Belsize Park Rugby Club is a

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

club based in

Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteris ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. BPRC have five senior men's, two senior women's and one veteran men's teams. Home matches are played in

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies of high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden (and historically betwee ...

.Belsize Park Rugby Club Official Website
/ref> The men's 1st XV previously played in

London 1 North London 1 North is an English level 6, rugby union league for clubs in London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-e ...

- a league at tier 6 of the

English rugby union system Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system. Women's Rugby union in England cons ...

- but following recent England Rugby adult male 'Future Competition Structure' changes, from the 2022/23 season the men's 1st team will play in Regional 2 Thames.

History

The original

Belsize Park FC Belsize Park was a short-lived 19th century rugby football club that was notable for being one of the twenty-one founding members of the Rugby Football Union. Although there is no direct link between this club and the modern day Belsize Park RFC ...

was founded in 1870 and was one of the twenty-one founding members of the

Rugby Football Union The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ...

. The club had folded by 1880, legend has it former members birthing Rosslyn Park, and Belsize Park Rugby Football Club was only formally re-established in 1971.

Current

Belsize Park Rugby Club have five regular men's, two women's and one men's vets sides. The men's 1st XV play in the newly launched RFU level 6 Regional 2 Thames division, while the men's 2nd, 3rd, 4th and Bulls (5th) XVs compete in the Middlesex merit leagues with the 2nd XV winning the Premier league most seasons.Belsize Park RC
BPRC also field monthly Veterans and occasional 6th XV teams for pure social rugby. After launching with development fixtures in 2019/20, Belsize Park women's team debuted in the ‘Women's NC 3 South East (Central)’ league in the 2021/22 season, which they won as Champions. After promotion the women now play in Women's NC Division 2 in 2022/23, with a new 2nd XV adding to the growth of women's rugby at the club. The club trains at Coram's Fields and prides itself on being

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

's most central rugby club. BPRC tours twice a year, once within The British Isles and once internationally. The club embarked on an unbroken series of international tours from 1989 to 2019, when COVID-19 halted the 2020 tour to Italy and the 2021 tour to Vietnam. Touring resumed in November 2021 and May 2022 with matches in Rugby, Warwickshire and County Donegal, Ireland. Destinations in the past have included mainland China, the Caribbean, North and South America, multiple Southern African countries and, more regularly, to European countries.

Junior rugby

Belsize Park RC has an affiliate Junior rugby section also in

, called th
Regent Park Royals
coaching ages 6–12.

1st XV honours

* Herts/Middlesex 3 South champions: 2003–04 *

London 2 North West London 2 North West is an English rugby union league which is at the seventh tier of club rugby union in England and is made up of teams predominantly from north-west London and Hertfordshire. When this division began in 1987 it was known as Lo ...

champions: 2018–19

Clubhouse

Based in prime central London the club does not have its own clubhouse, they use the facilities of local drinking establishments and treat this as their home 'club pub'. Local pubs traditionally bid to host the club on weekends providing discounts on food and drink for players and supporters. * 2022 - current
The Lock Tavern
- Chalk Farm Road NW1 * 2021 - 2022
Sports Bar & Grill Marylebone
- Melcombe Place NW1 * 2015 - 2021: The White Moustache - Stanhope Street NW1 (permanently closed) * 2010 - 2015
Sheephaven Bay
- Mornington Street NW1 * 2009 - 2010: The Masons Arms - Devonshire Street W1 (permanently closed) * early - 2009: Chester Arms - Albany Street NW1 (permanently closed)

References

External links

* {{Official Website
Belsize Park Rugby Football Club on FacebookBelsize Park Rugby Football Club on Twitter
Rugby union teams in England Rugby clubs established in 1870 Rugby union clubs in London Belsize Park 1870 establishments in England