| Teamname: | Essex RFU |
| Union: | RFU |
| Fullname: | Essex Rugby Football Union |
| Region: | Essex, parts of London |
| Chairman: | Nick Bracken |
| President: | Keith Hill |
| Url: | https://essexcountyrfucb.rfu.club/ |
| Pattern B1: | _maroonhoops2 |
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| Pattern La1: | _maroon_hoops2 |
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| Pattern Ra1: | _maroon_hoops2 |
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The Essex Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Essex in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Essex, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Essex county rugby representative teams.[1]
The Essex RFU was established in 1885. The first recorded match played by an Essex representative team was actually held a year before the union was created, when they lost to a representative team from neighbouring Suffolk at Chelmsford in 1884. In December 1890 Essex would join with Suffolk and Norfolk to form the Eastern Counties Rugby Union, with Cambridgeshire joining later in 1920 and would participate in the County Championship. Essex would try and leave the Eastern Counties and gain constituent body status but were refused by the Rugby Football Union three times in 1972, 1975 and 1977. Finally in 2003 the county were awarded full status and would compete in the County Championship as an Essex side.[2]
The Essex senior men's team currently play in Division 3 of the County Championship. The 2018 competition also marked the county's first appearance at Twickenham Stadium when they reached the Shield final, losing 22-24 to Dorset & Wilts.[3]
There are currently 45 clubs affiliated with the Essex RFU, with teams at both senior and junior level.[2]
The Essex RFU currently helps run the following club competitions:[4]
1st team:
2nd team: