| Full name | Devon Rugby Football Union | |
|---|---|---|
| Union | RFU | |
| Founded | 1877 | |
| Region | Devon | |
| President | Maureen Jackson | |
| ||
| Official website | ||
| www | ||
The Devon Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Devon in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Devon, and administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the county. It also administers the Devon county rugby representative teams.
The first rugby team representing Devon was formed in 1877 but was solely a team with no organisation role. The Devon RFU was formed, as the Devon County Football Club, in 1881. [1] Devon were the first opponents of The Original All Blacks during their famous 1905-6 tour. They lost 55–4. [2]
The Devon senior men's county side currently play in the Bill Beaumont Division 1 South. Historically, they are one of the strongest counties in the competition having won it multiple times although they have not won a trophy since 2007.
Honours:
There are currently 49 clubs affiliated with the Devon RFU, most of which have teams at both senior and junior level. The majority of teams are in Devon but a couple are based in Cornwall.
The Devon RFU currently runs the following competitions for club sides based in Devon:
Devonport Services Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Plymouth, Devon. The club was originally called United Services Devonport and had their first recorded match back in 1904. Devonport Services play their homes games at the Rectory Field and their strip and club colours are dark blue and red. They are currently competing in Regional 1 Tribute South West of the English rugby union league system following their promotion from South West 1 via the play-offs. At the end of season 2021–22 they were 2nd in the league and were promoted to Regional 1 South West.
Rugby union in Cornwall is Cornwall's most popular spectator sport with a large following. The followers of the national side are dubbed Trelawny's Army. In 1991 and 1999 Cornwall won the County Championship final played at Twickenham Stadium, beating Yorkshire and Gloucestershire respectively to win the Cup. They had another strong spell in the 2010s, reaching seven of the eight finals contested between 2013 and 2022, winning four of them.
Launceston Rugby Club is a Cornish rugby club which play at Polson Bridge, Launceston, Cornwall. They are currently in Regional 1 South West, at the fifth tier of the English rugby union system following their promotion from Tribute South West 1 West via a play-off in 2019. At present the club fields two senior men's teams, colts (under-18), mini/junior sides, as well as several girls teams.
Sport in Plymouth, Devon, England, dates back to the 19th century with its first club, Plymouth United F.C., being founded in 1886. It is the largest city in England never to have had a football team in the first tier of English football. It is home to Plymouth Argyle Football Club, who play in the Football League One at the Home Park stadium in Central Park. It is Plymouth's only professional football team, however the city used to have another team called Plymouth United F.C. dating back to 1886. The club takes its nickname from the group of English non-conformists that left Plymouth for the New World in 1620: the club crest features the Mayflower, which carried the Pilgrims to Massachusetts and the club's mascot is named Pilgrim Pete.
Counties 1 Western West is an English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called Western Counties North and Western Counties West. Western Counties West was renamed Counties 1 Western West prior to the 2022–23 season and is currently a seventh tier league for clubs based in the south-west of England; mainly Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. The champions are promoted to Regional 2 South West. The number of teams relegated depends on feedback following promotion and relegation in the leagues above, but is usually two or three to either Counties 2 Cornwall, Counties 2 Devon or Counties 2 Somerset, depending on location.
Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club who play in Plymouth, England. The present club was founded in 1920 from a merger between Plymouth RFC and Devonport Albion RFC. Since 2003 they have played their home games at The Brickfields stadium. Albion's traditional strip and club colours are white, strawberry and green.
Cornwall/Devon League was an English level eight, rugby union league for clubs principally based in Cornwall and Devon. Following the reorganisation of the English rugby union leagues in 2022, the league was replaced by two level eight leagues based in Cornwall and Devon. The Pirates Amateurs won the last competition in season 2021–22 and were promoted to Counties 1 Western West
Devon League 1 is an English level eight rugby union league for clubs based in Devon. The champions are promoted to Cornwall/Devon and the runner-up plays the second team from Cornwall League 1, with the winning team gaining promotion. Up until the end of the 2017–18 season, teams were relegated to Devon League 2 but since that league has been abolished there is currently no relegation.
Devon League 2 was an English level ten rugby union league for clubs based in Devon; with one exception. The champions and runners-up are promoted to Devon League 1, and since the cancellation of Devon League 3 in 2003 there was no relegation as this is the lowest division in club rugby union within Devon.
