Chinnor R.F.C.
{{Short description|English rugby union club, based in Oxfordshire}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| teamname = Chinnor
| image = Chinnor rfc logo.png
| imagesize = 120px
| union = RFU
| fullname = Chinnor Rugby Football Club
| nickname = The Villagers
| shortname =
| countryflagvar =
| founded = {{Start date and age|1962}}
| region = Oxfordshire Rugby Football Union
| ground = Kingsey Road, Thame
| capacity = 2,500
| chairman = Nick Stainton
| ceo =
| president = Simon Vickers
| captain = Willie Ryan
| caps =
| coach = Craig Hampson, Tom Cruse
| rugby director = Nick Easter
| url = www.chinnor-rfc.com
| league = Champ Rugby
| season = 2024–25
| position = 10th
|pattern_la1=_thin_blackhoops|pattern_b1=_thin_blackhoops|pattern_ra1=_thin_blackhoops|pattern_so1=_hoops_black|leftarm1=ffffff|body1=ffffff|rightarm1=fffffff|shorts1=000000|socks1=ffffff
}}
Chinnor Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Thame, Oxfordshire. They currently play in the second tier of the English league system, Champ Rugby, following their promotion from National League 1 having won promotion in the 2023–24 season. The club regularly runs five senior teams as well as a full youth setup from age 5 upwards. Chinnor's youth setup is widely thought of as one of the best in the country having produced top Premiership players such as Tom Varndell (Leicester Tigers), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Dave Seymour (Saracens), Paul Volley (Wasps), and Sam Jones (Wasps). Chinnor became the first club in Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire to establish an under-19 academy.
History
Chinnor RFC was formed in 1962, by Frank Angel, Cyril Perry and Marcus Cann at the Bird in Hand pub in Chinnor, playing its first game the following year.{{cite web |url=https://www.chinnor-rfc.com/news/welcome-to-the-bird-in-hand-2606683.html |title=Welcome To The Bird In Hand |publisher=chinnor-rfc.com |date=30 March 2021}}
Norman Baldwin (the sponge) was one of the first to play for Chinnor and wrote the club's first “song book”. The 1970s saw the club expand to include junior and youth teams and in 1976 the club won the Oxfordshire Cup. When the English league system started the club was placed in Bucks and Oxon Division 1 and progressed through the Southern Counties section to gain promotion to the National Leagues in 2006; the youngest club to do so.[http://www.chinnor-rfc.com/ "Club History" by former player John Gardner, at official website] The club gained a further promotion from National League 3 South West in 2012.
During the 2016–17 National League 2 South season, the club achieved a (then) record attendance at Kingsey Road of 1,580 during a top of the table clash against Bishop's Stortford, a game Chinnor won 27–25.{{cite web|url=http://www.chinnor-rfc.com/teams/1031/match-centre/1-2146654 |title=Bittersweet victory for Chinnor in pulsating match |publisher=Chinnor RFC (Pitchero) |date=1 April 2017 }}
On 13 April 2024, Chinnor beat Birmingham Moseley to take the National League 1 title with a game to go.{{cite news |title=Champions! Chinnor celebrate in fine style |work=The RugbyPaper |issue=813 |date=14 April 2024 |pages=28–29}} During this season, the club also smashed the previous Kingsey Road attendance with 2,270 spectators attending the top of the league clash with rivals Rams on 15 December 2023, which would also be the best attended game in National League 1 that season.{{cite news |title=Results |work=The RugbyPaper |issue=796 |date=17 December 2023 |pages=30–31, 41}}
Honours
1st team:
- Oxfordshire RFU County Cup winners (5): 1977, 1999, 2002, 2010, 2011
- Bucks/Oxon 1 champions: 1994–95
- South West 2 East champions: 2000–01
- South West 1 champions (2): 2005–06,{{cite web |url=http://www.hampshirerugby.co.uk/component/content/355.html?task=view |title=South West 1 |access-date=2014-05-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522194521/http://www.hampshirerugby.co.uk/component/content/355.html?task=view |archive-date=22 May 2014 |df=dmy-all }} 2007–08{{Cite web|url=http://www.trelawnys-army.org.uk/ta/tables078.html|title = Trelawny's Army Final League Tables 2007-2008}}
- Oxfordshire Cup winners (3): 2010, 2011, 2012
- National League 3 (south-east v south-west) promotion play-off winner: 2011–12
- National League 2 (north v south) promotion play-off winner: 2017–18
- National League 1 champions: 2023–24{{cite news |title=Champions! Chinnor celebrate in fine style |work=The RugbyPaper |issue=813 |date=14 April 2024 |pages=28–29}}
2nd team:
- Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A champions: 2005–06
- Oxfordshire RFU County Cup winners (2): 2012, 2013
3rd team:
- Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 champions (2): 2005–06, 2016–17
Current standings
{{#section:2025–26 Champ Rugby|Table}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
{{RFU Championship}}
Category:Rugby union teams in England
Category:Rugby clubs established in 1962