For the association football club founded in 1862, see Barnes Football Club.

Barnes Rugby Football Club (formerly Harrodians Rugby Football Club) is a rugby union club based in Barnes, London. The club currently play in the fourth tier of the English league system, National League 2 East, following an increase of fourth tier leagues from two to three.

History

The club's website states that it was established in Barnes in the 1920s.[1] For many years the club played at the Harrodian Club before moving to its Barn Elms location in 1987 when the grounds were sold to form a school.[1] Barnes RFC first XV has been promoted eight times since being positioned in Surrey Division Three in 1987. The club changed its name from Harrodians to Barnes at the beginning of the 1992–93 season.

Claim of continuity with Barnes Football Club

In 2002, the club's website claimed continuity with Barnes Football Club, stating that "[o]ur earliest recorded match was November 1862 versus Richmond, played at Barn Elms. We won that match and the replay that followed. For many years we played as Harrodians RFC before moving to our Barn Elms location in 1987."[2] In 2005, this claim was amplified in The Daily Telegraph by BBC sports presenter John Inverdale. Inverdale, who stated that he was "[f]or reasons that I'm not altogether clear about, ... one of a number of vice-presidents" of Barnes RFC, wrote that "in 1839, according to the club records, Barnes RFC were born, playing fixtures against a whole mish-mash of teams of which no match results have been kept."[3]

In 2008, the rugby club's website weakened this claim, stating only that "Barnes Rugby Club is a club with a rich history and was established in Barnes in the 1920s. Although there are indeed possibilities that our earliest recorded match was in November 1862 versus Richmond and played at Barn Elms, it is from the 1920s that our true history is clear."[4] As of 2018, similar wording remains on the current version of the rugby club's website.[1]

Honours

Current standings

2024–25 National League 2 East table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Tonbridge Juddians 18 17 0 1 673 363 +310 16 0 84 Promotion place
2 Barnes 19 15 0 4 594 367 +227 14 4 78
3 Dorking 18 14 0 4 659 475 +184 15 2 73
4 Canterbury 19 13 0 6 649 452 +197 12 2 66
5 Westcombe Park 19 12 0 7 527 503 +24 10 1 59
6 Henley Hawks 19 11 1 7 408 422 −14 6 3 55
7 Bury St Edmunds 19 8 0 11 645 627 +18 15 8 50[c]
8 Guernsey Raiders 17 9 0 8 484 424 +60 10 3 49
9 Old Albanian 18 8 0 10 526 523 +3 12 5 49
10 Sevenoaks 19 7 0 12 447 542 −95 6 5 39
11 Havant 19 6 1 12 493 641 −148 7 4 37
12 Oxford Harlequins 19 5 1 13 512 701 −189 11 3 36
13 Worthing Raiders 19 2 0 17 444 745 −301 10 6 24 Relegation place
14 Colchester 18 1 1 16 390 666 −276 9 4 19
Updated to match(es) played on 15 February 2025. Source: National League Rugby [5]
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
    Notes:
  1. ^ Won when club was known as Harrodians RFC.
  2. ^ Both titles won when club was known as Harrodians RFC – 1988–89 title was for Surrey 2A.
  3. ^ 5 points deducted

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Barnes RFC History".
  2. ^ "About BRFC". Archived from the original on 10 August 2002. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  3. ^ Inverdale, John (2 November 2005). "My assumptions about 'oldest' were confounded by Barnes". The Daily Telegraph.
  4. ^ "Barnes RFC - a club going places!". Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  5. ^ "National League 2 East". NCA Rugby.

51°28′30″N 0°14′13″W / 51.47500°N 0.23694°W / 51.47500; -0.23694

Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_RFC
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