1st XV Vs Wells RFC

With 2nd and 3rd team rugby being completed a couple of weeks ago This Saturday sees our 1st XV play its final fixture of the 2018/19 season. Wells RFC visit Barracks Lane looking for one last win to take them into next season. Wells who have been relegated from western counties this season have been on a similar journey to us as a club over the past 6 seasons and it will be sad to see them drop out.
Saturday’s game will also be the last for head coach Dan Cox who will step down at the blow of the final whistle. Dan will start a new chapter as a lecturer at Filton college and plans to focus any free time towards his new career. He will have to be pardoned from his dirty pint however as he will be dashing off to a family event straight after the game, but he will be present at the Annual Dinner & Dance. Since joining Avonmouth Coxy has made just over 50 Caps for the club and helped us clinch the Gloucestershire County Cup & Bristol Combination Vase Trophy.

It will also be a farewell to club stalwart Grant Britton who will call time on his playing days following an impressive 16 years of 1st XV rugby.
Nicknamed Ken for his love of Kentucky Fried Chicken, he began playing for the club in our minis section as a 5-year-old and progressed through our junior/colts set up. Ken has had several lengthy spells on the side line in recent years through injury and concussions resulting in the 32-year-old making the decision to hang his boots up. Having made his 1st XV debut in the 22-9 away victory at Cirencester on January 22nd, 2003, the versatile front rower spent time under the wing of then Props Slim Martin, Spud Hooper & Darren Hassel with coach Wayne Hone keen to blood youth into his side. That year he found himself rewarded with a place on the bench in the Bristol Combination cup final in which the club lost to a strong Weston Hornets side at the Memorial stadium.
Ken was part of the team that came runners up in Gloucester premier (03-04 season) in which they travelled to Tor RFC in Somerset for a playoff and gained promotion to Western Counties North.
Following relegation back to Gloucester prem, he played a huge part in steering the club to three promotions in five years, to the dizzy heights of National league rugby.
With four promotions, two Gloucestershire County Cups, 2 Combination cup runners up medals, a 2-time Combination cup winner and most recently combination vase winner, he was the first Club Captain to win the Oggyman back from Dings Crusader in over 20 years.
In recent years Grant has been heavily involved with the operations of the club and not only coaches our Colts team but also holds the position of Vice Chairman.
We thank him for his dedication to the club and look forward to seeing him enjoy his last game in the black & red of Avonmouth OB RFC.

Our ladies will close out the senior season in Avonmouth colours as they face Winscombe RFC at Barracks Lane Sunday at 3pm. Our ladies will be as of next season entered into the league system for the first time which is an incredible step forward for us as a club.

1st XV Boys Brandon Pettitt, Josh Du Plessis & Jared Du Plessis who will all be rested this Saturday to keep them fresh for their Jason Leonard Cup Semi Final Vs Yorkshire for Gloucestershire u20’s which will be played at Dings Ground, Shaftesbury Park.

A huge thank you must be said to all our Sponsors, volunteers and supporters for their continued support week in week out throughout the season. You are what makes us a great club.

Good luck to all representing the club this weekend!

Updated 21:15 - 29 Aug 2019 by Grant Britton