Old Albanian RFC

Old Albanians
Full name Old Albanian Rugby Football Club
Union Hertfordshire RFU
Nickname(s) OA's
Founded 1924 (1924)
Location St Albans, Hertfordshire, England
Ground(s) Woollam Playing Fields (Capacity: 1,000)
Chairman Rory Davis
President Richard Milnes
Coach(es) James Shanahan
Captain(s) Billy Johnson
League(s) National League 1
2016–17 9th
Team kit
Official website
www.oarugby.com

Old Albanian Rugby Football Club (OAs) is a rugby club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. The club won promotion from National League 2 South in 2011–12 to National League 1, and in 2012–13 finished 5th, their highest ever place in the English rugby union system. The cub was relegated from National One at the end of the 2014–15 season, after an administration error led to a five-point deduction; this meant that the club missed out on staying up by just a single point. They were promoted in 2015–16 via the play-off and play in National League 1.

The club runs up to five senior teams each week, plus a strong Ladies section (OA Saints), and two Colts teams. OA's has one of the largest mini and junior sections of any rugby club in the country, with ore than 900 youngsters turning out every Sunday. There is a thriving social membership and members enjoy some of the finest facilities in the country. The club's mission is 'To promote the game of rugby at all levels of ability, across all age groups and for both sexes.'

Honours

1st Team

2nd Team (Romans)

Current standings

2016–17 National League 1 Table
Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1 Hartpury College (P) 30 30 0 0 1455 532 923 28 0 148
2 Plymouth Albion 30 24 0 6 879 523 356 17 5 118
3 Ampthill 30 22 0 8 844 584 260 17 3 108
4 Coventry 30 20 1 9 974 733 241 17 2 101
5 Birmingham Moseley 30 20 0 10 854 682 172 15 3 98
6 Rosslyn Park 30 16 1 13 867 682 185 13 7 86
7 Blackheath 30 14 1 15 692 724 −32 13 4 75
8 Esher 30 13 0 17 828 854 −26 16 6 74
9 Old Albanian 30 13 0 17 749 926 −177 14 5 71
10 Darlington Mowden Park 30 13 1 16 695 791 −96 10 5 69
11 Loughborough Students 30 10 1 19 905 966 −61 16 8 66
12 Fylde 30 10 0 20 691 1050 −359 15 4 59
13 Hull Ionians 30 10 1 19 679 944 −265 9 7 58
14 Cambridge 30 8 1 21 779 994 −215 18 6 58
15 Blaydon (R) 30 8 2 20 642 1010 −368 10 6 52
16 Macclesfield (R) 30 4 1 25 579 1117 −538 8 5 31
  • Points system: 4 points for a win; 2 points for a draw; 1 point if a team loses by seven points or less (losing bonus); 1 point if the team scores four or more tries in a match (try bonus)
  • 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 relegation places.
    Updated: 29 April 2017
    Source: "National League 1". NCA Rugby. 

    Formation

    The club was formed in 1924 by a group of far-sighted Old Boys of St Albans School with a mutual love of the game. They acquired their first pavilion which was a timber World War I Barrack Hut, and located at Beech Bottom. Organised rugby was thus established in St Albans, providing rugby union for all. They are the largest community sports club in Hertfordshire.

    OA RFC's recent achievements

    1987 — Selected, with two other Hertfordshire clubs, to form part of London League Division 2

    1996 — Won London NW Division 3 gaining promotion to London League Division 2 North

    1998 — Won the Herts. President's Cup

    2001 — Won the County Sevens and were runners up in the Herts. President's Cup

    2003 — Promotion to London League Division One

    2005 — Reached their then highest-ever league position (5th place in Powergen London One)

    2009 — Won the Herts County 7s, runners up in the Herts County Cup Final. OA Colts reach both National Cup & Herts County Cup Finals and finish as Runners Up.

    2010 — OAs gain promotion to National League 2 South from National League 3 South East with a playoff win vs Old Patesians R.F.C.. Old Albanian Saints gain promotion to RFUW Premiership.

    2012 — OAs gain promotion to National League 1

    2013 — Achieved their highest ever position in National League rugby, 5th place in National League 1

    Men's rugby

    Running five men's sides each week the club has grown to become one of the biggest in the country, featuring a full schedule of league and friendly fixtures.

    1st XV — National League 1
    2nd XV — Canterbury Shield, Division 2
    3rd XV — Greene King Super Premier Division
    4th XV — Herts Middlesex Merit Tables, Division 3
    5th XV — Herts Middlesex Merit Tables, Division 5

    Mini and junior rugby

    OAs has recruited over 900 mini and junior rugby players. The minis enjoy good success in the Hertfordshire leagues, whilst the juniors are well represented in the Saracens Herts and Middlesex Junior leagues. Most age groups are able to provide three squads to the leagues and provide very good competition.

    Women's rugby

    In 2005 the first women's XV ('The Saints'), unbeaten since November 2003, secured the South East One league title without losing a game. They won promotion to National League 2 in the subsequent play-off competition, securing victory over each of their regional rivals. In 2010 the OA Saints 1st XV gained promotion to the RFUW Premiership.

    Facilities

    After 78 years based at Beech Bottom, the club moved to their current playing fields following the development of Cheapside Farm into The Woollam Playing Fields, generally referred to as "Woollam's". The playing facilities opened in 2002 with a club-selected XV match against a star-studded international XV led by Peter Winterbottom which formed the centre-piece of the opening ceremony.

    The state-of-the-art sporting complex on the northern outskirts of St Albans was acknowledged as the largest sporting development in Europe during its construction. It is regarded by many as the finest amateur sporting venue in the land. The Woollam Playing Fields is the choice of Saracens for their home training base and has hosted both England Under 16 and England RFUW International matches.

    Representative honours

    OAs have had players recognized at county level and national level.

    Men's rugby
    England: Jeff Probyn

    England: Maro Itoje
    Wales : Paul Turner
    Ireland : Darragh O'Mahony
    Barbarians: Steve Pope, Greg Botterman
    Serbia: Danilo Bulatovic
    Sweden: Charlie Openshaw, Andrew Daish
    Belgium : Craig Dowsett
    Women's rugby
    England: Sarah McKenna
    Italy: Nadia Brannon
    Scotland: Caroline Collie
    Hong Kong: Tamsin Reed

    References

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