New captain for Ivybridge Women’s Rugby aiming for a proud promotion

From football to rugby, Beth Plumpton has all eyes on completing the transition by leading Ivybridge Rugby Club to promotion from the Women’s Championship SW 2 Division.

Beth, 26, grew up in Plymouth and was a student at Coombe Dean School, where football was her primary sporting passion. The rugby shift came when she started a degree in Sports Coaching and PE at Marjon.

Fast forward a few years, and Beth is now skipper of an Ivybridge team sitting top of the league and with a 100% record after opening 2026 with an 88-5 walloping of Oxford Harlequins.

“I always played football from secondary school and switched to rugby when I started at Marjon University,” said Beth. “It was mainly because my friends encouraged me to give it a try and I loved the physical element from the start.

“There is a physical side to football but only so much you can get away with, and it was when I started playing for Ivybridge at around the age of 22 that I started to feel more confident with my game.

“I was enjoying rugby so much at Uni and the football team I was playing for folded, so things fell into place for rugby. I played loads of sport at school and now teaching PE at Stoke Damerel Community College.”

As well as leading the senior team at Ivybridge, Beth is a huge advocate of the impressive pathway for young players at the club and continuing the tradition of rugby success across the Moors.

“There was a really good set-up at Ivybridge from the moment I joined, which is quite remarkable because the team had just moved over from Plymouth Albion,” added Beth.

“The set-up is brilliant here and how we are supported. There have been lots of conversations on what would happen if we did manage promotion and it is all really positive.

“The group of individuals at Ivybridge includes lots of new players and the coaches are brilliant, their experience and knowledge means we are all developing as players.

“Throughout the system at Ivybridge, the club has really started to build a pathway for girls to play rugby. I believe there is a girls’ team in every age group, which means we’ve got more girls playing the sport and some making it through to the senior team.

“The pathway is in place, which is so important for the young girls coming through and Dartmoor does seem a hub for rugby. I played for Devon last year and there were a number of Okehampton girls in the team, so definitely a good standard of players in the area.”

As we head into the second half of the campaign, Ivybridge hold a five-point lead over Newbury in second and their incredible attacking play has seen the club notch an awesome 466 points in just eight fixtures.

For Beth, there is understandable pride in leading the team, although she is eternally grateful for the support of those around her.

“The diversity of the team is incredible, our age range goes from 17 to players in their early 30s,” said Beth. “We’ve got teachers in team, students, people working in the sports industry, a whole mix of professions, which is part of the joy.

“We have so many different characters at the club and we are delighted with the vibe around the squad. The level in which people go to put their bodies on the line each week, travelling to play and train in all weather, it shows the commitment is really evident.

“That energy through a group of 30 players is so important. We have faced challenges and there have been games where we’ve had to turned results around, which is a fantastic example of our mentality.

“It is an honour to be captain and massive boots to fill in former captain Rachel Miller, who has a role with the RFU. The relationships I’ve built with the players and coaches is really special.

“I’ve got a great leadership team around me and I do enjoy the tactical aspects of the game. We have a backs captain in Amy Bunt and Michaella Roberts for the forwards, so the team around me is exceptional.”