CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Orrell R.U.F.C. - Wikipedia</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-enabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikimwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy", "wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"9b20c904-3231-4cc7-8281-3608907d5190","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Orrell_R.U.F.C.","wgTitle":"Orrell R.U.F.C.","wgCurRevisionId":1256872917,"wgRevisionId":1256872917,"wgArticleId":3543483,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Webarchive template wayback links","Articles with short description","Short description is different from Wikidata","Articles needing additional references from January 2024","All articles needing additional references","Use dmy dates from February 2015","Use British English from February 2015","Premiership Rugby teams","Rugby union teams in England","Rugby clubs established in 1927","Sport in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan","1927 establishments in England", "Rugby union in Greater Manchester"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Orrell_R.U.F.C.","wgRelevantArticleId":3543483,"wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikipedia","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":false,"wgFlaggedRevsParams":{"tags":{"status":{"levels":1}}},"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgPopupsFlags":0,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en","pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":false,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":30000,"wgRelatedArticlesCompat":[],"wgCentralAuthMobileDomain":false,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true, "wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q3356673","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"GEHomepageSuggestedEditsEnableTopics":true,"wgGETopicsMatchModeEnabled":false,"wgGEStructuredTaskRejectionReasonTextInputEnabled":false,"wgGELevelingUpEnabledForUser":false};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","jquery.tablesorter.styles":"ready","jquery.makeCollapsible.styles":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready","ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","mediawiki.page.media", "site","mediawiki.page.ready","jquery.tablesorter","jquery.makeCollapsible","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","ext.gadget.switcher","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.popups","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","ext.cx.eventlogging.campaigns","ext.cx.uls.quick.actions","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","ext.growthExperiments.SuggestedEditSession","wikibase.sidebar.tracking"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cjquery.makeCollapsible.styles%7Cjquery.tablesorter.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.4"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Orrell_R.U.F.C.png"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1363"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Orrell_R.U.F.C.png"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="909"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="727"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Orrell R.U.F.C. - Wikipedia"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrell_R.U.F.C."> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit this page" href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikipedia.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikipedia (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrell_R.U.F.C."> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikipedia Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Orrell_R_U_F_C rootpage-Orrell_R_U_F_C skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-contents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents" title="Guides to browsing Wikipedia"><span>Contents</span></a></li><li id="n-currentevents" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Current_events" title="Articles related to current events"><span>Current events</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Visit a randomly selected article [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random article</span></a></li><li id="n-aboutsite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About" title="Learn about Wikipedia and how it works"><span>About Wikipedia</span></a></li><li id="n-contactpage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us" title="How to contact Wikipedia"><span>Contact us</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-interaction" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-interaction" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Contribute </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-introduction" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" title="Learn how to edit Wikipedia"><span>Learn to edit</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal" title="The hub for editors"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard" title="Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia"><span>Upload file</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikipedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg" style="width: 7.5em; height: 1.125em;"> <img class="mw-logo-tagline" alt="The Free Encyclopedia" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg" width="117" height="13" style="width: 7.3125em; height: 0.8125em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikipedia" aria-label="Search Wikipedia" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikipedia [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Orrell+R.U.F.C." title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Orrell+R.U.F.C." title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="Log in and more options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Orrell+R.U.F.C." title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Orrell+R.U.F.C." title="You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">(Top)</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-History" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#History"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>History</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-History-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle History subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-History-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Founding_and_early_years" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Founding_and_early_years"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Founding and early years</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Founding_and_early_years-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Second_World_War_and_1950s" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Second_World_War_and_1950s"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Second World War and 1950s</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Second_World_War_and_1950s-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-1960s_and_1970s" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#1960s_and_1970s"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3</span> <span>1960s and 1970s</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-1960s_and_1970s-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-1980s" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#1980s"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.4</span> <span>1980s</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-1980s-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Impact_of_rugby_union_becoming_a_professional_sport" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Impact_of_rugby_union_becoming_a_professional_sport"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.5</span> <span>Impact of rugby union becoming a professional sport</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Impact_of_rugby_union_becoming_a_professional_sport-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Investment_by_Dave_Whelan" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Investment_by_Dave_Whelan"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.6</span> <span>Investment by Dave Whelan</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Investment_by_Dave_Whelan-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Return_to_ownership_by_members" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Return_to_ownership_by_members"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.7</span> <span>Return to ownership by members</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Return_to_ownership_by_members-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Return_to_amateur_status" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Return_to_amateur_status"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.8</span> <span>Return to amateur status</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Return_to_amateur_status-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Honours" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Honours"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Honours</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Honours-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ground" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ground"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Ground</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ground-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Club_colours" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Club_colours"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Club colours</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Club_colours-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-League_performance" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#League_performance"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>League performance</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-League_performance-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notable_former_players" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notable_former_players"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Notable former players</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Notable_former_players-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Notable former players subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Notable_former_players-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Lions_Tourists" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Lions_Tourists"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.1</span> <span>Lions Tourists</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Lions_Tourists-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Rugby_World_Cup" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Rugby_World_Cup"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.2</span> <span>Rugby World Cup</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Rugby_World_Cup-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Other_notable_former_players" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Other_notable_former_players"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.3</span> <span>Other notable former players</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Other_notable_former_players-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Orrell R.U.F.C.