Redruth R.F.C.

Redruth RFC (established 1875) is a rugby union club from the town of Redruth, Cornwall, currently playing in the fourth tier of the English league system, National League 2 West. The club runs a number of men's teams including 1st XV (National League 2 West), 2nd XV (Duchy League), Colts and a Select XV as well as a number of junior teams from age 7 through to 16.[1][2][3] They are one of the most successful club sides in Cornwall, having won the Cornwall Cup ten times and the Cornwall Super Cup three times, and are currently the second highest ranked club side behind the Cornish Pirates. Redruth enjoys a strong rivalry with neighbours Camborne, with the two clubs meeting annually on Boxing Day, in a fixture that dates back to 1928. [4]

Redruth RFC
Full nameRedruth Rugby Club
UnionCornwall RFU
Founded1875 (1875)
LocationRedruth, Cornwall, England
Ground(s)Recreation Ground (Capacity: 3,500 (580 seated))
Coach(es)Nigel Hambly, Louie Tonkin, Richie Kevern
Captain(s)Ben Fox
League(s)National League 2 West
2022–237th
Team kit
Official website
www.pitchero.com/clubs/redruth

History

Redruth RFC was founded in 1875 by Henry Grylls and W H Willimot both of whom had returned to Cornwall after their education at Clifton College and Marlborough respectively. The club quickly established itself as one of the most successful in Cornwall, a position they were to hold for much of the 20th century. They began life playing on the Brewery Field at Redruth but, in 1883 they moved to the Recreation Ground at the end of Green Lane. They have remained there ever since. When the leagues started in 1987, Redruth was in the provincial league of South-West 1, which they won. The team then won the old League Four South in 1991 and gained promotion. In 2005, the club reached its highest-ever ranking by winning promotion into National Division One. The team finished in 4th position in the 2006–07 season.

Ground
View of the main bank from the grandstand, with training pitch seen behind

The Recreation Ground is situated on Cardrew Lane in Redruth, around five minutes walk from the town centre and Redruth railway station. The ground consists of a main pitch with a wooden grandstand alongside the clubhouse on the west side, and terraced grass banking on the other three sides. The ground also has several bars adjoining the grandstand, and there is also a secondary pitch for 2nd XV and junior fixtures. There is parking for around 100 cars but this is often limited on match-days and it is recommended that supporters park nearby in town.

The capacity of the Recreation Ground has varied over the decades. Up until the 1980s it was considered the third largest rugby ground in England (behind Twickenham and Leicester Tigers home of Welford Road) with an official capacity of 21,172, which included a number of temporary stands.[5][6] This capacity was actually exceeded in 1969 when the ground hosted the final of the County Championship between Cornwall and Lancashire, when 25,000 are believed to have watched the game.[7]

The removal of the temporary stands, coupled with a more zealous approach to safety, saw the ground's capacity reduce to 12,000 in the 1990s to the current capacity (2018) of around 3,500. This modern figure includes 580 seated in the grandstand, the rest standing with approximately 1,500 on the east bank, 800 on the north bank, 400 on the south bank and a further 200 or so in front of the grandstand / next to the clubhouse. In 2018 the local police gave an estimate of 3,000 but since Redruth were reported to have achieved an attendance of 4,000 for a National 2 promotion playoff game as recently as 2005, this is a little conservative.[8]

Support

As one of the traditional rugby powerhouses in Cornwall, Redruth are also one of the best supported, second only to the Cornish Pirates, and, despite mixed fortunes over the past decade, they were the best supported club in National League 2 South, having topped the attendance charts every year since they arrived in the division during the 2011–12 season. Although the Recreation Ground no longer sees the huge crowds of yesteryear (even for Cornwall games), the 4,000 that attended Redruth's playoff victory against Macclesfield remains the club's best crowd for a competitive fixture over the past couple of decades.[8] The club also still draws large crowds in excess of 1,000 for the traditional yearly fixture against neighbours Camborne.[4]

Below is a summary of the club's league attendance since the 2000–01 season. The club enjoyed its best crowds during the 2008–09 season in the old National Division Two, thanks to derby games against fellow Cornish clubs, Launceston and Mounts Bay, both of which drew crowds in excess of 2,000.[9][10] In recent years attendances at the Recreation Ground have fallen as the club has found itself without a Cornish league derby following the relegation of Launceston at the end of the 2015–16 season.[11]

