Old Northamptonians RFC
{{Short description|English rugby union football club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| teamname = Old Northamptonians RFC
| nickname = ONs
| image = ONsLogoNew-svg.svg
| fullname = Old Northamptonians Rugby Football Club
| founded = {{Start date and age|1922}}
| ground = Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion
| capacity =
| location = Northampton, Northamptonshire, England
| union = East Midlands Rugby Football Union
| country = England
| ceo =
| president = Bob Taylor
| captain = Joe Heslop
| chairman = Dave Howland
| rugby director = Richard Blank
| coach = Phil Powell
| league = Regional 1 South East
| position = 9th
| season = 2023–24
| url= https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldnorthamptonians/
}}
Old Northamptonians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club located in Northampton, Northamptonshire. The first XV was promoted in 2022–23 and currently play in Regional 1 South East, a fifth tier league in the English rugby union system.{{cite web |title=RFU Future Competition Structure |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/future-competition-structure |website=England Rugby |access-date=28 June 2022}}
History
Old Northamptonians Rugby Football Club was founded in 1922–23 by W.C.C. Cooke, who was the headmaster of Northampton Grammar School. The Old Northamptonians played a fixture on Boxing Day 1922 on Northampton Racecourse against a Northampton Alliance team; the fixture was advertised in the local newspaper,{{cite web |title=Northampton Chronicle and Echo - Friday 22 December 1922 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0002130/19221222/071/0005 |website=The British Newspaper Archive}} but the result is not recorded. The fixture will be replayed during the club's centenary season, on Boxing Day 2022, this time at the home ground at Billing Road.
In the early years, ONRFC did not have their own home ground and played their fixtures at Northampton Racecourse. However in November 1936 the Old Northamptonians Association secured the lease of 17½ acres of previously agricultural land adjoining Billing Road and Park Avenue South, to provide two rugby pitches and one cricket pitch.{{cite web |title=Playing fields at Abington |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000732/19361127/400/0017 |website=Northampton Mercury - 27 November 1936 |access-date=18 May 2022}} At the time the club had rugby two teams, and with the establishment of a home ground, aspired to running four rugby teams. By the end of the 1949–50 season, the club was indeed running four teams, and the Town Planning Committee had approved plans for a clubhouse to be built.{{cite web |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002133/19500708/138/0005 |title=Entertained Opponents |website=Northampton Chronicle & Echo - 8 July 1950 |access-date=18 May 2022}}
The club has played an important role in developing players who have gone on to play for Northampton Saints, including Tom Collins and James Grayson. One of the club's most famous former players is Bob Taylor who gained 16 caps for England and 2 caps for the British Lions, as well as becoming President of the RFU in 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldnorthamptonians/a/history-7516.html|title=HISTORY|publisher=RFU|accessdate=3 November 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.northamptonshiresport.org/find-a-club/old-northamptonians-rugby-football-club|title=Old Northamptonians Rugby Football Club|publisher=Northamptonshire Sport|accessdate=3 November 2020}}{{cite web |title=From Saints to RFU President |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/content/articles/2007/07/17/bob_taylor_president_of_rfu_feature.shtml |website=BBC |access-date=3 March 2023}}
Honours
- Regional 2 East Midlands champions: 2022–23
- Midlands 3 East (South) champions: 2008-09
- East Midlands/Leicestershire 3 champions: 1992–93
- East Midlands/Leicestershire 2 champions: 1993–94
- East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 champions: 1994–95
- Midlands 1 (east v west) play-off winners (2): 2009–10, 2014–15{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/midlands-division/2009-2010/group/13606|title=Midlands Division Play-Offs 2009–10|publisher=England Rugby|date=1 May 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldnorthamptonians/teams/2982/match-centre/0-2899869|title=PLAY OFF WIN FOR THE ONS|publisher=Old Northamptonians RFC (Pitchero)|date=25 April 2015}}
Old Northamptonians have won the Northampton & District Alliance Cup 22 times, including a run of 14 consecutive titles from 2004 to 2017. The club regained the title in 2022,{{cite web |title=ONs regain the Alliance Cup |url=https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldnorthamptonians/teams/2982/match-centre/0-5286782/report |website=Old Northamptonians RFC |access-date=15 May 2022}} and also won the Lewis Shield and Oceanic Trophy competitions, the first time this "treble" has been achieved.{{cite web |title=List of Past Winners |url=https://www.nanddralliance.co.uk/news/201920-alliance-cup-draws-and-list-of-past-winners-2487653.html |website=Northampton & District Rugby Alliance |access-date=15 May 2022}}
In the centenary season 2022–23, in addition to winning the league, ONs retained the Oceanic Trophy and the Lewis Shield.{{cite web |title=ONS DOUBLE UP ON FIRST FINALS NIGHT |url=https://www.nanddralliance.co.uk/news/ons-double-up-on-first-finals-night-2776713.html |website=Northampton & District Alliance |access-date=8 May 2023}} Having lost the centenary Alliance Cup Final against rivals Northampton Old Scouts 12-67, ONs went on to win the inaugural Regional 2 Championship of the Papa John's Community Cup at Twickenham.{{cite web |title=WINNERS AT TWICKENHAM IN COMMUNITY CUP FINALS |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/winners-at-twickenham-in-community-cup-finals |website=England Rugby |access-date=8 May 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}