Oxfordshire Rugby Football Union
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| teamname = Oxfordshire RFU
| image =
| imagesize = 70px
| union = RFU
| fullname = Oxfordshire Rugby Football Union
| nickname =
| shortname =
| countryflag = England
| countryflagvar =
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=y|1931}}
| region = Oxfordshire
| ground =
| capacity =
| chairman = Peter Bramley
| ceo =
| president = Stuart Mount
|
| top scorer =
| caps =
| coach =
| url = https://oxfordshirerfu.com/
| league =
| season =
| position =
| pattern_b1=0B0B61|leftarm1=0B0B61|body1=0B0B61|rightarm1=0B0B61|shorts1=0B0B61|socks1=FF0000
}}
The Oxfordshire Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Oxfordshire in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Oxfordshire, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Oxfordshire county rugby representative teams.
History
The Oxfordshire RFU was first formed during the 1931–32 season with L.C. Gower being the first ever president. There is little of note of the county's early history although a county cup competition was introduced for local clubs during the 1970s.{{cite web|url=http://oxfordshirerfu.pitchero.com/page/contacts/oxfordshire-rfu-handbook-2016-2017/oxfordshire-rfu-handbook-2016-2017-12755/|title=Oxfordshire RFU Handbook 2016–2017|publisher=Oxfordshire RFU|access-date=17 September 2017 }} In 2003 the men's senior team reached the final of the County Championship Shield (now Plate) losing 8–27 to Northumberland at Twickenham Stadium.{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/guthrie-beats-twickers-jinx-1652989 |title=Guthrie beats Twickers jinx |publisher=Chronicle Live |date=26 May 2003}} In 2006 they made Twickenham for second time, this time in the final of the County Championship Plate (now Shield), losing 17–21 to Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/county-championships/2005-2006/group/11749 |title=County Championship Plate Final 2006 |publisher=englandrugby.com |date=29 May 2006}}{{cite web|url=http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/rugby-lions-man-scores-try-at-twickenham-30-5-06-1-63551 |title=RUGBY: Lions man scores try at Twickenham |publisher=Portsmouth News |date=30 May 2006}} In 2017 the county made it third time lucky in the 2017 County Championship Shield final, edging Sussex by virtue of tries scored after the game finished 29–29.{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrugby.com/news/features/oxfordshire-become-division-three-county-champions/|title=OXFORDSHIRE BECOME DIVISION THREE COUNTY CHAMPIONS|publisher=England Rugby|date=28 May 2017 }}
Oxfordshire senior men's county side
The Oxfordshire seniors men's team currently play in Division 2 of the County Championship.
Honours:
- County Championship Division 3 winners: 2017, 2022,
- County Championship Division 2 winners: 2024
Affiliated clubs
There are currently 17 clubs affiliated with the Oxfordshire RFU, with teams at both senior and junior level.{{cite web|url=http://oxfordshirerfu.pitchero.com/page/contacts/oxfordshire-club-contacts/oxfordshire-rugby-clubs-1540/|title=Oxfordshire Rugby Clubs|publisher=Oxfordshire RFU (Pitchero)|access-date=17 September 2017 }}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
{{col-begin}}
- Abingdon RUFC
- Banbury RUFC
- Bicester RUFC
- Chinnor RFC
- Chipping Norton RUFC
- Didcot RUFC
- Faringdon RUFC
- Gosford All Blacks RFC
{{col-break}}
- Grove RFC
- Harwell RFC
- Henley Hawks RFC
- Littlemore RFC
- Oxford RFC
- Oxford Harlequins RFC
- Wallingford RFC
- Wheatley RUFC
- Witney RUFC
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}
{{div col end}}
County club competitions
The Oxfordshire RFU currently helps run the following club competitions:
=Leagues=
Since 2000–01 the league system in this region is combined between three rugby football unions – Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Prior to this Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire had run a combined league, while Berkshire had been grouped with Dorset & Wilts. Currently there are several divisions for first teams in the region including:
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
==Level 2==
- RFU Championship
==Level 3==
- National League 1
==Level 4==
- National League 2 East
- National League 2 West
{{col-break}}
==Level 5==
- Regional 1 South Central
- Regional 1 South West
- Regional 1 Midlands
==Level 6==
- Regional 2 Thames
- Regional 2 South Central
- Regional 2 South West
- Regional 2 Severn
{{col-break}}
==Level 7==
- Counties 1 Southern North
- Counties 1 Southern South
==Level 8==
- Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon North
- Counties 2 Berks/Bucks & Oxon South
==Level 9==
- Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon North
- Counties 3 Berks/Bucks & Oxon South
==Level 10==
- Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon North
- Counties 4 Berks/Bucks & Oxon South
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}
