Oxfordshire Rugby Football Union

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.

Oxfordshire RFU

Full name	Oxfordshire Rugby Football Union
Union	RFU
Founded	1931; 94 years ago (1931)
Region	Oxfordshire
Chairman	Peter Bramley
President	Stuart Mount
Team kit
Official website
oxfordshirerfu.com

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]

Oxfordshire senior men's county side

The Oxfordshire seniors men's team currently play in Division 2 of the County Championship.

Honours:

• County Championship Division 3 winners: 2017, 2022,
• County Championship Division 2 winners: 2024

Affiliated clubs

There are currently 17 clubs affiliated with the Oxfordshire RFU, with teams at both senior and junior level.^[6]

• Abingdon RUFC
• Banbury RUFC
• Bicester RUFC
• Chinnor RFC
• Chipping Norton RUFC
• Didcot RUFC
• Faringdon RUFC
• Gosford All Blacks RFC

Grove RFC Harwell RFC Henley Hawks RFC Littlemore RFC Oxford RFC Oxford Harlequins RFC Wallingford RFC Wheatley RUFC Witney RUFC

County club competitions

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)
• Oxfordshire RFU County Shield^[7]

See also

• Oxfordshire RFU County Cup
• Oxfordshire RFU County Shield
• South West Division
• English rugby union system