Wimbledon RFC

Wimbledon Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from Wimbledon, London. The club was a founding member of the Rugby Football Union and were at that time known as the Wimbledon Hornets. The first team currently play in London & South East Premier following their relegation from National League 2 South at the end of the 2017-18 season.

Wimbledon RFC

Full name	Wimbledon Rugby Football Club
Union	Surrey RFU
Nickname(s)	The Dons
Founded	1865 (1865)
Location	Raynes Park, Merton, London, England
Ground(s)	Beverley Meads
Chairman	Stefano D'Anna
President	Jim Green
Coach(es)	Collin Osbourne, Neil Hallett, Shawn Renwick, Marc Bertrand, James Ogilvie-Bull and William Brunt
Captain(s)	Josh Bayford
League(s)	London & South East Premier
2019–20	3rd
Official website
www.wimbledonrfc.co.uk

History

Wimbledon’s first recorded match was against Richmond F.C. in November 1865, making the club one of the oldest in the country, and one of just twelve surviving clubs that founded the Rugby Football Union in 1871. The club’s captain at this time was L J Maton who drafted the first laws of the game and went on to become the third president of the RFU in 1875. In the same year, two club members, J D and H J Graham, gained one and four caps respectively for England.

In 1874 the club changed its name to Wimbledon RFC. It has been suggested that the change in name was due to the club's L J Maton becoming president of the Rugby Football Union, and in order to reflect their new-found gravitas they dispensed with the Hornets for a less whimsical name.[1]

The club played on Wimbledon Common until World War I, using the Rose & Crown in Wimbledon Village as changing rooms and clubhouse. The club then went into suspended animation when the First World War started, and was only re-formed in 1927.[1] It was at this time that the club changed colours from broad blue and white hooped jerseys, to maroon and Cambridge blue hooped jerseys.[2] The club's celebration of its centenary with a dinner held in February 1966, was demonstrative that it perceived itself a continuation of the original Wimbledon Hornets.[1]

The club moved to its current clubhouse on Barham Road, Wimbledon in the 1987–88 season, coinciding with the setting up of amateur league rugby in Britain.

Honours

1st team:

• Surrey 2 champions: 1989–90
• Surrey 1 champions: 1993–94
• London 3 South West champions: 1994–95
• London 1 South champions (2): 1995–96, 2014–15
• London 2 (south-east v south-west) promotion play-off winners (2): 2008–09, 2011–12
• National League 3 (south-east v south-west) promotion play-off winners: 2016–17

2nd team:

• Surrey Cup winners: 2018

Current standings

2017–18 National League 2 South table
		Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points for	Points against	Points diff	Try bonus	Losing bonus	Points
1	Cinderford (C)	30	29	0	1	1070	493	577	27	0	143
2	Chinnor (P)	30	26	1	3	1010	679	331	25	0	131
3	Redingensians Rams	30	21	1	8	927	611	316	21	5	112
4	Taunton Titans	30	20	0	10	988	745	243	18	3	101
5	Redruth	30	16	0	14	846	708	138	18	7	89
6	Tonbridge Juddians	30	17	1	12	749	649	100	11	5	86
7	Worthing Raiders	30	14	0	16	824	970	-146	19	6	81
8	Bury St Edmunds	30	14	0	16	803	786	17	14	7	77
9	Henley Hawks	30	12	2	16	755	882	-127	14	7	73
10	Canterbury	30	13	1	16	722	733	-11	12	6	72
11	Clifton	30	11	1	18	666	858	-192	12	5	63
12	Old Redcliffians	30	9	2	19	708	915	-207	12	6	58
13	London Irish Wild Geese	30	9	0	21	777	948	-171	15	6	57
14	Barnstaple (R)	30	10	1	19	608	848	-240	7	6	55
15	Wimbledon (R)	30	9	0	21	660	943	-283	10	4	50
16	Broadstreet (R)	30	5	0	25	572	917	-345	8	7	35
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams 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: 28 April 2018 Source: "National League 2 South". NCA Rugby.

Club colours

Wimbledon 1st team play in maroon shirts with blue sleeves and a blue stripe on the side. They wear navy shorts and navy socks.

All other teams play in maroon and blue hooped shirts with navy shorts and navy socks.

Teams

Wimbledon has four men's teams, a ladies team and a thriving youth & mini section.

The men's teams Wimbledon currently has four men's teams.

The 1st team play in London & South East Premier (Nat3SE), as a result of result of relegation from National League 2S in the 2017–18 season. The 2nd team play in the Zoo Sports Shield Division 1 having won consecutive promotions from Division 3 and 2 in the 2015–16/2016-17 seasons. The 3rds or Mavericks as they are fondly known and the 4ths Strollers (the Vets team) compete in the Surrey Leagues.

The ladies team The ladies team was founded in the 1990–91 season by Tina and John Ambler, club stewards from 1989 to 1993. Their team mascot is Alderney, one of The Wombles.

The first ladies match was against a selection of players from the men's teams. Due to a lack of playing experience the men emerged the victors. Since then, the Ladies section has grown from strength to strength with several of the players reaching national and international level.

The team currently plays in the Championship South West 2 League and has a regular squad of over thirty ladies as well as strong mini and youth section offering rugby for all ability levels from 5 to 18.

Notable former players

• Madison Hughes () USA Rugby Sevens (first capped 2012)
• H J Graham () (first capped 1875)
• J D Graham () (first capped 1875)

References

1. Dick Tyson, London's Oldest Rugby Clubs, p159 (JJG Publishing), 2008
2. Dick Tyson, London's Oldest Rugby Clubs, p158 (JJG Publishing), 2008

External links

• Official site