=Leagues breakdown=
| class="wikitable"
|Colspan=3 style=background:#FFFF00|CLUB 1ST XV |
| Colspan=3 style=background:#8CFF32|CLUB 2ND XV |
| Colspan=3 style=background:#E1A7FB|CLUB 3RD XV |
| Colspan=3 style=background:#00C5FF|CLUB 4TH XV |
| League
!Tier !Number of Clubs !Clubs |
|---|
| Championship
|style="text-align:center;|2 |style="text-align:center;| 1 |style=background:#FFFF00|Chinnor RFC 1st XV |
| rowspan=2 | National League East
|style="text-align:center;|4 |style="text-align:center;|1 |style=background:#FFFF00|Henley Hawks 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|4
|style="text-align:center;|1 |style=background:#FFFF00|Oxford Harlequins RFC 1st XV |
| Regional 1 Midlands
|style="text-align:center;|5 |style="text-align:center;|1 |style=background:#FFFF00|Banbury RUFC 1st XV |
| Regional 2 Tribute Severn
|style="text-align:center;|6 |style="text-align:center;|1 |style=background:#FFFF00|Witney RFC 1st XV |
| rowspan=5 | Counties 1 Tribute Southern North
|style="text-align:center;|7 |rowspan=5 | 5 |style=background:#FFFF00|Bicester RUFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|7
|style=background:#E1A7FB|Chinnor Rugby Club 3rd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|7
|style=background:#FFFF00|Grove RFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|7
|style=background:#8CFF32|Oxford Harlequins RFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|7
|style=background:#FFFF00|Wallingford RFC 1st XV |
| rowspan=8 | Counties 2 Tribute Berks/Bucks & Oxon North
|style="text-align:center;|8 |rowspan=8 | 9 |style=background:#FFFF00|Abingdon RUFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|8
|style=background:#FFFF00|Chipping Norton RFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|8
|style=background:#FFFF00|Didcot RUFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|8
|style=background:#FFFF00|Faringdon RUFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|8
|style=background:#FFFF00|Gosford All Blacks RFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|8
|style=background:#FFFF00|Oxford RFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|8
|style=background:#FFFF00|Wheatley RUFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|8
|style=background:#8CFF32|Witney RFC 2nd XV |
| Counties 2 Tribute Berks Bucks & Oxon South
|style="text-align:center;|8 |style="text-align:center;|1 |style=background:#8CFF32|Henley Hawks 2nd XV |
| rowspan=8 | Counties 3 Tribute Berks/Bucks & Oxon North
|style="text-align:center;|9 |rowspan=8 | 9 |style=background:#8CFF32|Banbury RUFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|9
|style=background:#8CFF32|Bicester RUFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|9
|style=background:#8CFF32|Grove RFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|9
|style=background:#FFFF00|Harwell RUFC 1st XV |
| style="text-align:center;|9
|style=background:#E1A7FB|Oxford Harlequins RFC 3rd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|9
|style=background:#8CFF32|Oxford RFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|9
|style=background:#8CFF32|Wallingford RFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|9
|style=background:#E1A7FB|Witney RFC 3rd XV |
| Counties 3 Tribute Berks Bucks & Oxon South
|style="text-align:center;|8 |style="text-align:center;|1 |style=background:#E1A7FB|Henley Hawks 3rd XV |
| rowspan=7 | Counties 4 Tribute Berks Bucks & Oxon North
|style="text-align:center;|10 |rowspan=7 | 10 |style=background:#8CFF32|Abingdon RUFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|10
|style=background:#E1A7FB|Banbury RUFC 3rd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|10
|style=background:#00C5FF|Chinnor Rugby Club 4th XV |
| style="text-align:center;|10
|style=background:#8CFF32|Chipping Norton RFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|10
|style=background:#8CFF32|Didcot RUFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|10
|style=background:#8CFF32|Gosford All Blacks RFC 2nd XV |
| style="text-align:center;|10
|style=background:#FFFF00|Littlemore RFC 1st XV |
| The HALBRO Raging Bull Shield Division 1
|style="text-align:center;|N/A |style="text-align:center;|1 |style=background:#8CFF32|Chinnor RFC 2nd XV |
=Cups=
- Oxfordshire RFU County Cup – introduced in 1970, for local clubs at tiers 6–7 of the English rugby union system as well as 2nd teams for local clubs in higher divisions (tiers 3–4)
- Oxfordshire RFU County Shield{{cite web|url=http://oxfordshirerfu.pitchero.com/page/senior-mens-rugby/county-cup-and-shield/oxfordshire-rfu-county-cup-12818/|title=Oxfordshire RFU County Cup|publisher=Oxfordshire RFU (Pitchero)|access-date=17 September 2017 }}
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://oxfordshirerfu.com/ Oxfordshire RFU website]
{{Rugby union in England}}
{{County rugby union in England}}
Category:Rugby union governing bodies in England
Category:1931 establishments in England
Category:Rugby union in Oxfordshire
{{Rugbyunion-stub}}