Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union
Encyclopedia
The Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union
in the county of Gloucestershire
, England
and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union
. Formed in 1878, it has won the county championship
on numerous occasions.
, Royal Agricultural College
, Cirencester RFC, Rockleage, Stroud
, and Cheltenham White Cross. The Union was formed mainly due to the efforts of J. D. Miller, J. H. Dunn, and J. F. Brown. all of whom were amongst the Union's first officers. For many years, the playing strength depended almost entirely on the Clifton and Gloucester Clubs. In the first five seasons the Union side only lost two of seventeen fixtures in Inter-County matches. The RFU recognised its success by electing in 1880 J. D. Miller to represent the West of England on the central executive. Ironically, the representative side then went through a period in which they had a very poor record. From 1883 to 1889 the team played only 10 times and of these 6 were lost, 3 drawn, and only 1 won. It was noted that the fortunes of the county side mirrored the success of the Gloucester City club side. When the Gloucester City side revived in the early 1890s, so to did the County, and in the seasons 1889-90, 1890–91, 1891–92, Gloucestershire lost two matches only.
In the first year of the County Championship (1890–91) Gloucestershire were the winners in the South-Western group, but when they entered the second phase, they were crushed by Lancashire.
From 1984 all Championship finals were played at Twickenham.
, Royal Agricultural College
, Cirencester RFC, Rockleage, Stroud
, and Cheltenham White Cross, by 1891, the Union consisted of ten clubs, viz.,
Gloucester, Clifton, Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Bristol, Cheltenham, Lydney, Sharpness, Dursley, Stroud, and Gordon Wanderers (Gloucester). In its early days, only Gloucester City was rated as a first class side, and this was deemed the county's weakness. Since then, the fortunes of the consitituent clubs has varied enormously.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in the county of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
. Formed in 1878, it has won the county championship
County Championship (rugby union)
The County Championship is an annual rugby union competition in England between teams representing English counties. After restructuring in 2007 the top tier of the Championship has been known as the Bill Beaumont Cup, after the trophy awarded to the competition winners was named in honour of Bill...
on numerous occasions.
History
The Union was formed at a meeting held at Gloucester in September, 1878. At that meeting, the clubs represented were Clifton RFC, Gloucester RFCGloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
, Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College
The Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
, Cirencester RFC, Rockleage, Stroud
Stroud
Stroud a town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England.Stroud may also refer to:*Stroud, New South Wales, Australia*Stroud, Ontario, Canada*Stroud , Gloucestershire, UK*Stroud...
, and Cheltenham White Cross. The Union was formed mainly due to the efforts of J. D. Miller, J. H. Dunn, and J. F. Brown. all of whom were amongst the Union's first officers. For many years, the playing strength depended almost entirely on the Clifton and Gloucester Clubs. In the first five seasons the Union side only lost two of seventeen fixtures in Inter-County matches. The RFU recognised its success by electing in 1880 J. D. Miller to represent the West of England on the central executive. Ironically, the representative side then went through a period in which they had a very poor record. From 1883 to 1889 the team played only 10 times and of these 6 were lost, 3 drawn, and only 1 won. It was noted that the fortunes of the county side mirrored the success of the Gloucester City club side. When the Gloucester City side revived in the early 1890s, so to did the County, and in the seasons 1889-90, 1890–91, 1891–92, Gloucestershire lost two matches only.
In the first year of the County Championship (1890–91) Gloucestershire were the winners in the South-Western group, but when they entered the second phase, they were crushed by Lancashire.
