View source for Nottingham R.F.C.

{{Short description|English rugby union football team}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox rugby team
  | image       = Nottingham rugby logo.png
  | imagesize   = 150px
  | fullname    = ''Nottingham Rugby Club''
  | union          = [[Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire Rugby Football Union|Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire RFU]]
  | founded     = {{Start date and age|1877}}
  | chairman    = Alistair Bow
  | president   = Nigel Bettinson-Eatch
  | rugby director = [[Craig Hammond]]
  | captain     = 
  | league      = [[Champ Rugby]]
  | season      = [[2024–25 RFU Championship|2024–25]]
  | position    = 7th
  | ground      = Lady Bay Sports Ground 
  | capacity    = 3,700{{efn|Lady Bay capacity increased from 3,500 to 3,700 for the 2024–25 season.}}
  | url         = https://www.nottinghamrugby.co.uk/
| pattern_la1   = 
| pattern_b1    = _whitehoops
| pattern_ra1   = 
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| pattern_so1   = _hoops_white
| leftarm1      = ffffff
| body1         = 006936
| rightarm1     = ffffff
| shorts1       = ffffff
| socks1        = 006936
| pattern_name1 = Home
| kit_alt2      = 
| pattern_la2   = 
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}}

'''Nottingham Rugby Club''' is a [[rugby union]] club based in [[Nottingham]], England. The club's first team currently plays in the [[Champ Rugby]], the second tier of the [[English rugby union system]].

The first XV are nicknamed The Archers, in reference to the famous [[Robin Hood]]. Now situated in the [[Lady Bay, Nottinghamshire|Lady Bay]] area of Nottingham, the club was formerly based at [[Meadow Lane]], the home ground of [[Notts County F.C.]] They previously played at Ireland Avenue in [[Beeston, Nottinghamshire|Beeston]] until the end of the 2005–06 season.

==History==
The club was established circa 1877 by Alexander Birkin after returning from [[Rugby School]], where he was introduced to the sport. The Birkin family later purchased the land at Ireland Avenue that would be the home of the club until 2006.

The club's heyday was in the late 1980s with a number of top international players representing the first XV. These included [[Simon Hodgkinson]], [[Rob Andrew]], [[Gary Rees]], [[Dusty Hare]] and [[Brian Moore (rugby union)|Brian Moore]] (also a [[British and Irish Lions|Lion]]) representing England and [[Chris Gray (rugby union)|Chris Gray]] representing Scotland.

The advent of professionalism{{Citation needed|date=February 2019}} saw the Green & Whites fall on hard times and the first XV narrowly avoided relegation to the regional divisions in 2002–03. The club has bounced back since then and was promoted into National League One in 2003–04. The club finished a creditable 7th in 2005–06 before leaving Ireland Avenue after 102 years. Alistair Bow was appointed chairman in 2010 after having been a director since 2008.

On 30 July 2010 the club signed an agreement to become part of Notts County PLC.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ray Trew takes over Nottingham Rugby Club |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/notts_county/8871338.stm|date=30 July 2010 | work=BBC News}}</ref>

In early July 2012 it was announced that Martin Haag had become the new director of rugby at the club. [[Martin Haag]] appointed Dan Montagu captain on 21 July 2015. He replaced Brent Wilson who retired at the end of 2014–15 season.  Since then Ian Costello has been appointed as Head Coach, with Neil Fowkes and Alex O'Dowd rounding out the coaching team.

A change in funding by the RFU ahead of the 2020–21 season forced the club into become only a part-time professional club.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-17|title=PLANNING FOR NEXT SEASON|url=https://www.nottinghamrugby.co.uk/planning-for-next-season|access-date=2020-06-22|website=Nottingham Rugby|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Ground==

Founded in 1877, the club originally played in a field behind the White Hart Inn in [[Lenton, Nottingham|Lenton]]. In 1904 the club purchased land in the village of [[Beeston, Nottinghamshire|Beeston]] and were able to have their first permanent ground, initially known as Rylands Road but becoming Ireland Avenue by 1947. By the advent of league rugby in the late 1980s the capacity of Ireland Avenue was around 4,950 which included a covered grandstand with seating.  The club would play at Ireland Avenue for over a century, eventually selling the ground for housing development in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ireland Avenue, Nottingham R.F.C, 1904-2004 |url=https://www.therugbyjournal.com/ghost-grounds/ireland-avenue-nottingham-rfc-1904-2004|access-date=30 July 2010 | publisher=The Rugby Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A last farewell to Ireland Avenue |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2006/04/26/rugby_last_game_ireland_avenue_feature.shtml|date=27 April 2006 | publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref>

The club spent a couple of seasons ground sharing at [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County's]] home, [[Meadow Lane]] between 2004 and 2006. Since 2006 the club have been based at Lady Bay Sports Ground at [[Lady Bay, Nottinghamshire|Lady Bay]]. Ground capacity at Lady Bay was originally 3,500 but this has risen to 3,700 for the 2024–25 season, when a Lady Bay ground record of 3,690 watched the club's [[Premiership Rugby Cup]] game against [[Leicester Tigers]] on 22 November 2024.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ten-try Tigers take charge to brush past Nottingham|work=The RugbyPaper |issue=845 |date=24 November 2024 |page=19}}</ref>

==Honours==
*[[Midland Counties Football Union#Midland Counties Cup|Midland Counties Senior Cup]] winners: 1905–06
*Midland Counties Junior Cup winners: 1907–08
*Noel Syson Cup (Notts, Lincs & Derby Sevens) winners: 1935, 1936, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1959, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1983
*[[Middlesex Sevens]] winners: 1944–45
*Midland Merit Table champions: 1984–85
*[[Selkirk Sevens]] winners: 1990–91

