The Women's team winning the BUCS Championship in 2017/18

Former scholar Sam Skinner now plays for the Exeter Chiefs and Scotland Seniors

Current sports scholar Lagi Tuima (BSc Exercise and Sport Sciences) is one of three to be selected for England Seniors

Rugby Club Alumni

The origins of rugby at Exeter can be traced back to the early sides of St. Luke's College, which was founded in 1839, and held their first rugby match in 1860 against Exeter Grammar School. Before the merger between the two institutions in 1978, St Luke’s vs University fixtures were highlights of the Exeter sporting calendar. Since then, the University of Exeter has become renowned as a leading rugby institution with a great many students going on to play professional and international rugby. Our close links with local Aviva Premiership side Exeter Chiefs provide great benefit to the whole Club.

The Men's Rugby Union 1st team won the BUCS Super Rugby League in 2017/18 and 2018/19 as well as the Championship in 2015/16. The Women's 1st team won the BUCS Championship in 2017/18 and were league champions in 2018/19. Current students regularly represent their countries at U20 level. In 2018/19 then the Women’s played in the Rugby Varsity for the 1^st time at Sandy Park.

In Rugby League, the Men's 1st team won the BUCS league in 2018/19 for the first time.

The Men’s Rugby Club, or EURFC as it’s more commonly known, offers its former members a variety of opportunities to re-engage with the Club throughout the year. During the BUCS season, alumni are invited to attend the Club’s annual Varsity fixture at Exeter Chiefs’ Sandy Park which attracts thousands of supporters. In the summer term, the Club also hosts the popular ‘Touch Duckes’, a touch-rugby tournament at the University’s Duckes Meadows which is open to all. The University's event listings show all alumni events taking place.

For more information about the Men's Rugby Club alumni scene please contact us.

Contact us

For further information on upcoming events, or to become part of the Rugby Club's alumni community contact us on SportsAlumni@exeter.ac.uk. All enquiries are totally commitment free and we are always happy to hear from our alumni.

Memories

This section will be developed as rugby alumni provide information. Please send any relevant memories you have as well as any photos or documents (programmes / annual dinner documents / league tables etc) / that you want to share here to sportsalumni@exeter.ac.uk.

1940-49

What Exeter University Rugby meant to me
Most memorable moments
Life post Exeter

Donald Eddy Elliott, 1948-49

On behalf of his daughter, Marylyn Robinson: "a photo from my father’s belongings. He began teacher training at St Luke’s after leaving the Royal Navy at the end of the war. My understanding is that the majority of other students at that time were slightly older than usual because of war service."

Bill Braddick, 1949-52

This is the 1st XV which sadly lost in the UAU final against Durham at Birmingham 1951. This was the first time Exeter (then University College of the South West of England) had reached a UAU final. We beat Reading, Southampton and Bristol before meeting our nemesis in Durham in the final at the Birmingham University ground.

1950-59

What Exeter University Rugby meant to me
Most memorable moments
Life post Exeter

Bill Braddick, 1949-53

I played for the University 1st XV throughout my time at Exeter 1949-53.

The captain in my first year was Arnold Pascoe (geography Bradninch). It was Ron Jeans (Reed Maths) in year two. The third year was John Dunford (Reed economics). All of them were ex-servicemen as were most of the team for the first two years. In my postgrad year John Carter (Mardon History) straight from school was Captain.

I played as hooker in my first year as one of five ex schoolboys in the team. In the second row we had an ex Chindit who had survived the Burma campaign so I was secure in the knowledge that he would be a match for any opponent who got too stroppy.

We played in a very good West Country style, a bit like the current Exeter Chiefs with the talent. In my second year we reached the UAU final and sadly lost to Durham who I must confess were the better team. I was awarded full colours in that year. The great match of the season was always against St Luke’s, then a separate establishment. They always won as their then Principal always recruited a number of Welsh Internationals whether or not they could read or write.

Rugby was a very important part of my life at Exeter and played a very important part in my development as well as leading to friendships which have lasted a lifetime.

I am very sad that the pandemic is casting a shadow over University life at the moment as the legacy of the years 1939-45 did for my generation, but, we managed and I’m sure you will too. Good luck for this season!

1960-69

Richard (Dick) Worsfold, 1959-62

I was fortunate enough to play for the Rams Rugby in two seasons, 1959-60 and 1960-61 so here are the pictures of those teams. We played most of the Cornish clubs and did not do particularly well, but the games were often memorable. My most lasting memory was the second time I played against St Ives, who at that time had the dubious distinction of having the worst pitch in Cornwall. Not only did it have a severe slope, but a local dairy herd had to be cleared away before the game could start, leaving behind a considerable amount of evidence of their occupation.

