{{Infobox rugby team , teamname = Bolton R.U.F.C , image = Bolton_RUFC.png , fullname = Bolton Rugby Union Football Club , founded = 1872 , union = Lancashire RFU , location =

Bolton Bolton ( , locally ) is a town in Greater Manchester in England. In the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, Bolton is between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, Greater Manchester, Bury and Salford. It is surrounded by several towns and vill ...

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseyside to the west. Its largest settlement is the city of Manchester. ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, countryflag = England , ground = Avenue Street , capacity = , chairman = Mark Brocklehurst , coach = David Crouch , captain = Les Towler , league =

North 2 West North 2 West is a regional English rugby union league at the seventh tier of club rugby union for teams from Cheshire, Cumbria, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. The division was introduced for the 2019-20 season to form a new lea ...

, season = 2019–20 , position = 12th , url = www.boltonrugby.co.uk , pattern_la1 = _whiteborder , pattern_b1 = _whitehoops , pattern_ra1 = _whiteborder , pattern_sh1 = , pattern_so1 = _whitetop , leftarm1 = FF0000 , body1 = FF0000 , rightarm1 = FF0000 , shorts1 = 000000 , socks1 = FF0000 , Bolton RUFC are an amateur

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

team who play in the

league of the English rugby union league system.

History

Bolton RUFC was first formed in 1872 and was first listed in the ''

Football Annual __NOTOC__ The ''Football Annual'' was a reference work published annually from 1868 to 1908. It reported on the various codes of football played in England, and also provided some coverage of the other home nations, supplemented on occasion by re ...

'' of 1874. It reads: "Bolton formed 1872, has 100 members, ground at Burnden which is 1 mile from Bolton station. The dressing rooms are on the ground and it plays Rugby Football. The Secretary or Manager is F H Kevan of 12 Acresfield, Bolton. The colours are Blue jerseys, socks and cap, white knickerbockers. Result of matches last season :- Won 3, Lost 3, Drew 1. Result of goals Won 5, Lost 7." Between 1919 and 1939,

had a club that boasted International players, and even the former Bolton MP Arthur Holt played for them, but

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

finally saw the demise of the game in Bolton. The start of the modern era was due to several former pupils of Hayward School, who formed a team to play on Saturdays calling themselves the 'Old Haywardians'. Hayward School colours were used as the basis of the maroon and white hooped shirts, and the start of a second team brought the need for the more normal club type structure, with fund raising, and social activities. A brief look at the Accounts of 1969 indicated that the club had £36 and 19 shillings in the Bank. In 1971 the club moved to a base at Bolton Wyresdale sports club, close to their council rented pitches at New House Farm. Here the club began to flourish, with up to 4 teams being put out, and good results, against a steadily improving fixture list. By the early 1980s, with the help of Bolton Council a new ground site at Avenue Street was coming into consideration. Slowly the various elements came together and building started on 5 May 1988. Saturday 3 September 1988 saw the first competitive game played at the new purpose-built facilities versus Greater Manchester Fire Service. The new club house was officially opened on Sunday 4 September 1988, with a second game versus a president's invitational XV. Today, Bolton RUFC operate 3 senior men's teams, a large junior/mini section and support a number of local initiatives.

Club Honours

* North-West East 2 champions: 1987–88 * North Lancashire 1 champions: 1999–00 * Cumbria v North Lancashire 1 promotion playoff winners: 2012–13 * North Lancashire/Cumbria v South Lancs/Cheshire 1 promotion playoff winners: 2013–14

Playing Leagues

First Team - RFU Lancs/Cheshire Division 1 Second Team - North West Leagues, Sale Sharks Division 1 Third Team - North West Leagues, Sale Sharks Division 4 North

2018–2019 Results

First XV * 4th place, finishing behind Glossop, Bowdon and Altrincham Kersal who finished in 3rd, 2nd and 1st place respectively Second XV * 2nd place (finishing behind Colne & Nelson) earning league promotion from Halbro Northwest County Courier Services Division 2 North to Sale Sharks Division 1 Third XV * 11th place

Previous Year Results

2013–2014 Results First XV: * 2nd place earning promotion defeating

Northwich RUFC Northwich is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire West and Chester borough of Cheshire, England. It lies on the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane, east of Chester, south of Warrington and south of Manc ...

21–18 in a play off game * Lancashire Plate Cup Winners beating the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

25-20 Second XV: * 2nd place earning league promotion * Runners up in cup final losing 13–10 to Stockport R.U.F.C Third XV - 5th Place Fourth XV - 5th Place 2012–2013 Results First XV - 2nd place, earning promotion following a play-off game against Cumbrian side Silloth Tigers. Second XV - 3rd place Third XV - 7th place Fourth XV - 4th place and cup runners up

Playing Strip

According to local records, Bolton Rugby Club first played in 'blue jerseys, socks and cap, white knickerbockers'. From the 1960s, Bolton have played in red and white hooped shirts, black shorts and variants of red/black/white hooped or plain red socks. Bolton's away colours are black and white hoops.

Rugby League

In 2011 Bolton RUFC experimented by venturing into the world of summer Rugby League during the Rugby Union off season. Bolton entered a mixed senior squad in the

North West Merit League The Rugby League Conference, also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Sco ...

operated by the North West Rugby Leagu
www.northwestrl.co.uk
Although not directly affiliated, for the last few years Bolton Mets RFLC have used Avenue Street as their base and continue to do so in 2019.

External links

Official site

RFU National Leagues

North West Intermediate Leagues
Rugby union teams in England Rugby clubs established in 1872 1872 establishments in England Sport in Bolton Rugby union in Greater Manchester