Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C.

Preston Grasshoppers
Full name Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club
Union Lancashire RFU
Nickname(s) Hoppers
Founded 1869 (1869)
Location Preston, Lancashire, England
Ground(s) Lightfoot Green (Capacity: 5,000)
Chairman George Erdozain
President Malcom Alden
Captain(s) Dominic Moon
Top scorer Sean Taylor
League(s) North Premier
2016–17 Relegated from National League 2 North (16th)
Team kit
Official website
www.pgrfc.co.uk

Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team from Preston, Lancashire. The men's senior team play in North Premier - at the fifth level of the English rugby union system - following their relegation from National League 2 North at the end of the 2016-17 season.

History

The club was founded on 28 September 1869 at a meeting held at the Bull Hotel, Preston, making it one of the oldest 'northern' rugby union teams.

Grasshoppers' players who have progressed to bigger stages include A.N. Hornby, the first man to captain both the English national rugby and cricket sides, Dick Greenwood and his son Will Greenwood, later to play outside centre for Harlequins and England, second row star Steve Borthwick, captaining Bath and playing a key role in the England international side, Wade Dooley, who won 55 caps in the second row for England, and Paul Grayson, who went on to play a number of games at fly half for England. Other past players gaining England caps include Don Rutherford and Iain Balshaw.

Norwich City striker James Vaughan also played rugby union for the side, before switching to football.

When the national league structure was introduced in the mid nineties, Hoppers remained in National League 3 (North) until their promotion in 1998–99 season. This was achieved with the help of Australian Michael Lough and winger Ian Bruce who, between them, scored over 50 tries.

In 2013 Preston Grasshoppers 2nd team won the Preston Sports Awards Team Performance of the Year.[1] At the end of the 2015–16 Season Preston Grasshoppers accepted an offer from the RFU to replace the grass surface at Lightfoot Green Lane with an artificial 3G pitch. The terms of the agreement mean that the RFU have exclusive use of the pitch for the next 30 years.

Honours

[2][3]

Current standings

2016–17 National League 2 North Table
Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1 Caldy (C) 30 27 1 2 1060 454 606 21 2 133
2 Sale 30 26 0 4 997 487 510 18 2 124
3 Leicester Lions 30 21 0 9 778 576 202 16 4 104
4 Sedgley Park 30 19 3 8 884 635 249 15 4 101
5 Chester 30 17 1 12 662 550 112 16 7 93
6 Tynedale 30 17 1 12 741 750 −9 15 4 89
7 South Leicester 30 15 2 13 762 703 59 12 8 84
8 Stourbridge 30 16 0 14 679 685 −6 12 7 83
9 Hinckley 30 14 0 16 630 712 −82 12 5 73
10 Wharfedale 30 11 0 19 640 757 −117 8 9 61
11 Otley 30 11 0 19 642 837 −195 9 3 56
12 Luctonians 30 9 0 21 640 812 −172 12 8 56
13 Sheffield Tigers 30 10 0 20 670 856 −186 8 3 51
14 Harrogate (R) 30 9 0 21 477 730 −253 3 8 47
15 Scunthorpe (R) 30 9 0 21 472 934 −462 2 5 43
16 Preston Grasshoppers (R) 30 5 0 25 590 846 −256 3 9 32
  • 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: 29 April 2017
Source: "National League 2 North". NCA Rugby. 

References

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