</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 3 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-3" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">3 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrell_Rugby_Union_Football_Club" title="Orrell Rugby Union Football Club – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Orrell Rugby Union Football Club" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrell_Rugby_Union_Football_Club" title="Orrell Rugby Union Football Club – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Orrell Rugby Union Football Club" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AC%E3%83%ABRUFC" title="オレルRUFC – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="オレルRUFC" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q3356673#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Orrell_R.U.F.C." title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Article</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Talk:Orrell_R.U.F.C." rel="discussion" title="Discuss improvements to the content page [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Orrell_R.U.F.C."><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Orrell_R.U.F.C."><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Orrell_R.U.F.C." title="List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Orrell_R.U.F.C." rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q"><span>Special pages</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&oldid=1256872917" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&id=1256872917&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FOrrell_R.U.F.C."><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FOrrell_R.U.F.C."><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=show-download-screen" title="Download this page as a PDF file"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q3356673" title="Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">English rugby union club, based in Wigan</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Orrell_R.U.F.C." title="Special:EditPage/Orrell R.U.F.C.">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Orrell+R.U.F.C.%22">"Orrell R.U.F.C."</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Orrell+R.U.F.C.%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Orrell+R.U.F.C.%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Orrell+R.U.F.C.%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Orrell+R.U.F.C.%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Orrell+R.U.F.C.%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">January 2024</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Rugby team</div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><caption class="infobox-title fn org">Orrell</caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Orrell_R.U.F.C.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9a/Orrell_R.U.F.C.png/150px-Orrell_R.U.F.C.png" decoding="async" width="150" height="170" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9a/Orrell_R.U.F.C.png/225px-Orrell_R.U.F.C.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Orrell_R.U.F.C.png 2x" data-file-width="257" data-file-height="292" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap">Full name</span></th><td class="infobox-data nickname">Orrell Rugby Union Football Club</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Union</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Lancashire_County_Rugby_Football_Union" title="Lancashire County Rugby Football Union">Lancashire RFU</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap">Nickname(s)</span></th><td class="infobox-data nickname">The Anvils, The Black & Ambers</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Founded</th><td class="infobox-data">1927<span class="noprint">; 97 years ago</span><span style="display:none"> (<span class="bday dtstart published updated">1927</span>)</span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Location</th><td class="infobox-data label"><a href="/wiki/Orrell,_Greater_Manchester" title="Orrell, Greater Manchester">Orrell</a>, <a href="/wiki/Greater_Manchester" title="Greater Manchester">Greater Manchester</a>, <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap">Ground(s)</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/St_John_Rigby" class="mw-redirect" title="St John Rigby">St John Rigby</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Chairman</th><td class="infobox-data agent">David Robinson</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap">Captain(s)</span></th><td class="infobox-data agent"><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/England" title="England"><img alt="England" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/35px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/46px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></span> Daniel Huxley esq</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap">League(s)</span></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Lancs/Cheshire_Division_Two" title="Lancs/Cheshire Division Two">Lancs/Cheshire Division Two</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">2023-24</th><td class="infobox-data">6th</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; text-align: center; border: 1px solid #D3D3D3;" colspan="2"> <table style="width:100%; text-align:center;"> <tbody><tr> <td><div style="width: 100px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0;"> <div style="position: relative; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 100px; height: 135px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0;"> <div style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 31px; height: 59px; background-color: #ffcc00;"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Team colours"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Kit_left_arm_black_hoops.png" decoding="async" width="31" height="59" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="31" data-file-height="59" /></span></span></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 31px; height: 59px;"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Kit_left_arm.svg/31px-Kit_left_arm.svg.png" decoding="async" width="31" height="59" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Kit_left_arm.svg/47px-Kit_left_arm.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Kit_left_arm.svg/62px-Kit_left_arm.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="31" data-file-height="59" /></span></span></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 31px; top: 0px; width: 38px; height: 59px; background-color: #ffcc00;"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Kit_body_blackhoops.png" decoding="async" width="38" height="59" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="38" data-file-height="59" /></span></span></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 31px; top: 0px; width: 38px; height: 59px;"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Kit_body.svg/38px-Kit_body.svg.png" decoding="async" width="38" height="59" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Kit_body.svg/57px-Kit_body.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Kit_body.svg/76px-Kit_body.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="38" data-file-height="59" /></span></span></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 69px; top: 0px; width: 31px; height: 59px; background-color: #ffcc00;"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Kit_right_arm_black_hoops.png" decoding="async" width="31" height="59" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="31" data-file-height="59" /></span></span></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 69px; top: 0px; width: 31px; height: 59px;"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Kit_right_arm.svg/31px-Kit_right_arm.svg.png" decoding="async" width="31" height="59" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Kit_right_arm.svg/47px-Kit_right_arm.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Kit_right_arm.svg/62px-Kit_right_arm.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="31" data-file-height="59" /></span></span></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 59px; width: 100px; height: 36px; background-color: #000000"></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 59px; width: 100px; height: 36px;"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Kit_shorts.svg/100px-Kit_shorts.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="36" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Kit_shorts.svg/150px-Kit_shorts.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Kit_shorts.svg/200px-Kit_shorts.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="100" data-file-height="36" /></span></span></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 95px; width: 100px; height: 40px; background-color: #ffcc00"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Kit_socks_hoops_black.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="40" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="100" data-file-height="40" /></span></span></div> <div style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 95px; width: 100px; height: 40px;"><span class="mw-default-size mw-valign-top" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Kit_socks_long.svg/100px-Kit_socks_long.svg.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Kit_socks_long.svg/150px-Kit_socks_long.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Kit_socks_long.svg/200px-Kit_socks_long.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="100" data-file-height="40" /></span></span></div> </div> <div style="padding-top: 0.6em; text-align: center;"><b>Team <a href="/wiki/Rugby_union_equipment" title="Rugby union equipment">kit</a></b></div> </div></td></tr> </tbody></table></td></tr><tr style="display:none"><td colspan="2"> </td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header">Official website</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><span class="url"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/orrellrugbyunion/">www<wbr />.pitchero<wbr />.com<wbr />/clubs<wbr />/orrellrugbyunion<wbr />/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Orrell Rugby Union Football Club</b> is a <a href="/wiki/Rugby_union" title="Rugby union">rugby union</a> club from <a href="/wiki/Orrell,_Greater_Manchester" title="Orrell, Greater Manchester">Orrell</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Metropolitan_Borough_of_Wigan" title="Metropolitan Borough of Wigan">Metropolitan Borough of Wigan</a>, <a href="/wiki/Greater_Manchester" title="Greater Manchester">Greater Manchester</a>. </p><p>The club was founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986 to 1997. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Founding_and_early_years">Founding and early years</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Founding and early years"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Orrell Rugby Union Football Club was founded in 1927 by a group of friends from Orrell and neighbouring Pemberton who travelled daily by train to Liverpool. One of the stops on that journey was at Rainford where some young men from that village joined the train. The talk and banter was often about rugby and eventually a challenge was issued by the men from Rainford, and of course duly taken up. In such circumstances was Orrell Rugby Union Football Club born. </p><p>In those early days, the club led a very nomadic existence with grounds in <a href="/wiki/Kitt_Green" title="Kitt Green">Kitt Green</a>, Orrell Mount, Abbey Lakes, Alma Hill and Up Holland, and men could be seen most Saturdays carrying rugby posts and sawdust to mark out the pitch in one locality or another before they eventually settled at the YMCA cricket ground in Winstanley Road. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Second_World_War_and_1950s">Second World War and 1950s</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Second World War and 1950s"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Second World War forced the suspension of the club, but as soon as hostilities ceased Orrell RUFC was re-constituted. With rapid growth in playing membership, new premises were sought and a site at Edge Hall Road was purchased in 1950, an ex-army hut being used as changing accommodation. Orrell soon developed a reputation on the field that was as much respected as it was feared, but improvements in the fixture list were not easily come by as they were told by side after side that they would play, but only if others played them also. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="1960s_and_1970s">1960s and 1970s</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: 1960s and 1970s"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>On the field, Orrell began to do very well indeed. Between 1961 and 1966 they played 139 games with only 14 defeats. In September 1968, Orrell became the first club in Lancashire to erect floodlights, enabling the club to play in mid-week. The 1970s saw Orrell's success continue: In the 1970–71 season they played 42 games and only lost 4 of those. In 1971–72 they won the resurrected Lancashire Cup without conceding a point, which also qualified them to take part in the following season's National Knockout Competition. In the second round they defeated the famous Harlequins and received wide press coverage, prompting the famous quote 'beaten by a lay-by off the M6!' With eight teams representing Orrell at various levels in 1973, re-building began to add extra changing rooms, a gym and a kitchen. This work was finished in 1974 being officially opened on 4 April that year by the RFU President Micky Steele-Bodger. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="1980s">1980s</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: 1980s"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the 1980s Orrell had some memorable moments, winning the Lancashire cup for the 6th time in 8 years in the 1981–82 season. They finished 2nd in the Northern merit table in 1982–83 and were quarter finalists in the National Knockout Cup in successive seasons. In 1984–85 season they entered the record books setting a new record for the number of points scored in a season by an English club - 1295. Their consistency in the merit tables was recognised and Orrell joined the new <a href="/wiki/Courage_League" class="mw-redirect" title="Courage League">Courage League</a> set up in 1986–87 finishing 6th in 1987–88 and 4th in 1988–89. The club continued to go from strength to strength, reaching the <a href="/wiki/Pilkington_Cup" class="mw-redirect" title="Pilkington Cup">Pilkington Cup</a> semi and quarter finals on a number of occasions. They were an ever-present in the English First Division until 1997, and finished runners up to Bath in 1991–92, losing the title on the final day of the season following defeat by Wasps. The club built its strength on its commitment to junior rugby and bringing players up 'through the ranks', many of whom played for the first team and achieved representative honours. </p><p>Orrell always supported the Lancashire cause and was the backbone of the county side for many years, with the club itself becoming synonymous with the Red Rose success supplying many players including great county captains in Des Seabrook and Sammy Southern. During the re-introduction of Divisional rugby in the late 1980s, Orrell were well represented. For the game against the U.S.A. Eagles in 1989, Simon Langford, Gerry Ainscough, Sammy Southern, Neil Hitchen and Bob Kimmins were in the side that day. Between 1967 and 1987 Orrell won the <a href="/wiki/Glengarth_Sevens" title="Glengarth Sevens">Glengarth Sevens</a> at <a href="/wiki/Stockport_RUFC" title="Stockport RUFC">Stockport RUFC</a> a record 8 times. </p><p>On the international stage, Nigel Heslop, Gerry Ainscough, Neil Hitchen and Bob Kimmins were selected in the England 'B' side against Spain in 1989. <a href="/wiki/Frank_Anderson_(rugby_union)" title="Frank Anderson (rugby union)">Frank Anderson</a>, Peter Williams, Fran Clough, <a href="/wiki/David_Cusani" title="David Cusani">Dave Cusani</a>, Nigel Heslop, and Phil Jones have represented England, whilst playing for the Black <i>with</i> Ambers. John Carleton and Dewi Morris have also played for the British Lions. Simon Mason represented Ireland, Steve So'ioalo and Opeta Palepoi, Samoa with Andy Craig capped for Scotland. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Impact_of_rugby_union_becoming_a_professional_sport">Impact of rugby union becoming a professional sport</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Impact of rugby union becoming a professional sport"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The advent of the professional game hit the club hard. Poor financial management plunged the club into debt, and as figures began to spiral out of control, the club made the conscious decision at the beginning of the 1996–97 season to spend only what it could afford. By steadfastly refusing to chase the big-spending monied outfits, the club was faced with the mass exodus of sixteen of their first team squad. They were inevitably relegated. </p><p>Unable to return to the elite at the first time of asking, Orrell suffered a severe reduction in income and, as the financial screws began to tighten, a drastic re-appraisal of the financial and rugby structure of the club was carried out. Still refusing to mortgage their assets in an attempt to keep up with more wealthy competitors they decided to cut their cloth accordingly. The whole squad moved to part-time. The club managed to hang on at the second level until, despite a last-day home victory over London Welsh, a convenient draw between Otley and Bedford saved the status of both teams, seeing Orrell relegated to National Division Two at the end of the 2000–01 season. </p><p>Following relegation from the top flight, some club members, concerned about the diminishing level of senior rugby being played at Orrell, got together to re-form the Orrell third XV. The following year, the side was formally registered with the RFU as Orrell Anvils, a purely amateur side with good relations with the professional set-up, and entered the RFU league structure as a new side in the South Lancashire and Cheshire league. In the first league season 1998–99, with a very young side, the Anvils missed out on promotion by a single point, and part way through the season Colin Nicholson having been asked to coach the professional 2nd XV, passed on the coaching responsibility to a current coaching team headed by Tony Pegg. Recruitment of additional players took place during the summer of 1999, adding a number of experienced players to the existing squad of promising younger players. This blend of youth and experience saw the Anvils go through the 1999–2000 season unbeaten, winning the league and scoring over 500 points in 10 games by playing an expansive and attractive game. </p><p>The 'ethos' of the Anvils was one of enjoyment of rugby, both on and off the field. Competition for places in the side was strong, with a squad of over 30 players, yet team spirit remained high. Players with extensive first team experience such as Jeff Huxley, Nigel Heslop, Steve Taberner, Micky Glynn and Dick Fisher played alongside promising young players like Paul Engwell, Andy Carroll, David Honor, Mike Caldwell and Ricky Rimmer. The Anvils became the perfect vehicle for senior players, who had perhaps had enough of the pressures and demands of 1st XV rugby but who still wanted to enjoy playing the game, to pass on their experience to younger lads hoping to progress to play at a more senior level. From that point of view the Anvils became an integral part of the Orrell set up and saw players go on to play 2nd and 1st team rugby. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Orrellnorthstand.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Orrellnorthstand.jpg/220px-Orrellnorthstand.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="142" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Orrellnorthstand.jpg/330px-Orrellnorthstand.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Orrellnorthstand.jpg/440px-Orrellnorthstand.jpg 2x" data-file-width="450" data-file-height="290" /></a><figcaption>The £500,000 north stand contributed heavily to the club's financial troubles</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Investment_by_Dave_Whelan">Investment by Dave Whelan</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Investment by Dave Whelan"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>With the real possibility of not having enough players to start the 2001–02 season the Orrell directors decided that something had to be done. Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club Chairman <a href="/wiki/Maurice_Lindsay_(rugby_league)" title="Maurice Lindsay (rugby league)">Maurice Lindsay</a> and business tycoon <a href="/wiki/Dave_Whelan" title="Dave Whelan">Dave Whelan</a>, the then owner of the JJB Sports empire, had already been making noises about forming a rugby union side. Initial contact was made via Whelan's Finance Director Simon Moorehead and an exciting night saw the members promised £10,000,000 investment over 5 years, with Mr Whelan expressing the dream to be drinking red wine away to Toulouse in the European Cup in the not-too-distant future. Wide-eyed, and with these promises of future success, the members reluctantly sold their shares in the club for £1,000 each, to the new owners, with Lindsay becoming the club's new chairman. </p><p>Immediate changes were seen, not all of them universally popular with the former members, but Orrell began to prosper again. Most of the players who had been looking elsewhere were persuaded to stay, and some players were recruited. </p><p>Under the management of Sammy Southern as director of rugby, assisted by Bill Lyon, the team beat main rivals Plymouth Albion both home and away and took the league title at Nottingham, beating the home side 66–15, and were immediately promoted back to National One. Southern left at the end of the season. </p><p>During the close season, former Australian International flank-forward Ross Reynolds was appointed as head coach, most of the previous season's squad re-signed and further re-enforcements were drafted-in with the signing of Samoan scrum half Stephen So'oialo, hooker <a href="/wiki/Mike_Howe_(rugby_union)" title="Mike Howe (rugby union)">Mike Howe</a> from Newcastle, Steve Barretto a prop from Leinster, Drew Hickey a super 12 player from Australia, Simon Haughton, another rugby league international out of the Warriors stable, and Steve Moore a Welsh international lock. They went full-time at the end of the season and set their sights on Premiership rugby. With a new side coming together they had a disastrous opening month but then things improved, with them only losing one more league game throughout the campaign to finish a creditable 4th. Their season highlight was a 20–13 win over Exeter in the Powergen Shield final at Twickenham. </p><p>Off the field, Orrell's clubhouse was destroyed by arson in the early hours of Monday 12 August 2002, before the season had even begun but ominously as it proved, there was no rush by the new owners to rebuild. Irreplaceable items were lost, including representative and international shirts that had been donated to the club by former players, and the trophy cabinet containing much of the club's silverware. </p><p>Reynolds strengthened the side with various changes to the coaching and playing staff. Another successful season followed, losing only four games and finishing second to Worcester. Hopes were high that one more season would see them in the Premiership. With expectations high it came as a cruel blow that backer David Whelan decided to withdraw his investment after promising supporters that he was in for the 'long haul.' </p><p>News following a meeting seeking clarification of Whelan's exact intentions, revealed that he was giving ownership of the clubhouse and the first team pitch over to Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club, but offered a 25-year lease to Orrell at a prohibitively expensive rent. He also announced that his £30,000 per annum sponsorship of the club through his JJB Sports Store empire would cease at the end of the 2004 / 2005 season. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Return_to_ownership_by_members">Return to ownership by members</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Return to ownership by members"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Following Dave Whelan's announcement that he would no longer back Orrell in early 2004, a takeover bid was launched by a South African consortium led by millionaire businessman Johann Rupert.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The intention was to relocate the club to QPR's Loftus Road stadium and brand the new venture London Tribe. However, the offer was refused and Orrell was handed back to its members in the Summer of 2004. </p><p>The decision had immediate effect as nearly the whole squad and coaching staff left for pastures new and with little interest being shown by the management, there was a real danger that this once proud club could fold. In the end, <a href="/wiki/Sale_Sharks" title="Sale Sharks">Sale Sharks</a> Assistant Coach Mark Nelson took over coaching duties and assembled a squad with Richard Wilks had appointed as Club Captain. Unfortunately it was late in the day and the side began the season both underpowered and under-prepared. The frailties were immediately exposed and although they managed a draw away at Bedford with the help of players on loan from Sale Sharks, the arrangement with the Premiership club was less than successful with Orrell not knowing from one week to the next who was going to be available. They were relegated to National Two that season. </p><p>Although relegation was inevitable, it was to the club's great relief that towards the end of the season, the rebuilt clubhouse was opened, following almost three seasons without one. With the club reverting to a members committee, whose intention was to return Orrell to a 'proper' rugby club, former Irish international Simon Mason was appointed as full-time Director of Rugby with the brief of 'kick starting' the revival, the hope initially being one of consolidation in National Division Two. Although a sizable number of the previous season's squad had promised to stay, they subsequently left, leaving Mason and assistant Mike Howe to start, yet again, from square one. They began the season with a very young and inexperienced squad, and while they matured significantly it was a case of too little, too late and another relegation for the club. Whelan also limited Orrell's use of the clubhouse to matchdays-only, preventing any significant form of revenue generation. </p><p>Coach Mason was lured away by better financial prospects at Caldy, and the club appointed Chris Chudleigh as their new coach, joining the club from the British Army where he held the rank of captain. He worked as the Army Officer responsible for introducing and developing the military's sporting strategic initiatives in schools and youth organisations, nationwide, as part of the policy to introduce young people to a potential career in the Army. However, a lack of cash meant that few players remained from the previous season's National Two campaign, and while Fijians and Army players were brought in together with some talented young South Africans (like Jimmy Baloyi and Sibu Ndungane) and New Zealanders, the team struggled to excel. </p><p>As Orrell no longer owned Edge Hall Road, they had to train at a local college and to compound difficulties, they were deducted six league points by the RFU for playing two unregistered players at the beginning of the season against Morley. Off the field circumstances became similarly bleak, the once famous club are having to use the local Station Hotel as their headquarters, with the memorabilia that was left after the fire, transferred from the brand new clubhouse which Dave Whelan and Maurice Lindsay were no longer allowing them to use. It sat disused for 7 months before Wigan Warriors converted it into a high performance training centre in January 2007.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A thread-bare committee devoted as much of their spare time to the running of the club. This proved extremely difficult, as Chairman Tony Pegg was frequently travelling internationally, Treasurer Simon 'Chappers' Chapman was suffering with cancer, and a recent University graduate was managing the media and commercial areas from his bedroom. With no assets to appeal to sponsors, attracting investment to the ailing club was virtually impossible. </p><p>By the half-way point of the season, Orrell still had not won a game, and with this back-drop, the side started to break up, with many departing playing being replaced by university students. A members meeting confirmed the overwhelming feeling that the club should at least look into the possibility of moving elsewhere at the end of the season, providing a suitable location could be found. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Return_to_amateur_status">Return to amateur status</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Return to amateur status"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The story was becoming one of heartbreak for all those former players and stalwarts who had made Orrell one of the top clubs in the country before the professional era. A difficult, and at times heated process, off the field ensued, with the local newspaper reporting a group of members' intention to set up a breakaway club, before agreement from the existing committee that amateur rugby was the only way forward for rugby in Orrell, and a new start would allow the name and heritage of Orrell Rugby Union Football Club to move forward based on the values that were established by predecessors of this great club. </p><p>The season saw record losses for the club, the worst being a misery-compounding 18-try 124–0 defeat away to Blaydon, after finding just seventeen players able to travel to the fixture. Without a win and just two draws to their name, Orrell bode a sad farewell to Edge Hall Road on 21 April when they were defeated 24–17 by Morley despite a heroic and spirited performance from the Orrell youngsters. Chudleigh subsequently left the club at the end of another relegation season to join the coaching staff at <a href="/wiki/Halifax_RUFC" title="Halifax RUFC">Halifax RUFC</a>, a job he combined with the role of Community Marketing Manager for Sale Sharks. In 2008, he was appointed the new First XV coach at West Park St Helens RFC. </p><p>Orrell played the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons in the Euromanx South Lancs and Cheshire 2. Despite suffering a 10-point deduction in the 08/09 season (subsequently demoting the club to 11th of 12 teams) for repeatedly postponing games due to poor playing surfaces at St John Rigby, it is believed the club will remain at this level once the RFU restructuring is finalised. </p><p>For the club's inaugural season in SLC2, six players from the professional era stayed with the team - Brian Roberts, Martin McKeown, David Price, Andy Daley, Andrew Statter and John Hyland.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the 2010–11 season, the club was promoted from South Lancs and Cheshire 2. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Orrell_team_0607.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Orrell_team_0607.jpg/220px-Orrell_team_0607.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Orrell_team_0607.jpg/330px-Orrell_team_0607.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Orrell_team_0607.jpg/440px-Orrell_team_0607.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="768" /></a><figcaption>Orrell's last professional team</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Honours">Honours</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Honours"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><b>First team:</b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Glengarth_Sevens" title="Glengarth Sevens">Glengarth Sevens</a> main event winners (8): 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lancashire_Cup_Rugby_Union" class="mw-redirect" title="Lancashire Cup Rugby Union">Lancashire Cup</a> winners (10): 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1997</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gala_Sevens" title="Gala Sevens">Gala Sevens</a> winners: 1975</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Glengarth_Sevens" title="Glengarth Sevens">Glengarth Sevens</a> Davenport Plate winners: 1979</li> <li>Merit Table B champions: 1985–86</li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_League_1" title="National League 1">National 2</a> champions: <a href="/wiki/2001%E2%80%9302_National_Division_Two" title="2001–02 National Division Two">2001–02</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Powergen_Shield" class="mw-redirect" title="Powergen Shield">Powergen Shield</a> winners: 2003</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lancs/Cheshire_Division_Two" title="Lancs/Cheshire Division Two">Lancs/Cheshire 2</a> champions: 2010–11</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lancs/Cheshire_Division_One" title="Lancs/Cheshire Division One">Lancs/Cheshire 1</a> champions: 2019–20</li></ul> <p><b>Orrell Anvils (third team):</b> </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/South_Lancs/Cheshire_4" title="South Lancs/Cheshire 4">South Lancs/Cheshire 4</a> champions (2): 1999–00, 2000–01</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Ground">Ground</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Ground"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Edge_Hall_Road" title="Edge Hall Road">Edge Hall Road</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Orrelltrainingpitch.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Orrelltrainingpitch.jpg/220px-Orrelltrainingpitch.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="159" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Orrelltrainingpitch.jpg/330px-Orrelltrainingpitch.