Welcome back, everyone! Get ready for an electrifying weekend as Barnstaple Athletic gears up to host the formidable Paignton, currently sitting pretty in 2nd place, at Pottington Road this Saturday at 2:30 PM! This clash promises to be monumental as Athletic faces a true test of their mettle since their promotion. Will they be the first to hand Paignton a defeat? You won’t want to miss this thrilling showdown! Entry is just £5, and guess what? Members and those under 18 get in for FREE!

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are set for a challenging journey as they head to Marlborough for their inaugural encounter with the team, who are reveling in their 8th place standing after a successful promotion from Regional 2 Tribute South Central last season. Can the Chiefs seize their second away victory of the season?

And let’s not forget about the Colts! They’re riding high after a spectacular win against Exeter Saracens and will be back on their travels to Crediton. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers will be welcoming merit table leaders Ilfracombe to Pottington Road, having rested last weekend.

Get ready for an action-packed Saturday filled with excitement and unforgettable moments!

Before all that, We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Barnstaple Colt Harry Woodman on his selection for the England U18’s October Training Camp! This remarkable achievement is a testament to his hard work, dedication, and talent. We wish him continued success as he embarks on this exciting journey—may it be just the beginning of many more accomplishments to come!

Join Barnstaple Rugby Club as a Volunteer Membership Secretary!

Are you passionate about rugby and community engagement? Barnstaple Rugby Club is looking for an enthusiastic volunteer to join our team as Membership Secretary.

to help us grow our vibrant club. Do you love connecting with people and keeping things organized? Are you passionate about Barnstaple Rugby Club?

Then this is the perfect opportunity for you!

you will be working closely with our current Secretary John Sloley for the rest of the season to learn the ropes, with a view to taking over the role for the 2024/25 season.

As Membership Secretary, you will:

• Welcome new members and make them feel part of the team
• Maintain accurate membership records and ensure everyone has the information they need
• Coordinate membership renewals and keep track of membership benefits
• Assist with membership events and activities

If you’re ready to take on this rewarding role, please reach out to us at Barnstaple RFC. Email John Sloley at membership.barnstaplerugby@gmail.com

As we get ever so nearer to November we have some big events coming your way starting with the annual Barnstaple and District Roundtable fireworks night which is on Sunday November 3rd, Gates open at 5:30 PM, with the spectacular display starting at 7 PM. It’s always an electrifying evening filled with excitement! Early Bird tickets are just £7.50 for adults, £6.50 for children, and an unbeatable family ticket for two adults and two kids is only £20—that’s just a fiver each! So grab your early bird tickets here. Barnstaple Round Table online ticket sales powered by TicketSource

Winston James 40 for Forty for North Devon Hospice

Also on that day Chiefs head coach Winston James is ready to put himself through some serious endurance feats on a quest for North Devon hospice as he takes part in the 40 for forty charity event where he will be running 40 kilometres (that’s nearly 25 miles in old money) then it’s straight on a bicycle of another 40 km. We need every reader of this blog to put their hands in their pocket and give generously to this fantastic cause Winnie is putting himself through. We have all known someone who has been helped by those terrific people at North Devon Hospice and it has helped many former members over the years, so don’t be shy and let’s get Winston to his target.

Please click the banner below for full details on how you can support Winston

Finally in November, just to round things off, Boxing is back at Barnstaple Rugby as Barnstaple Amateur Boxing Club presents Barnstaple Boxing on Saturday 23rd November. Doors open 7pm and ticket prices are Adults £15 Under 16’s £5

Then in December we have a members Christmas lunch for everyone to enjoy. Just £20 per person for a 3 course Christmas dinner which includes free entry for any guests you wish to bring with you.

Of course in between all that we have an absolute stack full of rugby until the traditional boxing day festivities.

Barnstaple Chiefs v Ivybridge photos by Bob Collins

What a massive win that was for the Chiefs last Saturday against Ivybridge, 12 tries yes you haven’t got enough fingers to count them have you and 10 of them converted by Tyler. Now I’m not going to try and describe everything that happened that would be ridiculous and you’d probably fall asleep halfway through anyway, but here is just a taste of the game.

In the beautiful October sun the Chiefs started off at a roaring pace notching up their first try in barely 2 minutes as Cameron Grizzle-Johnson raced down the wing to score. Further tries from Jake Patrick, returning to the Chiefs for the first time this season, Jordan Petherbridge and James Fraser earned Barnstaple a bonus point before the break as they went in at half time 28-7.

The second half however, saw the flood gates really open as the Chiefs ran in another 8 tries with Cameron grabbing a second half hat-trick to up his total for the game to four. The highlight for me however was the blistering pace of the Chiefs hooker Bertie Stretch who took the ball inside the Chiefs half to outsprint everyone to the tryline to score his first try for the Chiefs since signing this season Tries by Brandon Moore, Arthur Marks, Conner Swan and Tyler Gordon-oke not only highlights the complete dominance of the Chiefs in the second half, but also the range of attacking plays which opened up opportunities for both the backs and forwards to score.