Season Total Average Highest
2000–01 10,150 781 2,000
2001–02[a 1] 9,170 834 2,000
2002–03[a 2] 2,850 570 650
2003–04[a 3] 0 0 0
2004–05[a 4] 9,916 901 1,500
2005–06 11,283 868 1,759
2006–07 11,012 847 1,507
2007–08 10,249 788 968
2008–09 15,212 1,170 2,218
2009–10 13,974 932 2,010
2010–11 13,996 933 1,627
2011–12 12,622 841 1,258
2012–13 11,376 813 1,140
2013–14 10,799 720 1,350
2014–15 11,707 780 1,320
2015–16 11,937 796 1,120
2016–17 11,280 752 870
2017–18 11,615 774 920
2018–19 9,110 607 810
2019–20[a 5] 8,789 676 920
2020–21[a 6] 0 0 0
2021–22 11,621 775 1,075
2022–23 9,348 719 869
2023–24

Season summary

Below is a summary of Redruth's performances in competitive rugby since the advent of the leagues in 1987–88.

Season League National Cup(s) County Cup(s)
Competition/Level Position Points Competition Performance Competition Performance
1987–88South West 1 (5)1st (promoted)[12]John Player Cup2nd RoundCornwall CupWinners
1988–89Area League South (4)4th13Pilkington Cup2nd RoundCornwall CupWinners
1989–90Area League South (4)3rd14Pilkington Cup2nd RoundCornwall CupRunners up
1990–91National 4 South (4)[a 7]1st (promoted)24Cornwall CupWinners
1991–92National 3 (3)5th13Pilkington Cup1st Round
1992–93National 3 (3)4th16Pilkington Cup4th RoundCornwall CupWinners
1993–94National 3 (3)10th (relegated)4Pilkington Cup2nd RoundCornwall CupRunners up
1994–95National 4 (4)7th14Pilkington Cup3rd RoundCornwall CupWinners
1995–96National 4 (4)7th (promoted)[a 8]14Pilkington Cup3rd RoundCornwall CupRunners up
1996–97National 3 (3)15th (relegated)16Pilkington Cup3rd Round
1997–98National 2 South (4)[a 9]9th20Tetley's Bitter Cup1st RoundCornwall CupRunners up
1998–99National 2 South (4)11th17Tetley's Bitter Cup1st Round
1999–2000National 2 South (4)5th32Tetley's Bitter Cup3rd Round
2000–01National 3 South (4)[a 10]5th29Tetley's Bitter Cup2nd RoundCornwall CupSemi-finals[13]
2001–02National 3 South (4)8th24Powergen Cup1st RoundCornwall CupQuarter-finals[14]
2002–03National 3 South (4)7th25Powergen Cup2nd RoundCornwall CupWinners
2003–04National 3 South (4)4th32Powergen Cup3rd RoundCornwall CupWinners
2004–05National 3 South (4)2nd (promoted via play-off)104[a 11]Powergen Cup3rd RoundCornwall CupSemi-finals[15]
2005–06National 2 (3)10th51Powergen Trophy6th Round[16]Cornwall CupRunners up
2006–07National 2 (3)4th92EDF Energy Cup4th Round[17]Cornwall CupWinners
2007–08National 2 (3)9th58EDF Energy Trophy4th Round[18]Cornwall Super Cup3rd
2008–09National 2 (3)3rd94EDF Energy Trophy3rd Round[19]
2009–10National 1 (3)[a 12]11th69Cornwall Super CupWinners
2010–11National 1 (3)14th (relegated)62
2011–12National 2 South (4)6th81
2012–13National 2 South (4)4th94
2013–14National 2 South (4)9th72Cornwall Super CupRunners up
2014–15National 2 South (4)9th66Cornwall Super CupWinners
2015–16National 2 South (4)4th110Cornwall Super CupWinners
2016–17National 2 South (4)5th101Cornwall Super Cup3rd[a 13]
2017–18National 2 South (4)5th89
2018–19National 2 South (4)7th69
2019–20National 2 South (4)3rd114.90[a 14]
2020–21National 2 South (4)Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic
2021–22National 2 South (4)2nd119
Green background stands for either league champions (with promotion) or cup winners. Blue background stands for promotion without winning league or losing cup finalists. Pink background stands for relegation.

Playing record
First team
Season P W D L F A Ref
1899–1900 291586281115[22]
Reserve team
Season P W D L F A Ref
1899–1900 24195041432

Honours

[23]

Colts

The colts section is coached by David Wills and Jason Pengilly. The team has consistently finished highly in the national Colts competition, and won the U-17s cup and U-18s Cornwall Cup competitions in 2009.

