Kilmarnock RFC
| Full name | Kilmarnock Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1868 |
| Location | Kilmarnock, Scotland |
| Ground(s) | Bellsland |
| President | Paul Guthrie |
| Coach(es) | Andrew Lees |
| League(s) | West One |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
Kilmarnock Rugby Football Club is a Scottish rugby union club which was founded in 1868, and is based in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire in west central Scotland. They play in West Regional League West One. Often simply referred to as "Killie", their ground is at Bellsland in Kilmarnock, and they were formerly based at Rugby Park (hence its name).
One of the oldest rugby clubs in Scotland, Kilmarnock Football Club owes its existence to KRFC as an internal dispute about which football rules to adopt resulted in a breakaway in early 1869 by those who preferred to play Association Football.
When the Scottish National Leagues were introduced in 1973, Killie were placed in the 3rd Division by the Scottish Rugby Union. The club won that season without loss. The following season saw Killie being runners up in Division 2, gaining promotion to the top league. They remained there until 1981 after which a period of promotion and relegation between the 1st and 2nd Divisions was the norm. In 1978, Killie achieved their highest league position by finishing 3rd in Division 1. In 1986, Killie were the only team to beat Hawick as they swept all aside to win the Championship.
Since the change in league structure to embrace professionalism, Killie have struggled to hold on to their better players and now languish in Division 2 of the BT National Leagues, effectively the old Division 5. It is also likely that Killie took part in the first floodlit rugby match at Rugby Park, now the home of Kilmarnock FC. There is also a school of thought that South African team Transvaal, now the Golden Lions Super Rugby team, adopted the famous Kilmarnock strip of white top with red hoop as a Kilmarnock member, Alex Frew, captained them when they beat The British Isles touring team in 1903. Frew was also a Scottish Internationalist whilst at Edinburgh University.
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