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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3][4] 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.[5]
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:
Level 2
RFU Championship
Level 3
National League 1
Level 4
National League 2 East
National League 2 West
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
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
Leagues Breakdown
CLUB 1ST XV
CLUB 2ND XV
CLUB 3RD XV
CLUB 4TH XV
League
Tier
Number of Clubs
Clubs
Championship
2
1
Chinnor RFC 1st XV
National League East
4
1
Henley Hawks 1st XV
4
1
Oxford Harlequins RFC 1st XV
Regional 1 Midlands
5
1
Banbury RUFC 1st XV
Regional 2 Tribute Severn
6
1
Witney RFC 1st XV
Counties 1 Tribute Southern North
7
5
Bicester RUFC 1st XV
7
Chinnor Rugby Club 3rd XV
7
Grove RFC 1st XV
7
Oxford Harlequins RFC 2nd XV
7
Wallingford RFC 1st XV
Counties 2 Tribute Berks/Bucks & Oxon North
8
9
Abingdon RUFC 1st XV
8
Chipping Norton RFC 1st XV
8
Didcot RUFC 1st XV
8
Faringdon RUFC 1st XV
8
Gosford All Blacks RFC 1st XV
8
Oxford RFC 1st XV
8
Wheatley RUFC 1st XV
8
Witney RFC 2nd XV
Counties 2 Tribute Berks Bucks & Oxon South
8
1
Henley Hawks 2nd XV
Counties 3 Tribute Berks/Bucks & Oxon North
9
9
Banbury RUFC 2nd XV
9
Bicester RUFC 2nd XV
9
Grove RFC 2nd XV
9
Harwell RUFC 1st XV
9
Oxford Harlequins RFC 3rd XV
9
Oxford RFC 2nd XV
9
Wallingford RFC 2nd XV
9
Witney RFC 3rd XV
Counties 3 Tribute Berks Bucks & Oxon South
8
1
Henley Hawks 3rd XV
Counties 4 Tribute Berks Bucks & Oxon North
10
10
Abingdon RUFC 2nd XV
10
Banbury RUFC 3rd XV
10
Chinnor Rugby Club 4th XV
10
Chipping Norton RFC 2nd XV
10
Didcot RUFC 2nd XV
10
Gosford All Blacks RFC 2nd XV
10
Littlemore RFC 1st XV
The HALBRO Raging Bull Shield Division 1
N/A
1
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)
