Gloucester Rugby
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| Full name | Gloucester Rugby |
|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Football Union |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Region | Gloucester, England |
| Ground(s) | Kingsholm Stadium (Capacity: 16,115) |
| Chairman | Martin St Quinton |
| Director of Rugby | David Humphreys |
| Coach(es) | Vacant |
| Captain(s) | Greig Laidlaw |
| League(s) | Aviva Premiership |
| 2015–16 | 8th |
| Official website | |
| www |
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Gloucester Rugby is a professional English rugby union club situated in the West Country city of Gloucester, and formed in 1873. It now plays in the domestic Premiership, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the European Professional Club Rugby competitions.
The home stadium in the district of Kingsholm, just outside Gloucester City Centre. The club has no official nickname but are occasionally referred to as the 'Cherry and Whites' by supporters and the media in reference to the traditional hooped shirts worn by the team. Matches with local rivals Bath, Worcester Warriors and Bristol are referred to as West Country derbies.
The club was formed in 1873 after a meeting at the Spread Eagle Hotel with the announcement in the Gloucester Journal: "A football club (as rugby was then called) has been formed in this city – the season's operations begin at the Spa on the first Tuesday in next month." a team was then organised to play the College school which was actually played on the ground of the current Kingsholm.
There were 11 games played during the club's 1876–77 season, the club winning six, losing two and drawing three. Gloucester Rugby Football Club had a successful run in the coming seasons, playing 15 games in both the 1877–78 and 1878–79 seasons, winning 10, losing two and drawing three both times. In the 1879–80 season Gloucester RFC played 17 games and lost just two. The following season was less successful, winning six of their 13 fixtures. In the 1882–83 season the team won 11 of their 14 games. The club was playing more fixtures as the decade continued, contesting 20 games in the 1884–85 season, and up to 34 in the 1891–92 season. The club left the Spa after an argument with the cricket club that they were ground sharing with. During the winter the Rugby Club had used a salt mixture to remove frost from the pitch, resulting in the death of the grass on the wicket. Gloucester RFC were no longer welcome at the Spa ground.They then acquired lands from the Castle Grim Estate for £4,000 in 1891 and have resided in this place, known since as Kingsholm.
Gloucester RFC were suspended by the RFU for professionalism as a result of the club recruiting players: the "Shewell Case". The club responded by adopting a more puritanical adherence to the amateur regulations, and were reinstated. However, when the Northern clubs split from the RFU to form the Northern Rugby Union (later known as the Rugby Football League) a number of Gloucester RFC players "went North".
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