Saracens Rugby Club () is an English professional rugby union club based in North London, currently playing in the Gallagher PREM – the highest level of competition in England – and European Professional Club Rugby.
Established in 1876, the club has spent most of its existence in and around Southgate in the London Borough of Barnet. Since 2012, Saracens have played their home games at Copthall Stadium (currently known as StoneX Stadium for sponsorship reasons) in Hendon, in the borough of Barnet. Before this, they played at Vicarage Road in Watford for 15 years, the current home of Watford F.C. The club's home kit playing colours are black and red. They are also affiliated with the Saracens Women's team, which competes in the top tier Premiership Women's Rugby competition.
Saracens have won 11 major trophies. They have been crowned European champions on three occasions – in 2016, 2017 and 2019. The club has also won the English Premiership six times – most recently in 2023 – and the domestic cup twice – in 1998, and 2015. In addition, they have won Champ Rugby, the second division title, three times – in 1989, 1995, and 2021.
History
Origins Saracens were founded in 1876 by the Old Boys of the Philological School in Marylebone, London (later to become St Marylebone Grammar School). The club's name is said to come from the "endurance, enthusiasm, and perceived invincibility of Saladin's desert warriors of the 12th century". The fact that their local rivals were called the "Crusaders" may also have been a factor. The Crescent and Star appearing in the club's emblem are reminiscent of those appearing on the flag of Tunisia.
Saracens amalgamated with neighbouring club Crusaders two years later. In 1892, Saracens moved from Crown Lane, Southgate, to Firs Farm, Winchmore Hill. They then played on nine different grounds before the move to Bramley Road, Southgate,How to Find Us Saracens Amateur Rugby Football Club for the 1939–40 season (although the Second World War prevented them from playing there until 1945).
After their inaugural match against Blackheath, the Saracens had to wait another 9 years before Harlequins offered to include them on their fixture list. Saracens found it difficult to get games against first-class sides as the facilities at Bramley Road were so poor.
The club produced several internationals in the pre-league era, such as hooker John Steeds who won five caps representing England from 1949 to 1950; Vic Harding, a lock also for England from 1961 to 1962; and George Sherriff, an England back-rower from 1966 to 1967.
The club enjoyed fixtures with the leading clubs for many years and enjoyed a particularly successful time in the 1970s when they reached the semi-finals of the National Cup. Special games played at Bramley Road during this period include the 1971 match against a select International XV. The game was reportedly attended by a 5,000 strong crowd (the largest ever to watch a rugby union game in North London at the time). They came to watch a magnificent contest, ending Saracens 34 International XV 34.
This Saracens team also won the 1972 Middlesex Cup, beating Met Police in the final.Haydn Perry, Saracens Official 1876–1976 Centenary Brochure, 1976, Erreys Printers Ltd Wasps were beaten in three Middlesex Cup finals in 1976, 1980, and 1986.
The Courage leagues After some bleak years in the early 1980s, the club responded to the challenge of the Courage League, and with Floyd Steadman as captain and Tony Russ as coach, they won the second division in 1989 with a 100% record. The next year in the first division they surprised many by finishing fourth in the league behind Wasps, Gloucester, and Bath.
Within the space of two years, Saracens had lost Jason Leonard to Harlequins, Dean Ryan to Wasps, and Ben Clarke to Bath. Many proclaimed that they were quickly becoming a nursery for the more prestigious clubs. The 1992–93 season saw the leagues restructured. This caused Saracens and three other clubs to get relegated to the second division. In 1993–94 Saracens finished third and narrowly missed out on promotion but the following year they finished as champions and were again back in the top flight.
Former player David Wellman was given the task to re-brand Saracens. He gave former player Mike Smith the remit to take Saracens professional. A sponsor was required to improve the ground and playing staff. Saracens' seesaw existence over the nineties was about to continue in 1995–96 when they again found themselves at the wrong end of the table along with West Hartlepool but they were saved by their new CEO Mike Smith, who persuaded the RFU that there should be no relegation for the first season of professional rugby.
The professional era
1996–2000 In November 1995, Saracens gained the financial backing of Nigel Wray. This enabled the club to recruit the likes of Michael Lynagh, Philippe Sella, Francois Pienaar and Kyran Bracken. Saracens moved again to Enfield F.C.'s ground, Southbury Road, and they started the new season with a victory over title favourites Leicester. They only finished seventh, just missing out on Heineken Cup qualification.
The 1997–98 season was a landmark year. They began a ground share with Watford FC and their 22,000 all-seater Vicarage Road Stadium. The agreement ran until February 2013, when Saracens relocated to Barnet Copthall.
The appointment of Peter Deakin as Chief Executive saw Saracens splashed all over the broadsheets, tabloids, magazines and TV and with the help of a small band of fez-wearing followers that had been following the club for a number of years, "the year of the Fez" began.