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Orrelltrainingpitch.jpg/440px-Orrelltrainingpitch.jpg 2x" data-file-width="680" data-file-height="490" /></a><figcaption>The 3 fields surrounding the main pitch prior to housing redevelopment</figcaption></figure> <p>Orrell played their home games at Edge Hall Road from 1950 until 2007. Sub-landlord Dave Whelan, who was granted ownership of the lease on the land in 2001 after paying members £1,000 each for their shares, subsequently bought the freehold of the site on the death of the owner and sold the three pitches that had hosted the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XV's as well as all Junior sides for over £3 million. </p><p>As Edge Hall Road was brown-belt land, Whelan was required to provide the same facilities of the three fields at an alternate venue before a deal to build housing on the land could be finalized. Eventually, he contributed £400,000 to the construction of the all-weather pitch at <a href="/wiki/St_John_Rigby" class="mw-redirect" title="St John Rigby">St John Rigby</a> college.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 2008, current owners Wigan Warriors tied up a sponsorship deal with the Co-operative. As such, Edge Hall Road has been renamed the Co-operative Community stadium. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Club_colours">Club colours</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Club colours"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Orrell traditionally played in black and amber hooped shirts until they formed their first major technical partnership in 1993 with Nuttalls, seeing them switch to an all-black home kit with yellow, red and white hoops on the arms. The away for that season was a reverse with amber the dominant colour. They employed a white version of this kit for their European tours and a red away version for the 1994–95 season. </p><p>They reverted to black and amber hoop designs with Cica (1995–97) and Halbro (1997–00) before switching to <a href="/wiki/Patrick_(shoe_company)" class="mw-redirect" title="Patrick (shoe company)">Patrick</a> in the summer of 2000. Their 2001–2005 jerseys were sponsored by <a href="/wiki/JJB_Sports" title="JJB Sports">JJB</a> and featured amber lines on the sides and sleeves. For the 2006–07 season, the club's kit was produced by Kooga and sponsored by Bullit Recruitment Solutions. For the 2008–09 season, the club reverted to its original badge and used a low-budget amber and black hooped jersey. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="League_performance">League performance</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: League performance"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <dl><dd><table class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"> <tbody><tr> <th style="width:180px;">Season </th> <th style="width:20px;">Pld </th> <th style="width:20px;">W </th> <th style="width:20px;">D </th> <th style="width:20px;">L </th> <th style="width:20px;">F </th> <th style="width:20px;">A </th> <th style="width:30px;">+/- </th> <th style="width:20px;">Pts </th> <th style="width:20px;">Pos </th> <th style="width:180px;">Notes </th></tr> <tr style="background:thistle;"> <td align="left">2008–09 <p>South Lancs & Cheshire 2 </p> </td> <td>22</td> <td>9</td> <td>0</td> <td>13</td> <td>313</td> <td>313</td> <td>0</td> <td>8</td> <td><b>11th</b></td> <td><b>-10 points for postponing 5 games</b> </td></tr> <tr style="background:#abcdef;"> <td align="left">2007–08 <p>South Lancs & Cheshire 2 </p> </td> <td>22</td> <td>13</td> <td>2</td> <td>7</td> <td>372</td> <td>313</td> <td>59</td> <td>26</td> <td><b>4th</b></td> <td><b>-2 points for postponing a game</b> </td></tr> <tr style="background:thistle;"> <td align="left">2006–07 <p>National League 3 North </p> </td> <td>26</td> <td>0</td> <td>2</td> <td>24</td> <td>293</td> <td>1219</td> <td>-926</td> <td>4</td> <td><b>14th</b></td> <td><b>Relegated</b> </td></tr></tbody></table></dd></dl> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notable_former_players">Notable former players</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Notable former players"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Lions_Tourists">Lions Tourists</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Lions Tourists"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The following Orrell players have been selected for the <a href="/wiki/British_%26_Irish_Lions" title="British & Irish Lions">Lions tours</a> while at the club: </p><p><a href="/wiki/John_Carleton_(rugby_union)" title="John Carleton (rugby union)">John Carleton</a> (<a href="/wiki/1980_British_Lions_tour_to_South_Africa" title="1980 British Lions tour to South Africa">1980</a> & <a href="/wiki/1983_British_Lions_tour_to_New_Zealand" title="1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand">1983</a>) </p><p><a href="/wiki/Dewi_Morris" title="Dewi Morris">Dewi Morris</a> (<a href="/wiki/1993_British_Lions_tour_to_New_Zealand" title="1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand">1993</a>) </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Rugby_World_Cup">Rugby World Cup</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Rugby World Cup"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The following are players which have represented their countries at the <a href="/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup" title="Rugby World Cup">Rugby World Cup</a> whilst playing for Orrell: </p> <table class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"> <tbody><tr> <th>Tournament </th> <th>Players selected </th> <th><a href="/wiki/England_national_rugby_union_team" title="England national rugby union team">England</a> players </th> <th>Other national team players </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/1987_Rugby_World_Cup" title="1987 Rugby World Cup">1987</a> </td> <td>2 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Peter_Williams_(English_rugby_player)" class="mw-redirect" title="Peter Williams (English rugby player)">Peter Williams</a>, <a href="/wiki/Fran_Clough" title="Fran Clough">Fran Clough</a> </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/1991_Rugby_World_Cup" title="1991 Rugby World Cup">1991</a> </td> <td>1 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Nigel_Heslop" title="Nigel Heslop">Nigel Heslop</a> </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/1995_Rugby_World_Cup" title="1995 Rugby World Cup">1995</a> </td> <td>1 </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Dewi_Morris" title="Dewi Morris">Dewi Morris</a> </td> <td> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/1999_Rugby_World_Cup" title="1999 Rugby World Cup">1999</a> </td> <td>1 </td> <td> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Steven_So%27oialo" title="Steven So'oialo">Steven So'oialo</a> <span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Samoa" title="Samoa"><img alt="Samoa" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/23px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/35px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/46px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="/wiki/2003_Rugby_World_Cup" title="2003 Rugby World Cup">2003</a> </td> <td>2 </td> <td> </td> <td><a href="/wiki/Andy_Craig" title="Andy Craig">Andy Craig</a> <span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland"><img alt="Scotland" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Flag_of_Scotland.svg/23px-Flag_of_Scotland.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Flag_of_Scotland.svg/35px-Flag_of_Scotland.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Flag_of_Scotland.svg/46px-Flag_of_Scotland.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span>, <a href="/wiki/Steven_So%27oialo" title="Steven So'oialo">Steven So'oialo</a> <span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Samoa" title="Samoa"><img alt="Samoa" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/23px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/35px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/46px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Other_notable_former_players">Other notable former players</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Other notable former players"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/England" title="England"><img alt="England" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/35px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/46px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Austin_Healey" title="Austin Healey">Austin Healey</a>, England & British Lions</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/England" title="England"><img alt="England" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/35px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/46px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Nick_Easter" title="Nick Easter">Nick Easter</a>, England</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Wales" title="Wales"><img alt="Wales" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Flag_of_Wales.svg/23px-Flag_of_Wales.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Flag_of_Wales.svg/35px-Flag_of_Wales.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Flag_of_Wales.svg/46px-Flag_of_Wales.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Wes_Davies" title="Wes Davies">Wes Davies</a>, Rugby League international with Wales</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/England" title="England"><img alt="England" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/35px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/46px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Simon_Haughton" title="Simon Haughton">Simon Haughton</a>, England <a href="/wiki/Rugby_league" title="Rugby league">Rugby league</a> International & <a href="/wiki/Super_League_Grand_Final" title="Super League Grand Final">Super League Grand Final</a> Winner</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/England" title="England"><img alt="England" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/35px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/46px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Neil_McCarthy_(rugby_player)" class="mw-redirect" title="Neil McCarthy (rugby player)">Neil McCarthy</a>, England</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/England" title="England"><img alt="England" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/35px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/46px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Brian_Ashton_(rugby_union)" title="Brian Ashton (rugby union)">Brian Ashton</a>, <a href="/wiki/England_national_rugby_union_team" title="England national rugby union team">England</a> head coach</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/Samoa" title="Samoa"><img alt="Samoa" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/23px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/35px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/46px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="600" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Alfie_Vaeluaga" title="Alfie Vaeluaga">Alfie To'oala</a>, Samoa</li> <li><span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/England" title="England"><img alt="England" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/35px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/46px-Flag_of_England.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></span> <a href="/wiki/Dan_Luger" title="Dan Luger">Dan Luger</a>, England & British Lions</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation news cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/3658703.stm">"Orrell reject takeover bid"</a>. <i>BBC News</i>. 