Rams Rugby Football Club is an English

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 based near the village of

Sonning Sonning (traditional: ; modern: ) is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, on the River Thames, east of Reading, Berkshire, Reading. The village was described by Jerome K. Jerome in his book ''Three Men in a Boat'' as "the most fair ...

on the outskirts of

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

in the county of

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

. The first XV play in the third-level league 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 ...

National League 1 National One, up until 2023 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 Lea ...

, following their promotion from

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 ...

as champions at the end of the 2018–19 season. Until 2018, the club had been known as Redingensians and then Redingensians Rams before being renamed simply as Rams for the 2018–19 season onwards.

History

Rams consist of five senior teams of differing playing ability and a full complement of mini and junior sides. The first team currently plays in National League 1 (level 3) of the rugby union league structure. The second team play in Canterbury Division 3, the third team play in Berks/Bucks & Oxon Prem A, and the fourths in Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1. The fifth team participates in the Thames Valley Invitational Leagues. Both the under-17s and colts play in division 1 of their respective Berks/Bucks & Oxon leagues. Rams RFC is also renowned for its Rugby 7s capability and participates in several major international tournaments across Europe from March through to August.

Ground

Rams play home fixtures at Old Bath Road in the village of Sonning on the north-east outskirts of

. As it is next to the A4 travel links are good, with parking available at the ground and regular bus services to Reading which is accessible by train. The ground consists of a main pitch next to a modern club-house, along with a number of other pitches for second XV and junior rugby. Originally all standing, in 2021 the 300 seat Pountney Stand was built, named after the club's founding father Leslie Pountney. The ground capacity is around 2,000, with the 300 seater stand and approximately 1,700 (all standing) around the main pitch and on the club-house balcony. On 6 December 2024 a record crowd of 1,829 attended Old Bath Road for the top of the table clash between Rams and Richmond.

Honours

1st team: * Southern Counties champions: 1987–88 * Southern Counties South champions: 2000–01 * Southern Counties North champions: 2005–06 * South West Division 2 East champions: 2006–07 * National League 3 South West champions: 2014–15 *

champions: 2018–19 2nd team: * Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier A champions: 2007–08 4th team: * Berks/Bucks & Oxon 4 South champions: 2014–15 * Berks/Bucks & Oxon 3 champions: 2015–16

Current standings

References

External links

* {{National League 1 Rugby union teams in England Rugby clubs established in 1924 Rugby union clubs in Berkshire Sonning Sport in Reading, Berkshire