Devizes Rugby Club Home Page

Welcome to Devizes Rugby Club - the home of "The Saddlebacks"

[Unless it says otherwise, all digital camera/jpg images on this site are the copyright of Nick Dark]

We are affiliated members of both the Rugby Football Union
and the Dorset & Wiltshire R F U in the South West region. 

We field 3 senior teams on Saturday afternoons; and our Veterans team has become renowned for its away games.  Our 1XV finished a creditable fourth in the Southern Counties South league in 2001/02 and our 2XV won the Bath & District Combination Merit Table having entered it for the first time. 

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Throughout the season, training will be from 7.00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday evenings once more.  During the pre-season period, our RFU qualified coaches will be concentrating on Speed, Agility and Quickness drills to sharpen up players ready for the busy programme of matches that will start in August.  Once the clocks change, evening sessions will take place on our flood-lit training area and some sessions may be held indoors. 

We have a thriving Junior section, for Mini/Midi and Youth rugby on Sunday mornings, with structured sessions supervised by RFU qualified coaches from 10.30 a.m. until 12.00 midday during the season.  

We are always keen to recruit new members.  Whether you are interested in rugby as a player, a coach, a spectator, a sponsor or a volunteer, please contact us or come along and see for yourself the excellent facilities that are available for you to enjoy in our Sports Club. 

Overseas players who are coming to work in the area or visiting are always welcome.  For contact names and numbers click on  Club Details or send an E-mail to the Club Secretary by clicking on .  

Meanwhile, you are invited to browse through the various pages (listed in the index on the left) or to click any of the items under-lined with blue in the right-hand column. In particular, you might wish to check out the matches planned for the various teams by browsing through the Fixtures page. You may be interested in the News items and the individual match reports.

  You are welcome to sign our Guestbook     You could take part in any Poll on the right (choose 1 of the options given, then press the "Vote" button).  You may even be able to post an entry on the Club Forum  page and so promote discussion that way.

contact details...

 A simple source of names and 'phone numbers for anyone is by clicking on to the Club Details button.    You should be able to click on   to E-mail the Club Secretary if you would like a User ID for the purposes of the Website.

club history...

Rugby has been played in Devizes from as early as 1876 and one of our claims to fame is the record of having beaten Bath in 1877.  The Club as we know it today was formed at the Bear Hotel on 11 June 1931.

A pitch was found at Nursteed Road and the Club was able to use the old Crown Hotel for its H.Q. until 1956, when the Castle Hotel became the Club's new base.  Then, as now, players were in short supply, fund raising was essential for the Club's progress, but the social side of the Club and events such as the Rugby Ball made the Club's reputation.  In 1961 the Club moved pitches to play at Hopton on the outskirts of the town. This saw an improved playing record, capped by the Club winning the Bath 7-a-side Senior Cup for 2 years running in 1962 and 1963.

When the Sports Club formed up again in 1966 the Rugby Club found its permanent H.Q. there but had to wait several years before playing on the current pitch, which is known as the Chivers Ground, after it was opened by the England skipper, John Pullin, in 1973. 

The Club's outstanding achievements in the 70's include defeating Salisbury twice to lift the coveted Dorset & Wilts K.O. Cup in 1971 and 1973 plus winning the Wiltshire 7's back-to-back in 1972 and 1973.  Also, having defeated Camberley, Devizes progressed to the next round of the national knock out Cup and, on 31 October, 1973, a gutsy performance saw Devizes go down 49 - 6 away to Gloucester at Kingsholm.  Gloucester paid Devizes the compliment of fielding their strongest team, which was full of internationals and county players.  The 70's also witnessed Charlie's Angels 3XV, an over 30's XV, trips to Uden in Holland and the emergence of an excellent Colts XV who went on to win the County Cup in 1980 - the same year that Devizes won the inaugural season of the Dorset & Wilts Merit Table. 

The Club celebrated its golden jubilee in 1981 and a few years later, in 1985, took full possession of the Chivers Ground. 

The Club can boast 3 internationals in the late Peter Wright (England and the British Lions), Andy Stanton (Canada) and Paul Simpson (England).  Currently the Club fields 3 regular XVs, runs a Veterans XV and hosts a lively Junior section, which has gone from strength to strength over the years since its introduction in 1974 and has helped develop at least one young England player. 

During the past few seasons the Club has been consolidating its position in the Southern Counties South league and it is currently preparing a second pitch on land that was recently acquired by the Sports Club with Lottery Funds and assistance from Kennet District Council, who continue to be a source of great support for not just the Rugby Club but for all sports in the district.

The league results for 2001/02 were that 1XV finished a creditable 4th in the Southern Counties (South) and that 2XV won the Bath & District Combination Merit Table, having entered it for the first time.  Our 1XV also provided 3 players (namely James Gaiger, Marc Heywood and Alex Bennett) for the Dorset & Wilts. squad in the County Championship.   

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Contact Catrin Devonald or click here www.sportengland.org/vip for some very useful information.