North Manchester RUFC

North Manchester Rugby Club (aka North Manchester RUFC) is an amateur sports club situated 5 miles north of the center of Manchester. It is the only rugby union club within the city of Manchester, north of the center.

• North Lancashire Division 2 champions: 2013–14

Prestwich Rugby Union Football Club was founded in 1921, and during the 1930's rented two fields from Waterdale Dyeing and Finishing Company Ltd. and built a pavilion. The teams (they managed to raise 3) had a long, uphill walk back home after their matches.

There is not much written history of the club at this point in time.

Club Location to 1951: (53°31'35.3"N 2°18'28.9"W)

In 1951, the club left its roots in Prestwich and began a new chapter as Prestwich & Middleton Rugby Union Football Club. What stood before them was little more than a bare shell of a clubhouse — but over the next five years, through the hard work and goodwill of members, relatives, and friends, it was slowly transformed into a true home for rugby and camaraderie.

The early 1980s brought darker days. By 1981, the club was struggling to survive amid a harsh economic climate. Spiralling council rates, dwindling membership — with only two teams left — and damage to the unfenced playing fields all took their toll. For a time, it seemed the club might fade into history.

Then, in 1983, another challenge arose. Rochdale Council decided that the land the club occupied would be redeveloped for housing. Once again, Prestwich & Middleton were forced to seek a new home. An initial proposal — a 14-acre site between Alkrington Hall Road and Kings Drive — offered hope, but the wet, poorly drained ground proved unsuitable. Undeterred, the club looked further afield, determined to find a place where its story could continue.

Club Location 1951-1985: (53°32'43.7"N 2°13'20.4"W)

In 1985, the landscape of English rugby changed forever with the creation of the Northern Division Rugby Union League — the first official league system in Britain. For North Manchester Rugby Union Football Club, it marked the start of a bold new chapter. With a new home, new players, and now a place in organised competition, North were placed in the East Division Two, facing the likes of Alsager College, Ashton-on-Mersey, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bowdon, Broughton, Bury, Manchester YMCA, Metrovic, Old Bedians, and Toc H.

The following seasons brought steady progress, with North Manchester proudly fielding three teams — a testament to the club’s growing strength and spirit.

In 1990, North Manchester merged with Oldham Colleges RUFC, continuing to field three senior teams and a veterans’ side. The new partnership expanded the club’s fixture list, taking them from the North Midlands to Cumbria and across to the Fylde Coast and North Yorkshire.

Just a year later, the club faced another setback as half its land was claimed through compulsory purchase for the construction of the M60 motorway. Despite this, the remaining pitches continued to host matches right up until building work began.

Further challenges came in 1996, when the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) submitted plans to develop the club’s site. Although the proposal was scaled back to cover only the western half, it was a heavy blow. Around this time, the club also dropped from three teams to two, as player availability began to wane.

The early 2000s proved testing. North Manchester were reduced to a single team and slipped into the intermediate leagues, at times struggling to field even a bare fifteen. Yet the club’s resolve never faltered.

Determination paid off. North began to rediscover their form, finishing mid-table in 2009 and 2010 before an impressive surge saw them finish second in the North Lancs 2 League — earning promotion to North Lancs 1.

Life in North Lancs 1 proved difficult, with the club unable to rise above 11th place and eventually being relegated back to Lancashire Division 2.

Then came the season. Twenty wins, one draw (we don’t talk about that one), and no losses — a record that still brings a smile to all who were there.

Over the next few years, the RFU restructured the leagues several times. Through all the changes, North Manchester held their own, finishing mid-table on average. Between 2010 and 2019, the club was once again fielding a second XV — and came close to running a third.

The years that followed brought familiar hardship. Injuries and retirements hit hard — and then came Covid. The pandemic took its toll across all levels of rugby, and North Manchester was no exception. Players moved on, some gave up the game entirely, others even left the country. Results suffered, confidence dipped, and the club dropped once again into the intermediate leagues — not for lack of numbers, but because the standard of rugby simply could not be maintained.

The challenges of the past — from lost land and league demotions to economic hardship and pandemic silence — have only strengthened the club’s character. Every tackle, every try, every pint raised in the bar is a reminder of how far the club has come, and how much it means to all who call it home.

The journey continues — built on history, fuelled by pride, and carried forward by every player, volunteer, and supporter who wears the badge of North Manchester RUFC.

Club Location 1985-Present: (53°31'35.2"N 2°10'38.6"W)

• Official North Manchester Rugby Club website
• Official Clothing Site

53°31′33″N 2°10′37″W / 53.52596°N 2.176949°W / 53.52596; -2.176949