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Harrogate RUFC

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For association football clubs, see Harrogate Railway Athletic F.C. and Harrogate Town AFC.
Harrogate
Full nameHarrogate Rugby Union Football Club
UnionYorkshire RFU
Nickname(s)Aces
Founded1871; 153 years ago (1871)
LocationHarrogate, North Yorkshire
RegionNorth Yorkshire
Ground(s)Rudding Lane (Capacity: 2,000)
ChairmanIain Salkeld
PresidentBill Barrack
Coach(es)Dave Doherty (Director),
Andy Boyde, Rob Rawlinson, Rhys Silverwood
Captain(s)Sam Brady
League(s)National League 2 North
2023–24Promoted from Regional 1 North East (champions)
Team kit
Official website
www.harrogaterugby.com

Harrogate Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.[1] The club runs four senior sides. The first team play in National League 2 North, a tier 4 league, following their promotion from Regional 1 North East at the end of the 2023–24 season. The second team, Harrogate Georgians,[2] play in the Yorkshire RFU Merit Premiership and the third team play in the Yorkshire RFU 2 Central/North Merit League.[3] The club also fields a ladies' team completing the four senior teams (Harrogate Ladies)[4] in the RFUW Championship,[5] and eight junior teams (from ages 6 to 16).[6]

History

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Harrogate RUFC's former Claro Road ground which they left in 2014.

The team was founded in 1871 as Harrogate Football Club, the same year as the Rugby Football Union, and played its first match on 16 December that year. It moved to Dragon Fields in 1875 and then moved to Claro Road in 1896. In 1903, the club played Canada and two years later it won the Yorkshire Cup for the first time. In 1914, the club decided 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 was only in 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 it 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 it finished fourth in the league, won the Yorkshire Cup and won the National 7s competition.[7] In 2015, the club won the Yorkshire Cup for the tenth time. At the start of the 2015–16 season, after a wait of fifteen years, Harrogate moved from its old ground of Claro Road (where it had been for 119 years) to a new location at Rudding Lane.[8] On 15 September 2015 Harrogate played its first 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.[9]

Ground

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Rudding Lane

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Since 2015 the club has been based at Rudding Lane on the south-east outskirts of Harrogate, with access to the A658. The ground consists of a club house and four full size rugby pitches as well as parking for over 250 cars.[10][11] Capacity around the main pitch is approximately 2,000 standing, with grass banking enabling spectators a clear view of the action.

Claro Road

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Between 1896 and 20215 the club was based at Claro Road, in the centre of Harrogate. Claro Road had a capacity of around 3,000.[12] Most of the capacity was standing but there was a covered grandstand on one side with a smaller uncovered seating area on the other.

Honours

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[14]

Women's team honours

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League record

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[18]

  • 1993–94 Division 4: 2nd — promoted
  • 1994–95 Division 3: 7th
  • 1995–96 Division 3: 6th
  • 1996–97 Division 3: 5th
  • 1997–98 National Division 1: 14th
  • 1998–99 National Division 1: 12th
  • 1999–00 National Division 1: 6th
  • 2000–01 National Division 1: 5th
  • 2001–02 National Division 2: 4th
  • 2002–03 National Division 2: 4th
  • 2003–04 National Division 2: 8th
  • 2004–05 National Division 2: 10th
  • 2005–06 National Division 2: 13th — avoided relegation due to league reshuffle.
  • 2006–07 National Division 2: 14th — relegated
  • 2007–08 National Division 3 North: 6th
  • 2008–09 National Division 3 North: 5th
  • 2009–10 National League 2 North: 4th
  • 2010–11 National League 2 North: 6th
  • 2011–12 National League 2 North: 14th — relegated
  • 2012–13 National League 3 North: 2nd — promoted
  • 2013–14 National League 2 North: 9th
  • 2014–15 National League 2 North: 4th
  • 2015–16 National League 2 North: 7th
  • 2016–17 National League 2 North: 14th — relegated
  • 2017–18 North Premier: 3rd[19]
  • 2018–19 North Premier: 3rd
  • 2019–20 North Premier: 2nd — promoted
  • 2020–21 National League 2 North: league not contested due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
  • 2021–22 National League 2 North: 16th (relegation avoided due to league reorganisation)

International players

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At least twelve former Harrogate players have gone on to win international caps.[20]

Current season

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2024–25 National League 2 North table
Pos Team
 Pld W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Lymm 9 9 0 0 368 209 +159 9 0 45 Promotion place
2 Leeds Tykes 9 8 0 1 297 163 +134 8 1 41
3 Sheffield 9 8 0 1 331 152 +179 7 1 40
4 Fylde 9 7 0 2 332 254 +78 7 0 35
5 Wharfedale 9 5 0 4 248 260 −12 7 0 27
6 Preston Grasshoppers 9 4 1 4 290 273 +17 6 3 27
7 Hull Ionians 9 4 0 5 263 248 +15 5 2 23
8 Chester 9 4 0 5 268 254 +14 5 2 23
9 Otley 9 4 0 5 224 269 −45 3 2 21
10 Billingham 9 3 1 5 187 266 −79 3 0 17
11 Hull 9 2 0 7 222 313 −91 4 3 15
12 Tynedale 9 1 2 6 192 321 −129 4 2 14
13 Sheffield Tigers 9 1 0 8 195 286 −91 4 4 12 Relegation place
14 Harrogate 9 1 0 8 207 356 −149 4 4 12
Updated to match(es) played on 9 November 2024. Source: National League Rugby [21]
Rules for classification: 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

References

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  1. ^ Harrogate 1st XV - The team, Harrogate RUFC
  2. ^ Harrogate Georgians, Harrogate RUFC
  3. ^ [1], Harrogate RUFC Archived 4 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Harrogate Ladies - The team, Harrogate RUFC
  5. ^ Women's Competitions, England Rugby
  6. ^ Junior, Harrogate RUFC
  7. ^ History, Harrogate RUFC
  8. ^ Harrogate Rugby Club launches new ground in style with local derby
  9. ^ Tim Cook (1 September 2015). "Harrogate Rugby Club launches new ground in style with local derby". Harrogate Informer.
    - "Rugby Union: Harrogate edge out Otley in front of record crowd". Yorkshire Evening Post. 7 September 2015.
    - "National League 2 North". The RUGBYPaper. No. 364. Rugby Paper Ltd. 6 September 2015. pp. 34–35 & 41.
  10. ^ "Hire our facilities - clubhouse & grounds". Harrogate RUFC. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Fundraiser launched to improve Harrogate rugby pitches". Harrogate RUFC. 30 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Claro Road, Harrogate RUFC, 1896-2015". The Rugby Journal. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Harrogate Rugby Club secure promotion at first attempt". The Stray Ferret. 9 April 2024.
  14. ^ Harrogate, The Rugby Archive
  15. ^ "Harrogate Ladies". RFU. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Harrogate Ladies". RFU. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  17. ^ "Women's Cup Competitions". RFU. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  18. ^ Club website - Timeline of Harrogate Rugby Club
  19. ^ "Northern Division". RFU. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  20. ^ Club history - past international players, Harrogate RUFC
  21. ^ "National League 2 North". NCA Rugby.
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