Staffordshire Rugby Union

Last updated

Staffordshire RU
Full nameStaffordshire Rugby Union
Union RFU
Founded1923;99 years ago (1923)
Region Staffordshire
ChairmanJohn McDermott
PresidentJohn McDermott
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body white sleeve seams.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Team kit
Official website
www.staffsrfu.com

The Staffordshire Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Staffordshire in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Staffordshire, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Staffordshire county rugby representative teams.

Contents

History

Although there had been a number of long established clubs such as Burton (founded in 1870), Lichfield (1874) and Wolverhampton (1875), it took until 1923 for the Staffordshire Rugby Union to be formed, when it was part of the North Midlands Rugby Football Union. As the county started to find its identity in the 1920s more sides would start to form, with clubs such as Walsall (1921) and Stafford (1925) coming into existence during this period. [1]

Despite its formation in 1923, Staffordshire would not be recognised as a constituent body by the RFU until the 1960s. In 1961 a representative side defeated the reigning county champions Cheshire in a friendly match. This result showed the RFU that Staffordshire were ready to be included in the County Championships and the following year they would take part for the first time, being finally awarded constituent body status in 1962. [2] On 14 March 1970, Staffordshire won the County Championship when they upset favourites Gloucestershire 11–9 in the final played at Peel Croft in Burton upon Trent. [3] [4]

Since the glory days of 1970 Staffordshire have failed to win another county championship, and the reformation of the county game at the start of the 21st century saw them drop down to the third tier. In 2016 Staffordshire won both of their pool games in the Shield competition, reaching Twickenham for the very first time. Unfortunately they were unable to add to their silverware as they were beaten 11–30 by Hampshire in the final. [5] Despite losing the final, Staffordshire were promoted to tier 2 of the championships along with winners Hampshire, for the 2017 competition.

Staffordshire senior men's county side

The Staffordshire seniors men's team currently play in Division 2 of the County Championship.

Honours:

Affiliated clubs

There are currently 31 clubs affiliated with the Staffordshire RU, most of which have teams at both senior and junior level and are based in Staffordshire and bordering parts of the West Midlands. Due to county boundary changes enforced by the Local Government Act 1972, several clubs (but not all) who are based in what is now known as West Midlands are also members of the North Midlands RFU as well as the Staffordshire RU.

[6]

County club competitions

The Staffordshire RU currently runs the following competitions for club sides based in Staffordshire:

Cups

[7]

Discontinued competitions

Notes

  1. Bloxwich are joint members of the North Midlands RFU and Staffordshire RU.
  2. Essington are joint members of the North Midlands RFU and Staffordshire RU.
  3. Walsall are joint members of the North Midlands RFU and Staffordshire RU.
  4. Midlands 5 West (North) was known as Midlands 6 West (North) between 2005 and 2009.

See also

Related Research Articles

Midlands 4 West (North) is a level 9 English Rugby Union league and level 4 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands and occasionally Cheshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. Each year some of the clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.

Midlands 3 West (North) is a level 8 English Rugby Union league and level 3 of the Midlands League, made up of teams from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midlands and occasionally Cheshire, with home and away matches played throughout the season. When this division began in 1992 it was known as Midlands West 2, until it was split into two regional divisions called Midlands 4 West (North) and Midlands 4 West (South) ahead of the 2000–01 season. Further restructuring of the Midlands leagues ahead of the 2009–10 season, led to the current name of Midlands 3 West (North).

Midlands 1 West is an English level 6 rugby union regional league for rugby clubs in the western region of the Midlands, including sides from Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Birmingham and the West Midlands, Worcestershire and occasionally Cheshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Oxfordshire. When this division began in 1987 it was known as Midlands 2 West, and has been restructured several times, most notably as a single division known as Midlands 2 between 1992 and 2000, before regionalising again to its present format.

The North Midlands Rugby Football Union is a governing body for rugby union in part of The Midlands, England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union for the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and the Greater Birmingham area.

The Warwickshire Rugby Football Union is a governing body for rugby union in part of The Midlands, England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union for the city of Coventry and the county of Warwickshire. The current president is Steve Wilkes of the Old Coventrians club.

The Leicestershire Rugby Union (LRU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for those counties. The LRU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in those two counties and administers the Leicestershire county rugby representative teams.

