Old Elthamians
Full nameOld Elthamians Rugby Football Club
UnionKent RFU
Founded1911 (1911)
LocationChislehurst, Bromley, London, England
Ground(s)Hospital Ground Perry St Chislehurst (Capacity: 1,800)
ChairmanJonny Mack
PresidentMike O'Connell
Captain(s)Richie Trew
League(s)Counties 3 Kent
2019–209th
Official website
www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldelthamians/

Old Elthamians Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Chislehurst in SE London-Kent. Due to financial difficulties they withdrew from National League One, the third tier of English club rugby, in August, 2021.[1] Upon returning to league rugby and despite only taking one season away, the RFU place Old Elthamians in Counties 3. The club left the College meadows ground and have returned home to Chislehurst. They returned to Chislehurst for the 2022-23 season after they were removed from College Meadows by the headmaster Guy Sanderson due to the debt owed to Eltham College by Kobus Paulsen.

History

Old Elthamians was formed in 1911 and ran four senior teams and a full range of junior teams.[2][3] In 2014–15 the club moved ground from the Foxbury to Queen Mary Sports Ground in Chislehurst, where they were resident for just two seasons before moving their home of College Meadow (owned by Eltham College) in Mottingham, for the 2016–17 season.[4][5] Old Elthamians had their first home game at College Meadow on 17 September 2016, defeating visitors Clifton 46 - 19 in front of 420 spectators.[6]

On 25 March 2017 Old Elthamians, riding high in National League 2 South, achieved a club record win 97–7 against bottom club Exmouth, a tally that included 15 tries.[7] They finished second that season, qualifying for a promotion play-off against the runner-up from National League 2 North. On 6 May 2017 Old Elthamians travelled to take on Sale at Heywood Road, winning a close game 19–14 to claim promotion to the 2017–18 National League 1; the highest level in the club's history.[8] The 2016–17 season also saw Dominic Lespierre score 36 league tries to break the previous best of 32 set by Renford Bennet.[9]

On 16 December 2017 Old Elthamians beat Blackheath 32–7 in front of a then club record crowd of 1,653 at College Meadow, in what was the first league meeting between the two sides in 106 years despite both being based in south London.[10] This record was topped the very next season when a crowd of 1,770 at College Meadow saw Old Elthamians lose 11–12 to Blackheath on 22 December 2018 in a top of the table clash.[11]

Honours

Club records

  • Largest win: 97–7
Versus Exmouth at College Meadow on 25 March 2017
  • Highest attendance: 1,770
Versus Blackheath at College Meadow on 22 December 2018
  • Most tries in a season: 36
Guyana Dominic Lespierre (2016–17)

Final league season

2019–20 National League 1 Table
Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Losing bonus Points
1Richmond (C)25200574134739412597
2Rosslyn Park25181672847225612490
3Rams25190668052115916289[lower-alpha 1]
4Chinnor25162763150212913485
5Blackheath25161862151111012482
6Plymouth Albion25132106986178114575
7Darlington Mowden Park251311179651727914674
8Old Elthamians25131115745017310468
9Cambridge25122115715601111467
10Cinderford2313010526452747665
11Sale FC25120136216021910664
12Bishop's Stortford249213599595412961
13Birmingham Moseley258017505649−1444844
14Rotherham Titans (R)256118490727−2377740
15Canterbury (R)252023357824−4672616
16Hull Ionians (R)2411223301071-7413211
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. 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. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 14 March 2020
Source: "National League 1". NCA Rugby.

Notes

  1. ↑ Rams deducted 5 points due to an issue with their Payment of Players declaration during the 2018–19 National League 2 South season.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "National League Rugby Statement: Old Elthamians". National League Rugby. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  2. ↑ Club website
  3. ↑ Club website history page
  4. ↑ "Club prepares for Super Saturday at College Meadow". Old Elthamian RFC (Pitchero). 13 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "College Meadow - How to find us". Old Elthamian RFC (Pitchero). 13 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "National League 2 South". The RUGBYPaper. No. 418. Rugby Paper Ltd. 18 September 2016. pp. 32–33 & 41.
  7. ↑ "National League 2 South". The RUGBYPaper. No. 445. Rugby Paper Ltd. 25 March 2017. p. 34.
  8. ↑ "National League 2 play-off". The RUGBYPaper. No. 451. Rugby Paper Ltd. 7 May 2017. p. 28.
  9. ↑ "Lespierre - 'It's been a team effort all season'". Old Elthamian RFC (Pitchero). 8 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "National League 1". The RUGBYPaper. No. 483. 17 December 2017. pp. 30–31 & 39.
  11. ↑ "National League 1". The RugbyPaper. No. 536. 23 December 2018. pp. 26–27 & 34.
  12. ↑ "RAMS DEDUCTED 5 POINTS". Rams RFC (Pitchero). 26 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
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