Guernsey Rugby Football Club is 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 at Footes Lane in

St Peter Port St. Peter Port () is a town and one of the ten parishes on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2019 was 18,958. St. Peter Port is a small tow ...

on the

Channel Island The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consist ...

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

. The club was formed in 1928. The club runs two senior teams, a veterans side and a colts side. Their first XV, the Guernsey Raiders currently play in level 4 ( National League 2 East) following their promotion from London & South East Premier at the end of the 2019–20 season. The Guernsey Raiders Ladies team plays in level 4, Women's National Challenge 1 South East (South).

History

Guernsey RFC were founded in 1928 and started playing in English leagues in 1987. As a result of the high transport costs, the

Rugby Football Union The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, 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 ...

(RFU) funds the opposition team's travel when they play away at Guernsey as well as funding Guernsey's travel to England for league matches. Until 2010, the Hampshire Rugby Football Union also granted additional funding to help with the transport costs. In 2011, Guernsey had a new clubhouse constructed which was visited by

The Princess Royal Princess Royal is a title customarily (but not automatically) awarded by British monarchs to their eldest daughters. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been ...

during her visit to Guernsey in November. In 2012, after being promoted from London 1 South, Guernsey became the only fully amateur team in National League 3 London & SE. Guernsey host annual "ladies days" during their season.

Siam Cup

Guernsey annually play

Jersey Reds Jersey Reds was a rugby union club based in Jersey, Channel Islands. On 28th September 2023, the club ceased trading and shortly thereafter went into liquidation following the withdrawal of financial support from a key investor. Until seaso ...

in the inter-insular

Siam Cup The Siam Cup is an annual rugby union competition held between the Channel Islands clubs of Jersey Reds and Guernsey. It was first contested in 1920. The trophy is the second oldest rugby trophy in the world to be contested after the Calcutta ...

, the second oldest rugby honour contested after the

Calcutta Cup The Calcutta Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the rugby match between teams of England and Scotland played annually in the Six Nations Championship. Like the match itself (England–Scotland), the Calcutta Cup is the oldest trophy con ...

. The host venue alternates yearly between Footes Lane and Jersey's St. Peter. The Siam Cup match is viewed as a season finale by the two clubs as the match is played after the regular league season has finished. In 2010, a Guernsey player was found guilty of assaulting two Jersey players after a Siam Cup game. Since Jersey began employing professional players they have dominated the inter island game. From 2016 in an attempt to even up the game only professional players who had been in Jersey for three years will be eligible for the annual match.

Guernsey Ladies Rugby team

In 2012, Guernsey's women's team applied to join the English leagues. However the Rugby Football Union rejected their application on logistical grounds and also because the RFU Council had previously passed a moratorium to not admit to the English leagues, any further teams from offshore. In 2014–15 the decision was overcome and Guernsey Ladies (GLR) joined the Women's National Challenge South East South 2 league, which they won, earning promotion to Women's National Challenge South East South 1 for the 2015–16 season. In 2016-17 the Women again won the top position in their league becoming champions after winning 12 of the 14 season's matches. ----

Men's seasons

* 2023-24 National League 2 East - level 4 * 2022-23 National League 2 East - level 4 - 9th * 2021–22

National League 2 South National League 2 South (known before September 2009 as National Division Three South) was a level four league in the English rugby union system until the end of season 2021–22. It was one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart, N ...

- level 4 - 10th * 2020–21

- level 4 - season cancelled * 2019–20 London & South East Premier - level 5 - 2nd promoted without play-offs * 2018–19

- level 4 - 15th relegated * 2017–18 London & South East Premier – level 5 - runners up promoted via play-offs * 2016–17 National League 3 London & SE - level 5 - 5th * 2015–16 National League 3 London & SE – level 5 - 6th * 2014–15 National League 3 London & SE – level 5 - 10th * 2013–14 National League 3 London & SE – level 5 - 5th * 2012–13 National League 3 London & SE – level 5 - 8th * 2011–12 London 1 South – level 6 - 1st promoted * 2010–11

London 2 South West London 2 South West is an English level 7 Rugby Union League. When this division began in 1987 it was known as London 3 South West, changing to its current name ahead of the 2009–10 season. The division is made up of teams predominantly fro ...

– level 7 - 1st promoted * 2009–10

– level 7 - 2nd‡ * 2008–09 London 3 South West – level 7 - 7th‡ * 2007–08 London 3 South West – level 7 - 4th * 2006–07 London 3 South West – level 7 - 5th * 2005–06 London 3 South West – level 7 - 10th * 2004–05 London 3 South West – level 7 - 2nd * 2003–04

Hampshire 1 Counties 3 Hampshire (formerly Hampshire 1) is an English level 9 Rugby Union league for teams based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Up until the 2017–18 season it was known as Hampshire 2 but was changed to Hampshire 1 following the res ...

– level 8 - 1st promoted * 2002–03

– level 8 - 3rd * 2001–02

– level 8 - 3rd * 2000–01

– level 8 - 5th * 1999–00

– level 8 - 8th * 1998–99

– level 8 - 8th :‡ ''Leagues re-branded, with London 3 South West renamed London 2 South West''
Men's current season results
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Women's seasons

* 2023-24 Women's National Challenge 1 South East (South) * 2022-23 Women's National Challenge 1 South East (East) - 6th * 2021-22 Women's National Challenge 1 South East (East) - 6th * 2020–21 Women's National Challenge 1 South East South 1 - level 4 - * 2019–20 Women's National Challenge 1 South East South 1 - level 4 - 5th * 2018–19 Women's National Challenge South East West 1 - level 4 - 3rd * 2017–18 Women's Championship South West 2 - level 3 - 8th relegated * 2016–17 Women's National Challenge South East South 1 – level 4 - 1st promoted * 2015–16 Women's National Challenge South East South 1 – level 4 - 4th * 2014–15 Women's N C South East South 2 – level 5 - 1st promoted
Ladies current seasons results

Men's current standings

Honours

Men's

champions (15 times) * Hampshire Bowl winners: 2002 * Level 8

champions: 2003–04, promoted to level 7 * Level 7 London Division 2 South West champions: 2010–11, promoted to level 6 * Level 6 London Division 1 South champions: 2011–12, promoted to level 5 * LSE Premier v SW Premier promotion play-off winners: 2017–18, promoted to level 4

Women's

* Level 5 Women's National Challenge South East South 2 champions: 2014–15, promoted to level 4 * Level 4 Women's National Challenge South East South 1 champions: 2016–17, promoted to level 3

Notable players

* Luke Jones – originally played for Guernsey before moving to English Premiership team,

Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...

and the

Cornish Pirates The Cornish Pirates () are a professional rugby union team who play in the RFU Championship, Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. The Cornish Pirates team are the 'First XV' o ...

References

External links

* {{Guernsey topics Rugby union in Guernsey Rugby clubs established in 1928 Sports clubs and teams in Guernsey 1928 establishments in Guernsey