Bicester RUFC

Bicester Rugby Union Club
UnionOxfordshire RFU
Nickname(s)Foxes
Founded1948; 76 years ago (1948)
LocationBicester, Oxfordshire, England
Ground(s)Oxford Road
ChairmanEngland Chris Dabell
Coach(es)England Gareth Whiffen
League(s)Counties 1 Southern North
2022–234th
Team kit
Official website
www.bicesterrufc.co.uk

Bicester Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club situated in Bicester, 10 miles north of Oxford.

The club provides rugby for children from the age of 4 (under-5s, or school reception year) up to the under-18 (colts), two girls teams, and a senior section which includes the women's team (Vixens), Bicester men's 2nd XV, and 1st XV.

Bicester 1st XV participates in Counties 1 Southern North following their relegation from South West 1 East at the end of the 2017–18 season. Bicester's U13s+ youth age grades and seniors currently play at Whitelands Farm Sports Ground, whilst the minis (up to under-12s) are located at the Bicester Sports Association (BSA) Ground on Akeman Street, Chesterton..

In February 2020, the club was named national KidsFirst Champions by the Rugby Football Union in recognition of its focus on providing a positive development environment for mini-youth rugby.[1][2]

Bicester RUFC had played at the Oxford Road sports ground from the club's inception in 1948, until 2020. The ground, which was owned by the BSA, was sold to Bicester Village.[3] Plans to expand the BSA site at Chesterton were refused by Cherwell District Council after concerns raised by Oxfordshire County Council Highways Department on transport and accessibility of the site.[4]

  1. ^ "Bicester RUFC named as RFU Quilter Kids First Champions".
  2. ^ "RFU".
  3. ^ "Town council bids for Bicester grounds to keep sport in town". 26 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Plans for 'top sporting facility in Oxfordshire' thrown out by council". 26 June 2020.