Burnley Rugby Union Football Club (Burnley RUFC) is a

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 ...

club that currently plays in the

South Lancs/Cheshire 2 Counties 3 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire (formerly Lancs/Cheshire Division Two (usually referred to as Lancs/Cheshire 2)) is a regional English Rugby Union league for teams in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester at level 9 of th ...

league (the 9th tier of the

English rugby union system Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system. Women's Rugby union in England consi ...

) following their relegation from

North Lancashire/Cumbria North Lancashire/Cumbria (usually referred to as North Lancs/Cumbria) was an English Rugby Union League at the seventh tier of club rugby union for teams from North Lancashire and Cumbria that ran until the end of 2017–18 season. Promotion fr ...

at the end of the 2017–18 season. The club was founded in 1926 as Calder Vale Rugby Club but the 2002 - 03 season saw the name of 75 years changed to help raise Burnley's rugby profile locally and beyond. The club plays from Holden Road, the site of Belvedere and Calder Vale Sports Club in the Reedley area of

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

. The club's motto is "Nil Nisi Optimum Sufficiet" (Latin for: "Nothing But the Best Will Do").

History

Early

There is a record of a rugby club in Burnley in 1880, the club named Burnley Rovers one of the earliest clubs in the country, later to become

Burnley Football Club Burnley Football Club () is a professional football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1882, Burnley were one of the first to beco ...

in 1882 Calder Vale Rugby Club played their first match against a Blackburn XV on Saturday November 29, 1926 at Cockshot Farm, Simonstone. It was won 19 - 3. tries and a drop goal worth 4 points In 1985, the first experimental

RFU The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It prom ...

league structure -the Girobank League- was set up in the North West of England and Calder Vale was involved.

Recent

Burnley were Team of the Month for the October 2002

Rugby World Magazine ''Rugby World'' is a monthly rugby union magazine running since October 1960. It is published monthly by Future plc and edited by Joe Robinson. Long-standing editor Paul Morgan left in January 2012. Morgan was long considered a leader in the in ...

after a series of victories over Heaton Moor, Lytham and Carnforth. In 2006 a memorable tour took place to China with matches played in Hong Kong and Ghanzou. Included in this trip was an extra event in the shape of a typhoon! In the 2007 - 08 season Burnley won the league play-off against Netherall 20 - 0 and promotion was won to the North Lancs/Cumbria league. The start of the 2008 - 09 season saw the award of the

's Seal of Approval to the Club which was presented at a pre-match lunch by Burnley's then M.P.

Kitty Ussher Katharine Anne Ussher (born 18 March 1971) is a British economist, public policy research professional and former politician. In November 2023 she moved from being chief economist at the Institute of Directors to Managing Director, Group Head o ...

. Also in 2008, the club was shocked to learn of the untimely death of Fred Picton-Turbervill at his home in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. He captained 1st XV from 1984 to 1986 and played for the club until 1992. Despite finishing last in the North Lancs/Cumbria league in 2009 Burnley were not relegated. Burnley currently field three senior sides, with the 1st XV currently competing in the North Lancs 1 league, and the 2nd and 3rd XVs playing in the

Salford University The University of Salford is a Public university, public research university in Salford, Greater Manchester, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, west of Manchester city centre. The Royal Technical Institute, Salford, which opened in 1896, be ...

League, along with a thriving junior section with teams at most age groups from under 7s right through to under 16s. The club keeps strong community ties and works with local schools, colleges and community groups.

Honours

1st XV: * North-West East 2 champions: 1990–91 * Cumbria v Lancashire (North) promotion playoff winners (2): 2007–08, 2016–17 2nd XV: *Halbro Plate winners 2013

Notes

References

External links

Official Website

Lancashire Telegraph club page
{{Borough of Burnley culture Sport in Burnley Rugby union teams in England Rugby clubs established in 1926 Rugby union clubs in Lancashire 1926 establishments in England