View source for Hitchin Rugby Club

{{refimprove|date=November 2018}}
{{COI|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| image       =
| fullname   = Hitchin Rugby Club
| union      = [[Hertfordshire Rugby Football Union|Hertfordshire RFU]]
| location = [[Hitchin]], [[Hertfordshire]], [[England]]
| founded    = {{Start date and age|1954}}
| ground     = King George V Playing Fields, Old Hale Way, Hitchin, SG5 1XL
| president = David Marshall
| chairman = Peter Tasko
| captain = James Bolter
| coach     = Gavin McLeod
| league     = [[Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex]]
| season    = 2022-23
| position  = 5th
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|leftarm1               = 800000
|body1                  = 800000
|rightarm1              = 800000
|shorts1                = 800000
|socks1                 = 800000
|pattern_la2            =
|pattern_b2             = _whitemaroon_hoops
|pattern_ra2            =
|pattern_sh2            =
|pattern_so2            = _hoops_white
|leftarm2               = FFFFFF
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|shorts2                = 800000
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|url= www.hitchinrugby.com
}}
'''Hitchin Rugby Club''' is a [[Rugby football|rugby]] club based in [[Hitchin]], [[Hertfordshire]], [[England]].  They currently play in [[Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex]] - a league at the 7th level of the [[English rugby union system]] - following their promotion from [[London 3 North West]] in the 2021-22 season.
==Formation==
The club was formed in 1954.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hitchinrugby.com/About.aspx |title=Hitchin Rugby Limited |website=www.hitchinrugby.com |access-date=2018-11-12}}</ref> Highlights have included playing at Twickenham in the final of the national Junior RFU Cup in 1993,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-union-commentary-fleetwood-confirm-their-progress-with-cup-triumph-provincial-insurance-end-1453496.html |title=Rugby Union / Commentary: Fleetwood confirm their progress with cup |work=The Independent |access-date=2018-11-12 |language=en-GB}}</ref> and the establishment of the country's first Academy.{{fact|date=November 2018}} The Club received the RFU 'Club Seal of Approval' in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rugbynetwork.net/main/s245/st176249.htm |title=Winners Announced for the 2012 RFU President's XV Awards |website=Unofficial England Rugby Union |access-date=2018-11-12}}</ref>
==Men's rugby==
Hitchin's 1st XV competes in the [[Counties 1 Herts/Middlesex]] league following the club's promotion from [[London 3 North West]] at the end of the 2021/22 season, whilst also running two senior sides in the Herts/Middlesex merit tables. Hitchin finished the 2018-19 season as champions of [[Herts/Middlesex 1]], returning to [[London 3 North West]] at the first attempt.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/london-se-division/2018-2019/group/26594#/results |title=England Rugby |website=www.englandrugby.com |access-date=2019-04-11}}</ref>
==Notable Players==
* {{flagicon|DEN}} Dan Wiggins, [[Denmark national rugby union team|Danish national team]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Warner |first=Adrian |date=2023-05-12 |title=Amateur brothers turn international after Google search |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/amateur-brothers-turn-international-after-google-search-2023-05-12/ |access-date=2023-05-12}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|DEN}} Ben Wiggins, [[Denmark national rugby union team|Danish national team]]<ref name=":0" />
==Youth rugby==
The Mini and Youth Section was founded in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hitchinrugby.com/About.aspx |title=Hitchin Rugby Limited |website=www.hitchinrugby.com |access-date=2018-11-12}}</ref> The section currently has a membership of over 650, running teams for boys and girls aged 5-18.
==Women's rugby==
The Ladies 1xv team currently play in Women's Championship Midlands 2, the third tier of Women's rugby, following promotion as champions of Women's NC1 Midlands in the 2019-20 season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/search-results?competition=1782&division=21838&season=2019-2020#table |title=England Rugby |website=www.englandrugby.com |access-date=2021-05-30}}</ref> The Ladies 2xv team, founded in the 2019/20 season, currently play in women's NC2 South East (North), the fifth tier of Women's rugby.
==Club Honours==
*[[Hertfordshire 2]] champions: 1988–89
*[[Herts/Middlesex 1]] champions (2): 2004-05, 2018-19<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/competitions/london-se-division/2018-2019/group/26594#/results |title=England Rugby |website=www.englandrugby.com |access-date=2019-04-11}}</ref>
*[[Hertfordshire Presidents' Trophy]] winners: 2005<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/files.pitchero.com/counties/72/1476037439.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAITBHWE46F2QIZWKQ&Expires=1554981389&Signature=rLwXqjart0rdh6n9nYDbYD2pH18%3D |title=Herts Rugby |website=www.hertsrugby.co.uk |access-date=2019-04-11}}{{dead link|date=February 2020}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.hitchinrugby.com  Official Hitchin Rugby Club Site]
*[http://www.hitchinrugby.com/Rss/1/Clubrss.xml RSS Feed]
{{Rugby union in England}}
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[[Category:Rugby union clubs in Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:Hitchin]]