Cranbrook RFC

Rugby team

Cranbrook RFC

Full name| Cranbrook Rugby Football Club
Union| Kent RFU
Founded| 1958; 67 years ago (1958)
Location| Cranbrook, Kent, England
Ground(s)| Tomlin Ground
League(s)| Kent 1
2019–20| Runners up (promoted to London 3 South East)

Cranbrook Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club in Cranbrook, Kent, England. They were founded in 1958 and play in London 3 South East having recently been promoted as runners up from Kent 1.[1]

## History

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Though rugby had been recorded as being played in Cranbrook in the 1930s,[2] Cranbrook RFC in their current form were founded in 1958. They were founded by Mike McMinnies after taking part in a rugby match between students of Cranbrook School and some former Cranbrook School pupils in 1957.[3] The club play at the Tomlin Ground which was planned to undergo a £1.69 million redevelopment in 2019.[4]

Cranbrook won the Kent Vase in 2014[5] and retained it the next year.[6] In 2019, Cranbrook hosted a training camp run by Premiership Rugby team Harlequins. This was subject to a mistaken report issued by the Midweek Herald newspaper which mistakenly claimed it was being run in Cranbrook, Devon, some 200 miles (320 km) away, rather than at Cranbrook RFC.[7] During the 2019–20 season, the club reached the regional final of the RFU Junior Vase but lost to Hendon at the home of Premiership Saracens, Allianz Park.[8] In the league, they won promotion from Shepherd Neame Kent 1 to London 3 South East after the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom cancelled the season but Cranbrook earned promotion under the Rugby Football Union's best playing record formula.[1]

### International players

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Ruaridh McConnochie started his career with Cranbrook before representing the England and Great Britain national rugby sevens teams and later the England national rugby union team.[9] Nathan Earle also played for Cranbrook before joining Saracens and playing for England.[10]

## Club honours

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* Kent 3 champions: 1992–93
* Kent 1 champions (2): 1996–97, 2013–14
* Kent Salver winners: 2011–12
* Kent Vase winners (2): 2013–14, 2014–15

## References

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1. ^ a b Cawdell, Luke (4 April 2020). "Tonbridge Juddians, Ashford, Folkestone and Cranbrook rugby clubs have their promotion confirmed by the RFU". Kent Messenger. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
2. ^ "A history of the club". Crowborough RFC. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
3. ^ "Mike McMinnies: Passing of a vice-president of Kent County RFU". Kent RFU. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
4. ^ "Cranbrook raise cash for clubhouse". Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
5. ^ "Vase Success despite late drama". Kent Messenger. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2020 - via Pressreader.
6. ^ "Cranbrook Kent Vase final". Becchamian RFC. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
7. ^ Walker, James. "Devon weekly apologises after running front page story about event in Kent". Press Gazette. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
8. ^ "Hendon claim 'greatest victory' in London & South East final of RFU Junior Vase". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
9. ^ "How Ruaridh McConnochie arrived with England, via sevens, tragedy and New Zealand". The Times. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.(subscription required)
10. ^ "Saracens winger Nathan Earle". Rugby World. Retrieved 1 May 2020. `{{cite magazine}}`: Cite magazine requires `|magazine=` (help)