26 April 2004. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121201075237/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/english/3658703.stm">Archived</a> from the original on 1 December 2012.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=BBC+News&rft.atitle=Orrell+reject+takeover+bid&rft.date=2004-04-26&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2Fsport2%2Fhi%2Frugby_union%2Fenglish%2F3658703.stm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOrrell+R.U.F.C." class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGallagher2006" class="citation news cs1">Gallagher, Brendan (12 October 2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20120915084738/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/10/12/srabou12.xml">"It's grim up north for Orrell"</a>. <i>The Daily Telegraph</i>. London. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/10/12/srabou12.xml">the original</a> on 15 September 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">20 May</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Daily+Telegraph&rft.atitle=It%27s+grim+up+north+for+Orrell&rft.date=2006-10-12&rft.aulast=Gallagher&rft.aufirst=Brendan&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fmain.jhtml%3Fxml%3D%2Fsport%2F2006%2F10%2F12%2Fsrabou12.xml&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOrrell+R.U.F.C." class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.orrellrufc.co.uk/newsletters/Orrell_Rugby_Newsletter_Issue_6.pdf">Orrellrufc.co.uk</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080516214149/http://www.orrellrufc.co.uk/newsletters/Orrell_Rugby_Newsletter_Issue_6.pdf">Archived</a> 16 May 2008 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/Wigan-Athletic-frozen-out-at.4873525.jp">Wigan Athletic frozen out at college - News - Wigan Today</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090330164209/http://www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/Wigan-Athletic-frozen-out-at.4873525.jp">Archived</a> 30 March 2009 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><span class="official-website"><span class="url"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.orrellrugbyunion.com/">Official website</a></span></span> <span class="mw-valign-text-top" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3356673#P856" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20" /></a></span></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="National_League_2_North" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:National_League_2_North" title="Template:National League 2 North"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:National_League_2_North" title="Template talk:National League 2 North"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:National_League_2_North" title="Special:EditPage/Template:National League 2 North"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="National_League_2_North" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/National_League_2_North" title="National League 2 North">National League 2 North</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">2024–25 teams</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Billingham_RUFC" title="Billingham RUFC">Billingham</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chester_RUFC" title="Chester RUFC">Chester</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fylde_RFC" title="Fylde RFC">Fylde</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Harrogate_RUFC" title="Harrogate RUFC">Harrogate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hull_RUFC" title="Hull RUFC">Hull</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hull_Ionians" title="Hull Ionians">Hull Ionians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leeds_Tykes" title="Leeds Tykes">Leeds Tykes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lymm_RFC" title="Lymm RFC">Lymm</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Otley_R.U.F.C." title="Otley R.U.F.C.">Otley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Preston_Grasshoppers_R.F.C." title="Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C.">Preston Grasshoppers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sheffield_RUFC" title="Sheffield RUFC">Sheffield</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sheffield_Tigers_RUFC" title="Sheffield Tigers RUFC">Sheffield Tigers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tynedale_RFC" title="Tynedale RFC">Tynedale</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wharfedale_R.U.F.C." title="Wharfedale R.U.F.C.">Wharfedale</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Former clubs</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ampthill_RUFC" title="Ampthill RUFC">Ampthill</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aspatria_RUFC" title="Aspatria RUFC">Aspatria</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Barkers_Butts_RFC" title="Barkers Butts RFC">Barkers Butts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bedford_Athletic" title="Bedford Athletic">Bedford Athletic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Beverley_RUFC" title="Beverley RUFC">Beverley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Birkenhead_Park_FC" title="Birkenhead Park FC">Birkenhead Park</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Birmingham_%26_Solihull_R.F.C." title="Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C.">Birmingham & Solihull</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Blaydon_RFC" title="Blaydon RFC">Blaydon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bournville_RFC" title="Bournville RFC">Bournville</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bradford_%26_Bingley_RFC" title="Bradford & Bingley RFC">Bradford & Bingley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Broadstreet_RFC" title="Broadstreet RFC">Broadstreet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bromsgrove_RFC" title="Bromsgrove RFC">Bromsgrove</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Broughton_Park_RUFC" title="Broughton Park RUFC">Broughton Park</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Caldy_RFC" title="Caldy RFC">Caldy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chester_RUFC" title="Chester RUFC">Chester</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cleckheaton_RUFC" title="Cleckheaton RUFC">Cleckheaton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Darlington_RFC" title="Darlington RFC">Darlington</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Darlington_Mowden_Park_R.F.C." title="Darlington Mowden Park R.F.C.">Darlington Mowden Park</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Derby_RFC" title="Derby RFC">Derby</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Doncaster_Knights" title="Doncaster Knights">Doncaster</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dudley_Kingswinford_RFC" title="Dudley Kingswinford RFC">Dudley Kingswinford</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Durham_City_RFC" title="Durham City RFC">Durham City</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Halifax_RUFC" title="Halifax RUFC">Halifax</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hereford_RFC" title="Hereford RFC">Hereford</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hinckley_RFC" title="Hinckley RFC">Hinckley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Huddersfield_R.U.F.C." title="Huddersfield R.U.F.C.">Huddersfield</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kendal_RUFC" title="Kendal RUFC">Kendal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leicester_Lions_RFC" title="Leicester Lions RFC">Leicester Lions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lichfield_RUFC" title="Lichfield RUFC">Lichfield</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Liverpool_St_Helens_F.C." title="Liverpool St Helens F.C.">Liverpool St Helens</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Longton_RUFC" title="Longton RUFC">Longton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Loughborough_Students_RUFC" title="Loughborough Students RUFC">Loughborough Students</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Luctonians" title="Luctonians">Luctonians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Macclesfield_R.U.F.C." title="Macclesfield R.U.F.C.">Macclesfield</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Manchester_Rugby_Club" title="Manchester Rugby Club">Manchester</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Morley_R.F.C." title="Morley R.F.C.">Morley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_Brighton_F.C._(rugby_union)" title="New Brighton F.C. (rugby union)">New Brighton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Northern_Football_Club" title="Northern Football Club">Northern</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nuneaton_R.F.C." title="Nuneaton R.F.C.">Nuneaton</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Orrell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Peterborough_Lions_RFC" title="Peterborough Lions RFC">Peterborough Lions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rotherham_Titans" title="Rotherham Titans">Rotherham Titans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leeds_Tykes" title="Leeds Tykes">Roundhay</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rugby_Lions" title="Rugby Lions">Rugby Lions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sale_FC_Rugby_Club" title="Sale FC Rugby Club">Sale FC</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sandal_RUFC" title="Sandal RUFC">Sandal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sedgley_Park_R.U.F.C." title="Sedgley Park R.U.F.C.">Sedgley Park</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scunthorpe_RUFC" title="Scunthorpe RUFC">Scunthorpe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Birmingham_%26_Solihull_R.F.C." title="Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C.">Solihull</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/South_Leicester_RFC" title="South Leicester RFC">South Leicester</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stockport_RUFC" title="Stockport RUFC">Stockport</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stoke-on-Trent_RUFC" title="Stoke-on-Trent RUFC">Stoke-on-Trent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stourbridge_R.F.C." title="Stourbridge R.F.C.">Stourbridge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Towcestrians_Sports_Club" title="Towcestrians Sports Club">Towcestrians</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vale_of_Lune_RUFC" title="Vale of Lune RUFC">Vale of Lune</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Walsall_RFC" title="Walsall RFC">Walsall</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Waterloo_F.C." title="Waterloo F.C.">Waterloo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/West_Hartlepool_R.F.C." title="West Hartlepool R.F.C.">West Hartlepool</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/South_Shields_Westoe_RFC" title="South Shields Westoe RFC">Westoe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/West_Park_St_Helens" title="West Park St Helens">West Park</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Whitchurch_RFC" title="Whitchurch RFC">Whitchurch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Winnington_Park" title="Winnington