Clifton Rugby

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Template other Clifton Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club founded in Clifton, Bristol. Over the years the club's home games have been played in a variety of locations in northern Bristol, though never in Clifton itself; since 1976 they have been based at the southern end of Cribbs Causeway. Clifton RFC currently play in National League 1 in the third tier of the English rugby union system following their promotion from the 2024–25 National League 2 West.

History

File:Clifton rfc team 1873.jpg

The first ever photograph of a Clifton RFC team (1873)

Clifton RFC is Bristol's oldest club, and one of the oldest in the world. Clifton Rugby Club was formed on 27 September 1872 at the Kings Arms on Blackboy Hill in Clifton, Bristol. The pub still stands, although it was rebuilt in 1902, and refurbished in the late 1990s. Clifton is the 32nd oldest club in the United Kingdom, the 21st oldest in England, the 2nd oldest in the South West (Bath Rugby older by seven years) and the oldest in Bristol. In 1909 a combined Bristol and Clifton RFC team, captained by Percy Down, lost to Australia 11–3.

Clifton's Cribbs Causeway ground also hosted the Bristol Packers American football team in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Honours

• Bass South West Merit Table champions: 1979–80
• South West Division 1 champions: 1988–89
• Area League South runner-up: 1989–90 (promoted)
• Courage League Division 4 champions: 1993–94
• London 1 v South West 1 promotion play-off winner: 2005–06
• South West Division 1 champions: 2008–09
• Bristol Combination Cup winners (5): 2008–09, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
• National League 2 West champions: 2024–25

League table

{{#section:2025–26 National League 1|Table}}

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Jake Buckley Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Ricardo Cano Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Bertran Cole-Fontayn Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Oliver Seagrove Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Louis White Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Thomas Anderson Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag George Davey Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Thomas Hatch Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Henry Harper Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Daniel Hodge Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Toby Hutchinson Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Daniel Owen Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Shay Sainsbury Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Jay Evans Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Niall Gibbons Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Jake Holcombe Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Christopher McCann Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Freddie Myatt Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Bradley Talbot Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag

Player Position Union Mitchell Spencer (c) Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Luke Cozens Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Ollie Milner Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Thomas Quinlan Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Marcus Nel Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag William Owen Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Matthew Smith Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Zakaria Hamid Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Alexander Kilbane Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Luke Daniels Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag Alexander Howman Template:Rugby squad role Template:Rugby union governing body flag

Notable former players

Internationals

File:Clifton rfc 1874-75.jpg

The Clifton RFC team for the 1874–75 season

• Billy Meakes (Australia)
• Ellis Genge (England)
• Callum Braley (Italy)
• Olly Kohn
• Henry Arthur Broomfield
• Rhys Oakley both (Wales)

British & Irish Lions

• Mako Vunipola (England)
• Mark Regan (England)
• Frederick Belson (England)