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Royal Free, University College and Middlesex Medical Students RFC
Full nameRoyal Free, University College and Middlesex Medical Students RFC
UnionMiddlesex RFU
Nickname(s)RUMS RFC
Founded1867 – oldest constituent element
1998 through merger of three older sides
LocationBloomsbury, London, England
Ground(s)Eton Manor RFC
PresidentThomas Borthwick
Coach(es)Vinnie Berrington
Captain(s)Aadil Ali
League(s)BUCS SE 1
Official website
www.rumsrugby.com

Royal Free, University College and Middlesex Medical Students RFC is the rugby union club for UCL Medical School, which is part of the University of London.[1] The rugby club is commonly referred to by its shortened name of RUMS RFC or RUMS Rugby. The club is registered with the RFU[2] and plays in the traditional colours of the medical school: blue, yellow and black.

RUMS RFC is one of the largest and most successful clubs of UCL Medical School, with over 50 members and three teams competing in the BUCS SE league.

History

The London teaching hospitals began playing rugby union in the 1860s, with many of its members former Cambridge and Oxford graduates. The United Hospitals Rugby Football Club was formed in 1867,[3] before the founding of the Rugby Football Union, and by 1874 had initiated the United Hospital's Challenge Cup, a competition for the rival hospitals. Although Guy's provided far more international rugby players, the United Hospital club saw many notable players join the team, including notable Barbarian, Brigadier Glyn Hughes.

The Royal Free and University College Medical School was formed in 1998 following a series of mergers between a number of existing medical schools: in 1987 the Middlesex Hospital Medical School (founded 1746) merged with University College Medical School (1825) to form the University College and Middlesex School of Medicine. In 1998 the University College and Middlesex School of Medicine merged with the Royal Free Hospital Medical School to form the Royal Free and University College Medical School. In 2008 the medical school changed its name to UCL Medical School; however at a meeting in 2009 all the medical school sports teams voted to alter their traditional name slightly, adding Middlesex, to honour the heritage of the Middlesex medical school. Thus the club name changed to The Royal Free, University College and Middlesex Medical Students (RUMS), not using the new medical school name.[4]

The current rugby club is an amalgamation of the rugby clubs of these previous medical schools. Thus the club has an illustrious history and has been competing in the oldest rugby competition in the world, the United Hospitals Cup, in one guise or another since 1874.

Teams

Competitions

United Hospital Challenge Cup wins
Hospital Team First Competed Last Competed Current Status Wins Total Wins including constituent elements
RUMS RFC 1998 present Active 2 3
Middlesex 1874 1997 Part of RUMS RFC 1 1
Royal Free ? 1997 Part of RUMS RFC 0 0
University College Hospital RFC ? 1997 Part of RUMS RFC 0 0

Internationals

Over the years the club and its predecessor clubs have fostered a number of international players.

University College Hospital

References

  1. ^ "RUMS Online [Clubs & Societies] - Royal Free & UCL Medical Students". Archived from the original on 15 June 2008.
  2. ^ "Club Development". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011.
  3. ^ Collins, Tony; A Social History of English Rugby Union; Routledge (2009), pg 108. ISBN 978-0-415-47660-7
  4. ^ "UCL Medical School". Archived from the original on 7 February 2009.
  5. ^ "My blog – Just another WordPress site".
  6. ^ "BUCScore - University College London Mens 1st (RUMS) Rugby Union Team". Archived from the original on 22 August 2014.
  7. ^ "MRFC". Archived from the original on 23 April 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2009.

External links

University College London
United Hospitals
United Hospitals Cup – The Oldest Rugby Competition
Categories