Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club is an English
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
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, that compete in the
third tier of English rugby. They were historically the premier rugby club in Birmingham, reaching the final of the
John Player Cup
The Anglo-Welsh Cup (), was a cross-border rugby union knock-out cup competition that featured the 12 Premiership Rugby clubs and the four Welsh regions. It was a created as a replacement for the RFU Knockout Cup, which featured only English clubs ...
three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They originally played at the Reddings, but after attempting to keep up with the transition to professional rugby, the club ran into financial difficulties and were forced to sell their 125-year home to property developers. An unsuccessful five-year spell based at the
University of Birmingham
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
followed, during which time they were relegated to
National Division Two
National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...
. In 2005 the club moved to its new home at
Billesley Common
Billesley Common is a recreational area of public open space in South Birmingham, England. It is situated along the Yardley Wood Road, between the suburbs of Moseley and Yardley Wood.
Birmingham's rugby union team, Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club ...
, and were promoted to
National Division One
The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising twelve clubs. It is the second level of men’s English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed since 1987, when ...
in 2006. In 2009 they won their first cup in 27 years beating
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
23–18 in the final of the
National Trophy
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
at
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
. On the weekend starting 15 April 2016; defeat to
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, combined with results elsewhere during the same weekend, confirmed Moseley's relegation to
National League 1
National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...
for the 2016-17 season.
Prior to the 2016–17 season, the club changed its name to Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club.
History
Origins
Early days
![Moseley captain JF Byrne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Moseley_captain_JF_Byrne.jpeg)
Moseley was founded in 1873 by members of
Havelock Cricket Club
Havelock may refer to:
People As a surname
* Havelock-Allan baronets, holders of the baronetcy
* Sir Henry Havelock (1795–1857), British general, active in India
* Lieutenant General Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, 1st Baronet (1830–1897), B ...
who wanted a winter sport when the cricket season had finished.
The club debuted its signature red and black colours one year later. The Reddings was leased by the club in 1880 and the club was traditionally called, like many rugby football clubs from either code, simply "Moseley Football Club" (a signpost from Alcester Road along Reddings Road in
Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants. The area also has a number of boutiques and ot ...
, erected by
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom (e ...
, pointed to "Moseley F.C. (R.U.)". This sign has now been re-erected by the main entrance to the club grounds on Yardley Wood Road.)
There were major successes for Moseley in the early days of rugby, including a three-year undefeated run from 1879 to 1882, which included winning the first
Midland Counties Challenge Cup. In total they won the cup nine times and finished runner-up eleven times.
In 1882 Moseley became the first team to defeat the travelling
New Zealand Native football team.
In front of 5000 supporters they beat the tourists 6-4 much to the surprise of the New Zealanders.
In 1890 John Rogers was the first Moseley player to win an international cap while at the club.
1900 Paris Olympics
Moseley formed the backbone of the team which represented Great Britain at the
1900 Paris Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...
winning a
Silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
.
The team, known as Moseley Wanderers, played one game, a 27–8 defeat to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
at the Velodrome Municipal at
Vincennes
Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attached ...
.
A report in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' suggested that fatigue was largely to blame, and at least five of the players are believed to have played for their respective clubs, in England, the day before the game.
The golden years
The club acquired the freehold of The Reddings in 1925 and in 1935 the ground even staged an England trial game. Floodlights were installed in 1965 which allowed for an expanded fixture list and began Moseley's so-called 'The Golden Years'. From this time onwards Moseley's fixture list routinely included the top sides in England and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, and Moseley players were regularly included in international teams.
The most successful years were the late 1960s and 1970s, this included reaching the
RFU Knock-out cup final on three occasions – losing 17–6 to
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
and then 15–12 to
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
before emerging joint winners drawing 12–12 with Gloucester after extra time in 1982.
The team also defeated
Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
and the
Barbarians
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...
.
When league rugby commenced in 1987, the team was placed in the
Courage National Division 1, the top division at the time. They ended
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
's astonishing run of 22 unbeaten cup matches in 1988, winning 4–3.