Park">Winnington Park</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Worcester_Warriors" title="Worcester Warriors">Worcester</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Seasons</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Area League North</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1987%E2%80%9388_Courage_Area_League_North" title="1987–88 Courage Area League North">1987–88</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1988%E2%80%9389_Courage_Area_League_North" title="1988–89 Courage Area League North">1988–89</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1989%E2%80%9390_Courage_Area_League_North" title="1989–90 Courage Area League North">1989–90</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National 4 North</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1990%E2%80%9391_Courage_National_4_North" title="1990–91 Courage National 4 North">1990–91</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_Courage_National_4_North" title="1991–92 Courage National 4 North">1991–92</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1992%E2%80%9393_Courage_National_4_North" title="1992–93 Courage National 4 North">1992–93</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National Division 4</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1993%E2%80%9394_Courage_League_Division_4" title="1993–94 Courage League Division 4">1993–94</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1994%E2%80%9395_Courage_League_Division_4" title="1994–95 Courage League Division 4">1994–95</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1995%E2%80%9396_Courage_League_Division_4" title="1995–96 Courage League Division 4">1995–96</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National Division 4 North</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1996%E2%80%9397_Courage_League_Division_4_North" title="1996–97 Courage League Division 4 North">1996–97</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National Division 2 North</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1997%E2%80%9398_National_League_2_North" title="1997–98 National League 2 North">1997–98</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1998%E2%80%9399_National_League_2_North" title="1998–99 National League 2 North">1998–99</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1999%E2%80%932000_National_League_2_North" title="1999–2000 National League 2 North">1999–00</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National Division 3 North</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/2000%E2%80%9301_National_Division_Three_North" title="2000–01 National Division Three North">2000–01</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2001%E2%80%9302_National_Division_Three_North" title="2001–02 National Division Three North">2001–02</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2002%E2%80%9303_National_Division_Three_North" title="2002–03 National Division Three North">2002–03</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2003%E2%80%9304_National_Division_Three_North" title="2003–04 National Division Three North">2003–04</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_National_Division_Three_North" title="2004–05 National Division Three North">2004–05</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2005%E2%80%9306_National_Division_Three_North" title="2005–06 National Division Three North">2005–06</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2006%E2%80%9307_National_Division_Three_North" title="2006–07 National Division Three North">2006–07</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2007%E2%80%9308_National_Division_Three_North" title="2007–08 National Division Three North">2007–08</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2008%E2%80%9309_National_Division_Three_North" title="2008–09 National Division Three North">2008–09</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National League 2 North</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/2009%E2%80%9310_National_League_2_North" title="2009–10 National League 2 North">2009–10</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_National_League_2_North" title="2010–11 National League 2 North">2010–11</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_National_League_2_North" title="2011–12 National League 2 North">2011–12</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_National_League_2_North" title="2012–13 National League 2 North">2012–13</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_National_League_2_North" title="2013–14 National League 2 North">2013–14</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2014%E2%80%9315_National_League_2_North" title="2014–15 National League 2 North">2014–15</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_National_League_2_North" title="2015–16 National League 2 North">2015–16</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2016%E2%80%9317_National_League_2_North" title="2016–17 National League 2 North">2016–17</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2017%E2%80%9318_National_League_2_North" title="2017–18 National League 2 North">2017–18</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2018%E2%80%9319_National_League_2_North" title="2018–19 National League 2 North">2018–19</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_National_League_2_North" title="2019–20 National League 2 North">2019–20</a></li> <li><s>2020–21</s></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2021%E2%80%9322_National_League_2_North" title="2021–22 National League 2 North">2021–22</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_National_League_2_North" title="2022–23 National League 2 North">2022–23</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_National_League_2_North" title="2023–24 National League 2 North">2023–24</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2024%E2%80%9325_National_League_2_North" title="2024–25 National League 2 North">2024–25</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Original_Courage_Division_1_clubs,_1987–88" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Original_Courage_League_1_clubs" title="Template:Original Courage League 1 clubs"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Original_Courage_League_1_clubs" title="Template talk:Original Courage League 1 clubs"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Original_Courage_League_1_clubs" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Original Courage League 1 clubs"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Original_Courage_Division_1_clubs,_1987–88" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Original <a href="/wiki/Premiership_Rugby" title="Premiership Rugby">Courage Division 1</a> clubs, <a href="/wiki/1987%E2%80%9388_Courage_League" class="mw-redirect" title="1987–88 Courage League">1987–88</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bath_Rugby" title="Bath Rugby">Bath</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bristol_Bears" title="Bristol Bears">Bristol</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coventry_R.F.C." title="Coventry R.F.C.">Coventry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gloucester_Rugby" title="Gloucester Rugby">Gloucester</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Harlequin_F.C." title="Harlequin F.C.">Harlequins</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leicester_Tigers" title="Leicester Tigers">Leicester</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Birmingham_Moseley_Rugby" title="Birmingham Moseley Rugby">Moseley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nottingham_R.F.C." title="Nottingham R.F.C.">Nottingham</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Orrell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sale_Sharks" title="Sale Sharks">Sale</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wasps_RFC" title="Wasps RFC">Wasps</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Waterloo_F.C." title="Waterloo F.C.">Waterloo</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Premiership_Rugby" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2" style="background:#2a2b6b;color:#FFFFFF;"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Premiership_Rugby" title="Template:Premiership Rugby"><abbr title="View this template" style="color:#FFFFFF">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Premiership_Rugby" title="Template talk:Premiership Rugby"><abbr title="Discuss this template" style="color:#FFFFFF">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Premiership_Rugby" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Premiership Rugby"><abbr title="Edit this template" style="color:#FFFFFF">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Premiership_Rugby" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Premiership_Rugby" title="Premiership Rugby"><span style="color:white;">Premiership Rugby</span></a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#2a2b6b;color:#FFFFFF;;width:1%">2024–25 teams</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bath_Rugby" title="Bath Rugby">Bath</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bristol_Bears" title="Bristol Bears">Bristol Bears</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exeter_Chiefs" title="Exeter Chiefs">Exeter Chiefs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gloucester_Rugby" title="Gloucester Rugby">Gloucester</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Harlequin_F.C." title="Harlequin F.C.">Harlequins</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leicester_Tigers" title="Leicester Tigers">Leicester Tigers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Newcastle_Falcons" title="Newcastle Falcons">Newcastle Falcons</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Northampton_Saints" title="Northampton Saints">Northampton Saints</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sale_Sharks" title="Sale Sharks">Sale Sharks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saracens_F.C." title="Saracens F.C.">Saracens</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#2a2b6b;color:#FFFFFF;;width:1%">Former clubs</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bedford_Blues" title="Bedford Blues">Bedford Blues</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coventry_R.F.C." title="Coventry R.F.C.">Coventry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Leeds_Tykes" title="Leeds Tykes">Leeds Tykes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Liverpool_St_Helens_F.C." title="Liverpool St Helens F.C.">Liverpool St Helens</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/London_Irish" title="London Irish">London Irish</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/London_Scottish_F.C." title="London Scottish F.C.">London Scottish</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/London_Welsh_RFC" title="London Welsh RFC">London Welsh</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Birmingham_Moseley_Rugby" title="Birmingham Moseley Rugby">Moseley</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nottingham_R.F.C." title="Nottingham R.F.C.">Nottingham</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Orrell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Richmond_F.C." title="Richmond F.C.">Richmond</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rosslyn_Park_F.C." title="Rosslyn Park F.C.">Rosslyn Park</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rotherham_Titans" title="Rotherham