Old Elthamians Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club based in

Chislehurst Chislehurst () is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater L ...

in SE London-Kent. Due to financial difficulties they withdrew from

National League One National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...

, the third tier of English club rugby, in August, 2021. Upon returning to league rugby and despite only taking one season away, the RFU place Old Elthamians in Counties 3. The club left the College meadows ground and have returned home to Chislehurst. They returned to Chislehurst for the 2022-23 season after they were removed from College Meadows by the headmaster Guy Sanderson due to the debt owed to Eltham College by Kobus Paulsen.

History

Old Elthamians was formed in 1911 and ran four senior teams and a full range of junior teams. In 2014–15 the club moved ground from the Foxbury to Queen Mary Sports Ground in

, where they were resident for just two seasons before moving their home of College Meadow (owned by Eltham College) in Mottingham, for the 2016–17 season. Old Elthamians had their first home game at College Meadow on 17 September 2016, defeating visitors

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46 - 19 in front of 420 spectators. On 25 March 2017 Old Elthamians, riding high in National League 2 South, achieved a club record win 97–7 against bottom club Exmouth, a tally that included 15 tries. They finished second that season, qualifying for a promotion play-off against the runner-up from National League 2 North. On 6 May 2017 Old Elthamians travelled to take on Sale at Heywood Road, winning a close game 19–14 to claim promotion to the

2017–18 National League 1 The 2017–18 National League 1, known for sponsorship reasons as the SSE National League 1 is the ninth season of the third tier of the English rugby union system, since the professionalised format of the second tier RFU Championship was introd ...

; the highest level in the club's history. The 2016–17 season also saw Dominic Lespierre score 36 league tries to break the previous best of 32 set by

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. On 16 December 2017 Old Elthamians beat Blackheath 32–7 in front of a then club record crowd of 1,653 at College Meadow, in what was the first league meeting between the two sides in 106 years despite both being based in south London. This record was topped the very next season when a crowd of 1,770 at College Meadow saw Old Elthamians lose 11–12 to Blackheath on 22 December 2018 in a top of the table clash.

Honours

* Kent 2 champions: 2002–03 *

Kent Vase The Kent Vase is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Kent Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 2001-02 season, with the inaugural winners being Bromley. It is the third most important rugby uni ...

winners: 2004 * Kent 1 v Sussex 1 promotion play-off winner: 2004–05 * London Division 4 South West champions: 2005–06 * London Division 2 East champions (2): 2008–09, 2010–11 * London 1 (north v south) promotion play-off winner: 2011–12 * National League 3 (south-east v south-west) promotion play-off winner: 2013–14 * National 2 (north v south) promotion play-off winner: 2016–17

Club records

*Largest win: 97–7 :Versus Exmouth at College Meadow on 25 March 2017 *Highest attendance: 1,770 :Versus Blackheath at College Meadow on 22 December 2018 *Most tries in a season: 36 : Dominic Lespierre ( 2016–17)

Final league season

Notes

References

External links

Official club website
{{Rugby union in England Rugby union teams in England Rugby clubs established in 1911 Rugby union clubs in London Rugby union in Kent Sport in the London Borough of Bromley