Cup Final date for Torrington RFC

Cup Final rugby is on the menu tor Torrington RFC after they battled to a superb 19-17 victory over Old Technicians in a tense game on the weekend.

The win now sets up a Devon Junior Cup Final on home turf for Torrington, with Old Plymouthian & Mannamedian RFC visiting Donnacroft on Saturday. It should be a great occasion and it would be wonderful to see fans at the ground supporting the team in green.

South Molton are another local club in pursuit of cup glory and they take on a tough game at Exmouth-based club Withycombe on Saturday for a semi-final clash that has all the ingredients for a classic.

The two sides met in a league encounter at Raleigh Park at the beginning of April and it ended in a 19-17 win for the Withies, but South Molton took enough from that performance to be confident of gaining revenge.

Next season will see a new Head Coach leading the club, as South Molton have put out an advert for a highly motivated individual to take on the team for the 2023/24 campaign.

This is a part-time role that involves working on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for training, plus Saturday afternoons for fixtures. South Molton RFC currently run two senior sides, along with a high number of Colts.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record and experience of coaching and/or playing rugby, the ability to communicate effectively, ability to recruit external players to strengthen the team, a desire to develop homegrown talent and the ambition to work towards a Level 3 RFU coaching qualification.

The Head Coach will lead and deliver coaching and organisation for the senior squad, provide a vision and strategy to win games, organise training, liaise with the sports therapist for optimum fitness and maintain a continual feedback process with the playing squad.

For more information or to apply, contact Director of Rugby Ben Gatehouse on ben.gatehouse12@hotmail.com, with a CV and covering letter.

It will be a weekend of celebration at Ilfracombe Rugby Club, as they host Swindon College Old Boys on Saturday. The game kicks-off at 1pm, so pop down and cheer on the team.

Congratulations to Tyler Gordon-Oke, who has been voted Supporters’ Player of the Season at Barnstaple Rugby Club.

Barum enjoyed a wonderful win on the weekend, defeating Stourbridge 47-31 in a thrilling game of attacking rugby at Pottington Road.

In the opening phases of the game, the Chiefs were electric and deservedly raced into a 19-0 lead inside 18 minutes, with Dom Robson, and wingers Ryan Lee and Will Topps all crossing the line. Gordon-Oke added two conversions.

The visitors responded with a converted try of their own but that just seemed to rile the Chiefs even further, as Topps and George Snell scored to increase the lead to a dominant 33-7 at half-time.

Stourbridge obviously found something stirring in their half-time cuppa, as they restarted with three unanswered tries to reduce the deficit to 33-26.

Barnstaple woke up again and confirmed the victory when Dan Johnson crossed the whitewash and Topps completed a fine hat-trick. A late drop goal from Stourbridge made the final score 47-29 in favour of Barnstaple.

The good news continued for Barnstaple with the Buccaneers reaching the Dave Butt Final following a tight 29-23 victory over Torquay Athletic 2nds.

On the professional scene, Exeter Chiefs found themselves on the wrong side of history at Leicester Tigers on the weekend, as home winger Chris Ashton scored a hat-trick, and became the first player to score 100 Gallagher Premiership tries in the process.

The Chiefs were humbled in a 62-19 defeat and a red card for Olly Woodburn was a hammer blow for Exeter, who are now almost certainly out of the play-off race.

Exeter Director of Rugby Rob Baxter told the BBC: "It felt like a game where every individual mistake hit us big. We didn't get away with many little mistakes that didn't become big pressure moments.”