Brixham Rugby Club

Brixham Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based at Astley Park in Brixham, Devon. The club runs three senior teams and the full range of junior teams.[1] The first XV currently plays in South West Premier, a level five league in the English rugby union system.

Astley Park, home of Brixham Rugby Club

Brixham
Full nameBrixham Rugby Football Club
UnionDevon RFU
Nickname(s)The Fishermen
Founded1874 (1874)
LocationBrixham, Devon, England
Ground(s)Astley Park (Capacity: 1,800 (300 stand))
ChairmanChris Forster
PresidentRaymond Gardner
Coach(es)Martin Worthington
Captain(s)Adam Thomas
Top scorerBen Lovell
League(s)South West Premier
2019–205th
Official website
www.brixhamrfc.co.uk

History

Brixham RFC was formed in 1874 and became one of the founder members of the Devon RFU. In 1896 the club moved to its present ground, having previously played at Furzeham Green. Between 1924 and 1934 the club won the Devon Cup twice and were runners-up on four other occasions. When club rugby was introduced in 1987 the club was placed in the sixth tier league; South West 2.

At the end of 1989 Brixham achieved promotion into South West 1 where they would remain for the following eight seasons until they were relegated at the end of the 1996–97 season. During this period they also enjoyed several runs in the old Pilkington Cup, with the best performance coming in 1988–89 when they reached the third round, losing at home to Gloucester in front of almost 3,000 supporters.[2] The club would remain at level 6 for fifteen seasons until they finally got promoted back into level 5 by winning South West 1 West at the end of the 2011–12 season. This promotion would also see the club become one of the premier sides in the county, finally winning the Devon RFU Senior Cup in 2015 (the first victory since 1932) and then again in 2017.[3]

Ground

Astley Park is situated on Rea Barn Road in Brixham, opposite the police station and near to Brixham College. The ground consists of a club-house/stand alongside the main pitch, and there are also several other pitches on adjoining land for second XV and junior rugby. The stand sits atop the club-house and has seating/standing capacity for up to 300, while there is standing space for around 1,500 supporters pitch side, bringing the total capacity to approximately 1,800. There is limited parking in and around the ground.

Season summary
Season League National Cup(s) County Cup(s)
Competition/Level Position Points Competition Performance Competition Performance
1987–88South West 2 (6)
1988–89South West 2 (6)2nd (promoted)Pilkington Cup3rd Round
1989–90South West 1 (5)
1990–91South West 1 (5)Pilkington Cup1st Round
1991–92South West 1 (5)
1992–93South West 1 (5)Pilkington Cup1st Round
1993–94South West 1 (6)[a 1]Pilkington Cup2nd Round
1994–95South West 1 (6)
1995–96South West 1 (6)Pilkington Cup1st Round
1996–97South West 1 (5)[a 2]11th (relegated)[4]12
1997–98South West 2 West (6)6th[5]22
1998–99South West 2 West (6)3rd[6]28
1999–00South West 2 West (6)2nd[7]36
2000–01South West 2 West (6)5th[8]24
2001–02South West 2 West (6)3rd[9]31
2002–03South West 2 West (6)5th[10]28
2003–04South West 2 West (6)4th[11]26Powergen Intermediate Cup6th Round[12][13]Devon Senior CupRunners up
2004–05South West 2 West (6)7th[14]18Powergen CupQualifying Round[15]
2005–06South West 2 West (6)3rd[16]32Powergen Intermediate Cup[17]
2006–07South West 2 West (6)2nd (lost playoff)[18]32EDF Energy Intermediate Cup1st Round[19][20]
2007–08South West 2 West (6)8th[21]19EDF Energy Intermediate Cup2nd Round[22][23]
2008–09South West 2 West (6)7th[24]19EDF Energy Intermediate Cup1st Round[25][26]
2009–10South West 1 West (6)[a 3]3rd[27]39Devon Senior CupRunners up
2010–11South West 1 West (6)3rd[28]99[a 4]
2011–12South West 1 West (6)1st (promoted)[29]100Devon Senior CupRunners up
2012–13National 3 South West (5)[a 5]7th[30]77Devon Senior Cup1st Round[31]
2013–14National 3 South West (5)7th[32]68Devon Senior CupSemi-finals[33]
2014–15National 3 South West (5)5th[34]84Devon Senior CupWinners
2015–16National 3 South West (5)4th[35]77Devon Senior CupRunners up
2016–17National 3 South West (5)7th[36]71Devon Senior CupWinners
2017–18South West Premier (5)[a 6]10th[37]65Devon Senior CupSemi-finals[38]
2018–19South West Premier (5)8th[39]71Devon Senior Cup5th[40]
2019–20South West Premier (5)5th63.60[a 7]Devon Senior Cup
2020–21South West Premier (5)
Green background stands for either league champions (with promotion) or cup winners. Blue background stands for promotion without winning league or losing cup finalists. Pink background stands for relegation.