Professional era
Building for the future
The team's relegation from the top division at the end of the 1990–1991 season marked a consolidation period for the club after their fantastic times of the 1970s. In August 1995, when the door to full-scale professionalism opened, the board executives came together to work on plans to move with the idea and find possible financial resources so that the team could play with the best team and best facilities.
Administration – leaving the Reddings
On 30 January 1998, the club went into administration, after overstretching its financial resources in the early years of professional rugby union.
The Reddings had been sold on a 'delayed sale' basis to
Bryant Homes
Bryant Homes was one of the larger UK housebuilders when it was acquired by Taylor Woodrow in 2001; Bryant then became the principal housebuilding operation of the enlarged group. Taylor Woodrow merged with Wimpey in 2007 and during 2010 the Bryan ...
and the future of the club was in jeopardy. However, the club's playing commitments were still fulfilled except in the North Midlands Cup in which the 2nd XV was entered. On 12 June 1998, the club was given another chance to fashion its own destiny when a group of Moseley Rugby Club members, assembled by Simon Cooper, a former club player and official, formed Moseley Ventures Ltd and bought the club out of administration.
In the last 1st XV match at The Reddings on 6 May 2000, Moseley defeated
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
34–17 in a National Division One game.
The Bournbrook Era – crisis and final rescue
On 7 October Moseley defeated Exeter 27–18 in the first match at its new home at the
University of Birmingham
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
in
Bournbrook
Bournbrook is an industrial and residential district in southwest Birmingham, England, in both the Selly Oak Council Ward and the Parliamentary District of Selly Oak. Prior to what is commonly termed the Greater Birmingham Act, which came in ...
. However long-term permissions for a clubhouse and hospitality boxes were not granted and in consequence Moseley Ventures found it more difficult than expected to raise the necessary finance. Merger plans were discussed and an offer was made by
Firoz Kassam
Firoz Kassam (born 1955) is a British businessman. Born and brought up in Tanzania, of Indian descent, he came to Britain at the age of 19. He owned Oxford United F.C. from 1999 to 2006, and was named the 309th wealthiest person in the UK in th ...
, the chairman of
Oxford United Football Club
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and th ...
with a proposal to buy out the club and take it to his new stadium in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
.
Supporters organized a major media and political campaign and this became the catalyst for a consortium of Moseley stalwarts to come forward to raise finance to defeat the Kassam offer. At a predictably traumatic meeting at the Grand Hotel on 26 July 2002, the consortium gained the support of the creditors by a narrow 1.7% majority
regarded by some as a Pyrrhic victory. However, the consortium's business plan was approved by the RFU and with additional backing by the politicians of the City of Birmingham and the
North Midlands RFU, the club survived in Birmingham. So a new Moseley Rugby Club was born and appointed David Warren as Chief Executive and former players John Beale and Derek Nutt as Director of Rugby and Head Coach respectively. Negotiations for planning permission for a new stadium at Billesley Common, in the same postal district as The Reddings, began and permission was obtained.
However, despite the success of the consortium in keeping the club in Birmingham a large number of first-team regulars had left the club at the end of the 2001–02 season.
The team hastily assembled from more junior ranks after the rescue was inevitably relegated from National Division One (after 14 seasons in the top two divisions).
After a difficult first few months in National Division Two the team began to gel, and a decent run of results in the new year saw mid-table respectability achieved for the 2003–04 season.
Further improvement during the 2004–05 season saw Moseley finishing third in the table, narrowly missing promotion behind
Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
and
Newbury. Nonetheless, the season saw many club records broken, and the era of lodging at Birmingham University ended with much optimism for the future.
