Rugby Club Issue 52 | Page 58

wessex Wessex FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG RFC W essex RFC play their home games at the Flowerpot Playing Fields on Western Road in Devon and their first team currently competes in the Tribute Devon 1 League. They are led by the team of President Nigel Gooding and Chairman Simon Farmer and have been progressing well under their guidance. The club has the motto ‘Semper Audax’ which means ‘ever daring’. They are a club that is committed to playing an important role in the local area and encourage anyone interested in getting involved to come along to the Flowerpot Fields on a matchday or to the Royal Oak in Okehampton Street, Exeter which is used as their headquarters. The club was first established on the 8th May 1995, when Phil Bye (rumoured to be under the influence of alcohol at the time) visited Phil Langford to propose setting up a new club to focus upon the traditions of grassroots rugby. From here, Tracey Turner was invited to be Chairman with the name Wessex and the emblem of the Wyvern being chosen. The Springbok club colours were selected by Phil Langford after he had seen them at Kingsholm as a young man and because South Africa were hosting the Rugby World Cup that year. www.audify.uk 58 Issue 52 So far this season they have put together a solid record with 7 wins and 4 defeats from their 11 matches and this sees them sitting in the top half of the table with 30 points on the board as the season draws to a close. A good run of results would see them finish on a high and would allow them to push on further up the league. This in turn would provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they go into the off-season when a couple of quality additions could see them mount a serious title challenge next time around. One of the highlights of the team’s performances so far this season has been the attacking brand of running rugby that they have been able to produce. This is reflected by the fact that they have already racked up 210 points, making them one of the top scorers in the league. This has certainly meant that any supporters attending their matches have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in the future. This in turn has the potential to provide them with a valuable source of additional revenue. One of the standout features of the club is the work that they do developing young players in the local area. This part of the club looks to provide youngsters 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 side 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 young players progress over the coming years as they look to break into the senior side. There is clearly much to admire about Wessex RFC and they have made tremendous progress since first being established. This is thanks to the work done by their Committee behind the scenes and hopefully they will continue in the same manner for many years to come.