Steve Tomlinson was captain for a second term for the 1998-99 season with Pete Duff back as Club captain.
After last season’s flirtation with relegation, The Chiefs found life a little bit easier this season but eventually finished 7th in Devon 2 with 6 wins from their 18 matches. Once again the division ended up with less teams than it started when Salcombe dropped out early season and took a break from league rugby for a few seasons. They became regular opposition for The Tigers while they regrouped during this period.
The season started off with promise when the first two away matches were won against Plymstock (25-0) and DHSOB (12-8) but thereafter the going was tough and the next league victory wasn’t until the New Year against Prince Rock. A couple of good wins towards the end of the season in the return fixtures against DHSOB (19-5) and Plymstock (47-5) saw the club comfortably above the relegation places. The club withdrew from what was now called The Tetley Bitter vase at the start of the season. There was quite a turnover of Players at the time with some, including Barry Evans and Colin Hickson, leaving the area completely.
The Tigers under Tommy Cooper had a varied fixture list including new boys Woodland Fort and to illustrate how Argaum’s former tenants had developed, OPM IV. Argaum did win the Boxing Day match with OPM and also received tourists Old Elizabethans in April, which brought a four figure taking in for the club that day. In October a match against Salcombe was arranged to celebrate Chris Sillitoe’s 50th birthday, the Crab’s opposite number being of a similar age.
Perhaps the most successful tour to date, with a party of 28, was undertaken to Glasgow at Easter, with matches against Drymen, up in the Trussocks, on the Friday night and Moffat on the Saturday.
The social side continued to develop with a Sony Playstation Rugby World Cup Event at the club, alongside more traditional events like the club supper. The drinking ability appeared to be tailing off a little, at least in terms of pints, with the season’s tally reportedly down by almost 5 barrels to 39 for the season. There was a promise of additional income when The Eagle pub in town expressed interest in sponsoring the club.
The club were busy off the field with plans for relocation forming part of The Woolwell Sports Centre Project alongside local football and cricket teams. Paul Pring had the centenary history typed up and started bringing elements of that history into the club. Hon Sec Jane Davey stepped down in October to be replaced by Louise Needham. An approach was made from Tamar Saracens for potential use of the pitches as their own ground was under threat from football.
At the pitch side, the old hut was in need of replacing whilst, towards the end of the season, Tom Hitchins advised that a farmer would be putting bullocks in the field for a few weeks. The result was that summer training would prove to be an exercise in evasion!
At a very successful Dinner and Dance at The Novotel the following awards were made:
Captain’s Trophy: Martyn Walker
Player’s Player: Nigel Pinder
Effort Award: Ashley Dunne
Clubman: Terry Hills
Jenny Daniels Award: Louise Needham
Most Improved Player: Kelvin Webb
Teddy Thrower: Darren Truscott
