Ian Collier a centre whose boot had stood the Club in good stead the previous year was captain, opening the season – unhappily – with a heavy 3-49 defeat by Truro.
There followed a modest run of success in September. Two – somewhat rash – incursions into Cornwall resulted in heavy defeats, Penryn 1st XV unbeaten at home 6-43 and St Ives who put on 49 points. There were also heavy defeats by Ivybridge – twice, and Newquay II achieved the double. South Molton – for once – destroyed the Club’s hopes in the Devon Cup and Exeter Saracens, the away side, ended Havill Plate hopes 3-3. On the more cheerful side, Exeter University Freshmen were beaten 36-3 and Bideford II 64-4, giving a seasons record of 10 wins and 23 defeats.
The Wanderers, captained by K Daymount, won 15, lost 11 and drew 2. The Drifters achieved 22 Saturday fixtures, winning 9, including a crushing 71-7 win over Plympton II. There were also a fair number of Sunday fixtures, results alas, not recorded. The Colts won 14, lost 14 and drew 2.
To prove that Saturday, or in this particular case more usually Sunday talents were not in vain, was the presentation of the Devon Chief Constable’s award to Argaum player Steve Parkinson, the report reading “… felled a fleeing criminal with a crushing rugby tackle outside his hair-dressing salon in the City centre” – clearly an extension of Steve’s Sunday activities; and, just to prove that there were other interests outside of rugby, at midnight on 16th November 1985 a team of 11 runners from Plymouth Argaum and Fine Tubes ran from Clifton Suspension Bridge to the Tamar Bridge arriving 3.15 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Jeff Bawden, Mark Busford, Bob Cassidy, Tommy Cooper, Dave England, Chris Goodman, Tim Rapier and Peter Green running the “legs” for Argaum. The result – a splendid cheque for £180 handed over to the Scott Hospital for the Bickleigh Children’s Unit.
Additional Notes (R.Belli): Centre Ian Collier was the skipper for the 1985-86 season in which his trusty boot helped him to a personal haul of 159 points. This was over a third of the Chiefs’ tally in which they won 15 and drew 3 of their 37 matches. South Molton were narrow visitors in the Devon Cup whilst, despite a 3-3 draw against Exeter Saracens in the Havill Plate, the away side went through.
The Wanderers, under Keith Daymount, won 13 and drew 1 of their 31 fixtures but ended up with a positive points difference. Geoff Baskerville contributing 81 of their 465 points.
Richard Lock’s Drifters ended up with the best record with only 6 defeats in 21 matches and a tally of 367 points, boosted by a 71-7 win over Plympton II. Mutlow was top scorer with 45 points.
Steve Parkinson captain the Sunday Floaters side of which there were no less than 18 fixtures on the card. There is no record of the results but there is one in The Centenary history of the skipper receiving an award from D&C police for rugby-tackling a fleeing criminal!
The Colts were captained by Dave Evans; Unfortunately there are only a few results recorded in the fixture card but it was evidently a young side as it was though that an Under 16 side was more viable. What is known that many of the team went on to play senior rugby in and around Plymouth.
There were a number of matches planned at Easter – with Medway on Good Friday, Devizes Colts on the Sunday and Bouzancais (presumably influenced by old boy and Saltash Chairman Bill Ryan) scheduled for Easter Monday.
The biggest event off the field was a charity run from Clifton Suspension Bridge to The Tamar Bridge which took place in November. The event, in conjunction with Fine Tubes, featured an 11-strong Argaum team running legs in turn.
After many years of service as player and committee man, Ceri Critten stepped down from his role as Chairman, with Bill Hitchins elected in his place.
At the club dinner held at The Highland Hotel in Plymstock, Tommy Cooper picked up the Captains Trophy, Ian Ramsay Players Player, Tim Rapier The Effort Award and J.Bawden the Clubman Trophy.
