Harrogate RUFC

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English rugby union club, based in North Yorkshire

title: "Harrogate RUFC" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1871-establishments-in-england", "rugby-union-teams-in-england", "rugby-clubs-established-in-1871", "sport-in-harrogate", "rugby-union-in-yorkshire"] description: "English rugby union club, based in North Yorkshire" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrogate_RUFC" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary English rugby union club, based in North Yorkshire ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rugby team"]

FieldValue
teamnameHarrogate
imageHarrogate rufc logo.png
imagesize120
unionYorkshire RFU
fullnameHarrogate Rugby Union Football Club
nicknameAces
founded
locationHarrogate, North Yorkshire
regionNorth Yorkshire
groundRudding Lane
capacity2,000
chairmanMark Garrett
presidentBill Barrack
captainSam Brady
coachDave Doherty (Director),
Andy Boyde, Rob Rawlinson, Rhys Silverwood
urlhttps://www.harrogaterugby.com/
leagueRegional 1 North East
season2024–25
positionPromoted from Regional 1 North East (champions)
pattern_la1_blackredhoops
pattern_b1_blackred stripes
pattern_ra1_blackredhoops
pattern_so1_hoops_black_red
leftarm1ffcc00
body1ffcc00
rightarm1ffcc00
shorts1000000
socks1ffcc00
::

| teamname = Harrogate | image = Harrogate rufc logo.png | imagesize = 120 | union = Yorkshire RFU | fullname = Harrogate Rugby Union Football Club | nickname =Aces | shortname = | founded = | location = Harrogate, North Yorkshire | region = North Yorkshire | ground = Rudding Lane | capacity = 2,000 | chairman = Mark Garrett | ceo = | president = Bill Barrack | captain = Sam Brady | top scorer = | caps = | coach = Dave Doherty (Director), Andy Boyde, Rob Rawlinson, Rhys Silverwood | url = https://www.harrogaterugby.com/ | league = Regional 1 North East | season = 2024–25 | position = Promoted from Regional 1 North East (champions) | pattern_la1 = _blackredhoops | pattern_b1 = _blackred stripes | pattern_ra1 = _blackredhoops | pattern_sh1 = | pattern_so1 = _hoops_black_red | leftarm1 = ffcc00 | body1 = ffcc00 | rightarm1 = ffcc00 | shorts1 = 000000 | socks1 = ffcc00 Harrogate Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club runs four senior sides. The first team play in Regional 1 North East, a tier 5 league, following their relegation from the 2024–25 National League 2 North. The 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 completing the four senior teams (Harrogate Ladies) in the RFUW Championship, and eight junior teams (from ages 6 to 16).

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Harrogate_Rugby_Club,Claro_Road_Ground(12th_August_2014)_002.JPG" caption="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. 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. 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.

Ground

Rudding Lane

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. Capacity around the main pitch is approximately 2,000 standing, with grass banking enabling spectators a clear view of the action.

Claro Road

Between 1896 and 2015 the club was based at Claro Road, in the centre of Harrogate. Claro Road had a capacity of around 4,500, with 4,000 standing and 500 seats split between the covered grandstand on one side with a smaller uncovered seating area on the other.

Honours

Women's team honours

League record

  • 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
  • 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

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

Current season

References

References

  1. [http://www.harrogaterugby.com/s/the-team-10539.html Harrogate 1st XV - The team] {{Webarchive. link. (4 September 2014 , Harrogate RUFC)
  2. [http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/harrogaterugby/s/team-info-10585.html Harrogate Georgians], Harrogate RUFC
  3. [http://www.harrogaterugby.com/s/the-team-13822.html], Harrogate RUFC {{Webarchive. link. (4 September 2014)
  4. [http://www.harrogaterugby.com/l/the-team-30128.html Harrogate Ladies - The team] {{Webarchive. link. (4 September 2014 , Harrogate RUFC)
  5. [https://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/womens-competitions/2018-2019/group/26498#/results Women's Competitions], England Rugby
  6. [http://www.harrogaterugby.com/j/default.html Junior] {{Webarchive. link. (4 September 2014 , Harrogate RUFC)
  7. [http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/harrogaterugby/a/history-7630.html History], Harrogate RUFC
  8. [http://www.harrogate-news.co.uk/2015/09/01/harrogate-rugby-club-launches-new-ground-in-style-with-local-derby/ Harrogate Rugby Club launches new ground in style with local derby]
  9. Tim Cook. (1 September 2015 }}
    - {{cite web). "Harrogate Rugby Club launches new ground in style with local derby". Rugby Paper Ltd.
  10. "Hire our facilities - clubhouse & grounds".
  11. (30 April 2024). "Fundraiser launched to improve Harrogate rugby pitches".
  12. (1990). "Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91". Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd.
  13. "Claro Road, Harrogate RUFC, 1896-2015".
  14. (9 April 2024). "Harrogate Rugby Club secure promotion at first attempt".
  15. link. (20 May 2014 , ''The Rugby Archive'')
  16. "Harrogate Ladies". RFU.
  17. "Harrogate Ladies". RFU.
  18. "Women's Cup Competitions". RFU.
  19. [http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/harrogaterugby/a/history-7630.html Club website - Timeline of Harrogate Rugby Club]
  20. "Northern Division".
  21. [http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/harrogaterugby/a/history-7630.html?page=3 Club history - past international players], Harrogate RUFC

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1871-establishments-in-englandrugby-union-teams-in-englandrugby-clubs-established-in-1871sport-in-harrogaterugby-union-in-yorkshire