Honours
| Year | Winners | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | Durham County | Gloucestershire | 3-9 | Durham County | Gloucester | |
| 1910 | Gloucestershire | Gloucestershire | 23-0 | Yorkshire | Gloucester | |
| 1913 | Gloucestershire | Cumberland | 3-14 | Gloucestershire | Carlisle | |
| 1920 | Gloucestershire | Yorkshire | 3-27 | Gloucestershire | Bradford | |
| 1921 | Gloucestershire | Gloucestershire | 31-4 | Leicestershire | Kingsholm | |
| 1922 | Gloucestershire | North Midlands | 0-19 | Gloucestershire | Aston Villa | |
| 1925 | Leicestershire | Gloucestershire | 6-14 | Leicestershire | Bristol | |
| 1930 | Gloucestershire | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
7-13 | Gloucestershire | Blundellsands | |
| 1931 | Gloucestershire | Gloucestershire | 10-9 | Warwickshire | Gloucester | |
| 1932 | Gloucestershire | Durham County | 3-9 | Gloucestershire | Blaydon-on-Tyne | |
| 1934 | East Midlands | East Midlands | 10-0 | Gloucestershire | Northampton | |
| 1937 | Gloucestershire | Gloucestershire | 5-0 | East Midlands | Bristol | |
| 1947 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
8-8 | Gloucestershire | Blundellsands | |
| Gloucestershire | 3-14 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Kingsholm | Replay match | ||
| 1949 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
9-3 | Gloucestershire | Blundellsands | |
| 1959 | Warwickshire | Gloucestershire | 9-14 | Warwickshire | Memorial Ground Bristol | |
| 1970 | Staffordshire | Staffordshire | 11-9 | Gloucestershire | Burton on Trent | |
| 1971 | Surrey Surrey Rugby Football Union The Surrey County Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union in the county of Surrey, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1879.-Early years of County representative team:... |
Gloucestershire | 3-14 | Surrey Surrey Rugby Football Union The Surrey County Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union in the county of Surrey, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1879.-Early years of County representative team:... |
Kingsholm | |
| 1972 | Gloucestershire | Warwickshire | 6-11 | Gloucestershire | Coundon Road, Coventry | |
| 1973 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Gloucestershire | 12-17 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Memorial Ground Bristol | |
| 1974 | Gloucestershire | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
12-22 | Gloucestershire | Blundellsands | |
| 1975 | Gloucestershire | Gloucestershire | 13-9 | East Counties | Kingsholm | |
| 1976 | Gloucestershire | Middlesex Middlesex Rugby Football Union Middlesex Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Middlesex, England; Middlesex is a historic county of England that has since been divided up and shared between Greater London, Surrey and Hertfordshire though the appellation is still in use when referring to sport, businesses... |
9-24 | Gloucestershire | Richmond Athletic Ground | |
| 1978 | North Midlands | North Midlands | 10-7 | Gloucestershire | The Reddings, Moseley | |
| 1980 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
21-15 | Gloucestershire | Vale of Lune | |
| 1982 | Northumberland | Gloucestershire | 6-15 | Northumberland | Kingsholm | |
| 1983 | Gloucestershire | Gloucestershire | 19-7 | Yorkshire | Memorial Ground Bristol |
From 1984 all Championship finals were played at Twickenham.
| Year | Winners | Score | Runner's Up | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Gloucestershire | 36-18 | Somerset | Twickenham | |
| 1996 | Gloucestershire | 17-13 | Warwickshire | Twickenham | |
| 1999 | Cornwall | 25-15 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham | |
| 2002 | Gloucestershire | 26-23 | Cheshire | Twickenham | |
| 2003 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
24-18 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham | |
| 2004 | Devon | 43-14 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham | |
| 2009 | Lancashire Lancashire County Rugby Football Union The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881... |
32-18 | Gloucestershire | Twickenham |
Notable players for the County side
Many notable players have represented the county.- British and Irish Lions
- John Gordon A'BearJohn Gordon A'BearJohn A'Bear was an English rugby union player. He played club rugby for Gloucester and was their youngest captain. Although he never won a cap for England, he did tour Argentina with the British Isles team in 1936.-Early life:...
- Mike TeagueMike TeagueMichael Clive Teague is a former England and British Lions rugby union footballer.-Early life:Teague was born and raised on a pig farm a few miles outside Gloucester...
- Mike Burton
- John Gordon A'Bear
- England internationals
- J. A. Bush
- W. 0. MoberlyWilliam MoberlyWilliam Octavius Moberly was an English sportsman who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and represented the England national rugby union team.-Early life and education:...
- H. C. Baker
- Wales internationals
- S. H. NichollsSydney NichollsSydney 'Sid' Herbert Nicholls was an English-born dual code rugby forward who played club rugby under the union code for Cardiff and in his later years league rugby with Hull. Nicholls won four caps for Wales and was part of the Welsh team that beat the first touring Southern Hemisphere team the...
- W. WattsWallace Watts| ru_amclubcaps =| ru_amclubpoints =| ru_amupdate =| ru_nationalteam = Wales| ru_nationalyears = 1892–1896| ru_nationalcaps = 12| ru_nationalpoints = | ru_ntupdate =| ru_coachclubs =| ru_coachyears =| ru_coachupdate =| other =| occupation =...
- G. RowlesGeorge RowlesGeorge Albert Rowles was a Welsh rugby union international halfback who played club rugby for Penarth. He won a single cap for Wales during the 1892 Home Nations Championship...
- S. H. Nicholls
- Scotland internationals
- H. L. Evans (Clifton)
- H.F. Chambers (Cheltenham)
Club sides
Formed by Clifton RFC, Gloucester RFCGloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
, Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College
The Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
, Cirencester RFC, Rockleage, Stroud
Stroud
Stroud a town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England.Stroud may also refer to:*Stroud, New South Wales, Australia*Stroud, Ontario, Canada*Stroud , Gloucestershire, UK*Stroud...
, and Cheltenham White Cross, by 1891, the Union consisted of ten clubs, viz.,
Gloucester, Clifton, Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Bristol, Cheltenham, Lydney, Sharpness, Dursley, Stroud, and Gordon Wanderers (Gloucester). In its early days, only Gloucester City was rated as a first class side, and this was deemed the county's weakness. Since then, the fortunes of the consitituent clubs has varied enormously.