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England
Full name	Old Northamptonians Rugby Football Club
Union	East Midlands Rugby Football Union
Founded	1922; 103 years ago
Location	Northampton, Northamptonshire, England
Ground(s)	Sir Humphrey Cripps Pavilion
Chairman	Dave Howland
President	Bob Taylor
Director of Rugby	Richard Blank
Coach(es)	Phil Powell
Captain(s)	Joe Heslop
League(s)	Regional 1 South East
2023–24	9th
Official website
	www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldnorthamptonians/

Old Northamptonians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club located in Northampton, Northamptonshire. The first XV was promoted in 2022–23 and currently play in Regional 1 South East, a fifth tier league in the English rugby union system.^[1]

History

Old Northamptonians Rugby Football Club was founded in 1922–23 by W.C.C. Cooke, who was the headmaster of Northampton Grammar School. The Old Northamptonians played a fixture on Boxing Day 1922 on Northampton Racecourse against a Northampton Alliance team; the fixture was advertised in the local newspaper,^[2] but the result is not recorded. The fixture will be replayed during the club's centenary season, on Boxing Day 2022, this time at the home ground at Billing Road.

In the early years, ONRFC did not have their own home ground and played their fixtures at Northampton Racecourse. However in November 1936 the Old Northamptonians Association secured the lease of 17½ acres of previously agricultural land adjoining Billing Road and Park Avenue South, to provide two rugby pitches and one cricket pitch.^[3] At the time the club had rugby two teams, and with the establishment of a home ground, aspired to running four rugby teams. By the end of the 1949–50 season, the club was indeed running four teams, and the Town Planning Committee had approved plans for a clubhouse to be built.^[4]

The club has played an important role in developing players who have gone on to play for Northampton Saints, including Tom Collins and James Grayson. One of the club's most famous former players is Bob Taylor who gained 16 caps for England and 2 caps for the British Lions, as well as becoming President of the RFU in 2007.^[5]^[6]^[7]

Honours

Regional 2 East Midlands champions: 2022–23
Midlands 3 East (South) champions: 2008-09
East Midlands/Leicestershire 3 champions: 1992–93
East Midlands/Leicestershire 2 champions: 1993–94
East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 champions: 1994–95
Midlands 1 (east v west) play-off winners (2): 2009–10, 2014–15^[8]^[9]

Old Northamptonians have won the Northampton & District Alliance Cup 22 times, including a run of 14 consecutive titles from 2004 to 2017. The club regained the title in 2022,^[10] and also won the Lewis Shield and Oceanic Trophy competitions, the first time this "treble" has been achieved.^[11]

In the centenary season 2022–23, in addition to winning the league, ONs retained the Oceanic Trophy and the Lewis Shield.^[12] Having lost the centenary Alliance Cup Final against rivals Northampton Old Scouts 12-67, ONs went on to win the inaugural Regional 2 Championship of the Papa John's Community Cup at Twickenham.^[13]

References

^ "RFU Future Competition Structure". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
^ "Northampton Chronicle and Echo - Friday 22 December 1922". The British Newspaper Archive.
^ "Playing fields at Abington". Northampton Mercury - 27 November 1936. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
^ "Entertained Opponents". Northampton Chronicle & Echo - 8 July 1950. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
^ "HISTORY". RFU. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
^ "Old Northamptonians Rugby Football Club". Northamptonshire Sport. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
^ "From Saints to RFU President". BBC. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
^ "Midlands Division Play-Offs 2009–10". England Rugby. 1 May 2010.
^ "PLAY OFF WIN FOR THE ONS". Old Northamptonians RFC (Pitchero). 25 April 2015.
^ "ONs regain the Alliance Cup". Old Northamptonians RFC. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
^ "List of Past Winners". Northampton & District Rugby Alliance. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
^ "ONS DOUBLE UP ON FIRST FINALS NIGHT". Northampton & District Alliance. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
^ "WINNERS AT TWICKENHAM IN COMMUNITY CUP FINALS". England Rugby. Retrieved 8 May 2023.