Worthing Rugby Football Club

Worthing
Full name Worthing Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s) Raiders
Founded 1920
Location Angmering, West Sussex, England
Ground(s) Roundstone Lane
Coach(es) Ireland Kieron Dawson
Captain(s) Rob Smit
League(s) National League 2 South
2013–14 15th (demoted to National League 2 South)
Team kit
Official website
worthingrfc.com

Worthing Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team playing in the fourth tier of the English rugby union league system; National League 2 South. The first XV, nicknamed The Raiders, were runners-up to Henley Hawks in the National League 2 South 2012–13 season and qualified for a play-off against the runners-up of National League 2 North, Stourbridge winning 28–26.[1][2][3] In doing so, the club became the first club from Sussex to play in the third tier of English rugby.[4] The club also has a number of other teams, and whilst their 2nd XV is non-league, their 3rd XV currently plays in the Sussex Spitfire 1 league.[5] Worthing also have a successful Ladies 1st XV who are currently in 2nd place in the National Challenge South East South 2 league

History

A group of local sportsmen meeting at York House formed the club on the 10 September 1920.[6] They had no ground or equipment,[6] and initially borrowed a field from a local farmer off Wallace Avenue in West Worthing[7] before moving to the Rotary Ground at Broadwater.[6] In the 1924-25 season the club moved to Rugby Road in West Worthing. The Rugby Road ground was the club's home until 1927, when a 6-acre (24,000 m2) site was purchased in Castle Road, West Tarring.[6] The club moved to its current location at Roundstone Lane in Angmering in 1977 and the ground is now designated a Centre of Excellence for rugby in Sussex. The ground is approximately 5.5 miles (8.9 km) west of the centre of Worthing.

Club Honours

1st Team:

Worthing Senior I:

Worthing Senior II:

Current standings

2014–15 National League 2 South Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1 Henley Hawks (C) 30 24 1 5 956 567 389 19 4 121
2 Bishop's Stortford 30 20 1 9 933 608 325 22 8 112
3 Taunton Titans 30 22 0 8 863 591 272 16 6 110
4 Dorking 30 22 2 6 852 567 285 12 4 108
5 Worthing Raiders 30 19 0 11 804 605 199 19 5 100
6 Chinnor 30 18 0 12 780 639 141 11 9 92
6 Cambridge 30 17 0 13 765 662 103 16 6 90
8 Old Elthamians 30 12 1 17 693 736 -43 9 9 68
9 Redruth 30 13 1 17 577 686 -109 6 6 66
10 Cornish All Blacks 30 12 2 16 625 595 30 3 11 66
12 Canterbury 30 11 2 17 640 721 -81 11 3 63
12 Clifton 30 11 0 19 635 837 -202 9 6 59
13 Southend Saxons 30 12 0 18 640 782 -142 6 7 56[n 1]
14 Lydney (R) 30 11 1 18 546 871 -325 5 5 56
15 Shelford (R) 30 7 0 23 579 938 -359 9 4 36[n 2]
16 Dings Crusaders (R) 30 3 1 26 526 1009 -483 5 3 22
  • 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 January 2015
Source: "National League 2 South". NCA Rugby.
Notes
  1. ↑
    • Southend were deducted 5 points for playing an unregistered player against Clifton on 15 November 2014[9]
  2. ↑
    • Shelford were deducted 5 points for playing an unregistered player against Lydney on 6 September 2014[10]

Club Colours

The original club colours were green and white stripes, which were also sported by Old Guilfordians RFC.[6] The choice of the present royal blue with chocolate and gold hoops was made in 1927.[6] The scheme is an amalgamation of the colours of Dulwich College, Mill Hill School and Cranleigh School where many of the team members had been to school.[6]

Current squad

In July 2011, former Ireland international Kieron Dawson was appointed head coach of Worthing Rugby Football Club, succeeding Will Green.[11] Charlie McGowan previously made an appearance for the Barbarians against the Combined Services at Plymouth in the annual Remembrance Match in November 2013. He has also been selected for the England Counties Squad for their upcoming game against Scotland Club XV at Fylde’s Woodlands Memorial Ground on Friday February 27. Matt Miles (ex Raiders captain) had previosuly played for Northampton Saints and Ulster before joining Worthing RFC. .

Notable former players

References

  1. ↑ "Results - SSE National League 2S". The Rugby Paper. 12 May 2013. p. 32.
  2. ↑ "National League 2 South". Rugby Football Union.
  3. ↑ "RFU National Leagues (levels 1-4)". Sussex Rugby Football Union.
  4. ↑ Legg, Mike (13 September 2013). "Worthing Raiders Fired Up For Historic Home Clash". The Argus. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Sussex Spitfire 1". Rugby Football Union.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 "Worthing RFC official website". Worthing Borough Council. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  7. ↑ Elleray, D. Robert (1998). A Millennium Encyclopaedia of Worthing History. Worthing: Optimus Books. ISBN 0-9533132-0-4
  8. ↑ http://www.hampshirerugby.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=729&Itemid=386
  9. ↑ "Down In The Dumps". Pitchero. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "Shelford receive points penalty". Cambridge News. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Raiders Get Underway for 2011/12". Retrieved 20 July 2011.

External links