{{for|the association football club founded in 1862|Barnes Football Club}} {{Short description|English rugby union club, based in London}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox rugby team | teamname = Barnes | image = Barnes rfc rose.png | imagesize = 150 | union = Middlesex RFU, Surrey RFU | fullname = Barnes Rugby Football Club | founded = c. 1920 <small>(as Harrodians RFC)</small><ref name="history"/> | location = Barnes, Richmond upon Thames, London, England | ground = Barn Elms | capacity = 1,000 | chairman = Colum Mannix | url = https://www.barnesrfc.org/ | league = National League 2 East | season = 2025–26 | position = 4th <!-- home --> | pattern_la1 = _whiteborder | pattern_b1 = _goldhoops | pattern_ra1 = _whiteborder | pattern_sh1 = _goldbottom | pattern_so1 = _hoops gold | leftarm1 = 064321 | body1 = 064321 | rightarm1 = 064321 | shorts1 = 064321 | socks1 = 064321 <!-- away --> | pattern_la2 = | pattern_b2 = _whitecollar | pattern_ra2 = | pattern_sh2 = | pattern_so2 = | leftarm2 = 000066 | body2 = 000066 | rightarm2 = 000066 | shorts2 = 000066 | socks2 = 000066 <!-- third --> | pattern_la3 = | pattern_b3 = | pattern_ra3 = | pattern_sh3 = | pattern_so3 = | leftarm3 = | body3 = | rightarm3 = | shorts3 = | socks3 = }}

'''Barnes Rugby Football Club''' (formerly '''Harrodians Rugby Football Club''') is a rugby union club based in Barnes, London. The club currently play in the fourth tier of the English league system, National League 2 East, following an increase of fourth tier leagues from two to three.

==History== The club's website states that it was established in Barnes in the 1920s.<ref name="history">{{cite web |title=Barnes RFC History |url=http://www.barnesrfc.org/a/barnes-rfc-history-28772.html}}</ref> For many years the club played at the Harrodian Club before moving to its Barn Elms location in 1987 when the grounds were sold to form a school.<ref name="history"/> Barnes RFC first XV has been promoted eight times since being positioned in Surrey Division Three in 1987. The club changed its name from Harrodians to Barnes at the beginning of the 1992–93 season.

===Claim of continuity with Barnes Football Club=== In 2002, the club's website claimed continuity with Barnes Football Club, stating that "[o]ur earliest recorded match was November 1862 versus Richmond, played at Barn Elms. We won that match and the replay that followed. For many years we played as Harrodians RFC before moving to our Barn Elms location in 1987."<ref>{{cite web |title=About BRFC |url=http://www.barnesrfc.org:80/About_BRFC/about_brfc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020810010628/http://www.barnesrfc.org/About_BRFC/about_brfc.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 August 2002 |access-date=20 May 2021 }}</ref> In 2005, this claim was amplified in ''The Daily Telegraph'' by BBC sports presenter John Inverdale. Inverdale, who stated that he was "[f]or reasons that I'm not altogether clear about, ... one of a number of vice-presidents" of Barnes RFC, wrote that "in 1839, according to the club records, Barnes RFC were born, playing fixtures against a whole mish-mash of teams of which no match results have been kept."<ref>{{cite journal |title=My assumptions about 'oldest' were confounded by Barnes|first=John |last=Inverdale |journal=The Daily Telegraph |date=2005-11-02 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/2367614/My-assumptions-about-oldest-were-confounded-by-Barnes.html}}</ref>

In 2008, the rugby club's website weakened this claim, stating only that "Barnes Rugby Club is a club with a rich history and was established in Barnes in the 1920s. Although there are indeed possibilities that our earliest recorded match was in November 1862 versus Richmond and played at Barn Elms, it is from the 1920s that our true history is clear."<ref>{{cite web |title=Barnes RFC - a club going places! |url=http://www.barnesrfc.org:80/all-about-us.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215213355/http://www.barnesrfc.org/all-about-us.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 February 2008 |access-date=20 May 2021 }}</ref> As of 2018, similar wording remains on the current version of the rugby club's website.<ref name="history"/>

==Honours== * Surrey 3 champions: 1987–88{{efn|Won when club was known as Harrodians RFC.}} * Surrey 2 champions (2): 1988–89, 1992–93{{efn|Both titles won when club was known as Harrodians RFC – 1988–89 title was for Surrey 2A.}} * Surrey 1 champions: 1995–96 * London 2 (south-east v south-west) promotion play-off winner: 2002–03 * London Division 2 South champions: 2004–05 * National League 3 (south-east v south-west) promotion play-off winners (2): 2008–09, 2014–15 * London & South East Premier champions (2): 2010–11, 2017–18

==Current standings== {{2025–26 National League 2 East}}

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{official website}}

{{National League 2 East}} {{National League 2 South}} {{Authority control}} {{coord|51|28|30|N|0|14|13|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=title}}

Category:Clubs and societies in London Category:Rugby clubs established in 1920 Category:Rugby union teams in London Category:Sport in Barnes, London Category:Sport in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Category:1920 establishments in England