The records broken were:
* Most team points: 665 points
* Most Consecutive Victories: 6
* Most individual points in a season: 328 (Ollie Thomas)
* Most conversions in a season: 48 (Ollie Thomas)
* Most penalties in a season: 62 (Ollie Thomas)
* Most drop goals in a season: 7 (Ollie Thomas)
* Most consecutive scoring matches (points): 15 (Ollie Thomas)
* Most league appearances: 161 (Andy Binns)
* Most penalties in a career: 62 (Ollie Thomas)
* Most consecutive matches: 70 (and counting - Gareth Taylor)
Recent seasons
2005–06 season
The first season at the new stadium on Billesley Common saw Moseley installed as favourites to gain promotion to higher echelons of the English game. Coaches Ian Smith and Don Caskie, along with Director of Rugby John Beale assembled an exceptionally strong team, now including ex-Premiership players Neil Mason and
Daren O'Leary. Moseley topped the
table
Table may refer to:
* Table (furniture), a piece of furniture with a flat surface and one or more legs
* Table (landform), a flat area of land
* Table (information), a data arrangement with rows and columns
* Table (database), how the table data ...
for much of the season and indeed finished as champions ahead of
Waterloo. Both teams gained promotion to National Division One.
2006–07 season
After the euphoria of promotion, the new season was much more difficult for the club. Most of the promotion-winning squad was retained, and with some additions the team showed promise in the early games, including a defeat of highly fancied
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
. However, a string of defeats up to Christmas against top teams, with even bonus points being hard to come by, left Moseley facing a difficult task to survive. A brief rally in December and January, including a win against traditional "best enemies"
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
proved vital in the long run, and towards the end of the season, with
Waterloo already doomed,
Otley
Otley is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically a part of the West Ridi ...
flagged badly enough for Moseley to overhaul them and win a second season in National One.
2007–08 season
![Mose v Cov Billesley Common](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Mose_v_Cov_Billesley_Common.JPG)
For this season, a highly imaginative agreement was made with
Gloucester
Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
whereby all of Gloucester's England Academy players were dual-registered with Moseley, enabling them to get competitive match experience when not required by the Gloucester 1st XV.
The club finished the season in an improved 10th place with 12 wins and a draw, beating every side from 7th downwards either home or away. Two victories against top six sides included Nottingham (3rd) away and Cornish Pirates (5th) at home. A lack of bonus points meant that while they had the same playing record (W12 D1) they finished 6 points adrift of 8th placed Plymouth.
2008–09 season
The season commenced with the dual-registration agreement with Gloucester still in place, although refined in detail, and the bulk of the previous season's squad retained with some judicious recruitment in particular positions.
Together with the heavily criticised plan to reduce
National Division One
The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising twelve clubs. It is the second level of men’s English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed since 1987, when ...
from 16 to 12 teams and a fixture backlog caused by a number cancellations, the team hovered just above and around the relegation zone for most of the season. Despite facing the threat of relegation they won the
National Trophy
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
beating National Division One runners up
Exeter Chiefs
Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an England, English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played i ...
in the semi-final and the division winners
Leeds Carnegie
Leeds Carnegie was a brand name used by several sports teams associated with the Carnegie School of Physical Education, now part of Leeds Beckett University. These include:
Current
* Leeds Carnegie Handball Club
Changed name
* Leeds Carnegie (ba ...
in the final.
A final league position of eighth represented continued upward progress over a period of five seasons.
2009–10 season
Despite having their moments, most notably a final day 30-25 victory over Bristol, Moseley did not perform on a consistent enough basis and despite finishing only two points behind 8th place, were lucky not to be relegated after a poor performance in the relegation play-off. After an early season defeat to Exeter Chiefs, who would later earn promotion, Moseley managed victories away to local rivals Birmingham and Solihull and Coventry; however they lost at home to Nottingham and London Welsh to late tries, a regular occurrence that would cost them later in the season. Moseley never threatened to be anything other than mid-table, however they had hopes of at least finishing in the top 8, but even their heroic last day performance was not enough to reach the promotion play-offs.
An away defeat to Birmingham and Solihull and a home loss against Rotherham meant that Moseley were in grave danger of relegation. A scrappy game at Butts Park Arena resulted in a narrow 6–3 loss, but a spirited away victory over Rotherham and a nervy win against Coventry at Billesley Common by a score were enough to guarantee another season in the second tier. A terrible defensive display led to another defeat to Birmingham and Solihull, but fortunately it did not matter. However at the end of the season Moseley lost
Aly Muldowney
Alastair William "Aly" Muldowney (born 3 August 1983) is an English-born professional rugby union player. He is a versatile forward, being able to play in both the Second row (rugby union), second row and as a Flanker (rugby union), flanker. Mu ...