==Current standings==
{{#section:2025–26 Champ Rugby|Table}}

==Current squad==
{{for|player movements before or during the [[2024–25 RFU Championship|2024-25 season]]|List of 2024–25 RFU Championship transfers#Nottingham}}

The Nottingham squad for the [[2024–25 RFU Championship|2024–25 season]] is:<ref name="Squad - Nottingham Rugby">{{cite web | url=https://www.nottinghamrugby.co.uk/players-coaches/senior-squad | title=Senior Squad – Nottingham Rugby | work=Nottingham Rugby | access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref>

{{rugby squad start}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=HK | name=[[Harry Clayton (rugby union)|Harry Clayton]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=HK | name=[[Jack Dickinson]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=HK | name=[[Antonio Harris]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=Sweden | pos=PR | name='''[[:fr:Ale Loman|Ale Loman]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=PR | name=[[Kai Owen (rugby union)|Kai Owen]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=PR | name=[[Dan Richardson]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=SAM | pos=PR | name='''[[Aniseko Sio]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=PR | name=[[Xavier Valentine]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=GER | pos=LK | name='''[[Sebastian Ferreira]]'''}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=LK | name=[[Sam Green (rugby union)|Sam Green]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=LK | name=[[Jack Shine]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=FIJ | pos=LK | name=[[Kody Vereti]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=BR | name=[[James Cherry (rugby union)|James Cherry]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=BR | name=[[Jay Ecclesfield]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=NZL | pos=BR | name=[[Nathan Tweedy]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=BR | name=[[Jacob Wright (rugby union)|Jacob Wright]]}}
{{rugby squad mid}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=SH | name=[[Josh Goodwin (rugby union)|Josh Goodwin]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=SH | name=[[Toby Venner]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=SH | name=[[Will Yarnell]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=FH | name=[[Jamie Annand]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=FH | name=[[Matthew Arden]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=FH | name=[[Jai Johal]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=WAL | pos=FH | name=[[Gwyn Parks]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=NZL | pos=CE | name=[[Kegan Christian-Goss]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=NZL | pos=CE | name=[[Michael Green (rugby union)|Michael Green]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=CE | name=[[Aman Johal]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=NZL | pos=CE | name=[[Javiah Pohe]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=CE | name=[[Marcus Ramage]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=CE | name=[[Levi Roper]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=WG | name=[[Harry Graham (rugby union)|Harry Graham]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=WG | name=[[Sam Mercer (rugby union)|Sam Mercer]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=WG | name=[[Ryan Olowofela]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=WG | name=[[David Williams (rugby union, born 1994)|David Williams]]}}
{{rugby squad player | nat=ENG | pos=FB | name=[[Jack Stapley]]}}
{{rugby squad end}}

==Notable former players==

===British & Irish Lions===
The following Nottingham players have been selected for the [[British & Irish Lions|Lions tours]] while at the club:

* [[Brian Moore (rugby union)|Brian Moore]] ([[1989 British Lions tour to Australia|1989]])

===Rugby World Cup===
The following are players which have represented their countries at the [[Rugby World Cup]] while playing for Nottingham:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
!Tournament
!Players selected
!{{nrut|England}} players
!Other national team players
|-
|[[1987 Rugby World Cup|1987]]
|2
|[[Brian Moore (rugby union)|Brian Moore]], [[Gary Rees]]
|
|-
|[[1991 Rugby World Cup|1991]]
|3
|[[Gary Rees]], [[Simon Hodgkinson]]
|[[Chris Gray (rugby union)|Chris Gray]] {{flagicon|SCO}}
|-
|[[2011 Rugby World Cup|2011]]
|4
|
|[[James Arlidge]] {{flagicon|JAP}}, [[Sione Kalamafoni]] {{flagicon|TON}}, [[Tim Usasz]] {{flagicon|USA}}, [[Filipo Levi]] {{flagicon|SAM}}
|-
|[[2019 Rugby World Cup|2019]]
|1
|
|[[Shane O'Leary]] {{flagicon|CAN}}
|}

===Other notable former players===
The following players have played for Nottingham and have been capped by their national side.
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Rob Andrew]], [[England national rugby union team|England]] and [[British & Irish Lions]]
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Vincent Cartwright]], [[England national rugby union team|England]] captain
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Dusty Hare]], [[England national rugby union team|England]] and [[British & Irish Lions]]
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Chris Wyles]], [[United States national rugby union team|United States]]
* {{flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Ali Williams]], [[New Zealand national rugby union team|All Black]] #1022
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Chris Oti]], [[England national rugby union team|England]]
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Tom Youngs]], [[England national rugby union team|England]] and [[British & Irish Lions]]
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Alex Corbisiero]], [[England national rugby union team|England]] and [[British & Irish Lions]]
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Nick Preston (rugby union)|Nick Preston]], [[England national rugby union team|England]]
* {{flagicon|England}} [[Neil Back]], [[England national rugby union team|England]] and [[British & Irish Lions]]
* {{flagicon|Wales}} [[Ellis Mee]], [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website}}

{{RFU Championship}}
{{British and Irish Cup}}
{{English Premiership (rugby union)}}
{{Original Courage League 1 clubs}}

[[Category:Premiership Rugby teams]]
[[Category:Rugby union teams in England]]
[[Category:Rugby clubs established in 1877]]
[[Category:Sport in Nottingham]]
[[Category:Rugby union in Nottinghamshire]]
[[Category:1877 establishments in England]]