The Chiefs’ dominance at the scrum was evident as well; Brandon Moore’s try at the start of the second half demonstrated their strength. From a scrum on Ivybridge’s five-yard line, they pushed back with authority to secure an easy touchdown for Moore. This early second-half display left Ivybridge reeling and unable to respond effectively, which Barnstaple took full advantage of winning comfortably 80-15.

While this match was a resounding success for the Chiefs, it is worth noting that Ivybridge struggled to mount a significant challenge. The Chiefs will face tougher competition next weekend when they host Lydney, currently sitting atop the league standings.

The important question this weekend for the Chiefs though is how to turn this excellent home form into a winning formula on the road. Currently, the Chiefs have managed just one victory in their 3 previous away matches, alongside a draw at Brixham and a loss at Exmouth. The upcoming clash against Marlborough is pivotal for the Chiefs if they hope to mount a serious challenge for the league title.

Marlborough for their part have made a solid start to the season, securing two wins and a draw against Lydney in their first three outings. However, recent performances have seen them stumble with losses at home to Royal Wootton Bassett and away to Launceston. Despite these setbacks, Marlborough remains a challenging opponent, ranking fourth in the league for points scored. This means the Chiefs must approach Saturday’s match with caution, focusing on establishing a strong platform to pressure the home side and seize control of the game.

With an unchanged starting 15 here are your Chiefs to face  Marlborough.

Last Saturday Barnstaple Athletic travelled to Kingsbridge in good form having secured wins in their last three matches and were, before this game, in 4th place ready to face the tough challenge of 6th placed Kingsbridge in a first ever meeting of these sides.

Athletic did not get off to the greatest of starts as within the first five minutes the homeside were already 7-0 up. Athletic started to get a grip on the game when Brendan Darley went over after 19 minutes converted by Harvey Rostock. However Kingsbridge, having had the best of the half, added a further three tries to take the lead at half time 26-7, not only earning a bonus point but looking good for a substantial win.

The second half though was a different story as the Tic’s came out with more purpose and soon had Kingsbridge under pressure, A lineout close to the homesides tryline and Euan Kent was over for Athletic’s second try with just five minutes of the half gone.

The Tic’s then kept Kingsbirdge on the back foot, pressuring them throughout the half. An intercepted try in the 60th minute by Ben Beattie got Athletic to within 7 points 26-19 and everything to play for. Both teams battled it out for the last twenty minutes, and whilst Barnstaple shut out the home side from scoring in the second half Kingsbridge managed to hold on to their lead as the final whistle went to earn a bonus point win 26-19.

So, a closely fought game and a brilliant comeback from Athletic who showed a strong second half determination to get the job done and were so close. A losing bonus point though is not to be sneezed at, especially at this level and if nothing else should give Athletic the confidence and determination to grab a result at home in what will be their biggest test of the season so far as they prepare to take on visitors Paignton on Saturday, who are currently sitting pretty in second place with a 100% record so far.

As for Paignton they couldn’t be happier with their start to the season securing 4 bonus point wins and currently in second place to Plymstock Oaks tied on points. Last season was much the same story ending the season in second place tied on points with the champions Tiverton. So expect fireworks from Paignton today as they will undoubtedly be looking to go further this season and clinch top spot and promotion to Regional 2. This then does make for an exciting game which has all the makings of a classic game of rugby.

The team for this encounter has several changes from last Saturday with Ben Beattie starting at scrum half, Dominic Robson joins Gav and Josh in the front row and Troy Willis returns to 12. Here then is Athletic to face Paignton.

The Colts had a massive confidence boosting performance as they travelled to Exeter Saracens on Saturday winning 29-45 and will be looking to extend that form when they travel to Crediton this Saturday. This has been a really positive start to the season for the Colts and should set them in good stead as the season progresses.

For the Bucc’s frustration as their game with South Molton was postponed. Mind you the rest would have done them no harm as they await the arrival of the Merit table leaders Ilfracombe in what will surely be an electrifying game this Saturday. With just a  point separating the two unbeaten sides both will be looking to make a point in this exciting North Devon Derby.

Here then is the team line ups for the Colts and Buccs for this weekend.

What a fantastic line up of games the mighty Barum teams have this weekend, everyone of them potential classics. I really hope we get a big crowd to watch Athletic this could be a curtain raiser.

Next weekend the Chiefs will be welcoming Lydney to Pottington Road in another feirously contested match as both will be fighting for that top spot in the league. 

On the road Barnstaple Athletic, it just doesn’t get any easier does it, travel to current league leaders Plymstock Oaks, whilst the Buccs are at Exeter Saracens.

Good luck to all our teams this Saturday and lets see if we can raise the roof this afternoon, catch up next week