, who was the current Supporters' Player of the Season, to
Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and became t ...
, former Supporters' Player of the Season and England
Sevens International
James Rodwell
James Rodwell (born 23 August 1984) is an English professional rugby sevens player who was part of the national squad from 2008 to 2019. He ended his career with records as the Worlds most capped sevens player, having played in the most cons ...
, top points scorer
Tristan Roberts
Tristan Roberts (born 23 March 1987 in Maidstone, England) is a rugby union player who currently plays for Esher RFC, Esher in National League 1, having previously been at US Cognac (France, France's Fédérale 1, third division) and Ealing Tr ...
to Championship rivals
Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
, and released a number of players including the disappointing
Justin Mensah-Coker.
Current standings
Facilities
![Birmingham Moseley Rugby Grandstand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Birmingham_Moseley_Rugby_Grandstand.jpg)
Since 2005 Moseley have played at
Billesley Common
Billesley Common is a recreational area of public open space in South Birmingham, England. It is situated along the Yardley Wood Road, between the suburbs of Moseley and Yardley Wood.
Birmingham's rugby union team, Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club ...
, which is owned by
Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local council area in the United Kingdom (e ...
, and they now have a long term lease on an area to the north of the site where the club's facilities and 1st XV pitch are located. These temporary facilities include a clubhouse and changing facilities, a covered stand, club shop, and hospitality boxes. The pitch is extremely highly rated for its playing surface, although it gently slopes to the north-east. There are also outer pitches on the common for the 2nd/development XV, colts, women, minis and juniors as well as an all-weather pitch featuring the latest rubber-crumb technology which the club manages.
Plans for the replacement of the temporary facilities at Billesley with permanent buildings were first exhibited to the general public in 2007. In the autumn of 2009 plans were formally submitted to Birmingham City Council for the construction of a 5000-seat stand along the east side of the pitch, allowing the overall capacity to be expanded to 7500. Planning approval was granted by councillors on 21 January 2010.
However, with finance for the construction of this stand proving difficult to obtain in a difficult economic climate, an alternative plan for a more modest construction was progressed, in the form of a stand with 750 seats on the west side of the pitch, containing player facilities, bars and function room. This opened in April 2015. The south Birmingham indoor bowls centre was constructed at the same time and backs onto this stand. With the relocation of the 650-seat temporary stand to the east side of the ground, this now gives seated capacity of 1,300.
Supporters
The Moseley Supporters Association was originally established as 'The Members Committee' in 1986.
When Moseley left the Reddings in 2000, like the club the Association struggled to maintain its support and it was disbanded in 2001. However the Association was reformed in 2010, organising social events and competitions at home matches and running coaches to away games. The Association also organise annual Supporters Player of the Season, with the winner receiving the Lionel Moriaty Memorial Boot.
Rivalries
Moseley's historic local rivals are
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
. Prior to the commencement of league the two clubs would play each other annually on
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
for the 'Moseley Trophy' and on one occasion in 1972 the starting line up at the fixture included 16 internationals.
Since league rugby began the clubs are only able to
keep up this tradition when in the same league, although the friendly rivalry between the fans remains. When playing
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
the two clubs play for 'The Teddy Brookes Trophy' although they have rarely been in the same league in recent years.
More recently there has been less friendly rivalries with
Birmingham & Solihull and
Worcester Warriors
Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club is a professional rugby union club, based in Worcester, England, that is currently in Administration (law), administration and which has been suspended and will be relegated from Premiership Rugby, the top ...
. However, since Moseley's relegation to
National League 1
National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...
the rivalry between Moseley and
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...
has returned.
Honours
Men's 1st team
Cups
*
Midland Counties Cup
**Winners (9): 1882, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1889, 1895, 1897, 1925
**Runners-up (11): 1883, 1892, 1896, 1898, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1904, 1906, 1911, 1923
*
John Player Cup
The Anglo-Welsh Cup (), was a cross-border rugby union knock-out cup competition that featured the 12 Premiership Rugby clubs and the four Welsh regions. It was a created as a replacement for the RFU Knockout Cup, which featured only English clubs ...
