In addition there are wonderful insights about the way both the club and rugby in the region operated. Argaum was going through a very good period during the mid 1960s and this particular season saw arguably the club’s greatest victory, a defeat of Camborne, away, with 14 men! Bill, like many others at Argaum, was a product of St Boniface School and played for a number of seasons during the 1960s with appearances restricted by periods away from the area including Dublin and Twickenham. Returning to the area for a teaching post at Saltash High School, he was later instrumental in the formation of Saltash RFC in 1969 and its continued development till the present day, where he is Club President. Nevertheless Bill still finds time to pop into the reunions and is always interested to hear about the club’s progress.

A Captain’s Year is presented here for your enjoyment, its a great read!

The post Bill Ryan – A Captain’s Year 1966-67 first appeared on PLYMOUTH ARGAUM RFC.

Since the first colts side was established in the late 1950s, Plymouth Argaum have had many good teams and a reputation for bringing players through into senior rugby. This of course is as true with the present day squad as it was then. From the earliest days the section proved so popular that from 1961-62, the club’s 75th anniversary, two colts sides (‘A’ and ‘B’) were fielded. So by 1964-65, under the tutelage of club stalwart Bill Farren, the colts were well established and were about to embark on a remarkable season. The facts and figures for the A side read as follows:

Played 31 Won 28 Lost 3 Points For 945 Points Against 98

One has to remember that these were the days of 3 points for a try so at a conservative estimate this would be over 1300 points in today’s value. The side proved so strong that as the season progressed they played some matches against senior (adult) opposition, hard to imagine happening these days.

One of the few defeats was at the hands of an adult Combination side, Old Suttonians. The press report reads “Old Suttonians were surprised to find themselves facing the A Colts side instead of the Extra A, but they never had a chance to judge the difference because they were hurried from pillar to post by the younger lighter team. Heavily outweighed and manoeuvred in the pack, the Colts took every advantage in the line out and went into the lead when Burgom crossed – much to the delight of their supporters. Oliver, who with Lavis, was outstanding in the pack, scored a brilliant try to give the visitors a 6 point lead at the interval. The Old Boys came crashing back in the second half, tries by Crowden and Burns levelling and David Johns conversion winning this very exciting game.”

There was much disappointment at the club when having sent 8 players to the Devon county trial, none progressed further than that stage. Writing in that season’s report to the AGM, David Dobell, reported that two props that attended the trial were actually played in the second row. Other players were openly told by selectors that they wouldn’t have a chance of selection whilst playing for an ‘unfashionable’ club like Argaum.

Nevertheless the club was to benefit hugely as the colts progressed through to the senior team during one of the most successful periods that the club had experienced. As David Dobell says in the Centenary History; ‘It is perhaps worth recording the names of the lads who participated in this remarkable record, the majority of whom continued with the Club after reaching 18. J Perring, P Picken, M Allen, P Sargeant, J Oliver, C Pascoe, B Hambly, D Martin, F Rogers, P Burgom, C Cooms, P Clarke, E Hill, R Bowden, F Lavis (Capt.), C Tucker, I Kirkpatrick and K Renshaw.

The post The Colts of 1964-65 first appeared on PLYMOUTH ARGAUM RFC.

A match was played on Christmas Eve of the following season which ended in a 3-3 draw in which Wakeham himself grabbed Old Boys equalizing try! Whilst there were regular matches between the sides, the Boxing day fixture was still not in place as in 1928-29 Argaum, somewhat amazingly, travelled to Penzance and came away with a highly creditable 24 all draw.

Moving into the next decade and the first recorded match on Boxing Day against OPMs resulted in a 9-0 victory for Argaum in 1935, whilst in 1937-38 the match was abandoned with the no score after an OPM player, Westcott, suffered a broken leg following a tackle. The fixture survived after the War, a 3-3 draw in 1946-47 and Argaum winning 12-5 in 1947-48. Then in 1949-50 two fixtures and honours even with Argaum taking the 1st XV fixture with six unanswered points and OPMs the 2nd XV fixture with 16 unanswered points. Argaum continued to have the better of the spoils into the 1950s wining both fixtures 1st and 2nd XV matches in 1950-51 and 1951-52 but honours even in 1952-53, OPMs again taking the A XV match. The pattern continued through the decade but OPMs did record wins in both 1955-56 and 1959-60.

A match programme survives from the 1960 Boxing Day Match(es) and what is quite remarkable is that there were no less than 4 matches taking place that day at Bickleigh Down. In the morning the 1st XV and A XV of the two clubs met with Argaum running out winners in both, 8-3 and 6-0 respectively. In the afternoon there was a match between the Argaum Colts and an Exiles side, made up of players from schools both local and afar, Argaum again victorious by 6 points to nil. The Bickleigh Down side couldn’t complete a clean sweep however as the Extra A XV, effectively the 3rd team lost 11-3 to local side Devisors, who were competing in their first season. As if that wasnt enough, Argaum also had a match the following day against Old Bonifacians at the long since dissapeared PennyCross Stadium. The Old Boys side, which contained several Argaum players themselves, won by 10 unanswered points.

The matches continued in similar vein throughout the 1960s albeit the matches in 1962-63 were completely wiped out due to the big freeze of that artic winter. Not all the rugby was festive with a 0-0 being recorded in 1964-65, a scoreline not untypical of the time. The 1st and 2nd XV match tradition continued, although Prince Rock provided the opposition for the Wanderers in 1967-68, Wanderers running out 28-nil winners. In the 1st XV fixture OPMs snatched victory in the dying seconds with an Elliot try converted by Griffiths. The 1970-71 fixture was cancelled, DHSOB provided some opposition for the Wanderers. It is noticeable that at this stage Argaum had become a very powerful side with a strong fixture list, resulting in some one-sided scorelines, 45-nil in 1972-73. 

There is not much record of the matches during the 1970s but by the mid 1980s OPMs had fallen on hard times and were forced to abandon both their clubhouse and ground. Argaum offered them refuge at Bickleigh Down, which the Old Boys were happy to accept, continuing of course, as a completely separate Club – George Wakeham would have approved! The sharing of the facilities continued off an on until OPMs emerged as a stronger side in the early 1990s, incorporating another local side Jesters into their ranks.

The match continued very successfully as a social game even if the rugby during this period was not always vintage, there were some fine port-fuelled Boxing Day afternoons spent at the Argaum clubhouse. OPMs meanwhile continued to rise up the ranks to Western Counties level in the 2000s whilst Argaum struggled in Devon Two and Three. The fixture was in danger of dissappearing at this time as the pressures of league rugby and the disparity between the sides took its toll but a concerted effort was made within both clubs to create a more-competitive fixture so that by the end of the decade the game was flourishing again.

With OPMs utilising their Plymouth College pitch and excellent clubhouse, and the match alternating between there and Bickleigh down the attendance at matches has risen once again. The match was played there in two consecutive years when in 2009 the match was switched there to help as part of a Fund Raiser for OPMs Chairman Simon Adams MND Charity. Last year’s match featured so many players that it had to be played in quarters to fit everyone in, Argaum’s squad ranging from the ages of 17 to 62! It is good to report that in 2012 the fixture appears to be in good health once again, Argaum’s resurgent young side will be looking to make it 3 wins in a row but OPMs, going very well in Devon & Cornwall League this season will be equally determined to get their hands back on the Bob Harris Trophy.

This article was originally published in 2012

The post Back In The Day – The Boxing Day Match first appeared on PLYMOUTH ARGAUM RFC.