Birmingham Moseley edge Rams 35-31

Birmingham Moseley edged a high-scoring National League 1 match against Rams on Saturday, winning 35-31 in an entertaining contest.

The victory gives the south Birmingham club a welcome boost in the third tier of English rugby union.

A close contest

With only four points between the sides at the final whistle, it was a close contest. In National League rugby, teams earn four points for a win, with bonus points available for scoring four or more tries and for losing by seven points or fewer, so close defeats can still be valuable.

Rams are based near Reading in Berkshire and have risen through the leagues in recent years.

About Birmingham Moseley

Birmingham Moseley is one of the oldest rugby clubs in England, founded in 1873. It plays its home games at Billesley Common in south Birmingham, where it moved in 2005. The ground holds around 5,000 spectators.

The club changed its name from Moseley Rugby Club to Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club before the 2016 to 2017 season, to reflect its role as the leading rugby union club in the city.

A proud history

Moseley has a remarkable history. In 1882 it became the first team to beat the New Zealand Natives touring side, and its players formed the backbone of the Great Britain team that won a silver medal in rugby at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris.

The club reached the final of the national knockout cup three times in the late 1970s and early 1980s, sharing the trophy with Gloucester after a 12-12 draw in 1982. In 2009 it won the National Trophy, beating Leeds Carnegie 23-18 at Twickenham.

Its most famous player, Sam Doble, was the club's record points scorer. He died from cancer in 1977 at the age of 33.

National League 1

National League 1 sits below the Premiership and the Championship in the English rugby union pyramid. It is made up of semi-professional and amateur clubs from across England, and it is known for competitive matches and strong community support.

Rugby in Birmingham

Birmingham has a long rugby tradition, with clubs across the city playing at every level from mini rugby for young children to adult teams. Rugby league is also growing in the city, and the Midlands Hurricanes rugby league club, based at Avery Fields, is to be renamed Birmingham Hurricanes from next season.

Get involved

Birmingham Moseley runs teams for men, women and juniors, and welcomes new players and volunteers. Matchday tickets are available at Billesley Common, and supporters say a Saturday afternoon at a club like Moseley offers an affordable family day out.

Women's rugby

Women's rugby has grown rapidly in England, helped by the success of the Red Roses, who won the Women's Rugby World Cup on home soil in 2025. Clubs across Birmingham have reported growing numbers of women and girls taking up the sport.

A long season ahead

National League 1 runs from September to April, with each club playing home and away against every other team. The club that finishes top can win promotion to the Championship, while those at the bottom face relegation to the regional National League 2 divisions. Consistency over the long season is the key to success at this level, and every point matters.

Billesley Common

Billesley Common, near Yardley Wood in south Birmingham, has been the club's home for more than 20 years. Before that, Moseley played for more than a century at The Reddings, a famous old ground in Moseley that was sold for housing.