{{Short description|English rugby union club, based in Cranbrook, Kent}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox rugby team | teamname = Cranbrook RFC | image = File:Cranbrook RFC logo.svg | nickname = | union = Kent RFU | location = Cranbrook, Kent, England | countryflag = England | fullname = Cranbrook Rugby Football Club | founded = {{start date and age|1958}} | ground = Tomlin Ground | capacity = | chairman = | president = | coach = | captain = | league = Counties 1 Kent | season = 2024–25 | position = 11th | url = }}
'''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.<ref name=ko>{{cite web|first=Luke |last=Cawdell |url=https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/sport/let-this-help-to-bring-a-smile-in-times-of-stress-and-strains-225128/ |title=Tonbridge Juddians, Ashford, Folkestone and Cranbrook rugby clubs have their promotion confirmed by the RFU |publisher=Kent Messenger |date=2020-04-04 |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref>
== History == Though rugby had been recorded as being played in Cranbrook in the 1930s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crowboroughrugby.com/a/history-of-the-club-40333.html |title=A history of the club |publisher=Crowborough RFC |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kent-rugby.org/news/mike-mcminnies-passing-of-a-vice-president-of-kent-county-rfu/ |title=Mike McMinnies: Passing of a vice-president of Kent County RFU |publisher=Kent RFU |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref> The club play at the Tomlin Ground which was planned to undergo a £1.69 million redevelopment in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.englandrugby.com/news/article/cranbrook-raise-cash-for-clubhouse |title=Cranbrook raise cash for clubhouse |publisher=Rugby Football Union |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref>
Cranbrook won the Kent Vase in 2014<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/kent-messenger-maidstone/20140502/283326110360624 |title=Vase Success despite late drama |publisher=Kent Messenger |via=Pressreader |date=2014-05-02 |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref> and retained it the next year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/beccehamianrfc/teams/16052/match-centre/0-2890198 |title=Cranbrook Kent Vase final |publisher=Becchamian RFC |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref> 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 {{convert|200|miles}} away, rather than at Cranbrook RFC.<ref>{{cite news|last=Walker |first=James |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/devon-weekly-apologises-after-running-front-page-story-about-event-in-kent/ |title=Devon weekly apologises after running front page story about event in Kent |publisher=Press Gazette |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/sport/rugby/hendon-27-cranbrook-22-1-6569418 |title=Hendon claim 'greatest victory' in London & South East final of RFU Junior Vase |publisher=Hampstead Highgate Express |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref> 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.<ref name=ko />
===International players=== 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/rugby-union/article/how-ruaridh-mcconnochie-arrived-with-england-via-sevens-tragedy-and-new-zealand-rdfvcq6q5 |title=How Ruaridh McConnochie arrived with England, via sevens, tragedy and New Zealand |work=The Times |date=2019-09-04 |access-date=2020-05-01}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Nathan Earle also played for Cranbrook before joining Saracens and playing for England.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/in-the-mag/hotshots/hotshots-saracens-winger-nathan-earle-40585 |title=Saracens winger Nathan Earle |publisher=Rugby World |access-date=2020-05-01}}</ref>
==Honours== *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 == {{Reflist}}
Category:Rugby union teams in Kent Category:Cranbrook, Kent Category:Rugby clubs established in 1958