Kent Rugby Football Union Explained

Teamname:Kent RFU
Union:RFU
Fullname:Kent Rugby Football Union
Countryflag:ENG
Region:Kent, parts of London
Chairman:Roger Clarke
President:John Nunn
Url:http://www.kent-rugby.org
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The Kent Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Kent in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Kent, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Kent county rugby representative teams.

History

One of the oldest unions in the country, the Kent Rugby Football Union was founded in 1880.[1] In 1891, the Kent RFU created the Kent Cup as a county-wide competition for their members, one of the first few county cups established in England and the second in southern England after the Hampshire Rugby Football Union.[2] They have a rich history in the men's senior County Championship since the early years of the competition, finishing as one of the regional winners in 1892, and became outright winners for the first time in 1897.[3] They have gone on to win the top flight competition several more times, most recently in 2023.

In 2010, the Kent RFU were brought into national attention following an incident in a Kent Cup match between Maidstone and Gravesend where a Gravesend player was blinded in one eye as a result of eye-gouging.[4] Despite a statement from the County Chairman that there would be a long ban for the perpetrator, there were no charges from either the Kent RFU, The RFU or Kent Police due to lack of evidence available. As a result, instead, Maidstone were fined £2,000 and deducted 50 league points for failing to identify the player.[5]

In modern times Kent have yo-yoed between Division 1 and Division 2 of the championships, with the most recent silverware claimed being the 2014 Plate when the defeated Durham 30–23 at Twickenham Stadium.[3] [6] [7] They also run regular county tours overseas including to New Zealand in 2012[8] and to Argentina in 2016.[9]

Kent senior men's county side

Kent senior men's county side currently play in the Bill Beaumont Division 1 South – the top level of the County Championships, having been promoted despite losing 33–27 to East Midlands in the 2016 Plate final.[10] [11]

Honours:

Affiliated clubs

There are currently 56 clubs affiliated with the Kent RFU, most of which have teams at both senior and junior level. The majority of clubs are based in Kent, but there are also clubs from south-east London and even East Sussex.

[13]

County club competitions

The Kent RFU currently runs the following competitions for club sides based in Kent and parts of south-east London, which they also administer discipline for:[14]

Leagues

Cups

[15] [16] [17] [18] [19]

Discontinued competitions

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kent County Rugby Football Union Celebrated 125 Years of Rugby 2005/2006. Kent RFU. 19 June 2017 .
  2. Book: Collins, Tony . A Social History of English Rugby Union . Routledge . 2009 . 978-1134023356 . 25.
  3. Web site: English County Championship. Rugbyhistory.com. 19 June 2017 .
  4. Web site: Disappointment as Kent rugby player cleared of gouging . BBC News . 24 November 2010 . 20 June 2017.
  5. Web site: Mairs . Gavin . Maidstone Rugby Club docked 50 points over gouging incident that left Gravesend player blind in one eye . The Telegraph . 20 June 2017.
  6. Web site: Kent 31–23 Durham . News Shopper . 3 June 2014 .
  7. Web site: RUGBY REPORT: Durham 23 Kent 31, Durham lose County Championship final at Twickenham . News Shopper . 1 June 2014 . 19 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161221020337/http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sport/more-sport/rugby-report-durham-23-kent-31-durham-lose-county-championship-final-at-twickenham-1-6648041 . 21 December 2016 . dead .
  8. Web site: Canterbury RFC contingent set for NZ tour . Kent News . 20 June 2017 .
  9. Web site: Four chosen for Argentina . Canterbury RFC . 20 June 2017 .
  10. Web site: Rugby: Bedfordshire players inspire East Midlands to Twickenham triumph. Bedfordshire News. 29 May 2016.
  11. Web site: East Midlands win County Champs Division 2 Plate. England Rugby. 29 May 2016.
  12. Web site: RFU .
  13. Web site: Accredited Clubs within Kent. Kent RFU. 19 June 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170619050217/http://www.kent-rugby.org/clubs/club-accreditation/accredited-clubs-within-kent/. 19 June 2017. dmy-all.
  14. Web site: County RFU chief hints at lengthy ban for 'gouger' . Kent News . 20 June 2017 .
  15. Web site: Kent Cup (Men). Kent RFU. 19 June 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170619050746/http://www.kent-rugby.org/competitions/club-rugby/kent-cup/. 19 June 2017. dmy-all.
  16. Web site: Kent Shield. Kent RFU. 19 June 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170619050656/http://www.kent-rugby.org/competitions/club-rugby/kent-shield/. 19 June 2017. dmy-all.
  17. Web site: Kent Vase. Kent RFU. 19 June 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170619050751/http://www.kent-rugby.org/competitions/club-rugby/kent-vase/. 19 June 2017. dmy-all.
  18. Web site: Kent Plate. Kent RFU. 19 June 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170619050651/http://www.kent-rugby.org/competitions/club-rugby/kent-plate/. 19 June 2017. dmy-all.
  19. Web site: Kent Salver. Kent RFU. 19 June 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170618192051/http://www.kent-rugby.org/competitions/club-rugby/kent-salver/. 18 June 2017. dmy-all.

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