Otley R.U.F.C.

Otley
Full name	Otley Rugby Union Football Club
Union	Yorkshire RFU
Nickname(s)	The Zebras
Founded	1865; 156 years ago
Location	Otley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Ground(s)	Cross Green (Capacity: 5,000)
League(s)	North Premier
2019–20	National League 2, 14th (relegated)
	Team kit
	Team kit
Official website
	www.pitchero.com/clubs/otley/

Otley Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club representing Otley in the City of Leeds, district of West Yorkshire. The club runs two senior teams – the first XV, the Saracens (2nd XV), as well as a full range of junior teams. The first XV play in North Premier.

History[]

Otley RUFC was founded in 1865^[1] but broke away from rugby union in 1900 to become a rugby league club. They disbanded in 1906 and reformed as a rugby union club in 1907, the ground being at Wharfeside.^[2] In 1909–10 they won the Yorkshire Challenge Cup.^[2] Play was suspended during the First World War, but started again in 1919, and on 28 September 1921 they moved to a new and better ground at Cross Green, Otley.^[2]

In the 2007–08 season they won the National Division Two title securing an immediate return to National Division One having been relegated the previous season, however they were immediately relegated again in the 2008–09 season along with fellow promoted side Manchester and three other teams due to the new professionalised format of National Division One (now the RFU Championship). Two seasons later the club was relegated again, this time to National League 2 North. The all-time leading try scorer is James Twomey, with 74 in 107 appearances between 2009 and 2013.^{[citation needed]}

In 1979 the stadium was the site of a famous victory by the North of England against the New Zealand ″All Blacks″.^[3] The Wallabies suffered the same fate in October, 1988. Cross Green hosted one group game of the 1991 Rugby World Cup, between the United States and Italy which was won by Italy 30–9.

Notable former players[]

Cross Green, Otley's home ground.

England 1930
Danny Care
Albert Fert, winner of 2007 Nobel Prize for Physics ^[4]
Arthur Gray (Fullback for England while at Otley RUFC in 1947 against Wales, Ireland, and Scotland)
England 1930
Leslie Manfield Wales 1938
Nigel Melville
Jimmy Keinhorst

Honours[]

Yorkshire Challenge Cup winners (9 times): 1889, 1910, 1911, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1993
North Division 1 champions: 1989–90
Courage League - Division 4 North champions: 1990–91
National League 1 champions (3): 1992–93, 1999–00, 2007–08

Current standings[]

2019–20 National League 2 North Table

· · discuss

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Points for

Points against

Points diff

Try bonus

Losing bonus

Points

1

Caldy (C)

25

0

1002

279

723

19

0

119

2

Fylde

25

17

1

7

790

447

343

16

4

90

3

Hinckley

25

17

0

8

634

461

173

12

5

85

4

Sedgley Park

25

17

0

8

627

549

78

11

4

83

5

Loughborough Students

25

14

0

11

749

605

144

13

5

74

6

Chester

25

13

1

11

690

618

72

12

4

70

7

Stourbridge

25

11

1

13

679

616

63

13

9

68

8

Hull

25

12

2

11

479

472

7

5

6

63

9

Wharfedale

25

11

2

12

528

539

-11

5

6

59

10

Huddersfield

25

9

4

12

528

592

-64

9

4

57

11

Tynedale

24

9

2

13

583

592

-9

10

7

57

12

Sheffield Tigers

24

12

0

12

516

570

-54

5

3

56

13

Luctonians

25

9

1

15

496

609

-113

8

54

14

Otley (R)

25

9

3

13

508

628

-120

5

52

15

Preston Grasshoppers (R)

25

4

3

18

385

656

-271

3

4

29

16

Scunthorpe (R)

25

0

25

341

1302

-961

4

2

6

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. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 14 March 2020
Source: "National League 2 North". NCA Rugby.

Notes

Notes[]

References[]

^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1991). Courage Clubs Championship. Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1991–92. Taunton: Tony Williams. ISBN 1869833155.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Brumfitt, Elise (1986). Old Otley. Leeds: M. T. D. Rigg Publications. ISBN 0950919136.
^ "TV screening of Otley's historic rugby day". Telegraph & Argus. Newsquest Media Group. 16 September 2004. Archived from the original on 18 July 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
^ "Former Otley rugby player wins Nobel prize". Wharfedale and Airedale Observer. 15 October 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2008.

External links[]

Official website

[1] Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1991). Courage Clubs Championship. Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1991–92. Taunton: Tony Williams. ISBN 1869833155.

[OldOtley-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Brumfitt, Elise (1986). Old Otley. Leeds: M. T. D. Rigg Publications. ISBN 0950919136.

[3] "TV screening of Otley's historic rugby day". Telegraph & Argus. Newsquest Media Group. 16 September 2004. Archived from the original on 18 July 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2009.

[4] "Former Otley rugby player wins Nobel prize". Wharfedale and Airedale Observer. 15 October 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2008.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]