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 20 18 0 2 721 415 +306 17 0 89 Promotion place
2 Barnes 21 17 0 4 671 425 +246 16 4 88
3 Dorking 21 16 0 5 745 535 +210 17 2 83
4 Canterbury 21 13 0 8 702 518 +184 13 3 68
5 Westcombe Park 21 12 0 9 588 573 +15 12 3 63
6 Old Albanian 21 11 0 10 620 588 +32 14 5 63
7 Henley Hawks 21 12 1 8 482 486 −4 8 4 62
8 Bury St Edmunds 21 10 0 11 712 684 +28 17 8 60[c]
9 Guernsey Raiders 20 10 0 10 590 532 +58 13 5 58
10 Oxford Harlequins 21 7 1 13 591 769 −178 13 3 46
11 Sevenoaks 21 7 0 14 485 612 −127 7 5 40
12 Havant 21 6 1 14 555 720 −165 9 5 40
13 Colchester 21 3 1 17 499 785 −286 12 4 30 Relegation place
14 Worthing Raiders 21 2 0 19 498 817 −319 11 7 26
Updated to match(es) played on 8 March 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: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_RFC
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