Rugby / News
Amateur rugby players from Bristol ready for cup final at Twickenham
A team made up of teachers, labourers, office workers and personal trainers among other full-time jobs are preparing to play at the world’s most famous rugby stadium.
St Mary’s Old Boys have made it to the final of the RFU Counties 2 National Cup which takes place on Saturday at Twickenham.
The Bradley Stoke team will be up against Smiths from Cheltenham after successfully making their way through each round to reach the showpiece occasion in south west London.
“To be able to play at the Allianz Stadium and represent both our club and the Bristol Combination is incredible,” St Mary’s chairman, Steve Cooke, told Bristol24/7.
“For any community rugby player in England, playing at Twickenham is the pinnacle.
“Community rugby is built on thousands of players turning out week in, week out, and those players are the foundations of the sport…
“For our current squad, this is an experience they will never forget.”
St Mary’s has played at Twickenham once before, reaching the final of the Powergen Intermediate Cup in 2003 when they were narrowly beaten by Hertford.
The club is one of the most successful in the Bristol area, winning the Bristol Combination Cup a record nine times as well as lifting the Combination Bowl twice and the Combination Vase once.
A partnership between UWE and St Mary’s has been fruitful this season, allowing several university players to represent both UWE and St Mary’s.
Players both old new are also desperate to give head coach Ryan Price the send-off he deserves, with the cup final being Price’s last game in charge after years of dedication to the club.
“There is a strong tradition at St Mary’s, and while that history can bring pressure, it also inspires the current squad to add another chapter to the story,” Cooke said.
Main photo: St Mary’s Old Boys RFC
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