REVEALED: 10 things you didn’t know about Wasps RFC

RUCK brings you 10 facts you didn’t know about Premiership side Wasps.

1. Hampstead Football Club was founded in 1866. A split in the membership resulted in the formation of two different clubs: Harlequin F.C. and Wasps

2. The Club gained its name largely due to the fashion of the Victorian period when clubs tended to adopt the names of insects.

3. Lawrence Dallaglio was the clubs longest serving captain in history, leading the side from 1999 to 2008

4. From 1996 to 2002 Wasps played their home games at Queens Park Rangers’ home ground, Loftus Road, in West London

5. The Club’s first home was in Finchley Road in North London

6. For the Club’s 90th birthday, the team enjoyed playing a rare full International XV at Twickenham.

7. The club hasn’t had an English head coach since 2002 with Sir Ian McGeechan (Scotland), Warren Gatland (New Zealand) and Dai Young (Wales) leading the club in recent times.

8. They’ve finished in every position in the Premiership other than bottom and 10th since the league was established in 1998.

9. They won the Heineken Cup in 2003–04 and 2006–07, the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 1999, 2000 and 2006 and the English Premiership in 1990, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008.

10. In 2014, Wasps finally emerged from what was a perilous situation at times and completed the full purchase of the Ricoh Arena in Coventry after 12 years at Adams Park

MORE STORIES:

• How Wasps could line up next season

• Ranking Wasps 10 best players of All-time

• James Haskell to decide between two clubs

• The Best Uncapped England Rugby XV