Old Patesians R.F.C.

Old Patesians RFC
Full name Old Patesians Rugby Football Club
Union RFU
Nickname(s) Old Pats
Founded 1913
Ground(s) Everest Road, Cheltenham
CEO Matthew Cape
Coach(es) Robert Fidler
League(s) National League 3 South West
Team kit
Official website
www.oldpats.co.uk

Old Patesians Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The club is currently in National League 3 South West, a level five league in the English rugby union system.

As well as the first XV, the club currently operate two other male teams the second XV in the Gloucestershire Reserve Teams Premier and the third XV in the Gloucestershire Reserve Teams One North. The club also operates a very open and successful junior programme. With teams starting from under-9, straight through to under-19 (Colts) level. The club runs a rugby league side under the name, Cheltenham Old Patesians, which plays in the West of England Rugby League.

History

The club was founded in 1913 by former pupils of Pate's Grammar School, where the game of rugby union had been played since 1906, hence the name "Old Patesians". The Old Patesians Association was formed in 1947. The club's motto is taken from Richard Pate's tomb, which is located in nearby Gloucester Cathedral. It reads, Patebit tum quod latuit (Latin) meaning, "What is hidden will be revealed." In January 2006 a Ladies side was created and they are now playing regularly in the Spirit of Game development league.

The club obtained its present home ground at Everest Road, Cheltenham in 1975; putting an end to the club's wanderings.

With the introduction of league rugby in 1987, the Old Pats were placed in Gloucestershire One. They were winners of Gloucestershire One in 1991–92 and then the Gloucestershire/Somerset League in 1992–93, they were then winners of the Western Counties League in 1993–94. The success continued in 1997–98 when the club were South West Two (West) League winners. The Old Pats, under a new coaching team, won South West One League in 2000–01 on the final Saturday of the season on points difference as well winning the Intermediate Cup at Twickenham by one point to Blaydon, and lost to Cinderford RFC by a narrow margin in the Gloucestershire Cup final. The juniors won the under-17 County Cup final.

In their first season in the National leagues in 2001–02, after taking a couple of games to find their feet, the Pats finished 5th. The club narrowly avoid relegation in 2005–06 but did win the Cheltenham Combination Cup for the fifth year in a row.

The club established a competitive women's side and affiliated to the RFUW in 2006–07. The club were relegated from the National leagues and lost the Cheltenham Combination Cup to Cheltenham.

In 2013, the club ran a rugby league side under the name, Cheltenham Old Patesians, which took part in the West of England Rugby League.

Season 2007–08

South West Division 1 Table

Place Team Games Points Table
points
played won drawn lost for against difference
1 Chinnor 22 19 2 1 665 317 +348 40
2 Bracknell 22 19 0 3 640 292 +348 38
3 Weston-super-Mare 22 13 1 8 496 413 +83 27
4 Cleve 22 13 0 9 469 417 +52 26
5 Bournemouth* 22 11 1 10 520 405 +115 21
6 Old Patesians 22 9 2 11 477 362 +115 20
7 Oxford Harlequins* 22 9 2 11 472 452 +20 18
8 Redingensians 22 9 0 13 403 459 -56 18
9 Coney Hill 22 9 0 13 411 534 -123 18
10 Reading 22 7 2 13 483 587 -104 16
11 Maidenhead 22 7 1 14 416 584 -168 15
12 St Ives (SW)* 22 1 1 20 158 788 -630 1
Reference rfu.com - Updated 2008-04-19 - South West 1
*Oxford Harlequins and Bournemouth were deducted two points each for fielding ineligible players and
St Ives were deducted two points for failing to field a team against Bracknell

Club honours

Coaches

External links