Bristol Rugby
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| Full name | Bristol Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Football Union |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Location | Bristol, England |
| Ground(s) | Ashton Gate Stadium (Capacity: 27,000) |
| CEO | Steve Gorvett |
| Coach(es) | Mark Tainton |
| Captain(s) | Jack Lam |
| League(s) | English Premiership |
| 2015–16 | Championship, 1st (promoted) |
| Official website | |
| www |
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Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently play in the English Premiership. Bristol Rugby club dates back to 1888. Since the late 1990s, the club has bounced between the Premiership and the Championship.
Bristol Football Club was formed in 1888 when the Carlton club merged with rival club Redland Park to create a united Bristol team. Westbury Park having refused to merge then folded and many of its players subsequently joined Bristol. The County Cricket Ground at Nevil Road was leased for home matches.
The first match was a heavy away defeat to Cardiff and although the first season was relatively successful the second was not with only three games won. The club went from strength to strength over the next few years under the captaincy of W. Tommy Thomson. It turned the corner and in 1891–92, now wearing the more familiar navy and white hooped shirts, the Bristol team won 20 games out of 24.
Over the ensuing seasons the fixture list went from strength to strength, consisting of most of the top English and Welsh sides. In 1900 J. W. Jarman became Bristol's first England cap. Two major touring sides played Bristol during this period. The first New Zealand All Blacks defeated the club 41–0 in 1905 and in 1909 a combined Bristol and Clifton RFC team, captained by Percy Down, lost to Australia 11–3.
The club was beginning to bring on a new generation of players when the First World War halted all rugby. After the war a Bristol United side was formed to provide rugby for returning servicemen and this led to the rebirth of Bristol in 1919. The County Ground was no longer available for home games so the club rented a field at Radnor Road, Horfield although occasional matches were staged at the Bristol City and Bristol Rovers grounds. The Radnor Road seasons were good ones for the club and a new crop of stars appeared.
The Memorial Ground stadium was built on an area of land called Buffalo Bill's Field which was previously occupied by allotments in 1921. Bristol defeated Cardiff 19–3 in the opening match in front of a large crowd.
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