Editing Abingdon-on-Thames (section)

==Sport==
Abingdon has two [[non-League football]] teams: [[Abingdon United F.C.]], who compete in the {{English football updater|AbingdoU}} and play at The Armadillo Energy Stadium, and [[Abingdon Town F.C.]], who play at Culham Road. Abingdon [[Golf]] Club/North Berks [[Golf Club]] (now defunct) was first mentioned in 1876. The club disappeared at the time of the [[World War II|Second World War]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=732 |title=Abingdon Golf Club/North Berks Golf Club |website=Golf's Missing Links |year=2012 |access-date=22 July 2014 |archive-date=14 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114110503/http://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=732 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Oxford Saints]] [[American Football]] Club play their games in Abingdon at [[Tilsley Park]] and are one of the longest-running American Football clubs in the UK, founded in 1983. Abingdon is home to [[Abingdon Rowing Club]], with members from 13 to 80 years old. It has had many successes at local and national races, and also holds its own [[Abingdon Rowing Club#Abingdon Head of the River|Abingdon Head]] race in April, one of the main events in the Abingdon Calendar. Its boathouse is on Wilsham Road. Abingdon Amblers changed its name to Abingdon [[Sport of Athletics|Athletics]] Club. They train at Tilsley Park and take part in county cross-country leagues.

Abingdon RUFC was formed at the Queens Hotel on 27 February 1931. During the 1930s the club was based at the Queens Hotel and games were played on the council owned recreation ground at Caldecott Road. Immediately after the [[Second World War]] the club moved to outside the [[RAF]] camp (now [[Dalton Barracks]]) which offered on-site changing facilities and later a pitch inside the camp. At the start of the [[Suez Crisis]] in 1956 play temporarily returned to the Caldecott Road site because of security risks. This period saw the formation of the ill-fated Abingdon [[Sports Club]]; an amalgamation of the town's [[rugby union|rugby]], [[cricket]] and [[field hockey|hockey]] clubs and the bid to establish a sporting centre at Hales Meadow. In a short time the ground was developed and a [[pavilion]] erected but the organisation was plagued with financial difficulties and very soon dissolved with hockey disbanding and Abingdon Rugby remaining at the site as tenants to the cricket club. In the mid-1980s a determined effort was made to acquire grounds and a clubhouse dedicated to rugby. In 2022 Abingdon Womens Rugby Club known as “The Albatrosses” was formed and they currently play in the Inner Warrior League.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The current base at the town's Southern Sports Park was opened by former Abingdon MP [[John Patten, Baron Patten|John Patten]] in 1989. Abingdon has had members representing the county, progressing to first-class level and on to international status in the [[Six Nations Championship|Six Nations]] Tournament. The Abingdon Sevens traditionally opens the Home Counties' playing season and has attracted sides from throughout the country and beyond. Initiated in 1956 as a one-off tournament to celebrate the town's 400th anniversary of receiving a [[Royal Charter]], it proved so successful that the competition has been held on an annual basis ever since. Several years ago it was decided to introduce the youngsters of Abingdon to Club Rugby. The Youth Section has 200 playing members from the ages of 6 to 18. In 2013–14 Abingdon RFC's president, Paul Murphy MBE, was also the president of the [[Rugby Football Union|RFU]]. Since 2016, [[Oxford Rugby League]] have played in Abingdon at [[Abingdon School]]'s [[Tilsley Park]].