SALTASH are the latest Plymouth Combination club to have started offering women’s and walking rugby.

The walking rugby on a Friday evening has been going well and they also now have 25-30 senior women training regularly with the hope of starting playing some fixtures soon.

The club already had two senior men’s league teams and a full age group of boys’ junior sides.

“We are trying to grow within our remit,” said director of rugby Steve Down.

“We are a small club in terms of facilities and ground, but we are a big club in terms of heart and ambition.

“The work we have done over the last few years to make the place inclusive, family friendly and a place where everyone wants to be is starting to pay dividends now.

“We have walking rugby and have got a women’s team now, which is absolutely brilliant, and we also have a strong second team playing league rugby.

“Our youth section does provide us with some really good players and we have that constant churn. Like with most clubs you only get a few each year but they are all really good quality and we are passionate and proud of the fact that we are all home-grown.

“I think we are in a really good place as a club, but we have to keep working hard on and off the field.”

He added: “We almost have a full complement of teams now.

“The ambition and the hope is that the women’s rugby here will start to grow girls’ youth rugby as well, but it’s got to be one step at a time.

“We have got between 25-30 women training and they are brilliant. They are very self-sufficient and organised.

“There is an ambition for them to enter the league next season at a decent level, but in the meantime, we are just looking for some friendlies. I think we are going to try and launch the team with a game before one of the men’s matches on a Saturday, which would be nice.”

The Saltash men’s senior side will continue their pre-season fixtures on Saturday when they host OPMs at Moorlands Lane (1pm).

Meanwhile, Plymouth Argaum, who themselves have recently started offering women’s and walking rugby, have a double-header this weekend.

Their men’s first team will host fellow city side Old Techs at Bickleigh Down on Saturday (3pm) and their women’s team will play their first proper home match on Sunday when they entertain Exeter Saracens (2pm).

Plymstock Oaks will continue their pre-season fixtures with a home match against higher league Okehampton.

Oaks, who have brought in Richard Edwards as their forwards coach this summer, have already played tough games against Crediton and Saltash away.

“We wanted a tough pre-season,” said Oaks head coach Lewis Paterson. “We’re looking forward to playing Okehampton. We are a club that want to go up and the only way to do that is to see how that level plays.”

Oaks have lost some experienced players like Tom Richards, Al Thomas, Matt Finn and Chey Bryce, but they have brought in Joe Brearley and Lewis Riley over the summer and have some more youngsters coming through, like 18-year-old lock Archie Gray, who impressed in his first senior game last week against Saltash.

“We have a decent amount of players but we are looking at them in dribs and drabs at the moment due to availability,” admitted Paterson.

After playing Taunton and OPMs, Ivybridge are holding an inter-club match on Saturday (12.15pm), while Devonport Services III will host New Cross at Keyham (2.30pm).