Teams 
Bideford 55–43 Sarries
Try: Olde (3), Balsdon (2), Folland, Pett, Pearn, Penalty Try
Conversions: Pearn (4)
Bideford were slow out of the blocks on Saturday and found themselves stunned in the opening 15 minutes, conceding 19 points to a rapid and clinical Sarries backline. It was a real wake-up call for a Chiefs side sitting third in the table, knowing that a bonus-point win was crucial to set up a season finale.
Despite the early setback, Bideford showed real character. Before the coaches even had a chance to rally them, the players responded with true Biddy grit, fighting their way back to within five points by half-time. After a composed team talk, the plan was clear, but Sarries were in no mood to let their advantage slip and continued to apply pressure. What followed was a thrilling end-to-end contest. Bideford’s backs began to find rhythm, combining sharp handling with a smart kicking game to stretch the opposition.
One of the standout moments came from a perfectly weighted cross-field kick by Reece Pearn, which Jack Balsdon gathered in stride before darting over in the corner. Unfortunately, shortly after coming on, Mitch Harris was forced off with an injury that was later confirmed as a broken shoulder. Kai Pett also made a big impact from the bench, putting in some heavy tackles and finishing his try well when space opened up.
Sam Olde was a constant attacking threat, taking all three of his tries superbly, including what looked like a trademark interception. Dec Smale impressed in the loose, breaking tackles and making valuable ground, with Dean Folland in close support, rewarded when he burst clear and raced under the posts.
Up front, Ash Crouch, Taffy Howells, and Rich Weston worked tirelessly in the scrum against a heavier front row, gradually wearing them down with their effort around the field. Evans-Pearce also made an important contribution after switching from the blindside flank.
The contrast between the opening stages and the final whistle was a testament to how far this group has come. In the past, heads might have dropped, but this team showed belief, resilience, and pride in abundance, qualities that ultimately drove them to an impressive victory.
Colts Devon Plate Champions!
Bideford Colts hadn’t won the Devon Colts Plate since 2008, but that was all about to change. Taking the field at Sidmouth RFC, they faced a tough, edgy encounter against a well-drilled and physical Cullompton side in the opening final of the cup finals programme.
What a day. What a game. A victory that will surely live long in the memory.
It was the perfect send-off for a group of second-year colts who, despite a largely frustrating few years, leave for senior rugby on the highest of notes. What a moment to savour.
Winning the toss, skipper Ryan Hutchings elected to play against the elements, a deceptively sloping pitch, a stiff breeze, and the sun in their eyes. Bideford started brightly, with winger-cum-full-back Charlie Ackland making a quick, powerful break early on. Cullompton, however, had a sizeable pack and a commanding number eight, and began to assert territorial dominance, scoring two converted tries in quick succession. Bideford, who had shown real resilience throughout the season, refused to drop their heads and responded through impressive lock Charlie Corner, who crossed for their first try. Fly-half Fin Potter added the conversion. Despite their spirit, Bideford struggled to win clean possession and were let down by some erratic lineout work, which Cullompton duly punished with a third try. 21–7.
Bideford dug in once more, working themselves into excellent field positions. They executed a lineout catch-and-drive to perfection, with standout performer Harvey Beal getting on the tail of the maul to touch down, ably supported by the backs who helped force the ball over the line. The conversion was missed. 21–12.
The momentum began to shift. Despite playing uphill, Bideford found their familiar rhythm and took increasing control of the ball. Some enormous hits from Hutchings and Devon under-17 player George Herridge pushed Cullompton back. Game on.
Ackland then capped a superb man-of-the-match display, finishing a wide move with direct, hard-running, stepping inside a defender to go over in the corner. Beal added the conversion, bringing the half-time score to 21–28 in Cullompton’s favour.
The second half was tense and thoroughly entertaining. Now with the elements in their favour, Bideford turned the screw, pinning Cullompton in a half they knew was incredibly difficult to escape from. Some raking kicks and well-executed 50:22s from Potter piled on the pressure, and he eventually touched down after a spell of slick handling, adding the conversion himself. 28–26. Maybe, just maybe.
Then came the try of the match. Winger Oli Grierson, who had struggled at times with a bouncing ball, seized his moment. Slick hands from deep inside Bideford’s own half moved the ball swiftly from left to right. Grierson, powerful and direct, took on two opponents down the left wing, slipping and gliding past them to race in from 40 metres, to the sheer delight of the travelling Bideford supporters. It was a truly special moment and seemed to lift the entire team as they scented victory. Potter converted. Bideford led 28–33.