Club Honours

Notes
  1. RFU restructuring of the English rugby union system for the 1993–94 season due to the creation Courage League Division 5 meant that South West 1 became a tier 6 league.
  2. The cancellation of Courage League Division 5 at the end of the 1995–96 season meant that South West 1 once again became a tier 5 league.
  3. RFU restructuring of the English rugby union system for the 2009–10 season meant that South West 2 West was renamed as South West 1 West.
  4. The 2010–11 season would see the introduction of bonus points into lower league English rugby union (tier 6 and below).
  5. The last time Brixham had been in this division it had been known as South West 1.
  6. National League 3 South West was renamed as South West Premier for the 2017–18 season.
  7. The season was postponed and ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom with Brixham sitting in 5th, having played 20 games and gained 53 points. The remaining games were calculated on a 'best playing record formula', with Brixham remaining in 5th place with 63.30 points.[41]
  8. One of Brixham's Devon Junior Cup wins (1934) was won by the reserve side.

See also

References
  1. Club website home page
  2. "Gloucester.wmv". brixphil (Youtube). 25 June 2010.
  3. "Club website history page". Brixham RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  4. "Final League Tables, 1996–97". Trelawny's Army. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  5. "Final League Tables 1997–98". Trelawny's Army. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  6. "South West 2 West 1998–1999". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  7. "South West 2 West 1999–2000". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  8. "South West 2 West 2000–2001". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  9. "South West 2 West 2001–2002". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  10. "South West 2 West 2002–2003". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  11. "South West 2 West 2003–2004". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  12. "Brixham travel to Cinderford". Somerset County Gazette. 14 January 2004.
  13. "Home comfort for Bridgeman's Blues". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. 21 January 2004.
  14. "South West 2 West 2004–2005". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  15. "Powergen Cup 2004/05". Statbunker. 27 August 2004.
  16. "South West 2 West 2005–2006". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  17. "Powergen Cup Draws". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. 17 August 2005.
  18. "South West 2 West 2006–2007". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  19. "EDF Energy Intermediate Cup, Senior Vase and Junior Vase draws announced". ESPN. 26 August 2006.
  20. "Six-try Lions have cup roar". Bridport and Lyme Regis News. 20 November 2006.
  21. "South West 2 West 2007–2008". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  22. "EDF Energy Intermediate Cup and Vase draws". Rugby Week. 18 October 2007.
  23. "Bracknell recall for Blankely". Get Reading. 11 January 2008.
  24. "South West 2 West 2008–2009". England Rugby. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  25. "EDF Energy Intermediate Cup, Round 1..." South East Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  26. "OAs claim derby win". The Herts Advertiser. 18 December 2008.
  27. "Tribute South West 1 West 2009–2010". England Rugby. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  28. "Tribute South West 1 West 2010–2011". England Rugby. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  29. "Tribute South West 1 West 2011–2012". England Rugby. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  30. "National League 3 South West 2012–2013". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  31. "Exmouth 45 36 Brixham". Exmouth RFC (Pitchero). 10 November 2012.
  32. "National League 3 South West 2013–2014". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  33. "Brixham withdraw from the Devon Senior Cup". Brixham RFC (Pitchero). Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  34. "National League 3 South West 2014–2015". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  35. "National League 3 South West 2015–2016". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  36. "National League 3 South West 2016–2017". England Rugby. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  37. "South West Premier 2017–2018". England Rugby. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  38. "Coaches Comments from Semi Final Victory". Exmouth RFC (Pitchero). 6 May 2018.
  39. "South West Premier 2018–2019". England Rugby. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  40. "2018/19 Devon Senior Cup results". Devon RFU. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  41. "RFU confirms league positions". England Rugby. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  42. "DRFU Handbook 2011-12" (PDF). Devon RFU. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
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