Barnes Rugby Football Club

Barnes Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based at Barn Elms Playing Fields in Barnes. The club traces its origins to the Harrodians RFC, first registered with the Rugby Football Union in September 1912, and today fields multiple senior, women’s, and junior teams. A registered charity (no. 1168231), Barnes RFC competes in National League 2 East — the fourth tier of English rugby — and runs one of the largest youth rugby programmes in south-west London.

Origins and the Harrodian Connection

The club’s roots lie in the Harrodian Club, a sports and social club established in 1894 for employees of the Harrods department store. Based at a twenty-five-acre site on Lonsdale Road in Barnes from 1904, the Harrodian Club offered cricket, tennis, football, and rugby among other sports. The rugby section was registered with the RFU for the 1912–13 season as Harrodians RFC.

The club operated from the Harrodian grounds until the Harrodian Club formally closed in March 1990. The site was subsequently sold and converted into the Harrodian School (opened 1993). The rugby club relocated to Barn Elms Playing Fields and in the 1992–93 season adopted the name Barnes RFC. The club celebrated its centenary in 2013, dating from the 1912 RFU registration.

The club’s earlier claim of a link to Barnes Football Club (founded 1862 by Ebenezer Cobb Morley) has been set aside — Barnes FC was an association football club whose 1862 rules explicitly prohibited carrying the ball.

Barn Elms

Barnes RFC plays at Barn Elms Playing Fields, an approximately fifty-two-acre multi-sport complex on Queen Elizabeth Walk managed by the Barn Elms Sports Trust since 2012. The club’s clubhouse accommodates up to two hundred people, with a fully equipped bar and facilities available for private hire. The club raised over £40,000 for the “Barnes Big Build” project — a children’s playground and trim trail adjacent to the clubhouse.

Competitive History

After relocating to Barn Elms around 1990, the first XV began in Surrey Division Three and has since earned eight promotions. Key milestones include promotion to London 3 South West in the 2001–02 season and promotion to National League 2 in 2008–09. In the 2024–25 season the first XV finished third in National League 2 East with 102 points, behind promoted Tonbridge Juddians and runners-up Dorking.

Club Structure

Barnes RFC operates as a broad community club with teams across all ages:

Senior men:

• 1st XV (National League 2 East)
• 2nd XV
• Outriders (3rd XV)
• Occasionals (social rugby)

Veterans:

• Baa-Baa’s, Originals, and Old Barnes

Women:

• Barnes Women — the women’s section has represented the club at Twickenham

Youth:

• Minis (mixed, Under-5 to Under-12) — over 370 registered players
• Junior Boys — over 240 registered players
• Junior Girls
• Colts (Under-18) and Under-22

In total the youth section includes more than 700 players, supported by 175 volunteers. The club’s annual income was approximately £399,000 in the year to May 2025.

Community Role

As a registered charity, Barnes RFC’s objectives include promoting community participation in healthy recreation and advancing the education of children and young people.

The club’s Floodlit Friday Tag Rugby Festivals — held on autumn evenings under lights — introduce over 400 children from local state primary schools to tag rugby each year, free of charge. The Barnow Cares programme supports Rugby Against Cancer and partners with the Charlie Waller Trust for mental health initiatives. The club also sponsors children to participate in training, matches, and tours.

Practical Information

• Ground: Barn Elms Playing Fields, Queen Elizabeth Walk, Barnes, London SW13 0DG
• Website: www.barnesrfc.org
• League: National League 2 East (4th tier)
• Charity number: 1168231
• Company number: 10247798
• Clubhouse: available for private hire (capacity 200)

Sources

1. Barnes RFC — Official Website
2. Barnes RFC — Wikipedia
3. Barnes — 100 Not Out or Are We Older? — Barnes RFC News
4. Barnes RFC — Charity Commission (no. 1168231)
5. Barnes RFC Fixtures — England Rugby