2=. Marlborough School – 1850
The school has gone on to produce 38 full internationals and four England captains.
2=. Neuenheim College – 1850
Safe to say, it was a surprise to see a German club pop up researching this. In the mid-19th century, a number of affluent British students attended private schools in Germany, bringing the early incarnations of rugby to the country.
2=. Durham Grammar School – 1850
Founded in 1850, it played a large part in helping the development of the game through the end of the 19th century; even the Barbarians played against them in 1897 (in an 18-5 win for the Baa Baas).
1. Guy’s Hospital – 1843
The foundation date of Guy’s Hospital Rugby Club in 1843 is accepted by both the Rugby Football Union and the Guinness Book of Records, making Guy’s officially the oldest rugby club in the world.
The date of 1843 is based on evidence predominantly in the form of a card outlining the club’s fixtures in their 40th season from 1883-84.
Other clubs — all listed below (sorry, Trinity, Barnes and Blackheath, in particular) — also lay claim to being the oldest, but lack the same evidence.