The Somerset County Rugby Football Union (SCRFU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Somerset in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Somerset. The SCRFU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the Somerset including the county rugby representative teams.
The Devon Senior Cup is an annual rugby union league and cup club competition organized by the Devon Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced in the 1886-87 season and the inaugural competition was won by Tiverton. During the early years of the cup the format changed several times from a knock-out competition to a league format, then to hybrid league/cup, then back to being a knock-out cup once again. The competition also was had periods of inactivity, with World War I preventing play for a number of seasons and then the cup being cancelled in the 1930s before being reintroduced for the 1969-70 season when it was won by St. Luke's College. The Havill Plate was introduced in the 1970s for teams knocked out of the first round of the cup which would continue until 1999. Competitions similar to the Havill Plate were introduced in 2009 for teams that got knocked out of the earlier stages of the cup were introduced - plate and vase - but these were discontinued due to a lack of interest by the clubs involved.
The Devon Junior Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Devon Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced in the 1888–89 season when it was won by Paignton. During the pre-war years the Devon Junior Cup was open to lower ranked teams in the county, along with the reserve sides of the larger clubs such as Exeter and Devonport Albion. Like the senior cup competition, the junior cup has periods of inactivity over its history due to World Wars, and was cancelled towards the end of the 1950s only to return in the 1986–87 season when it was won by Exeter Saracens. The Havill Plate was introduced in the 1970s for teams knocked out of the first round of the Devon Senior Cup but later included clubs knocked out of the early stages of the Junior Cup – it was discontinued after the 1998–99 season.
The Devon Intermediate Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organized by the Devon Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 2009-10 season with Okehampton being the inaugural winners. The competition was briefly discontinued at the end of the 2015-16 season due to a perceived lack of interest from clubs with the 2014 final being cancelled and the 2016 winners, Kingsbridge, only playing one game due to teams being unable/or unwilling to fulfil fixtures. It was reinstated once more for the 2017-18 season.
The Havill Plate was an annual rugby union knock-out competition organised by the Devon Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1971–72 season for clubs that were knocked out of the first round of the Devon Senior Cup with Ilfracombe being the first winners. When the Devon Junior Cup was reintroduced for the 1986–87 season the plate would expand to include teams knocked out of the early rounds of the Junior Cup, until the plate was discontinued after the 1999 final. The Devon RFU have reintroduced similar competitions in recent years although most have been discontinued due to a lack of interest.
Torquay Athletic RFC is an English rugby union team formed in 1875 that is based in Torquay, Devon. The club operates 4 senior men's teams as well as youth and mini teams, with the men's first team currently playing in Tribute Cornwall/Devon following their relegation from Tribute Western Counties West at the end of the 2017-18 season. Nicknamed the "Tics", the first team's kit is black and white hoops and they play home games at the Recreation Ground. They have a local rivalry with Paignton RFC.
Bude RFC is a Cornish rugby union club based in the town of Bude and was formed in 1966. The club colours are maroon and blue and they have two senior men's teams, a colts side and multiple junior/mini teams. The men's first team play in Counties 1 Western West.
St Austell RFC is a Cornish rugby union club based in the town of St Austell and was founded in 1963. The club run three senior men's teams as well as ladies side, a colts and multiple junior/mini sides. The club's kit is red and white hoops and the first team currently play in Regional 1 South West with home games at Tregorrick Park.
The Durham County Rugby Football Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the historic county of Durham in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Durham County, it administers and organises rugby union clubs, competitions and Durham county rugby representative teams.
The RFU Senior Vase is a rugby union national knockout cup competition in England run by the Rugby Football Union, which has been competed for since the 2006–07 season. It is contested for by teams at level 8 of the English rugby union system, with only 1st XV sides being allowed to enter. The competition is a national one but is split into regions until the semi-finals with the final being held at Twickenham Stadium in London. As of 2018-19 it is the fourth most prestigious national club cup competition in England behind the Premiership Rugby Cup, RFU Championship Cup and RFU Intermediate Cup.
Devon League 3 was an English level eleven rugby union league for clubs based in Devon. The champions were promoted to Devon League 2 and, as this was the lowest division in club rugby within Devon, there was no relegation. The league was introduced ahead of the 1996–97 season and ran for seven seasons until it was cancelled at the end of the 2002–03 season, with all teams promoted into Devon League 2.
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