Loughborough Rugby Football Club

Rugby team
teamname = Loughborough


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union = RFU
fullname = Loughborough Rugby Football Club
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founded = 1929
region = Midlands
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url = www.lrfc.org.uk
league = Midlands 3 East (North)
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Loughborough Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Loughborough, United Kingdom that has been in existence since 1891, when it was known as the Loughborough Corinthians Football Club and later Loughborough Football Club. Their nickname remains 'The Corinthians' although this is rarely, if at all, heard today.

History

At the time of founding both codes of football (association and rugby) were played by the same clubs, this being the case with Loughborough. The club fell by the wayside after many men enlisted for the First World War and the membership was reduced.

In 1929 a handful of players, including some of the original membership from before the Great War, met and decided to refound the club. The club was refounded solely as a Rugby Union club, the game having grown to be very distinct from what we now know as association football (soccer).

Loughborough regularly fields four men's sides on a Saturday, as well as having one of the best attended Mini and Junior sections in the county. Loughborough RFC is affiliated to the Leicestershire Rugby Union (LRU), the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football Union for Women. The club now plays its matches on Derby Road Playing Fields and has its own purpose built clubhouse, six changing rooms and four pitches.

The 1st XV play league fixtures in Midlands Division 3 East (North) and last season (2007-08) finished fifth, an awful start to the League season meaning that they would once again finish just short of the promotion places to Midland 2 East. Once again the club hopes to build on a strong finish to the season to build on this and gain promotion next year. James Buckley stays on for a second term as 1st XV Captain.

The club has reached the final of the Leicestershire County Bowl, beating Vipers RFC two years in succession to lift the trophy. (Oddly enough, the 'Bowl' is actually a cup. This should not be seen as being too odd though as when Loughborough won the Leicestershire County Plate, the plate was in fact a shield.) This season Loughborough's attempt to lift the trophy for a third successive year was thwarted by Leicester Forest, a close and hard-fought game ending with a 12-10 victory for the Leicester outfit.

Loughborough's 3rd XV did taste success this year, winning Leicestershire Merit Table Division Two under the expert guidance of skipper Joe McDonnell. Joe received his trophy from RFU President Bob Taylor at the LRU presentation evening in May.

Women's and Youth teams

Loughborough, as many clubs have done, has responded to the calling and popularity of Women's Rugby and the Women's XV is about to embark on its tenth season. Last year saw the club merge with the University League club and so now two sides take the field in Loughborough colors every week. The club uses the excellent Training facilities on offer at the University in the week and plays its matches at Derby Road on Sunday afternoons.

Last season the Loughborough 1st XV won the Midlands One league title from Olney in a 'winner takes all' finale match at Derby Road, and from there progressed to a Northern Play-Off against Altrincham Kersal. Loughborough played their opponents off the park in a 29-7 win, and secured prompotion to Level 2 of the women's game, Championship North 1. This promotion was the first time Loughborough had achieved a League title since they won four consecutive League Championships from 2001-2004. The Women's XV have also previously reached the final of the RFUW North Cup and the RFUW National Shield, and this year they have provided six members of the East Midlands Women's side as well as recving recognition in the RFUW Super 4 competition.

This season the 2nd XV will be playing in a very competitive National Challenge Yorkshire/North Midlands division.

Loughborough also has a hugely successful youth set-up, including Mini-Midi rugby for those children (boys and girls) aged 7 to 12. Junior rugby is for boys aged between 13 and 17. Colts rugby is for those aged 18 and 19. It is hoped that the women's section will be able to add a Junior Girls section in the near future (age groups under 14 and under 17). Junior Girls training started this season on Wednesday evenings, before the Senior Women's training.

Loughborough is always open to new members, both players and social members, and encourages boys, girls, men and women to join the club, either as players or Social Members.

Website and Forum

Loughborough has its own website, see link below, and a Forum for members to post notices, match reports, teamsheets etc. Lots of this content is humorous (at least to those who know what's going on) and is very much 'tongue-in-cheek'. It is mostly people taking the mickey out of themselves and each other. As the saying goes, 'If you are easily offended, look away!"

Match reports (mostly by Large, Babbage, Evans & Joe McD) bear no real resemblance to the match on which they are supposed to be describing, and instead reply on a long-running series of gags surrounding club members. Look out for quotes by...

* The Package
* Sexual Terrorist Craig Carlsberg
* Andrew 'The Price is Right' Price
* Andrew ' Shopping Trolley' Thomas

External links

* [http://www.lrfc.org.uk The Offical Loughborough RFC website]