Imperial Medicals Rugby Club ("Imperial Medics") is the name given to the rugby union team of Imperial College School of Medicine Students' Union, a modern amalgam of three formerly distinct hospital rugby clubs each with a long history, having all been founded in the nineteenth century. The teams from Charing Cross Hospital and Westminster Hospital were the first to merge in 1984 following the union of their respective Medical Departments. When St Mary's Hospital, London also merged in 1997 the team was strengthened by one of the two most successful hospital sides in London. Imperial Medics is notable for its recent dominance of the oldest competition in rugby, the United Hospitals Cup, as well as its history and the joint history of its constituent elements which have produced a large number of international players.
History The history of Imperial Medicals Rugby Club is the combined history of three older sides, and their joint history from the point of merger:
St Mary's Hospital Medical School - October 1865 Charing Cross Hospital Medical School - 1875 Westminster Hospital Medical School - 1897 Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School - 1981 Imperial College School of Medicine - 1997
Competitions Since Inauguration in 1997 IMRFC have enjoyed the following successes: United Hospitals Cup Winners - 98, 99, 00, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 14 United Hospital Cup Sevens Winners - 00, 04, 05, 06, 08, 12, 13, 17 J. P. R. Williams Cup Winners (IMRFC v Imperial College) - 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 14 Winners of Herts/Middlesex 1 Courage League and Promotion to London North West 3 - 1999 Promotion to BUSA Premiership South in 1999, 2003, 2006, 2010 2nd XV United Hospitals Cup Winners - 01, 03, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 14 2nd XV Varsity Match Winners - 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 15 2nd XV Middlesex Merit League Division 3 Winners - 07 3rd XV United Hospitals Cup Winners - 01, 02, 03, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 3rd XV Varsity Match Winners - 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 14, 17 +United Hospital Challenge Cup winsHospital TeamFirst CompetedLast CompetedCurrent StatusWinsTotal Wins including constituent elementsImperial Medics1998presentActive1351St Mary’s18741997Part of Imperial Medics3232Charing X/ Westminster19831997Part of Imperial Medics36Westminster18971982Part of Imperial Medics33Charing Cross18751982Part of Imperial Medics00
Notable former players Internationals St Mary's Source:Brendan Gallagher, St Mary's Paddington a rugby powerhouse, 19 Mar 2008
- : D J Cussen (1921-27) - Tuppy Owen-Smith (1934-37) - captain, also 5 caps for the South Africa cricket team - Tommy Kemp (1937-48) - captain - Edward Scott (1947-48) - captain - Nim Hall (1947-55) - Norman "Billy" Bennett (1947-48)Norman Bennett profile at scrum.com - Lewis Cannell (1948-57) - : Jim Murphy-O'Connor (1954) - N M Campbell (1956) - Trevor Wintle (1966-69) - J. P. R. Williams (1969-81) - Kevin Simms (1985-88) - Richard Wintle (1988)
Westminster Sidney Nelson Crowther (1903)Crowther was part of the Great Britain team that toured Australia and New Zealand in 1904 although he never represented his country.
Imperial Medicals - Nnamdi Obi - England Sevens, England Students - James Logan - England Students - Dimitri Amiras - Greece - Tom Rees - Vaki Antoniou
Notable non-internationals David Rocyn-Jones, a former president of the Welsh Rugby Union
References
External links Imperial Medicals on Twitter