Editing Hartlepool (section)

===Rugby union===
Hartlepool is something of an anomaly in England having historically maintained a disproportionate number of clubs in a town of only c.90,000 inhabitants.  These include(d) [[West Hartlepool R.F.C.|West Hartlepool]], [[Hartlepool Rovers]], Hartlepool Athletic RFC, Hartlepool Boys Brigade Old Boys RFC (BBOB), Seaton Carew RUFC (formerly Hartlepool Grammar School Old Boys), West Hartlepool Technical Day School Old Boys RUFC (TDSOB or Tech) and Hartlepool Old Boys' RFC (Hartlepool). Starting in 1904 clubs within {{convert|8|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} of the headland were eligible to compete for the Pyman Cup which has been contested regularly since and that the Hartlepool & District Union continue to organise.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hhtandn.org/venues/4136/pyman-cup-and-league-and-lormor-cup-competitions |title=Pyman Cup and Lormor Cup Competitions |website=Hartlepool History Then and Now}}</ref>

Perhaps the best known club outside the town is [[West Hartlepool R.F.C.]] who in 1992 achieved promotion to what is now the [[Premiership Rugby|Premiership]] competing in 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. This success came at a price as soon after West was then hit by bankruptcy and controversially sold their Brierton Lane stadium and pitch to former sponsor Yuills Homes. There then followed a succession of relegations before the club stabilised in the Durham/Northumberland leagues. West and Rovers continue to play one another in a popular Boxing Day fixture which traditionally draws a large crowd.

[[Hartlepool Rovers]], formed in 1879, who played at the Old Friarage in the Headland area of Hartlepool before moving to West View Road. In the 1890s Rovers supplied numerous county, divisional and international players. The club itself hosted many high-profile matches including the inaugural [[Barbarians F.C.]] match in 1890, the [[Māori All Blacks|New Zealand Maoris]] in 1888 and the legendary [[All Blacks]] who played against a combined Hartlepool Club team in 1905. In the 1911–12 season, Hartlepool Rovers broke the world record for the number of points scored in a season racking up 860 points including 122 tries, 87 conversions, five penalties and eleven drop goals.

Although they ceased competing in the RFU leagues in 2008–09, West Hartlepool TDSOB (Tech) continues to support town and County rugby with several of the town's other clubs having played at Grayfields when their own pitches were unavailable. Grayfields has also hosted a number of Durham County cup finals as well as County Under 16, Under 18 and Under 20 age group games.