// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Maldon RFC say to the ball? You're always being passed around.
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| Full name | Maldon Rugby Union Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Essex RFU | ||
| Nickname(s) | 2nd XV Men - 'Vikings', 3rd XV Men - 'Abbotts' | ||
| Founded | 1947 | ||
| Ground | Drapers Farm | ||
| Chairman | Dan Doherty | ||
| President | Matt Ager | ||
| |||
| Official website | |||
| maldonrfc | |||
Maldon Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Heybridge, Maldon District, Essex. The 1st XV Men's team currently competes in Counties 1 Essex, which sits at the seventh tier of the English rugby union league system.[2] The club colours are royal blue and white hoops.[3]
History
[edit]The first attempt to establish Rugby in Maldon was spearheaded by Mancunian Leslie Dexter between 1944 and 1946. His idea was to help servicemen get weekly recreation and to raise money for the Red Cross, by running seven-aside competitions against other teams.[4][5]
The club was founded in the summer of 1947,[3] by Welshman Tommy Harries, who was the landlord of The King's Head Hostelry (public house) on Maldon High Street. He called together a group of mainly ex-servicemen, many of Welsh origin, who played rugby. The inaugural meeting was held on 28 August at the Blue Boar Hotel.[6] In September, the first game was played against Ipswich RFC.
In 1984 the club moved to its present headquarters at Drapers Farm;[3] at this stage the league systems, which are still in place, were introduced. The 1990's was a particularly transformative time for Maldon RFC; with organised coaching and regular training, the club swiftly climbed the ranks from Eastern Counties 3 up to London 3 North East. [7]
Honours
[edit]1st XV
[edit]- Unbeaten Essex 1 League Champions: 2021 - 2022[8]
- Essex President's Shield Winners 2021 - 2022: postponed victory in 2023
- Unbeaten Counties 2 Essex League Champions: 2022 - 2023
- Essex Intermediate Cup Winners 2025 - 2026
2nd XV
[edit]- John Adler Trophy Winners: 2022 - 2023[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Maldon RFC Constitution".
- ↑ "Rugby fixtures, results and stats for Maldon | Rugby Football Union". englandrugby.
- 1 2 3 Newcombe, Jon (ed.). Rugby Connected Yearbook 2015-2016. Twickenham: The Rugby Football Union. p. 524. ISBN 978-1-904626-74-9. OCLC 1450992675.
- ↑ Chaplin, J. C. (1944-12-01). "RUGBY FOR MALDON". Chelmsford Chronicle. p. 4. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
- ↑ Blackwater (1947-08-15). "Local Rugger men want to form a club". Essex Newsman. p. 4. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
- ↑ "Window in Maldon: Last minute crew saved the 'bus strike". Essex Newsman. 5 September 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 26 June 2026 – via The British Library and findmypast.co.uk.
- ↑ "Rugby club invites everyone to join action packed day to celebrate anniversary". Maldon and Burnham Standard. 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ Roper, Christopher (2022-04-18). "Maldon Rugby Union Football Club win Essex 1 League unbeaten (2021 - 2022)". Maldon Nub News. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "CHAMPIONS!". maldonrfc.rfu.club. Retrieved 2026-06-25.