THE BRITISH
Stow
AEROPLANEWold
on the COMPANY
THE BRITISH
Stow
AEROPLANEWold
on the COMPANY
boilers to do all the heating and hot water for the
club. This has been an expensive project but the
returns and payback are very good as well from
making us very environmentally friendly
Stow on the
Wold
We hope that having such good facilities will aid
with our recruitment as well as help generate
income from letting out the clubroom and bar.”
Challenges
“As with all clubs our biggest challenge is to keep
players involved in the game and tempt more
volunteers to help in the running of the club.
There is always more to do than there are people
to do it. I would like to think that we will soon be
running a 3rd XV again.”
Ambitions
“Our ambition is to gain promotion and then
consolidate in the league above. We are a true
amateur club and anything above that may well
be a step too far. Some assistance on the coaching
side is definitely a priority and to maintain the
link between youth and senior rugby so that the
hard work of the mini and youth sections is not
lost to the club. We definitely would like to be
running 3 senior sides to give us the strength in
depth to maintain the standards needed to stay
up once we are promoted.”
Stow on the Wold and District RFC is a great example of a well-run, community club.
Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Chairman David Oughton to find out more
about the good work that they’ve been doing.
Involvement
He told us, “I have been at the club since 1980 and
played 20 seasons in the 1st team, 5 as captain. It is
my local club and at the heart of the community.
I took an age group from U6’s to U18’s as coach
after I stopped playing and am now in my second
year as Chairman having been on the committee
for 30 years.
The Role
“The most challenging aspects are maintaining
the playing strength by recruiting and keeping the
juniors playing as seniors. Being a country club
a lot of the young lads go off to college or work
elsewhere. That having been said, over 50% of the
current first team have come through the mini
and youth system.”
Atmosphere
“The mood at the club is great at the moment
with the 1st XV in mid table after being promoted
last year and the 2 XV doing well with a pool of
about 30 players. The minis and juniors are doing
well in the county cup competitions and the
refurbished club [complete with biomass heating]
has a real buzz about it.”
Youth
“The youth section of the club is very strong and
being a rural club is a good way of recruiting the
future seniors. We currently have Elliot Stooke
now finishing his first season at Gloucester.
Having won the World Cup with England U20’s
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last summer he has been capped twice by the
Saxons this season.
Will Goodrich Clarke has just got a three year
contract with Gloucester academy having been
capped at U16 level and Ollie Thorley played
at U17’s for England and is now in the England
U18 squad having played for Gloucester 1st CXV
against Northampton this season.
This autumn when Gloucester Academy U18’s
played Gloucester County U18’s Stow had 4
players in one side and 2 in the other!”
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Stow Pharmacy
Limited
Community
“We have been around since 1879 so that must say
something for us! We are very much a community
club although we are situated out of town. We
host the local football club for training, hold
charity rugby matches, do park and ride for town
functions and let out our facilities for private