Sport
Otley R.U.F.C. play home matches at Cross Green, which was the venue for the Italy v USA fixture in the 1991 Rugby World Cup. In 1979 Cross Green was the site of a victory by the North of England against the All Blacks. Australia suffered the same fate in October, 1988. Otley R.U.F.C. finished 5th in National Division One in both the 2003-4 and 2004-5 seasons but were relegated to National Division Two at the end of the 2006-7 season. The club won National Division Two in 2007-8 and returned to National Division One for the 2008-9 season. Former England captain Nigel Melville began his career at Otley. Bath, Gloucester and England rugby footballer Mike Tindall was born in Otley. Old Otliensians RUFC club play in Yorkshire League 4.
Otley Town Football Club has teams in the Premier division of the West Yorkshire League, the Premier division of the Harrogate & District League and the reserves division of the West Yorkshire League. It runs junior teams including two girls' teams. The club is a Charter Standard football club run by volunteers.
The former Republic of Ireland defender Alan Kernaghan was also born in Otley. The town has a Sunday League team, Otley Wharfeside AFC who play in the Wharfedale Triangle Football League.,
Otley Cricket Club, founded in 1820, play in the Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League. The club has won the league title 13 times and shared it in 1966. The club has three senior teams. Otley Athletic Club meets at 7.15pm each Tuesday and Thursday at Otley Cricket Club, Cross Green.
Otley Angling Club was formed in 1897 by local land owners. It controls the fishing on the River Wharfe through Otley and a coarse fishing pond on the outskirts of the town. It runs regular fishing matches on the river and junior matches on the club pond.
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Famous quotes containing the word sport:
“What sport shall we devise here in this garden
To drive away the heavy thought of care?”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“If a walker is indeed an individualist there is nowhere he can’t go at dawn and not many places he can’t go at noon. But just as it demeans life to live alongside a great river you can no longer swim in or drink from, to be crowded into safer areas and hours takes much of the gloss off walking—one sport you shouldn’t have to reserve a time and a court for.”
—Edward Hoagland (b. 1932)