Sutton & Epsom Rugby Football Club is one of the oldest active rugby clubs in 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...

, having been formed in 1881. The club first played against Saracens

Saracens F.C.

Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...

 in the 1883–84 season as one of their very early opponents and in 1901 beat Stade Francais on their home turf.

The club is today one of the largest amateur rugby clubs in England, and from its main ground in Rugby Lane, Cheam

Cheam

Cheam is a large suburban village close to Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton, England, and is located close to the southern boundary between Greater London and Surrey. It is divided into two main areas: North Cheam and Cheam Village. North Cheam includes more retail shops and supermarkets,...

, the club has a total of 25 teams with 1,200 current and former playing members, plus 1,800 social members who are usually members of their families.

The club currently run seven adult teams for men headed by a first XV. The club was one of the first to form an adult ladies rugby squad,.

The club has both mini and junior rugby sections and run 60 children strong development groups for those at under 5 and under 6. The 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...

 national guidelines for children of these ages were based upon this approach and that of Ealing RFC

Ealing Rugby

Ealing Football Club played its first match in 1869 on Ealing Common, prior to the founding of the Rugby Football Union in 1871. The early years saw regular fixtures against the likes of Wasps, London Irish, Harlequins, Richmond and Blackheath with 75% win rate for a long period...

. The club run similar sized age groups for both boys and girls at each of the under 7 to under 12 age groups, at each of which they play to a nationally recognised and tailored game format.

The Club

The club has 8 senior sides:

1. 1st XV - http://www.asterisk.myzen.co.uk/sutton/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=37&Itemid=54

2. Swallows - http://www.asterisk.myzen.co.uk/sutton/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=75&Itemid=62

3. Swifts - http://www.asterisk.myzen.co.uk/sutton/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=60&Itemid=63

4. Martins - http://www.asterisk.myzen.co.uk/sutton/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=77&Itemid=64

5. Extra Bs - http://www.asterisk.myzen.co.uk/sutton/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=43&Itemid=111

6. Vets - http://www.asterisk.myzen.co.uk/sutton/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=68&Itemid=65

7. U21s - http://www.asterisk.myzen.co.uk/sutton/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=138&Itemid=169

8. Ladies - http://www.asterisk.myzen.co.uk/sutton/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=46&Itemid=66

The Ladies

Sutton and Epsom rfc Ladies team has been available for all women for 10 years now, accessible for anyone over the age of 18 who wish to pursue the game of rugby. The Sutton And Epsom squad have recently been promoted into the RFUW NC South East South 2 division. Through continuous support and commitment as well as new players, Sutton and Epsom Ladies have managed to make a season of being recently promoted to a close 3rd position in the 2009/2010 season.
Not only are the ladies succeeding on the rugby field but also socially; with charity events and individual donations Sutton and Epsom Ladies managed to raise £1396.10 for Breast Cancer appeal. With intent this season to improve on last years donations, starting off with the 5k run on the 5th September 2010 at Hyde Park and plans to complete the Palace to Palace ride on the 26th September 2010.