Jersey Reds
 |
|
| Full name | Jersey Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Islanders |
| Founded | 1879 |
| Location | Saint Peter, Jersey |
| Ground(s) | St. Peter (Capacity: 4,000) |
| Chairman | Mark Morgan |
| Coach(es) | Harvey Biljon |
| League(s) | RFU Championship |
| 2015–16 | 6th |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
Jersey Rugby Football Club is a rugby club based in Jersey that competes at the RFU Championship. In the 2009–10 season JRFC won their play-off at Twickenham and also in the 2012–13 beat their greatest rivals Guernsey to win the Siam Cup for the fifth consecutive year. Jersey gained promotion by winning National League One and are now in RFU Championship.
The team was known as Jersey R.F.C. until the start of the 2016–17 season, when they changed their name to the Jersey Reds.
Rugby has been played in Jersey since 1879 with breaks for war and the Nazi occupation but the modern era started when the club acquired the land for a permanent home in Saint Peter near Jersey Airport in 1961; the original wooden clubhouse was built in 1964, its approximate location was in the middle of the Jersey Bowl carpark. From the early 1970s, when tourism in the island was at its peak, Jersey attracted many of rugby's top clubs who could combine a break from their regular fixtures with a game against the JRFC.
This period culminated with a very successful Centenary year in 1979, teams with international players came over to play and help celebrate this event – JPR Williams being one of the most famous! This decade left the club with an unequalled collection of plaques and memorabelia; teams coming from the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia (the beachguard connection) and the Netherlands.
The current clubhouse was opened in September 1994 and corresponded approximately with the start of the leagues; by then Jersey could not rely on random visiting sides and had to join the league in Hampshire.
In the summer of 2010 the new Lord Jersey Stand was built between the 1st XV pitch and the Airport Road and the Pavilion, with kitchen and bar, to the east of the main club facilities. This was to provide amenities for the increasing number of spectators due to the further success of the 1st XV.
The last few years have seen the first team work its way up the National Leagues, winning the overall National League 3 in 2010 and progressing to National League 2 South. Most recently in 2011, Jersey were promoted to National League 1 through a play-off game at home to Loughborough Students. The clubs kit is red with black shorts and socks and the away shirts are blue with black shorts and socks.
...
Wikipedia