The 2016 County Championship Shield was the 12th version of the annual English rugby union County Championship, organised by the RFU for the tier 3 English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the fifth tier and below of the English rugby union league system. The counties were divided into three pools - one pool with four teams, the others with three teams each, with the winner of each group plus the best runner-up going through to the semi-finals, and the winners of those games meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium. Due to competition changes for the 2017 season a number of teams in the division would be promoted to tier 2 for the following season, joining the 2015 Shield champions Leicestershire who had already been promoted at the start of this season.

The 2017 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2 was the 16th version of the annual English rugby union, County Championship organised by the RFU for the tier 2 English counties. This was the first season it would be officially known as Bill Beaumont Division 2 having previously been known as the County Championship Plate. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the third tier and below of the English rugby union league system. The counties were divided into two regional pools (north/south) with four teams in each and the winners of each pool meeting in the final at Twickenham Stadium.

The Kent Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Kent in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Kent, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Kent county rugby representative teams.

The Staffordshire Senior Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Staffordshire Rugby Union. It was first introduced during the 1976–77 season, with the inaugural winners being Walsall. It is the most important rugby union cup competition in Staffordshire, ahead of the Staffordshire Intermediate Cup and Staffordshire Owen Cup.

Walsall Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Walsall in the West Midlands, playing home games at the Broadway Ground, Delves Road. The club operates four senior men's teams, a colts side as well as a full range of junior teams. The men's 1st XV currently plays in Midlands 2 West (North).

The Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire & Derbyshire Rugby Football Union is a governing body for rugby union in part of The Midlands, England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union for the counties of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire and Derbyshire, with each county having also having their own sub-unions with additional club cup competitions. As well as overseeing club rugby, the Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire RFU also administers the county representative teams.

The 2018 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2, was the 17th version of the competition that is part of the annual English rugby union County Championship organised by the RFU for the tier 2 English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the third tier and below of the English rugby union league system. The counties were divided into two regional pools (north/south) with four teams in each and the winners of each pool meeting in the final at Twickenham Stadium. Leicestershire were the reigning champions, having won the 2017 final.

The RFU Junior Vase is a rugby union national knockout cup competition in England run by the Rugby Football Union, which has been competed for since 1990. It is mostly contested by 1st XV teams at level 9 of the English rugby union system, although sides as low as level 12 or even outside the league system can sometimes enter. The competition is a national one, but split into regions until the national semi-finals with the final being held at Twickenham Stadium in London. Presently, the RFU Junior Vase is the fifth most important club cup competition in England, behind the Premiership Rugby Cup, RFU Championship Cup, RFU Intermediate Cup and RFU Senior Vase.

The Midland Counties Football Union was a governing body for rugby union in The Midlands, England from 1879-1920.

The 2019 Bill Beaumont County Championship Division 2 was the 18th version of the competition that is part of the annual English rugby union County Championship organised by the RFU for the tier 2 English counties. Each county drew its players from rugby union clubs from the third tier and below of the English rugby union league system. The counties were divided into two regional sections with the winners of each meeting in the final held at Twickenham Stadium.

Staffordshire 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 5 West (North) and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire 2 until that division was cancelled at the end of the 2003–04 season. Staffordshire 1 was itself cancelled one year later at the end of the 2004–05 campaign, with the majority of teams transferred into the newly introduced Midlands 6 West (North).

Staffordshire/Warwickshire 2 was a tier 11 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1 and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3. Restructuring of the Staffordshire/Warwickshire leagues at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that the division was cancelled and all teams transferred into Staffordshire/Warwickshire 1.

Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3 was a tier 12 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 2 and relegated teams dropped to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 4. Restructuring of the Staffordshire/Warwickshire leagues at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that the league was cancelled and all teams transferred into either the Staffordshire or Warwickshire regional divisions.

Staffordshire/Warwickshire 4 was a tier 13 English Rugby Union league with teams from Staffordshire and Warwickshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Staffordshire/Warwickshire 3 and there was no relegation. Restructuring of the Staffordshire/Warwickshire leagues at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that the league was cancelled and all teams either transferring to the Warwickshire regional division or dropping out of the leagues.

References

  1. "History". North Midlands RFU. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  2. "STAFFORDSHIRE RUGBY HISTORY". Staffordshire RU. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  3. "Staffs 1970 County Championship winners reunion". Staffordshire RU. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  4. "Alan Brinn". Gloucester Rugby Heritage. 16 August 2015.
  5. "Staffordshire beaten by Hampshire in County Shield final at Twickenham". Staffordshire Newsletter. 29 May 2016.
  6. "Clubs". Staffordshire RU. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  7. "County Cups". Staffordshire RU. Retrieved 19 June 2017.