As a second row forward I was supposed to win possession in the line out and near the end of the game my downward descent from such an effort turned my ankle on a divot with an audible crack. I was in a cast for the next six weeks and the season ended without me.

Good memories of the teams and the players particularly the captains, Keith Bungay and John Stark. The then English trialist Bill Redwood was at Exeter and turned out for the odd game, but was playing regularly for the Bristol club.

I am still in touch with Colin Grundy who was also Honours Geology, and I saw a bit of Mike Cunningham in Warrington after my return from Antarctica in the late sixties. We moved to Canada in 1968 where I am happily retired and living near Kingston Ontario.

Allen Dixon, 1959-62

I was there from 1959 to 1962. I remember going to Falmouth for an afternoon match but there was an important international match in the afternoon so it was postponed until the evening under floodlight. We stayed at a pub in Truro to watch the match on tv in the afternoon.

Aftewards, in the dark evening, our coach had to return over Bodmin moor but it had snowed. No motorways then, more like country roads. The coach had difficulty climbing up the slippery snowed hill and a push was required. The 'rugby songs' kept us active during the night.

Those were the days.

1959-60

1960-61

Roger Price, 1962-65

1962/63 Capt. Keith Richardson

1963/64 Capt. Len Willcox

1964/65 Capt. Will Pritchard

John Roberts, 1961-64

I read history at Exeter 1961-64. Thanks to Prof Frank Barlow, I came to Exeter after failing my Latin prelims at St. Edmund Hall.

I was Secretary of the Rugby club for the 1962/63 season and in those days had to organise everything! We ran four XVs so fixtures, refs, pitches, transport - the lot. Spent most of my time on the phone when not in the Roborough! That year, having spent the Autumn fixing matches, the permafrost of winter 63 which turned the ground into granite for weeks on end, meant I spent the Spring cancelling matches!

The 1st XV 'big' games ( apart that is from St Luke's who usually thrashed us) were against some quite tough Cornish sides - Redruth/Truro/Penzance-Newlyn . I was also able to use some contacts in Oxford to get the Oxford University Greyhounds to play us when on tour.

And as for somewhere called Loughborough - wasn't even on the radar!

Still, brings back some good memories: all seems like yesterday.

David Blake, 1963-66

Mike Stickler, 1963-67

I arrived at Exeter in 1963 and was very fortunate to spend my first 2 years in Mardon Hall. I was selected for the 1st team and certainly played for a couple of seasons.

After school playing club rugby was quite a step up but I really enjoyed it and although I cannot remember winning many games we did play all the top West Country sides. We always struggled against St. Lukes and that was usually their 3rd XV.

This was my first real introduction to beer which I quickly acquired a taste for since after the matches much of it was free. I am pleased to say I have retained my pleasure for real ale to this day.

Memorable moments included a match against Penzance-Newlyn (as they were called in those days).

I was playing fly-half that day and was surprised that entry to the ground was through turnstiles. Since then I cannot remember any occasions where anyone would have paid to watch me play.

On return journeys we would usually stop at the odd pub. On one occasion this was the Jamaica Inn located on Bodmin Moor. This famous pub was renowned for smuggling. We were all pretty jolly and started a mock battle with some of the old swords that were decorating the walls. As a result of which we all received a lifetime ban. I suspect I may well be safe today should I return.

I also recall when playing Wiveliscombe first having to clear the sheep off the pitch.

After a short break I restarted my rugby career with Tunbridge Wells and ended my career about 10 years later nursing a couple of hamstrings.

After graduating from Exeter I joined Cooper Brothers (now PWC), a London based accountancy firm. One reason for joining was the fact that they allowed several extra weeks holiday in the summer to allow time off for exam revision. Having had three month long summer breaks at university it would otherwise have been too great a shock to suddenly be reduced to a couple of weeks. Gap years were virtually unheard of in those days.

Soon after qualifying I joined a computer software company. During this time I carried out a few property development projects and eventually, aged 50 went full time into property development and investment........and I am still at it.

At 77 years old I remain happily married with my three sons all working in London in banking insurance and property.

Miles Buckinghamshire, 1964-67

1st XV squad for 1966/67 Captained by Gareth Williams

Left-right:

Bob Morton, [?], Mick Barry (Vice-Captain ), Gareth Williams (Captain ), David (?) Perry, Gerard Elias, Bob Owen

2nd Row: Tony Moore , [?], [?] Patrick Elias , [?], Al Owens, Keith Townrow

Back row: [?], Andy Stamp , John Foley, Dick Towers (?), Chris Harrison, [?]

Anthony Moore, 1965-68

I remember very well when in 1968 Exeter played St. Luke’s. In that year I had the honour of being the Captain of the "Rams" and Ian Wright was the St Luke's Captain. Ian and I went to school together. Ian went on to play fly half for England whilst I didn't make it further than the Rosslyn Park 2nd 15!

