Harrogate RUFC


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 in the RFUW Championship, and eight junior teams.
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History

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 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

Division 4 North:
  • * Winners : 1992–93National 7s:
  • * Winners : 2001–02
  • * Runner-up : 2002–03Yorkshire Cup:
  • * Winners : 1905, 1907, 1949, 1965, 1981, 1991, 1992, 2002, 2003, 2015, 2016, 2017
  • National League 3 (north v midlands) promotion play-off:
  • * Winners : 2012–13
  • North Premier
  • * Runner-up : 2019–20Regional 1 North East:
  • * Winners : 2023-24

Women's team honours

*
  • *Winners : 2018–19
  • *Winners : 2017–18
  • * Runners-up : 2016–17Women's Junior Plate
  • * Runners-up : 2017

League record

  • 1993–94 Division 4: 2nd β€” 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 β€” avoided relegation due to league reshuffle.
  • 2006–07 National Division 2: 14th β€” 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 β€” relegated
  • 2012–13 National League 3 North: 2nd β€” 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 β€” relegated
  • 2017–18 North Premier: 3rd
  • 2018–19 North Premier: 3rd
  • 2019–20 North Premier: 2nd β€” 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

International players

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