PAIGNTON
PAIGNTON
First established in 1873, Paignton RFC plays their home games at Queens Park which
has been their home ever since they first moved there in 1902. They are affiliated to the
Devon RFU and have had a number of players to have represented them at County or
National level.
Their first team competes in the Tribute Cornwall Devon
League which they have won on 3 occasions; more than
any other club. They are led by the team of President
Norman Harries and Chairman Steve Willicott and the
club is looking to progress under their guidance.
It would be fair to say that their first team had a
disappointing campaign last time around as they put
together a record of having drawn 1 and lost 25 of their 26
league matches. Everyone at the club will be determined
to gain better results this time around and are confident
of being able to do so.
This is a club that is committed to playing a vital role in
their local community and encourage anyone interested
in trying the game to come along. They pride themselves
upon providing visitors with a warm welcome.
One example of the good work that the club does in
the local community is the ladies side that they have in
place. This part of the club has been developing well over
recent times thanks to the hard work of their coaches
and playing staff and they are eager to continue to
develop over the coming years.
Another standout feature of the Paignton set-up is
the superb youth section that they have in place. This
part of the club looks to provide young players from
the local area with an opportunity to play the game
in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping
them to reach their full potential.
It is important for any club to be able to produce their
own talent, particularly in the current financial climate
and this is an area that they appear to have covered.
It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors are
able to develop over the coming years.
In order to help their youngsters to successfully make
the transition into senior level rugby they also have a
number of additional sides running. This allows them
to give players experience of the adult game even if
they are not yet considered ready for first team action
which can be an important step in the development
process.
Another benefit of having additional sides is that it
allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength
in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers
through injury or suspension they have the option of
calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.
Paignton’s unsuccessful season last time around on
the pitch should not take away from the good work
that has been getting done at the club in recent times.
They are an important part of their local community
and hopefully will continue to be for many years to
come.
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ISSUE 49