Ealing Football Club (Rugby Union) played its first match in 1869 on Ealing Common, prior to the founding of the RFU in 1871. The early years saw regular fixtures against the likes of Wasps, London Irish, Harlequins, Richmond and Blackheath with a 75% win rate for a long period.
Between 1894 and 1958 the club moved location numerous times: Hanger Lane – West Middlesex Polo Club – Gunnersbury Park – Drayton Green – Syon Lane – Horsenden Hill. Now the club is located at Trailfinders Sports Ground, just south of the A40 at the upper end of West Ealing.
Ealing Rugby Club’s centenary match was played against Harlequins in 1971. The 1970s and ’80s saw Ealing playing a superior standard of rugby union with the club supplying many county level players for Middlesex.
In 1987 the club finished top of London Division 1 and over the next six years was never lower than 2nd in London 1 or higher than 10th in National 4. Ealing won the Middlesex Cup three times in this period.
Unfortunately the early 1990s saw great reductions in the number of home grown Colts and new mature talent joining the club and in 1996 Ealing were relegated from London 1 with further challenging times since.
Corrective action was taken, youth and minis sections were formed and the Club moved to a new ground at Trailfinders Sports Club in 1999.
Ealing Rugby Club is now the premier venue for rugby in West London. The Club is now thriving at all levels. The Ealing Trailfinders 1st XV competes in the Greene King IPA Championship. The Men’s Section fields four sides with the Exiles and Evergreens growing stronger each season. The Minis and Youth Sections have teams in all age groups and on Sundays the club is a sea of green and white clad junior players with over 750 registered players. We are fortunate to have a fantastic partner and main sponsor in Trailfinders. Their facilities at Vallis Way are superb and include both the Centenary Clubhouse and the Olympic Pavilion.
We continue to build excellent relationships with National and Local businesses and look to attract further support and investment in the coming years.
We continue to provide top quality coaching & support staff and volunteer effort all of which is totally focused in making Ealing Rugby Club the best junior rugby clubs in the world.