The Richmond Football Club is a rugby union team in the south of England. Richmond plays in the National Division 2 South League. Rugby is named after Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, where the game was first conceived in the mid 19th century. Rugby emerged as a split from football, or soccer, when several schools and clubs could not agree on the rules of football.
Richmond
Richmond-Upon-Thames is a southwest London borough. It is very close to Hampton Court and its palace, home to the infamous English King, Henry the Eighth. Richmond does not appear in the Domesday Book, a national survey of people, land and wealth performed by William the Conqueror in 1086. It was formerly known as Shene until five centuries ago. Richmond is very close to Twickenham stadium, the home of the English national rugby team.
Formation
Richmond was one of the world's very first sporting clubs, formed in 1861. It took part in the first inter-club game against Blackheath in 1864, according to the Richmond FC website. There have been more firsts in the history of the club, including being the first to experiment playing under floodlights at night in 1878 and the first to play at the national stadium in Twickenham in 1909.
90's Pro Era
The Rugby Union league began to turn professional in the 1990s. Richmond, with the help of an affluent owner, where one of the first teams to have professional players. This lasted only three years, before the owner pulled out from the club. However, during this brief spell, Richmond achieved some moderate success, finishing fifth and ninth in England's Premier Division respectively.
Modern Era
With the money gone, Richmond were forced into administration and relegated eight divisions. In the last 10 years, it has worked its way back up the ladder, setting records for wins and scores tumbling. Richmond prides itself on the depth of its squads, with second, third and fourth teams in the senior ranks not to mention veterans teams, women's teams and youth teams. The development of youthful talent is one of the top priorities for the club.
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