Sadly, Ian died of cancer at 50 when he was teaching sports at St. Edwards School.

And, then of course, St Luke's 'merged' with Exeter Uni.

Now in my 79th year and having lived in Turkey for the past 14 years, I still enthusiastically follow the Uni team.

Go Rams!

1970-79

What Exeter University Rugby meant to me
Most memorable moments
Life post Exeter

Steve Webb, 1971-74

Met up with Julian Wardlaw recently at the Exeter University v Cardiff University fixture. Times have sure changed since our days playing for the Rams. Cheerleaders now parade and perform before kick-off and during the half-time break. In the early 1970s we were lucky to get a slice of orange.

When I first rolled up at Exeter (Hope Hall, Montefiore), I fancied myself as a soccer player. The soccer trials, however, were not kind, a bit cliquey and tough to stand out from the crowd - at least, they were for me. But thankfully, fate was about to play a hand for the better. Julian it was who knocked on the door one Wednesday lunchtime and said, ‘Get your kit, we’re short in the 4ths and we need you to make up the numbers.’ So that’s what happened - bus to Torquay to play (I think), South Devon Tech College. The captain of our side was one Peter Johnson, a tidy scrum-half and a fellow Welsh lad. He asked about my previous playing experience and I tried to reassure him by saying, ‘I’d played a bit for the school.’ ‘Which position?’ he asked. ‘Anywhere in the backs,’ I said. So he shoved me out on the left wing. Luckily, things worked out pretty well for me and I managed to score a couple of tries. I must have impressed someone because the next week, I was picked in the 3rds. By the end of the season I was a regular in the first team and stayed there for the 2nd and 3rd years. There were no cliques in the rugby community - I was welcomed warmly into its fold and met a wonderfully rich strata of characters along the way. We had no coaching as far as I remember although a South African mature student called Chris Murison assumed that role in my 3rd year and did what he could to help us play a more structured style of rugby. It would have been quite a challenge for him!

The photo shows the team as it was in 1973/74 season. Captain was a lovely guy called Nigel Sparrow - another Welshman.

Back row: John Shaw, Pete Warburton, Kerry Sullivan, ?, Reg Harding, Gerry Thomas, Malcolm Andrew, Chris Cottier.

Front row: Steve Webb, ?, Nigel Spartow, Julian Sharpe, ?, Julian Wardlaw, James ?

Sincere apologies to the four great players I’ve forgotten. It’s simply an age thing. Please fill in the gaps, if only for my sake.

It was Chris Cottier who organised the trip to Canada in the Summer of 1974. Chris Greenland, who was a first team regular and on that tour described it well in his ‘memories’ piece. We travelled around Ontario playing various University sides (York, Waterloo, Brock, Peterborough/Trent, Guelph, Windsor?) in a convoy of, I think, three massive station-wagons. We were hosted by the teams we played against. The hospitality shown to us was truly amazing. Long term friendships were made, plenty of beers were shared, and a fine time was had by all. Thank you Ontario.

Tim Knibb, 1972-75

This game will stand out in my brief career at the University. We arrived and found the changing rooms were situated in an old chalet/bungalow, which was reputed to be haunted.We had to walk uphill to the pitch which was sloping and had a corrugated stand/open barn and a small crowd of spectators on one touchline. A herd of disgruntled cows stood on the other side. The pitch was covered in signs of their displeasure at being moved. We had seen a couple of Committee men on our arrival, yet had yet to see our opponents. There was a rumbling sound from over the hill as they emerged from the dressing rooms. As they crested the horizon we witnessed the sight of fifteen of the largest men we had ever seen. We looked puny in comparison. The match kicked off. In charge was a referee who had seen them play before, made obvious by his total disregard of punches being swung even if you did not have the ball and foul tackles spread liberally across the pitch. Heads regularly found recently laid cowpats and I have never seen the ball passed so swiftly from scrum half along the line to one wing and even more rapidly back to the other. Somehow our plan prevailed and we retired battered and bruised to the welcoming bath as 9-6 victors. A pleasant time was enjoyed by all in the local pub, where we found our opponents were surprisingly good humoured and friendly hosts. A marvellous and unforgettable day.

Philip Fladgate, Captain 1976-79

A few photos of St Luke's 1st XV 1977-78 and a newspaper article from the Western Morning News on the EURFC teams for the UAU Finals in 1979.

Chris Greenland,1970-74 and 1976-77

I enjoyed five seasons with the Rams in the 1970s, mostly in the 2nd XV in 70-71, thereafter in the 1st XV. Ian Martin was captain of a strong team in 70-71, but with most of them leaving we had to rebuild. Dave Parker led the side in 71-72, a season when defeats far outweighed victories. However many of the losses were narrow and we played with spirit. The season ended on a positive note as we performed well in Sevens competitions, reaching the quarter-finals in the UAU 7s before losing narrowly to Loughborough Colleges’ 2nd VII, which contained future Wales winger Clive Rees, put in (so we understood) to mark our flying Canadian Chris Cottier. Then in the Devon 7s we reached the semi-finals where we again lost narrowly, this time to eventual winners Exeter.

