English rugby union club, based in Wakefield

Wakefield RFC was an English rugby union club, founded in 1901 and folded in 2004 as a result of poor finances, with a trading loss of £105,000 for the season and unsecured creditors' loans of approximately £640,000. The club's final season was in 2003–04 when they were relegated after losing to Coventry RFC in their final match. The club was based at College Grove in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Welwyn Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club playing in London 2 North West following their promotion from London 3 North West as runners up at the end of the 2017–18 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter University RFC</span> Rugby team

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club</span> English rugby union club, based in London

Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team were the champions of the RFU Championship in 2021/22 but were considered ineligible for promotion to Premiership Rugby as their home ground's capacity is too small. They were promoted to the league after they won National League 1 in 2014–15.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barts and The London RFC</span> Rugby team

Barts and The London Rugby Football Club, also known as the Royal Hospitals Rugby Football Club, is the rugby club of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loughborough Students RUFC</span> English rugby union club, based in Loughborough

Loughborough Students Rugby Football Club represents Loughborough University in rugby union competition. Of the British universities, Loughborough has unparalleled success, having won the BUCS championship on twenty-seven occasions. It fields sides in the BUCS league, (inter-university) and in the fourth tier of the English rugby union system, National League 2 West. The club has fielded over seventy internationals, many of whom won caps while playing for the club.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlesex Rugby Football Union</span> Rugby team

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Reds</span> Rugby union club based in Jersey, Channel Islands

Jersey Reds is a rugby union club based in Jersey, Channel Islands. As of 6 October 2023, the club has ceased trading and is in liquidation following the withdrawal of financial support from a key investor.

Rugby union is one of the most popular sports, in terms of both participants and spectators in London. London has several of England's leading rugby union clubs, and the city is home to 13 teams playing in national leagues, and many regional amateur leagues regulated by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union. However, several of these teams, due to necessity, have found homes at stadia outside the boundaries of the capital. The sport is well established, especially in the middle-class suburbs to the north and west of the city. Four of the twelve clubs currently in the Gallagher Premiership have London origins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Launchbury</span> England international rugby union footballer

Joseph Oliver Launchbury is an English rugby union lock. He represents England at international level and previously played for the under-18s and under-20s before making his Test debut in 2012. Launchbury plays mainly in the second row but is also comfortable as a blindside flanker.

References

  1. ↑ "Rosslyn Park RFC". Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  2. ↑ "ParkNews AGM Update" (PDF). Official site. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  3. ↑ "Rosslyn Park New Player & Coaches Announcements 2020/21". Rosslyn Park FC. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "A brief history". Official site. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.