Rochford Hundred
Full nameRochford Hundred Rugby Club
UnionEssex RFU
Founded1962 (1962)
LocationHawkwell, Rochford, Essex
Ground(s)The Rugby Park (Capacity: 1,250 (107 seats))
ChairmanRay Stephenson
PresidentMike Drinkwater
Coach(es)Danny Cleare
Captain(s)Sonny Gay
League(s)National League 2 East
2022–2313th (relegated to Regional 1 South East)
Official website
www.rochfordrugby.com

Rochford Hundred Rugby Club is an English rugby union club based in Hawkwell near Rochford in Essex. The first XV team currently play in Regional 1 South East, having been relegated from the National League 2 East. The club also operates other adult teams and a full academy set-up of junior teams for both boys and girls.[1]

Current standings

2022–23 National League 2 East Table
Played Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Points diff Try bonus Losing bonus Points Points adj
PBlackheath2623031072391681202114
2Barnes26190786046239819499
3Dorking26171892056135919695
4Worthing Raiders26180889767722018292
5Bury St Edmunds26180879262117116290
6Henley Hawks26170974160213915487
7Old Albanian261511077863214618282
8Tonbridge Juddians26150116815919013275
9Guernsey Raiders269116711741−3013556
10Canterbury269017671798−12713352
11Sevenoaks266218551716−1659744
12North Walsham268018620916−2969243
RRochford Hundred265120512974−46213540
RWestcliff2600263541478−1124421−5
  • 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 the relegation places.

Source: "National League 2 East". RugbyEngland.
Updated: 22 April 2023

History

Foundation

The foundations of Rochford Hundred date back to November 1961 when two rugby players, John Roden and Ernie Mills, met at the White Hart in Hawkwell to discuss plans for setting up a local rugby side, having both played for other Essex and London based clubs. The club held its inaugural meeting at the Bull Inn on the 4 January 1962. Further meetings secured the use of disused Rocheway School as its first ground, while the club name 'Rochford Hundred' was thought up by John Roden after he saw a poster advertising the Rochford Hundred Licensed Victuallers Association. Later that year the club had its first ever competitive fixture against Billericay.[2]

Move to Magnolia Road

By the end of the 1960s performances on the pitch started to improve and the club started to consider moving to a new ground. In 1968 a potential location on Magnolia Road was found where there was a large field with sufficient room for a club-house and pitches. Originally Southend Manor Football Club had been looking at the same site but were unable to raise the money to purchase it, leaving it available for the rugby club. In March 1969 Rochford Hundred bought the land for £3,200 – part of which was funded by a loan from the Rugby Football Union. Further grants from a variety of sources enabled building work to begin at Magnolia Road in 1971, and the club-house was officially opened in April 1974 with Rochford Hundred facing an Eastern Counties XV.[2]

League rugby

The introduction of the leagues in 1987 saw Rochford Hundred placed in the London and South East regional leagues. In 1992 the club their first ever league silverware, winning Eastern Counties 1 and gaining promotion into London 3 North East.[3] Towards the end of the 1990s the club won the Essex Senior Cup in 1999, followed up by the London 3 North East league title in 2000, although the club was denied promotion due to RFU restructuring of the leagues.[4][5] The new millennium saw the club denied promotion for the second year running, finishing second in the league but being outclassed by London 3 North West runners up Twickenham in the promotion playoff.[6]

In 2003 Rochford Hundred won the Essex Senior Cup for the second time, sharing the trophy with Brentwood after the sides played out a 9–9 draw after extra time.[7] League results that year were not so good and the club were relegated from London 3 North East after finishing 7th out of the 10 teams – victims of an unusual high number of relegations due to further RFU reshuffling.[8] The club's relegation was short-lived as it finished as champions of London 4 North East at the end of the 2004–05 season to book an instant return to London 3 North East.[9] The 2008–09 season would be a great success for the club as they won the double; firstly claiming the London 3 North East title and promotion to London 2 North, and then going on to win the Essex Intermediate Cup with a resounding 44–7 win over Romford.[10][11]

Rochford Hundred would spend the next few years bouncing back and forth between levels 6 and 7, with relegation from the newly named London 1 North in 2010 followed by promotion from London 2 North West as champions in 2011, and then a further relegation from London 1 North in 2013.[12][13][14] During this period the club also experienced success on the county scene, winning the Essex Intermediate Cup for the second time in 2014.[4] Rochford Hundred would remain at level 7 until the 2017–18 season when it won London 2 North East for the fourth time.[15] The club's winning form continued into the next season as it won a league and cup double, firstly claiming the 2018–19 London 1 North title and promotion to London & South East Premier – which at level 5 is the highest level it has reached – and then going on to win the Essex Senior Cup for third time with a resounding victory over Brentwood.[16][17]

Ground

Rochford Hundred play at The Rugby Park on Magnolia Road in the parish of Hawkwell on the north-west outskirts of the town of Rochford. The ground consists of a club-house, three full-size rugby pitches and on-site parking. Capacity around the main pitch is approximately 1,250, including a 107 seater covered stand.[18] Access to The Rugby Park is best served by car but there is the possibility of catching a train into Rochford railway station and walking the 1.5 miles to the ground, alternatively Hockley railway station and walking 1 mile to ground.

Honours

Notes

  1. ↑ 2003 cup win shared with Brentwood after 9–9 draw.

References

  1. ↑ "Teams". Rochford Hundred Rugby Club (Pitchero). Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  2. 1 2 "History". Rochford Hundred Rugby Club (Pitchero). Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  3. ↑ "EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION HANDBOOK 2015/16" (PDF). Eastern Counties RU. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Rochford Hundred 1st XV - Honours". Rochford Hundred Rugby Club. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  5. ↑ "1999-2000 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "London & SE Division play-offs 2000–01". England Rugby. 19 May 2001.
  7. ↑ "Rugby Union: Rochford Hundred 9-9 Brentwood (Essex Cup Final)". Daily Gazette. 30 April 2003.
  8. ↑ "2002-2003 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  9. ↑ "2004–05 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "2008-2009 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "PLENTY OF ICING ON THIS CAKE !". Rochford Hundred Rugby Club (Pitchero). 2 May 2009.
  12. ↑ "2012-2013 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "2009-2010 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  14. ↑ "2010-2011 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  15. ↑ "2017-2018 London South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  16. ↑ "2018-2019 London & South-East Division". England Rugby. RFU. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "DOUBLE CHAMPIONS". Rochford Hundred Rugby Club (Pitchero). 2 May 2009.
  18. ↑ "Contact". Rochford Hundred Rugby Club (Pitchero). Retrieved 12 June 2019.
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