**Winners: 1982 (joint holders)
**Runners-up (2): 1972, 1979
*
National Trophy
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
**Winners: 2009
League
*
National Division Two
National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...
**Winners
2005–06
Female team
The women’s team was founded in 2000 and have been progressing ever since. In 2020 they started a second team Moseley Griffins as a development team.
League
National Championship 2
*National Challenge Midlands 1
**Champions: 2009
*National Challenge 2 Midlands West
**Champions: 2008
Moseley Oak
*
North Midlands 3
North Midlands 3 was a tier 11 English Rugby Union league with teams from Birmingham, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to North Midlands (South) 2 and since the cancellation of North Midlands 4 at ...
**Champions: 1987–88
*
North Midlands 2
North Midlands (South) 2 (formerly North Midlands 2) was a tier 10 English Rugby Union league with teams from Birmingham, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to North Midlands 1 and since the cancella ...
**Champions: 1991–92
*
Midlands West 2
**Champions: 1995–96
*
Midlands 2 West (North)
Midlands 2 West (North) is a level 7 English Rugby Union league and level 2 of the Midlands League, made up of clubs from the northern part of the West Midlands region including Shropshire, Staffordshire, parts of Birmingham and the West Midl ...
**Champions (2): 1999–00, 2015–16
*
North Midlands Shield
The North Midlands Shield is an annual rugby union knock-out cup club competition organized by the North Midlands Rugby Football Union and was first contested during the 2001–02 season with Ledbury being the first ever winners, defeating Old Sal ...
**Champions: 2021-22
Teams
Moseley field a full range of teams from the professional level of the 1st XV through all age groups. These are as follows:
# 1st XV – Professional team, competing in
National League 1
National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...
, the third tier of the RFU league "pyramid".
# Senior Development XV – Plays occasional games against suitable opponents. Includes 1st XV squad members and invitees.
# Junior Development XV – Providing opportunities for U20 players in challenging fixtures.
# Women's XV – For the 2021/2 season, the 1st XV will compete in Championship Midlands 2 and the 2nd XV in National Conference 2 Midlands.
# Moseley Oak (formerly Selly Oak RUFC) – The amateur club affiliated to Moseley, also playing at Billesley Common, in RFU Midlands Div 2 West (North). A 2nd XV (Moseley Oak Vikings) plays in the Greater Birmingham Merit League.
# Colts – U18 and U17 age groups, competing in National and County competitions.
# Juniors – U16, U15, U14 and U13 age group teams, playing friendly games against other local clubs .
# Minis – U7 to U12, and Micros for the very youngest. All except micros play friendly matches against other local clubs. Girls and boys play in the same teams up to U12.
# Moseley Griffins - Women's 2nd/Development XV - started 2019/2020 season
Current standings
Current squad
''2022–23''
Senior Academy
Notable former players
See also
The following is a list of international players who have played for Moseley.
''* Capped by country while at the club''
''§ Captain of England''
''† British Lions international cap''
https://www.webcitation.org/6ZhQKI6kK?url=http://www.moseleyrugby.co.uk/report_display12.php?menitem=71
Sam Doble
Perhaps Moseley's most famous player, Sam Doble was a record points scorer for the club who died of
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
in 1977 at the age of 33. His life was honoured in a special match between an International XV and Moseley, played to a packed Reddings. When Moseley moved to their new ground at nearby Billesley Common in 2005, 28 years later, many suggested that it should be called the Sam Doble Stadium.
International opposition
See also
*
List of Moseley R.F.C. seasons
Notes
References
External links
* www.moseleyrugby.co.uk
Moseley Oak
Independent sites
Moseley Supporters Association websiteClub details on Sports Club UK
{{Original Courage League 1 clubs
English rugby union teams
Moseley
Premiership Rugby teams
Rugby clubs established in 1873
Sport in the West Midlands (county)
Sport in Birmingham, West Midlands