Close season signings like Danny Grewcock, Roberto Grau, Gavin Johnson and Ryan Constable joined forces with the home grown talent of Tony Diprose, Richard Hill and Steve Ravenscroft to form a side that would prove a significant force during the season. This team lost only three games during the season to finish second in the Premiership, missing out narrowly to Newcastle, another club that had embraced the changes that the professional game had brought.
Consolation for missing out on the league title came in the then principal domestic cup competition, the Tetley Bitter Cup. Saracens beat Wasps by 48–18 in the cup final at Twickenham, in doing so equalling Bath's cup final record score of 48 points. Their run had included a 59-point win over Blackheath, a 14–13 victory over Leicester, a quarter final 36–30 win over Richmond, followed by a victory over Northampton. It was the first major silverware that Saracens had won in their 122-year history. The game was also notable for being the last competitive game for two legends of the sport, Lynagh and Sella. Both of them were inducted into Saracens' Hall of Fame.
After a solid start to 1998–99 season, Saracens were rocked in December when they lost to third from bottom London Scottish in a shock defeat at home, but a win against Bedford and West Hartlepool and a draw with Wasps still saw them in touch with leaders Leicester. The second half of the season was a roller coaster ride with Saracens going from eighth and out of European contention after a run of four losses, to eventually finishing third as London's top club.
The 1999–2000 season saw more big name players move to Vicarage Road, with Mark Mapletoft, Thierry Lacroix, Scott Murray and Dan Luger joining the club, along with Darragh O'Mahony and the up-and-coming Julian White. With the squad ravaged by World Cup duty and then injury the club's first attempt at the Heineken Cup was not a happy one. They lost three games by a couple of points in the last seconds of the game and did not make the quarter finals.
With a few games left, they were looking at a possible failure to qualify for Europe again, but Kyran Bracken returned from a ten-month injury to inspire Saracens into fourth place and Heineken Cup qualification.
2000–2006 2000–01 saw another difficult start to the season. By October, Saracens had effectively crashed out of the Heineken Cup with back to back defeats to Cardiff, and with the team short of internationals due to the Autumn Tests, the final blow was dealt when Thomas Castaignède suffered an Achilles tendon injury.
The results went downhill fast, and a fifth-place finish saw the club miss out on a Heineken Cup place.
The 2001–02 season brought many changes, with established players such as Luger, Grewcock, White and, much to the consternation of his loyal fan club, Diprose, all leaving the club. Further weakened with the news that Castaignède was likely to miss the whole of the coming season, Francois Pienaar, now in full control of coaching operations, opted to make use of a crop of younger players coming through the club system.
After a reasonable start to the season, Saracens found themselves in their by-then accustomed top half of the table position. The curse of the Autumn Internationals once again took its toll, and Saracens' performances weakened drastically. Entering the New Year, Saracens were again flirting with relegation danger, and soon exited all cup competitions. With morale sinking, Pienaar stepped down from his various roles with the club after a five-year stay.
Lacking a coach, the senior players took charge, the morale problem seemed to have passed, but results remained sketchy, and the Saracens ended up in a lowly 10th place.
All Black legend Buck Shelford took over the coaching reins for the 2002–03 season, while the playing squad saw the arrival of the likes of Andy Goode, Christian Califano, and Craig Quinnell amongst several signings of established players. In a repetition of the pattern of some of the preceding seasons, Saracens once again got off to a flying start, beating Bath and Bristol.
Defeats by London rivals, Wasps and London Irish, moved the team in danger of the relegation zone. The only real success coming in an impressive run in the European Challenge Cup.
The club once again rallied towards the tail end of the season, with victories over Bristol, and then high flying Sale securing a 5th place in the table, that seemed unlikely at the turn of the year, and a place in the play off system for the remaining European Cup place. A comfortable win over fourth-place Leeds in the play off semi-final brought an astonishingly tight final against Leicester.
With temperatures soaring at Franklin's Gardens, 80 minutes was not enough to separate the teams, with a late rally by Saracens tying the scores at 20–20. Ultimately, a Neil Back try was to see Leicester through, but at least it appeared that Saracens had rediscovered their fighting spirit.
The late rally was not enough to save Shelford, and he and most of the rest of the coaching staff paid the price for the weak season, being replaced by the experienced Australia and Leicester player, Rod Kafer, at that time a relative newcomer to a coaching roll, for the 2003–04 season. Key signings included Fijian Simon Raiwalui, former French captain Raphaël Ibañez, Springbok Cobus Visagie, and All Black Taine Randell.
The club's finances were also diversified, with Nigel Wray divesting himself of nearly 50% of his shares to spread the financial cost and risk of supporting Saracens. This led to the addition of five new members being appointed to the Saracens' board.