Kilmarnock RFC

Kilmarnock Rugby Football Club, nicknamed Killie, is a Scottish rugby union club which was founded in 1868, and is based in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire in west central Scotland. They play in RBS NATIONAL 1. Their ground is at Bellsland in Kilmarnock, and they were formerly based at Rugby Park (hence its name).

One of the oldest rugby clubs in Scotland, Kilmarnock Football Club owes its existence to KRFC as an internal dispute about which football rules to adopt resulted in a breakaway in early 1869 by those who preferred to play Association Football.

History

KRFC’s long history has been one of varied success and interesting stories.When the Scottish National Leagues were introduced in 1973, Killie were, much to their annoyance, placed in the 3rd Division by the Scottish Rugby Union. This was promptly won that season without loss. The following season saw Killie being runners up in Division 2, gaining promotion to the top league. They remained there until 1981 after which a period of promotion and relegation between the 1st and 2nd Divisions was the norm.In 1978, Killie achieved their highest league position by finishing 3rd in Division 1. In 1986, Killie were the only team to beat the mighty Hawick as they swept all aside to win yet another Championship.

Since the change in league structure to embrace professionalism, Killie have struggled to hold onto their better players and now languish in Division 2 of the BT National Leagues, effectively the old Division 5.An interesting...
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