Titans">Rotherham Titans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rugby_Lions" title="Rugby Lions">Rugby Lions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wasps_RFC" title="Wasps RFC">Wasps</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Waterloo_F.C." title="Waterloo F.C.">Waterloo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/West_Hartlepool_R.F.C." title="West Hartlepool R.F.C.">West Hartlepool</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Worcester_Warriors" title="Worcester Warriors">Worcester Warriors</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#2a2b6b;color:#FFFFFF;;width:1%">Seasons</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;background:#2a2b6b;color:#FFFFFF;">National Division One</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1987%E2%80%9388_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1987–88 Courage League National Division One">1987–88</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1988%E2%80%9389_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1988–89 Courage League National Division One">1988–89</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1989%E2%80%9390_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1989–90 Courage League National Division One">1989–90</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1990%E2%80%9391_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1990–91 Courage League National Division One">1990–91</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1991–92 Courage League National Division One">1991–92</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1992%E2%80%9393_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1992–93 Courage League National Division One">1992–93</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1993%E2%80%9394_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1993–94 Courage League National Division One">1993–94</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1994%E2%80%9395_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1994–95 Courage League National Division One">1994–95</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1995%E2%80%9396_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1995–96 Courage League National Division One">1995–96</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1996%E2%80%9397_Courage_League_National_Division_One" title="1996–97 Courage League National Division One">1996–97</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;background:#2a2b6b;color:#FFFFFF;">Premiership Rugby</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/1997%E2%80%9398_Premiership_Rugby" title="1997–98 Premiership Rugby">1997–98</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1998%E2%80%9399_Premiership_Rugby" title="1998–99 Premiership Rugby">1998–99</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/1999%E2%80%932000_Premiership_Rugby" title="1999–2000 Premiership Rugby">1999–2000</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2000%E2%80%9301_Premiership_Rugby" title="2000–01 Premiership Rugby">2000–01</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2001%E2%80%9302_Premiership_Rugby" title="2001–02 Premiership Rugby">2001–02</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2002%E2%80%9303_Premiership_Rugby" title="2002–03 Premiership Rugby">2002–03</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2003%E2%80%9304_Premiership_Rugby" title="2003–04 Premiership Rugby">2003–04</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2004%E2%80%9305_Premiership_Rugby" title="2004–05 Premiership Rugby">2004–05</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2005%E2%80%9306_Premiership_Rugby" title="2005–06 Premiership Rugby">2005–06</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2006%E2%80%9307_Premiership_Rugby" title="2006–07 Premiership Rugby">2006–07</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2007%E2%80%9308_Premiership_Rugby" title="2007–08 Premiership Rugby">2007–08</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2008%E2%80%9309_Premiership_Rugby" title="2008–09 Premiership Rugby">2008–09</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2009%E2%80%9310_Premiership_Rugby" title="2009–10 Premiership Rugby">2009–10</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_Premiership_Rugby" title="2010–11 Premiership Rugby">2010–11</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_Premiership_Rugby" title="2011–12 Premiership Rugby">2011–12</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_Premiership_Rugby" title="2012–13 Premiership Rugby">2012–13</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_Premiership_Rugby" title="2013–14 Premiership Rugby">2013–14</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2014%E2%80%9315_Premiership_Rugby" title="2014–15 Premiership Rugby">2014–15</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2015%E2%80%9316_Premiership_Rugby" title="2015–16 Premiership Rugby">2015–16</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2016%E2%80%9317_Premiership_Rugby" title="2016–17 Premiership Rugby">2016–17</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2017%E2%80%9318_Premiership_Rugby" title="2017–18 Premiership Rugby">2017–18</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2018%E2%80%9319_Premiership_Rugby" title="2018–19 Premiership Rugby">2018–19</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_Premiership_Rugby" title="2019–20 Premiership Rugby">2019–20</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2020%E2%80%9321_Premiership_Rugby" title="2020–21 Premiership Rugby">2020–21</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2021%E2%80%9322_Premiership_Rugby" title="2021–22 Premiership Rugby">2021–22</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2022%E2%80%9323_Premiership_Rugby" title="2022–23 Premiership Rugby">2022–23</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_Premiership_Rugby" title="2023–24 Premiership Rugby">2023–24</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/2024%E2%80%9325_Premiership_Rugby" title="2024–25 Premiership Rugby">2024–25</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="background:#2a2b6b;color:#FFFFFF;;width:1%">Other</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Premiership_Rugby_top_scorers" title="Premiership Rugby top scorers">Premiership Rugby top scorers</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Premiership_Rugby_Cup" title="Premiership Rugby Cup">Premiership Rugby Cup</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Big_Game_(rugby_union)" title="The Big Game (rugby union)">Big Game</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slater_Cup" title="Slater Cup">Slater Cup</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Showdown_(rugby_union)" title="The Showdown (rugby union)">The Showdown</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&oldid=1256872917">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&oldid=1256872917</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Premiership_Rugby_teams" title="Category:Premiership Rugby teams">Premiership Rugby teams</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Rugby_union_teams_in_England" title="Category:Rugby union teams in England">Rugby union teams in England</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Rugby_clubs_established_in_1927" title="Category:Rugby clubs established in 1927">Rugby clubs established in 1927</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Sport_in_the_Metropolitan_Borough_of_Wigan" title="Category:Sport in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan">Sport in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:1927_establishments_in_England" title="Category:1927 establishments in England">1927 establishments in England</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Rugby_union_in_Greater_Manchester" title="Category:Rugby union in Greater Manchester">Rugby union in Greater Manchester</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Webarchive_template_wayback_links" title="Category:Webarchive template wayback links">Webarchive template wayback links</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_needing_additional_references_from_January_2024" title="Category:Articles needing additional references from January 2024">Articles needing additional references from January 2024</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_needing_additional_references" title="Category:All articles needing additional references">All articles needing additional references</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_dmy_dates_from_February_2015" title="Category:Use dmy dates from February 2015">Use dmy dates from February 2015</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Use_British_English_from_February_2015" title="Category:Use British English from February 2015">Use British English from February 2015</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 12 November 2024, at 00:14<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms of Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy" class="extiw" title="foundation:Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy policy">Privacy Policy</a>. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/">Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.</a>, a non-profit organization.</li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:About">About Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-contact"><a href="//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us">Contact Wikipedia</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikipedia.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orrell_R.U.F.C.&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-f69cdc8f6-x5wzj","wgBackendResponseTime":151,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.393","walltime":"0.622","ppvisitednodes":{"value":3505,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":103843,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":5123,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":14,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":13,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":37325,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":1,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 488.156 1 -total"," 19.65% 95.899 1 Template:Reflist"," 17.00% 82.983 5 Template:Navbox"," 16.93% 82.660 1 Template:Infobox_rugby_team"," 15.66% 76.463 1 Template:National_League_2_North"," 14.85% 72.469 1 Template:Infobox"," 14.71% 71.827 2 Template:Cite_news"," 14.06% 68.651 2 Template:Short_description"," 13.07% 63.792 1 Template:More_citations_needed"," 11.79% 57.534 1 Template:Ambox"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.209","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":5230496,"limit":52428800}},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.eqiad.main-5dc468848-mggld","timestamp":"20241122144247","ttl":724636,"transientcontent":true}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Orrell R.U.F.C.","url":"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Orrell_R.U.F.C.","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q3356673","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q3356673","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2005-12-28T00:42:11Z","dateModified":"2024-11-12T00:14:23Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/9\/9a\/Orrell_R.U.F.C.png","headline":"English rugby union club"}</script> </body> </html>