Blackheath Rugby Club
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| Full name | Blackheath Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Football Union |
| Nickname(s) | Club |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Location | Eltham, London, England |
| Ground(s) | Well Hall (Capacity: 1,550 (550 seats)) |
| President | Des Diamond |
| Director of Rugby | Colin Ridgway |
| Coach(es) | Mike Friday, Mattie Stewart |
| Captain(s) | Markus Burcham |
| League(s) | National League 1 |
| 2015–16 | 3rd |
| Official website | |
| blackheathrugby |
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Blackheath Football Club is a rugby union club based in Eltham in south-east London, currently playing at former training ground, Well Hall, having moved from the famous Rectory Field in Blackheath at the end of the 2015-16 season. The club was founded in 1858 and is the oldest open rugby club in the world since becoming open in 1862. "Open" in this context means that membership was open to anyone, not merely those attending, or old boys from, a particular institution (e.g. a school, university or hospital). It is also the third-oldest rugby club in continuous existence in the world, after Dublin University Football Club and Edinburgh Academical Football Club. The Blackheath club also helped organise the world's first rugby international (between England and Scotland in Edinburgh on 27 March 1871) and hosted the first international between England and Wales ten years later – the players meeting and getting changed at the Princess of Wales public house. Blackheath, along with Civil Service FC, is one of the two clubs that can claim to be a founder member of both The Football Association and the Rugby Football Union. The club currently play in National League 1 the third tier of the English rugby union system.
The institution was founded as "Blackheath Football Club" in 1858 by old boys of Blackheath Proprietary School who played a "carrying" game of football made popular by Rugby School. When the old boys played against the current pupils supporters would shout for either "Club" or "School" accordingly. This is why to this day supporters of BFC shout for "Club", not for "Blackheath".
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