Cullompton began to wobble. A yellow card and a flurry of injuries forced them into adjustments, and Bideford’s second-half dominance continued as captain Hutchings powered over for another try , a fitting reward for a season of exceptional leadership and determination. 28–38.
With the clock winding down, Bideford perhaps sensed the plate was theirs. But Cullompton, needing two scores, showed real character and never stopped fighting. A handling error on the outside gave them a chance, and they hacked through to touch down, closing the gap to 35–38. This was a classic final, and it would be decided by whichever side could hold their nerve.
With seven minutes remaining, Bideford were awarded a penalty just outside the Cullompton 22. Go for the posts? Or kick to the corner and chase a lineout try? The skipper made the wise call, take the three. Potter stepped up, held his nerve, and struck it sweetly with his trusty left foot. 35–41.
Surely not. Surely this was happening. Cullompton threw everything at Bideford in the closing stages, knowing that a converted try would see the plate head their way. But Bideford held firm, and when the final whistle sounded, the celebrations were both ecstatic and thoroughly deserved.
Huge credit to Cullompton for making this such a compelling and combative spectacle.
As for Bideford’s second-year colts, they leave having been an absolute pleasure to coach. Their success is a testament to the hard work and commitment they have shown throughout. Well done, the Bideford Colts.
Bideford U16 29–38 DPS
In truth, Bideford were not quite themselves at Brixham yesterday, but they still delivered a spirited performance for the crowd. What makes this defeat particularly tough is that there’s no opportunity to put things right, it was their final game together as a group. You have to feel for the lads signing off on a below-par performance, especially after the tremendous effort in the semi-final, which in many ways felt like their final. They played out of their skin to get there.
Ultimately, the game turned on costly errors across the board, in defence, in attack, and in finishing. Three pick-and-go tries were held up over the line, and while there were moments that might have warranted a second look, no decisions were overturned. That said, the officials handled the game well overall.
Bideford applied plenty of pressure, with the forwards responsible for most of their tries. However, DPS controlled the midfield effectively, and their backs capitalised on space out wide, using their pace to exploit mismatches against larger forwards and ultimately seal the win.
It has been a real pleasure coaching this talented group of players. I look forward to watching their progress as they move into Colts and, in time, senior rugby. One thing is certain, the future looks bright for Bideford, with many of these lads set to make the step up over the next couple of years.
Under 14s
Under 14s travelled to Paignton and delivered one of their best performances of the season in the sun.
The score line got to the limit and we suggested mixing with Paignton, so Paignton forwards formed with Bideford backs and Bideford forwards formed with Paignton backs, where they played with great spirit.
Paignton were great hosts and for the cool down we hit the beach.
Great to see the lads deliver everything we have been working on in training.
Under 12’s
A break from the usual schedule saw the U12s host touring side Basingstoke on a slightly unpredictable Saturday morning, complete with the honour of playing on the main pitch and excellent support from guest referee Aidan and Daisy on the line. After a solid warm-up, the team burst into life with a blistering first half, strong tackling from Billy, Josh and Jack, slick control from Faf and Charlie F, and powerful running from Ronnie helping rack up a flurry of early tries shared across the squad. Rotations kept everyone involved without slowing momentum, making it a hugely entertaining half. A reshuffle in the third quarter saw a slight dip in structure, allowing Basingstoke to respond with some deserved tries, but the team quickly regained control in the final quarter to finish strongly. Josh earned Player of the Day for his all-action performance, while Basingstoke awarded Ronnie for his dynamic running and tackling, rounding off a great morning ahead of next week’s Devon Festival.
Under 11s
Bideford U11s also played their Devon RFU festival at sunny kingsbridge today going 3-0!
Bideford – newton abbot 11-0
Bideford – Ivybridge 8-1
Bideford – Torquay 9-2
The players did absolutely brilliantly today running hard and tackling anything that moved! Particularly pleasing was the passing and supporting each other which resulted in some pretty spectacular coast to coast tries.
Outstanding performances all round and very proud coaches.
Under 9s
And that’s the season wrapped for under 9s. Biddy go 6 & 0 at the Devon festival.
Bideford – Plymouth Albion 4-2
Bideford – Exeter Saracens 6-2
Bideford – Withycombe 7-1
Bideford – Barnstaple 3-2
Bideford – Kingsbridge 4-2
Bideford – Okehampton 6-1
Coaches unbelievably proud of everyone today, outstanding performances all round.
