Bristol Rugby

Bristol Rugby ( officially Bristol Rugby Football Club ) is a rugby union club from the English city of Bristol, which plays in the RFU Championship, the second highest English league. The home games are played in the stage Horfield district in the Memorial.

History

The club was established in 1888 under the name Bristol Football Club from the merger of Carlton and Redland Park. Westbury Park, another club from Bristol, had rejected the merger, however, was soon a fact because most players move to the new club. For the game the cricket field was rented at the Nevil Road. In 1900, the association filed with J. W. Jarman the first time a player of the national team.

During the First World War, the game operation had to be stopped. The cricket field was now no longer available and so the club went on a field at the Radnor Road in the suburb of Horfield. 1921 built the club the Memorial Stadium. It was named in memory of the fallen of the war. On game day, which is closest to the " Remembrance Day" ( November 11), since there is one minute's silence.

Many of the regular players were missing during the Second World War, so the fans lined up as a replacement own team; from this many new players were recruited after the war. The best season are those of 1971/72, when the club for the first time surpassed the mark of a thousand points and was unofficially named the English and Anglo-Welsh Champion (then there was no organized league). The Bristol Football Club won the 1983 John Player Cup after he had ten years earlier lost the final of this cup competition. More Final defeats came in 1984 and 1988.

Bristol in 1987 was a founding member of the Courage League, the present-day English Premiership. In the Jubilee Year 1998, the club was relegated to the National Division One and could only avert the threatened bankruptcy in the last minute. The association also lost control of the stadium company to the football club Bristol Rovers, the sole owner since then. In the following season the resurgence took place.

2001, the car manufacturer Mitsubishi became the new principal sponsor and the club changed its name to Bristol Shoguns. After two successful seasons with the front table places in the championship and participation in the European Heineken Cup followed in 2003 by the renewed descent. At times, the move to Oxford or the merger with arch rivals Bath Rugby were even considered. But Bristol was able to consolidate again and rise again in 2005. In the same year sponsorship deal with Mitsubishi ended and the club took back to its original name of Bristol Rugby Football Club. In 2009, the club was relegated after only two wins and a draw.

Achievements

• John Player Cup winner: 1983
• Finalist John Player Cup: 1973, 1984, 1988
• Champion National Division One 2004 /05 ( promotion to the Premiership )

Well-known former players

• Al Charron (Canada)
• Felipe Contepomi (Argentina )
• Martin Corry (England)
• Alastair Hignell (England)
• Brian Lima ( Samoa)
• Jason Little ( Australia)
• Gareth Llewellyn (Wales )
• Tim Payne (England)
• Agustín Pichot (Argentina )
• Simon Shaw ( England)
• Andrew Sheridan ( England)