Chairman James Smithies 2015–16 7th Ground Rudding Lane | President John Finnegan Founded 1871 Union Rugby Football Union | |
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Coach(es) Dave Doherty (Director),Andy Boyde, Rob Rawlinson | ||
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 play in National League 2 North, the club's second team, Harrogate Georgians, play in the Yorkshire RFU Merit Premiership. and the third team play in the Yorkshire RFU 2 Central/North Merit League. The club also fields a ladies team (Harrogate Ladies) and ten junior teams (from ages 6 to 16).
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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 twenty 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. In 2015 the club won the Yorkshire Cup for the tenth time. At the start of the 2015-16 season after a wait of 15 years, Harrogate moved from their old ground of Claro Road (where they had been for 119 years) to a new location at Rudding Lane. On 15 September 2015 Harrogate played the first ever game at Rudding Lane - beating local rivals Otley 15 - 10 in front of a club record crowd of 1,050 in the 2015–16 National League 2 North.
Current standings
Honours
International players
At least eleven former Harrogate players have gone on to win international caps.