Harrogate RUFC

Harrogate
Full name Harrogate Rugby Union Football Club
Union Rugby Football Union
Founded 1871
Ground(s) Claro Road
Chairman James Smithies
President John Finnegan
Coach(es) Mike Aspinall (Director),
Andy Boyde, Grahame Tasker
League(s) National League 2 North
2014–15 4th
Team kit
Official website
www.pitchero.com/clubs/harrogaterugby/

Harrogate Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club runs three senior sides. The first team plays in National League 2 North,[1] the club's second team, Harrogate Georgians, plays in the Yorkshire RFU Merit Premiership.[2] and the third team plays in the Yorkshire RFU 2 Central/North Merit League.[3] The club also fields a ladies team (Harrogate Ladies)[4] and ten junior teams (from ages 6 to 16).[5]

History

The team was founded in 1871 as Harrogate Football Club, the same year as the Rugby Football Union and plated their first match on 16 December of that year. They moved to Dragon Fields in 1875 and then moved to their present location at Claro Road in 1896. In 1903 the club played Canada and two years later they won the Yorkshire Cup for the first time. In 1914 the club decides to concentrate on football and rugby union activities were split off into a new club called Harrogate Old Boys. In 1923 a club called Harrogate RUFC was formed and RUFC and Old Boys amalgamated in 1936 although it wasn't until 1945 that the merged club officially became known as Harrogate RUFC. In 1957 the club merged with Harrogate Georgians and the decision was taken to retain the Georgians name by naming the second XV Harrogate Georgians. When the leagues were formed in 1987 the club was placed in North 1. Subsequent promotions resulted in Harrogate joining the third tier for the 1994-95 season and they remained at that level for thirteen seasons. However, the club has been relegated twice and is playing in regional rugby for the first time in more than 20 years. Harrogate's most successful season was 2001-02 when they finished fourth in the league, won the Yorkshire Cup and won the National 7s competition.[6] In 2015 the club won the Yorkshire Cup for the tenth time.

Current standings

2014–15 National League 2 North Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1 Hull Ionians (C) 30 27 0 3 976 407 569 25 1 134
2 Ampthill 30 26 1 3 1113 440 673 23 2 131
3 Sedgley Park 30 18 1 11 881 666 215 16 4 89
4 Harrogate 30 17 3 10 720 652 68 11 4 89
5 Chester 30 16 1 13 706 595 111 12 6 84
6 Caldy 30 16 1 13 696 720 -24 11 7 84
7 Broadstreet 30 17 0 13 773 687 86 11 4 83
8 Otley 30 13 1 16 676 682 -6 13 8 75
9 Huddersfield 30 14 2 14 586 658 -72 7 4 71
10 Stourbridge 30 12 1 17 740 803 -63 12 7 69
11 Leicester Lions 30 13 0 17 612 804 -192 10 2 64
12 Preston Grasshoppers 30 11 0 19 621 664 -43 10 10 64
13 Luctonians 30 11 1 18 599 766 -167 10 5 61
14 Birmingham & Solihull (R) 30 9 2 18 724 809 -85 8 10 58
15 Hull (R) 30 10 1 19 543 836 -293 9 3 54
16 Stockport (R) 30 2 1 27 444 1221 -777 5 4 19
  • 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. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 11 June 2014
Source: "National League 2 North". NCA Rugby.

Honours [7]

League record

[8]

International players

At least eleven former Harrogate players have gone on to win international caps.[9]

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Harrogate Georgians
  3. ↑
  4. ↑
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ Club website - history page
  7. ↑ http://www.rugbyarchive.net/Pagine/Squadre.aspx?ID=148
  8. ↑ Club website - Timeline of Harrogate Rugby Club
  9. ↑ Club history - past international players

External links