The following two seasons, with Bruce Dorward as captain in 72-73 and Nigel Sparrow in 73-74, saw an improvement in results. The 1st XV continued with its packed fixture list, which included the UAU competition and matches against many of the clubs in the South-West, such as Barnstaple, Bideford, Brixham, BRNC, Paignton, Sidmouth, Teignmouth, Somerset Police, Newquay, Redruth, plus the Extras teams from Exeter, St Luke’s, Plymouth and Torquay. A particular highlight was the annual early March midweek trip to Penzance, where we played in front of a voluble crowd and enjoyed great post-match hospitality. Our own hospitality centre for home matches was the Jolly Porter pub near St David’s Station, where the landlord opened early and provided meals for the opposition (not for the home team unfortunately!).

During these years EURFC ran four teams in the autumn, reducing to three teams for the remainder of the season. Somehow we almost always managed to find players, thanks to the efforts of committee members and devoted lower team captains. Many is the time that players were summoned half-stumbling out of their rooms at 10 o’clock on a Saturday morning to be told that the bus is leaving in 30 minutes! Mention must also be made of the unruffled and indefatigable Mr Kerr, AU Permanent Secretary, who handled transport arrangements and last-minute requests for fixtures from neighbouring clubs.

The 73-74 season ended later than usual, with a four-week tour to Ontario, Canada, starting in late August 74. There were 26 of us, including our South African coach Chris Murison, whose expertise had already made a real difference. We kicked off at a XVs compettion in Windsor and followed this with a couple of club matches before taking on several university teams across Southern Ontario. After a shaky start in Windsor, when jet-lag and heat took its toll, results improved and we ended up beatiing all the university opposition. All in all the tour was an enormous success and we enjoyed extraordinary hospitality from our Canadian hosts.

Following the tour I stayed in Canada and had the good fortune to find a teaching post in a small boarding school. I returned to Exeter in 1976 to take a PGCE and so was able once more to represent the Rams in the 76-77 season. Malcolm Pritchard was captain and scrum-half. We had a talented back line, including Paul Downton who went on represent England at cricket. The season started on a low note. We lost our first four matches, got knocked out of the Devon Cup, and in the UAU competition suffered narrow defeats to Bristol and Reading. Thereafter our performances grew steadily better, and we ended the season with a string of victories, best of all against Penzance in an exhilerating close game. The final return was Won 17, Lost 11.

To sum up, being involved with rugby at Exeter University formed a big part of my life during these years. Both on-field and off-field there were great times. Regarding the latter there was the window that suddenly disappeared from the team bus somewhere in north Somerset, and the junior officer’s peaked cap that somehow made its way back with us from BRNC Dartmouth after lively post-match jollification, to be returned undamaged and shamefacedly a few days later. Again we had to thank Mr Kerr in the AU office for his tactful handling of these embarrassments (and no names mentioned!).

With best wishes to all my teammates from those times, and I hope these lines have brought back some fine memories!

Exeter University RFC - Canada Tour 1974

Brock University 4 - Exeter University 29

Chris Murison (coach)

Paul Redfern, Reg Harding, Andy Day, Will Osmond, Keri Sullivan, Chris Greenland, Julian Sharpe, John Shaw

Chris Hughes, John James, Gareth Skidmore (capt.), Steve Eley, Jim Carlton, Dave Oliver, Chris Garrett

Exeter University RFC - 1976-77

Andy Lang, Steve Knowles, Tim Haines, Andy McMorron, Tim Cole, Chris Greenland, Howard Player-Bishop, Phil Walsh, Paul Downton

Mike Smith, Chris Taylor, Steve Maddern, Malcolm Pritchard (capt.), Martin Kennedy, Russell Lynch, Robin Wiltshire

1980-89

What Exeter University Rugby meant to me
Most memorable moments
Life post Exeter

Andy Armitstead, 1986-90

This is the Exeter Uni 1988 7s team.

I loved every minute of rugby at Exeter having attended St Lukes from 1986-90. The many and varied memories are still fresh in my mind and the friendships cultivated will stay with me forever.

The picture shows, from left to right (facing):

Ian Dixon

Lyndon Lewis

Dave Millard

Tim Miller

Gavin Chater

Andy Armitstead

Ed Saunders

We lost to Bristol, the eventual runners up by one score, and on account of some dubious refereeing.

Hopefully the picture will bring back pleasant memories and make a load of old men very happy.