Malone RFC (Malone Rugby Football Club) is a rugby union club based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the Division 1B of the All-Ireland League. The club is affiliated with the Ulster Branch, itself part of the

Irish Rugby Football Union The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) ( ga, Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann) is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ...

. It is one of the last remaining Belfast rugby clubs not to have amalgamated and still plays at its original ground. As well as its successful Senior teams, it has a thriving Youth and Mini structure, and was the first Mini rugby team from Ireland to play in the renowned Fundacion Cisneros International rugby tournament in Madrid.

History

Malone Football Club was founded in 1892 by residents of

Malone Park Malone Park is a private avenue in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It forms a conservation area.Department of the Environment NI, PlanningDistrict Proposals: Outer Belfast Malone Park Conservation Area/ref> The majority of the houses are Victorian ...

, Belfast. In 1896 Malone obtained senior status after two victories in the junior league. Malone first played a non-Irish side when it hosted Furness in 1903. The current name Malone Rugby Football Club was adopted in 1932. Malone moved to its present location in Gibson Park, Belfast in 1935, eventually purchasing it in 1953. The present clubhouse dates from 1967. The club hosted games from the

2007 Under 19 Rugby World Championship The International Rugby Board (IRB) awarded the 2007 Under 19 Rugby World Championship to the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Ulster branch hosted it. The Tournament, which took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 4–21 April, ...

Honours

** Ulster Senior Cup: 7 ** 1903-04, 1904–05, 1906–07, 1970–71, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1991–92 * Ulster Senior League: 6 ** 1903-04, 1904–05, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1968–69, 1992–93 * Ulster Junior Cup: 5 ** †1931-32, †1967-68, †1974-75, †1977-78, †1980-81 *

All-Ireland League Division 2A All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire is ...

:1 ** 2017-2018 † Won by 2nd XV

Distinguished Players

Approximately 28 Malone players have played for Ireland, and 6 of those were British & Irish Lions. Malone players have played international rugby in each decade since the start of the Twentieth Century. Data below is as of May 2009. * John Hewitt Ferris (?1875-1903), Scrum Half. Ireland, 3 caps (1900). *

Alfred Tedford Alfred Tedford (7 January 1877, Belfast – 6 January 1942, Belfast) was an Irish international rugby player. He was born in Belfast and educated at Methodist College Belfast. He played rugby for Malone RFC. From 1902 and 1908 he was capped twe ...

(1877-1942), Forward. Ireland, 23 caps,(1902-1908), 6 Tries. British Isles,

1903 British Lions tour to South Africa The 1903 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fifth tour by a British Isles rugby team and the third to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 195 ...

, 3 caps. * Reg W Edwards (1882-1913), Forward. Ireland, 1 cap (1904). British Isles,

1904 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand The 1904 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was the sixth tour by a British Isles rugby union team and the third to New Zealand or Australia. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming conve ...

. * Hugh Gilmer Wilson (1879-1941), Forward. Ireland, 18 caps, (1905-1910). * George McIldowie (1886-1953), Forward. Ireland, 4 caps, (1906-1910), 1 Try. * R(ichard?) E(dwin?) Forbes (1880-?), Forward. Ireland, 1 cap (1907). *

Tom Smyth Thomas Joseph Smyth (born 18 March 1991) is an English footballer who plays for Chorley. Club career Smyth started his career with Preston North End where he was a former captain of Preston's youth side and was a regular at reserve team level i ...

(1884-1924), Prop. Ireland, 14 caps, (1908-1912), 2 Tries. British Isles (captain)

1910 British Lions tour to South Africa The 1910 British Isles tour to South Africa was the eighth tour by a British Isles rugby union team and the fourth to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted ...

. * William Victor Edwards (1887-1917), Forward. Ireland, 2 caps, (1912). * William Ernest Crawford (1891-1959), Fullback. Ireland, 30 caps, (1920-1927), 6 conversions and 2 penalties.
Norman G Ross
(?1904-), No. 8. Ireland, 2 caps, (1927). * Blair Mayne (1915-1955), Lock. Ireland, 6 caps,(1937-1939), 1 Try. Lions 1938 British Lions tour to South Africa, 3 caps. * Jack Deryck Erle Monteith (1922-1992), Centre. Ireland, 3 caps, (1947). * Ernest Strathdee (1921-1971), Scrum Half. Ireland, 9 caps (1947-1949). * Robert D Agar (1920-), No. 8. Ireland, 10 caps (1947-1950). * Jimmy E Nelson (1921-2014), Lock. Ireland, 16 caps, (1947-1954). Lions

1950 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia The British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1950 was the first post-war tour made by the Lions; there had not been one since 1938. The 1950 team was the first to be nicknamed "the British Lions", rather than just "British I ...

, 4 caps. * Dennis Scott (1933-), Flanker. Ireland, 3 caps, (1961-1962). * Aidan Malachy Brady (1939-), Hooker. Ireland: 4 caps, (1966-1968). * Sam A Hutton (1940-), Prop. Ireland, 4 caps, (1967). * William J Brown (1943-), Wing. Ireland, 4 caps, (1970), 1 Try. * Willie Duncan (1957-), Flanker. Ireland, 2 caps (1984). * John P McDonald (1960-), Hooker. Ireland, 4 caps (1987-1990). * W Denis McBride (1964-), Flanker. Ireland, 32 caps, (1988-1997), 4 Tries. * Colin R Wilkinson (1961-), Fullback. Ireland, 1 cap (1993). * Maurice Field (1964-), Centre, Ireland 17 caps (1994-1997). * Neil Best (1979-),Flanker. Ireland, 18 caps, (2005-2007), 2 Tries. * Tom Court (1980-), Prop. Ireland, 9 caps (2008-). * Simon Danielli, (1979-), Wing. Scotland, 24 caps (2003-), 6 Tries. * Chris Henry (1984-), Flanker. Ireland, 11 caps (2010-), 1 Try. * Paul Emerick (2003-), Centre/Wing, USA, 37 caps, 10 Tries.

References

External links

Google Maps Satellite View of Malone RFC

Malone RFC
{{Rugby union in Ulster Rugby union clubs in Northern Ireland Irish rugby union teams Sports clubs in Belfast Rugby clubs established in 1892 Senior Irish rugby clubs (Ulster) Rugby union clubs in County Antrim 1892 establishments in Ireland