Cambridge R.U.F.C.

Not to be confused with Cambridge University R.U.F.C..

Cambridge (CRUFC)

Full name	Cambridge Rugby Union Football Club
Founded	1923 (1923)
Location	Cambridge, England
Ground(s)	Grantchester Road (Capacity: 1,250)
Coach(es)	Ross Stewart
League(s)	National League 1
2015–16	Champions (promoted to National League 1)
Team kit
Official website
www.crufc.co.uk

Cambridge Rugby Union Football Club or CRUFC ('The Mighty Blues') is a rugby union club representing the city of Cambridge, England. Formed in 1923 the club currently competes in the third tier of the English rugby union system, National League 1, following relegation from National League 1 in 2013 The club plays its home matches at the 1,250 capacity Grantchester Road ground, in the suburb of Newnham, approximately two kilometres south-west of the city centre.

The club runs three senior squads: the national league squad, a development squad, and a social squad. At junior level the club runs one of the oldest mini and youth rugby sections in the country, starting back in the early 1970s, with a colts team for under-18s.

History

Cambridge RUFC was formed in 1923 and was settled in its current ground by the 1950s. In 1993 the club was offered the opportunity to buy the lease on its existing three pitches and to buy adjoining land for a further three pitches from King's College. Floodlights were added to one of these pitches in 2003 so that evening games might be played and the light available for training was improved.

Cambridge RUFC joined the newly formed league structure in 1988 and by 1991 was playing in London 3 North East. After five years in this division, the club was promoted to London 2 North and after four years in this division, was promoted at the end of the 1998–99 season to London 1, which feeds into the National Leagues. In the Club's first season in London 1, they achieved 4th place, plus a run to the semi-final of the NPI Cup, falling just one match from Twickenham, after defeat away at Hull by 21–17. London 1 status was secured again for the 2001–02 Season, but the squad led to relegation at the end of that season. However, by the end of the 2003–04 season, a rebuilt side regained promotion to London 1. Cambridge also won the Eastern Counties Cup for the first time and regained the Cambridgeshire Cup from perennial rivals Shelford. This time, the stay in London 1 was to be even shorter; At the end of an exciting season the League championship lay between Worthing and Cambridge at the start of the final round of matches: Worthing at home to Canterbury and Cambridge at home to Basingstoke. The championship would go to the team achieving the greatest points difference. In the event, Cambridge won by 96–15 and Worthing were condemned to the play-offs. Cambridge went on to beat Norwich in the Eastern Counties Cup Final and Shelford in the Cambridgeshire Cup Final — the second successive treble, and promotion to National League rugby for the first time.

In the 2005–06 season Cambridge once again secured promotion after a two horse race. This time with Norfolk & East Anglian Giants North Walsham who had been present in this league for well over a decade. Cambridge squeezed past them with a last day win at Reading while North Walsham failed by 21–20 at Southend. This was all the more lucky as North Walsham had secured the bonus point for four tries but failed with all four conversions. In the 2006–07 season Cambridge managed to consolidate their position in National Division Two with a 9th-place finish. In the 2008–09 season Cambridge finished second in the league and would have been promoted had it not been for the re-organisation of the leagues in mid season.

Current standings

2015–16 National League 2 South Table
	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points for	Points against	Points diff	Try bonus	Losing bonus	Points
1	Cambridge (C)	30	25	2	3	1029	532	497	25	1	130
2	Old Albanian (P)	30	25	1	4	1040	468	572	23	3	128
3	Bishop's Stortford	30	22	1	7	912	436	476	21	5	116
4	Redruth	30	22	1	7	752	547	205	16	4	110
5	Taunton Titans	30	20	1	9	896	611	285	16	5	103
6	Chinnor	30	13	0	17	802	748	54	13	8	73
7	Bury St Edmunds	30	13	0	17	735	753	–18	12	7	71
8	Redingensians Rams	30	13	1	16	670	746	–76	12	5	71
9	Old Elthamians	30	13	2	15	669	770	–101	8	6	70
10	Canterbury	30	13	0	17	700	871	–171	12	6	70
11	Worthing Raiders	30	13	1	16	636	684	–48	10	5	69
12	Clifton	30	11	2	17	732	749	–17	12	6	66
13	Barnes	30	10	4	16	677	827	–150	15	3	66
14	Dorking (R)	30	10	0	20	598	822	–224	9	7	56
15	Southend Saxons (R)	30	7	3	20	574	845	–271	8	4	46
16	Launceston (R)	30	0	1	29	290	1303	–1013	2	6	5
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order: Number of matches won Difference between points for and against Total number of points for Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places. Updated: 30 April 2016 Source:

Notes

League history

Overall

Year	League	Position	Notes
1987–88	No League	N/A	-
1988–89	Eastern Counties Division One	N/A	-
1989–90	London Division Four North-East	N/A	-
1990–91	London Division Three North-East	N/A	-
1991–92	London Division Three North-East	N/A	-
1992–93	London Division Three North-East	N/A	-
1993–94	London Division Three North-East	N/A	-
1994–95	London Division Three North-East	N/A	-
1995–96	London Division Two North	N/A	-
1996–97	London Division Two North	4th	-
1997–98	London Division Two North	3rd	-
1998–99	London Division Two North	1st	Promoted to London Division One
1999–00	London Division One	4th	NPI Cup Semi-Finalists
2000–01	London Division One	8th	-
2001–02	London Division One	12th	Relegated
2002–03	London Division Two North	4th	-
2003–04	London Division Two North	2nd	Promoted in play-offs, Eastern Counties & Cambridgeshire Cup Champions
2004–05	London Division One	1st	Promoted, Eastern Counties & Cambridgeshire Cup Champions
2005–06	National Division Three South	1st	Promoted, Eastern Counties & Cambridgeshire Cup Champions
2006–07	National Division Two	9th	5th round in Powergen National Trophy
2007–08	National Division Two	5th	-
2008–09	National Division Two	2nd	Would have been promoted but for the RFU league structure changes
2009–10
2010–11	National League 1
2011–12	National League 1	12th
2012–13	National League 1	16th	Relegated
2013–14	National League 2 South	7th
2014–15	National League 2 South	6th
2015-16	National League 2 South	1st	Promoted to National League 1

Players

A number of players have gone on to gain International rugby honours, including Dickie Jeeps (England and British Lions), Andy Hancock (England), Bob Steven (Scotland), Trefor Evans (Wales) and most recently Simon Culhane who represented New Zealand, including appearances in the 1995 World Cup Finals.

Honours

Senior team

• London Division Two North (1): 1998–99
• Eastern Counties (3): 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06
• Cambridgeshire Cup (3): 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06
• London Division One (1): 2004–05
• National League 2 South (2): 2005–06, 2015-16

Youth teams

• Eastern Counties U-17s Cup (3):: 1992, 2002, 2006
• Eastern Counties U-19s Cup (3): 1994, 2003, 2004
• National U-19 Plate (1): 2002

External links

• Official website