Wrexham RFC

Wrexham Rugby Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Rygbi Wrecsam) is a Welsh rugby union team based in Wrexham, Wales. Wrexham RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union. Wrexham was one of the nine founder clubs of the North Wales Rugby Union, which formed at Wrexham in 1931.[1]

Wrexham RFC
Full nameWrexham Rugby Football Club
LocationWrexham, Wales
Ground(s)Bryn Estyn
League(s)WRU Division Two North
2019-204th
Team kit
Official website
www.wrexhamrugbyclub.com

History

Wrexham RFC was founded in 1925.[2] In 1931, at a meeting held by Wrexham, the North Wales Rugby Union was founded in January 1931 with nine clubs and affiliation to the Welsh Rugby Union coming in June of the same year.[1] Originally Wrexham had no home ground and played as a nomadic club. This continued until 1946 when they obtained their own ground at Dean Road. In 1976 they moved to their current home ground on Bryn Estyn Lane in 1976 with floodlights being installed a year later.[2]

In 1995, the New Zealand national rugby union team player Jonah Lomu made a guest appearance for Wrexham RFC against a North Wales XV in an exhibition match.[3] This was done as a favour to the Wrexham coach Phil Kingsley Jones, who had discovered Lomu as a 14 year old.[3] This was five months after Lomu had appeared for the All Blacks in the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final against South Africa and after rugby union had just permitted professionalism.[4]

Following the introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales, Wrexham's coach led criticism of the fact that there was no professional regional team permanently based in North Wales.[5] In 2013, Wrexham won the WRU Division Three North title.[6] Until 2002, Wrexham RFC had run a ladies rugby team. The ladies side of the club was resurrected in 2019.[7]

References
  1. David, Smith; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981. p. 271. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.
  2. Lee, Alun (25 January 1986). "Newport vs Wrexham". Newport RFC. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  3. "New Zealand rugby union star Jonah Lomu dies aged 40". Daily Post. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  4. "The day All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu played for Wrexham". Daily Post. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  5. "Regional set-up moves gather pace". Daily Post. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  6. "Wrexham declared as Champions of Division Three North - runners up spot to be decided". North Wales RU. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  7. "Girls rugby returns to Wrexham RFC this week for first time in nearly 20 years!". Wrexham.com. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2020.

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