Rugby union is one of the most popular sports, in terms of both participants and spectators in London. London has several of England's leading rugby union clubs, and the city is home to 13 teams playing in national leagues, and many regional amateur leagues regulated by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union. However, several of these teams, due to necessity, have found homes at stadia outside the boundaries of the capital. The sport is well established, especially in the middle-class suburbs to the north and west of the city. Four of the twelve clubs currently in the Gallagher Premiership have London origins.
In more recent years, a modern tradition has seen the four leading London clubs play out of Twickenham Stadium during the first round of the Premiership, in a double-header.
History
Barnes Rugby Football Club, formerly known simply as the Barnes Club, is a rugby union club which is claimed by some sources to be the world's first and oldest club in any code of football. The club, from Barnes in London, also played a major role in the early years of association football, and was one of the teams in the first ever game of football. Blackheath F.C. is the oldest open rugby club in the world. "Open" in this context means that membership was open to anyone, not merely those attending, or old boys from, a particular institution (e.g. a school, university or hospital). It is also the third-oldest rugby club in continuous existence in the world, after Dublin University Football Club and Edinburgh Academical Football Club. The Blackheath club also helped organise the world's first rugby international (between England and Scotland in Edinburgh on 27 March 1871) and hosted the first international between England and Wales ten years later – the players meeting and getting changed at the Princess of Wales public house. Blackheath, along with Civil Service FC, is one of the two clubs that can claim to be a founder member of both the Football Association and the Rugby Football Union.
Clubs
Harlequins in a huddle during the 2008–2009 season
London has several teams playing rugby at the National League level, in levels 1-5.
There is also Wasps RFC with links to the London area. Once nicknamed [and called] 'London Wasps' they have played at many locations since the development of the professional game. These have included Loftus Road, followed by High Wycombe and now Coventry. Their affiliated Amateur side, Wasps FC, still play at the original ground in Acton.
Another club with London roots, London Welsh, have bounced between the Premiership and Championship in recent years, having been promoted to or relegated from the Premiership at the end of each season since 2011–12. When they were first promoted for the 2012–13 season, they moved outside the metropolitan area to play at Oxford United'sKassam Stadium in Oxford. They remained in Oxford until their most recent relegation at the end of the 2014–15 season, after which they returned to Greater London at Old Deer Park in Richmond. The club went into liquidation in January 2017, and had its results for season 2016-17 expunged from the record. However, the club's amateur arm continues due to holding separate registration.
Still another Premiership club with London roots, Wasps moved their home matches entirely outside the London commuter belt to Coventry in December 2014. Shortly before their move, Wasps purchased the major football ground Ricoh Arena, and share it with Coventry City F.C. Wasps maintained their training base within Greater London in West Acton until June 2016 but are now fully based in the West Midlands.
