Haywards Heath RFC
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| image =
| teamname = Haywards Heath
| fullname = Haywards Heath Rugby Football Club
| nickname = Heath
| location = Cuckfield, West Sussex, England
| countryflag = England
| founded = {{Start date and age|1950}}
| ground = Whitemans Green
| capacity =
| president = {{flagicon|England}} Mark Newey BME
| chairman = {{flagicon|England}} Dan Vander
| DoR = {{flagicon|England}} Jon Graham
| coach = {{flagicon|England}} Graham Childs
| captain = {{flagicon|England}} Wilf Bridges
| Head of youth rugby = {{flagicon|Wales}} Rhodri James
| league = Sussex 1
| season = 2022–23
| position =
| url = http://www.hhrfc.co.uk}}
Haywards Heath Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team. The first XV currently plays in Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex, the tenth tier of English rugby union competition. The club also has a number of other teams, with their 2nd XV currently playing in the Harvey's Brewery Counties 3 Sussex (level 12). They used to run a 4th Team called "The Dinos" named after the dinosaur fossil discovered by Gideon Mantell on what is now their playing fields. The Under 6's are have now taken on the Dino's mantle.
Club honours
1st Team:
- Sussex 2 Counties Champions: 2023-24
- Sussex 1 champions: 1992–93
- London 2 South champions (2): 2000–01, 2007–08
- London 1 v South West 1 promotion playoff winners: 2002–03
- Shepherd Neame Kent 1 v Sussex Spitfire 1 promotion playoff winners: 2015–16
- London 2 South East champions: 2019–2020.{{efn|Despite winning L2SE and being promoted to London 1 South for 2020-21 (season cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic), Haywards Heath 1XV withdrew from L1S ahead of the 2021-22 season and instead competed in Harvey's of Sussex 2 in season 2021-22.}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hhrfc.co.uk/news/strong-future-on-the-horizon-for-senior-rugby-at-heath-2640231.html/|title=Stong Future On The Horizon For Senior Rugby At Heath|date=20 August 2021|accessdate=25 August 2021}}
2nd Team:
- Sussex 2 champions: 2014–15{{efn|Despite winning the league - Haywards Heath II would be demoted to Sussex Late Red 3 due to the Haywards Heath 1st team being demoted into Sussex Spitfire 1.}}
- Sussex Late Red 3 champions: 2015–16
Club colours
The current club colours are black and red hoops.
Notable former players
Haywards Heath have a long-standing record of developing players who go on to play professional rugby. These include the following players :
- {{flagicon|England}} Adam Vander - England A, Bath, Richmond, Bristol
- {{flagicon|Wales}} Ben Broster - Wales, Northampton RFC
- {{flagicon|England}} Joe Marler - England, Harlequins
- {{flagicon|England}} Billy Twelvetrees - British & Irish Lions, England, Leicester Tigers, Gloucester Rugby
- {{flagicon|England}} Roy Winters - England, Harlequins, Bristol
- {{flagicon|England}} Nick Killick - Harlequins
- {{flagicon|England}} Ollie Tomasczczyk - Worcester Warriors, Falcons
- {{flagicon|England}} Ben Maidment - Cornish Pirates, Esher
- {{flagicon|England}} Perry Parker - Esher, Edinburgh
- {{flagicon|England}} Ross Chisholm - Harlequins
- {{flagicon|England}} James Chisholm - Harlequins
See also
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Rugby Union in Sussex}}
{{Rugby union in England}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haywards Heath RFC}}
Category:Rugby clubs established in 1950
Category:Rugby union teams in England