Built in 1886, and located in
Richmond upon Thames,
London, the Athletic Ground is a rugby ground, managed by Richmond Athletic Association, home to
Green King IPA Championship sides
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
and
London Scottish. The first team pitch has a stand capable of seating around 1,000 people, though in the past temporary stands have been erected in the considerable space around the pitch to boost the seated capacity. Lower league side, Old Tonbridgians RFC, also play home games at the Athletic Ground. As well as rugby, a small football team by the name of Mortlake FC play at this ground.
The original facilities include six other pitches and two bars which are available for hire, a canteen, changing rooms, a physio room, a shop and offices. Part of
Old Deer Park, a huge continuous leisure area, the Athletic Ground was bordered by the
Pools on the Park
Pools on the Park (previously known as Richmond Baths) is a Grade II listed swimming pool and leisure facility in Old Deer Park in Richmond, London. Construction on the site started in 1964 and was completed in 1966; the architect was Leslie ...
leisure centre,
Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club
The Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club is a private golf club and golf course comprising two 18-hole courses located in Old Deer Park in Richmond, south west London.
Location
The course lies in an arc of Crown Estate land on the east bank of the River ...
, and health centre, and also a driving range. Three pitches have been marked out on the driving range which closed down in the 1990s as did Richmond Bowls Club which is now used as a play area for neighbouring Falcons School.
The Athletic Ground is also host to the National Surveyor 7s, Lloyds Insurance 7s, Neptune City 7s, Law Society 7s, Middlesex Club 7s, NABs Media 7s and Rugby Rocks.
The complex has considerable parking facilities for its size, and is often used as a stop-off for fans on their way to
Twickenham Stadium.
Rugby Union club
London Scottish announced they would leave the Athletic Ground after 127 years following the 2020–21 season. However as Scottish 1st XV would not participate in the Championship season and there would be no community leagues in 2020–21 they would not play at the Athletic Ground in 2020–21. It was later confirmed they would remain at the Athletic Ground.
In February 2021 it was confirmed that
rugby league side
London Broncos
The London Broncos are a professional rugby league club in London, England.
The club competes in the RFL Championship. It was a member of Super League from its inaugural season in 1996 until the end of the 2014 season, when they were relegat ...
would move their academy to the Athletic Ground for three seasons from 2021.
International rugby union
England played ten Test matches at the Athletic Ground between 1891 and 1909. In five of those matches against Scotland (listed below), England failed to win:
Football
In the
association football code
England enjoyed more success against
Scotland, playing one match here in 1893 as part of the
1893 British Home Championship
Events
January–March
* January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America.
* Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson.
* January 6 – Th ...
and winning 5-2.
The
FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status.
History
Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...
final was also played here in 1894, with
Old Carthusians F.C. beating
Casuals F.C.
Casuals F.C. were an amateur football club based in London, formed in 1883. They merged with Corinthian in 1939 to form the Corinthian-Casuals, a club which still exists.
History
The club was formed in 1883, and was originally made up of p ...
2–1.
References
External links
Richmond Athletic Association
{{LB Richmond
Sports venues in London
London Scottish F.C.
Richmond, London