Representative honours

British & Irish Lions

Great Britain (1908 Olympics)

England

Barbarians

England B
  • Terry Pryor 1978 Tour of Romania (captain)

England Counties
  • Darren Jacques
  • Luke Collins
  • Owen Hambly
  • Peter Joyce
  • Glenn Cooper
  • Lewis Vinnicombe
  • Sam Heard

Current standings
2022–23 National League 2 West Table
Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Losing bonus Points Pts adj
PLeicester Lions262501846397449211122
2Dings Crusaders262006932658224204104
3Clifton26190793257136121198
4Luctonians26170977147429718490
5Hinckley261529724736−1218284
6Loughborough Students26133108498084119683
7Redruth261401277365611716375
8Old Redcliffians2613112704738−3415473
9Exeter University2513111713711214472
10Newport (Salop)267019595951−35616650
11Bournville256118627890−26313746
12Hornets RFC266020657829−17213946
RBarnstaple266020471755−2847536
RStourbridge263023604974−37014526−5
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. 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: 29 April 2023

Notes
  1. Note that Redruth are missing 2 home attendances out of 13 due to poor media coverage during the 2001–02 season.
  2. Note that Redruth are missing 8 home attendances out of 13 due to extremely poor media coverage during the 2002–03 season.
  3. Note that Redruth are missing 13 home attendances out of 13 due to extremely poor media coverage during the 2003–04 season.
  4. Note that Redruth are missing 2 home attendances out of 13 due to poor media coverage during the 2004–05 season.
  5. Note that Redruth only played 13 home games (out of 15) during the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
  6. 2020–21 season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
  7. RFU league restructuring for the 1990–91 meant that Area League South was renamed National 4 South.
  8. RFU league restructuring for the 1995–96 season would see National 4 abolished and meant that the top eight teams in that division (including Redruth) were promoted into National 3.
  9. RFU league restructuring for the 1997–98 season saw National 4 South be renamed as National 2 South.
  10. RFU league restructuring for the 2000–01 season saw National 2 South be renamed as National 3 South.
  11. The 2004–05 season would see the introduction of bonus points into National League English rugby union.
  12. RFU league restructuring for the 2009-10 season meant that National 2 was renamed to National 1.
  13. Redruth withdrew one game into the 2016–17 Cornwall Super Cup due to National League 2 South commitments leaving Camborne and Launceston to compete for the title.[20]
  14. The season was postponed and ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom with Redruth sitting in 3rd, having played 25 games and gained 96 points. The remaining games were calculated on a 'best playing record formula', with Redruth remaining in 3rd place with 114.90 points.[21]
  15. Note that the Rodda's Cup fixture between Redruth and Camborne is contested twice a season on a home and away basis, once on Boxing Day and then again in either March or April. Also note that as the cup was first competed for on the Boxing Day of 2010.

See also

References
  1. "Senior". Redruth RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  2. "Junior". Redruth RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  3. "Junior". Redruth RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  4. "Three generations of Rodda family on hand to see Camborne claim Rodda's Milk Cup". Falmouth Packet. 6 January 2014.
  5. "JOT - Hillsborough Independent Panel" (PDF). Hillsborough Independent Panel. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  6. "Home Park Redevelopment". PASOTI. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  7. "25,000 at the Rec for County Fever". Hellfire Magazine. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  8. "Redruth vs Macclesfield". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2005.
  9. "All Blacks slip off the top as rival Reds call the tune". Cornish & Devon Post. 8 October 2008.
  10. "Redruth 41 - 10 Mounts Bay". Sky Sports. 20 December 2008.
  11. "Launceston future 'sound' despite relegation, says Jimmy Tucker". BBC Sport. 7 March 2016.
  12. Johns, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89 (17th ed.). London: Rothmans Publications Ltd. pp. 123–139. ISBN 0-356-15884-5.
  13. "CRFU decide foot and mouth crisis". South West Farmers. 9 March 2001.
  14. "Cup shock for Reds". South West Farmers. 3 January 2002.
  15. "THE SENIOR LEAGUES 2004-2005". Trelawny's Army. 9 April 2007.
  16. "Powergen National Trophy 2005/06". Statbunker. 25 November 2005.
  17. "EDF Energy National Cup 2006/07". Statbunker. 19 January 2007.
  18. "EDF National Trophy 07/08". Statbunker. 12 January 2008.
  19. "EDF National Trophy 07/08". Statbunker. 12 December 2008.
  20. "Camborne 25 - 18 Ivybridge". Camborne RFC (Pitchero). 14 January 2017.
  21. "RFU confirms league positions". England Rugby. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  22. "Records of Redruth Football Teams". The Cornubian and Redruth Times. No. 117. 27 April 1900. p. 7.
  23. "Club Honours". Redruth Rugby Football Club (Pitchero). Retrieved 21 October 2018.
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