With the club gradually stabilising, it started to focus on developing local talent and an exciting crop of young players started to emerge. Ex-player and coach Richard Lamb returned to coach again and in 2004-05 the Saints not only won promotion back to the Cornwall and Devon league but also won the Junior County Cup. Many of these young players now form the backbone of the side today.

The Saints slipped back into Cornwall One, but promotion again in 2009-10 proved to be the catalyst for the Club’s current resurgence as a rugby force in Cornwall. With Steve Murley taking the reins in 2010-11 the progress continued when the Saints finished second and gained promotion to the Western Counties.
Fears of how a young side would cope were soon dispelled as the Saints led the league for long periods before just coming up short to finish fourth. St Austell RFC made only its second ever County Cup final appearance just going down to one-league higher Wadebridge Camels 20-17 in what most neutrals widely regard as one of the best finals in recent years.

As Cornish entrants in the National Intermediate Cup in season 2012-13 the Saints went on to become SW Intermediate Champions and were just one game from Twickenham before losing away at Brighton in a highly-charged and controversial game. However the Saints had matured and grown and quickly recovered from the disappointment to be crowned convincing champions of Western Counties West. The third promotion in five years playing a fantastic brand of exciting running rugby allied to hard-nosed defence.

Promotion to South West One means a return to level six in the RFU league hierarchy after an absence of 12 years, the highest level St Austell RFC have ever played at matching the success of the Terry Pryor era. What makes this feat so special is that in the club 50th season it has been achieved with squad drawn almost exclusively from the St Austell Bay area and the Clays.

This was evidenced by the squad that travelled to Brighton; of the 25 players on the coach 19 had come through the Mini, Youth and Colts teams with four joining the club from near neighbours Lankelly-Fowey RFC or Roseland RFC. It underlines that the current success is a ‘whole club’ triumph and not just the reserve of an elite group players paid to play.
The story of St Austell RFC may not be very different to many other rugby clubs throughout the land who have suffered triumph and hardship over the years.

What makes St Austell RFC different is the fantastic community spirit that flows through the club connecting the past with the present and laying foundations for the future.

On Saturday, 23rd November 2013 the St Austell RFC celebrated its 50th year with an Anniversary Dinner at the Sea Horse Centre, Pentewan Sands.
A toast was raised to thank the hundreds of people who have made a contribution over the years to create the club we see today.

As we begin the 2016/17 season the club, players, members and supporters look forward to rugby being played at Tregorrick Park. The club is proud to announce strong representation at senior, Colt, Youth, Mini and womens levels with players being invited to represent at County level. The Committee looks towards the bright future this participation offers whilst remembering the effort and determination to get St Austell RFC in this enviable position.

St Austell

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