REGIONAL One South West leaders Devonport Services will be looking to prove a major point on Saturday when they kick-off 2026 with a big home match against third-placed Brixham.
Brixham are the only team to have beaten Services so far this season, when they surprisingly beat them 59-10 at Astley Park on October 4.
Services did bounce back well and have not lost in the league since that game, but the players have not forgotten about it.
“That game at the start of the year is still a bit of a sore spot for the boys,” admitted Services head coach Ben Russell.
“We didn’t have our strongest side out, but we also didn’t turn up and front up.
“I think we had five of our backline missing that day and then we lost Liam Jarvis after going 5-0 up with concussion. If you look through the video, we were all over them at times, but we must have dropped the ball six or seven times on their line and when they got hold of it, they were clinical and every time they made a break they scored.
“It was just one of those days where one to 15 we just didn’t turn up.”
He added: “We have got a nice little rivalry with Brixham.
“And since I’ve been here, we have never beaten them at their place and they haven’t beat us at ours.
“The lads will be up for it this week as we are at home, and it is against Brixham. We’ll just see how we get on.”
The Regional One South West title race is looking like a straight battle between Services and Topsham, who have both only lost once.
Brixham, who have lost five games, are 15 points behind Services but the Fisherman will have their eyes on one of the play-off places, which have been introduced this season.
Services do know they have to try and make home advantage count in the second half of the campaign, starting on Saturday.
“If you look at it, out of the top six teams, Exmouth are the only ones to have come to us so far,” said Russell. “We have gone away to Topsham, Brixham, St Austell and Lydney.”
Services’ front-row options are limited this weekend, with Oli Symons away and Rikki Bentham and Aiden Taylor still injured.
James McFarlane has also been struggling with illness, while the club are still waiting to see if Yianni Costas is available.
However, hooker Rob Walsh has returned to the club after spending the first part of the season back on loan at his former side Saltash.
Services are also waiting to see if speedy back Harrison Coonick is fit, while Brixham have a major doubt over their key back Joel Ashworth.
REGIONAL TWO SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE are hoping they can kick-off 2026 with a much-needed away win as they travel to Devon rivals Okehampton on Saturday.
The Bridgers have not won on their travels for more than a year but hope they might be able to put that record right at the Showground against an Okehampton side who sit just six points and three places above them.
Ivybridge, who are in sixth place, do have a game in hand on third-placed Okehampton so a win this weekend would really boost the Cross-in-Hand side’s play-off hopes.
“I think it will be a good game,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson.
“We’ve got quite a strong side out, which is good. We have had a few injuries come back after Christmas.
“We had 47 to choose from (for both teams) this week when normally it is about 36 or 37.
“It would be nice to get that away win. It is going to be a tough game, but we know how Okehampton sort of play.”
The two clubs have clashed many times in recent years, with Ivybridge just edging the head-to-heads.
The Bridgers did win the corresponding game at Cross-in-Hand at the start of October 29-21.
But Ivybridge have not won at the Showground since 2013.
This weekend is also likely to be the last game of the season for some of their talented youngsters, who are going travelling.
Harry Newman-Wild, Jamie Campbell, Jack Guyver and Charlie Moody are among those packing a rucksack.
“We’ve got five lads going travelling at the end of January so this will be their last weekend,” said Atkinson.
“We knew about it midway through the season, so we have been trying to make adjustments here and there. I think we will be all right. We have got a few lads back now.”
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks are another team hoping to right an early season wrong when they host eighth-placed Barnstaple II at Horsham Fields on Saturday.
Oaks were beaten 57-7 away at Pottington Road the start of the season, but Barnstaple II have not yet claimed at win at Horsham Fields.
“Historically, Barnstaple are great at home, but not so great away,” said Oaks coach Mike Lewis.
“We do owe them one as ee were dreadful up there.
“But it is a weird one this week for every rugby club. I think everyone struggles as you have to ease back into it after the Christmas break. I think everyone’s lungs burn and their legs are a bit heavy and it can take a week or two to get back into it in January.
“And you couldn’t ask for a worse weather week to try and get people back into it.
“However, I think with that result just before Christmas (beating Newton Abbot 52-29), does give us a bit of impetus and belief that we are half decent. We just have to keep that belief going into every game.
“The games that we have won are the ones when we have a decent scrum and I think we have the personnel to have a decent scrum this weekend.”
Oaks, who sit in 10th place, are able to name one of their strongest sides of the season.
Saltash were also boosted by a much-needed win before Christmas.
They overcame Penryn 33-12 away to move off the foot of the table.
They are only one point behind Oaks in a division where just 10 points separate seven teams.
Saltash will be looking to close that 10-point gap on fifth-placed St Ives when they travel to west Cornwall on Saturday.
The Ashes did beat St Ives 35-25 at home at the start of the season, but they have yet to claim a win at the Recreation Ground.
Saltash will be hoping to have a few players back for the second half of the season, but they have lost hooker Rob Walsh, who has returned to Devonport Services.
COUNTIES TWO DEVON
TAVISTOCK will be aiming to finally end their losing run when they host bottom side Dartmouth at Sandy Park on Saturday.
Tavistock have lost their last five league games and sit third from bottom.
But they have only played one home match in the last two months – a narrow 11-10 defeat to high-flying Bideford – but they will finish the campaign with four home matches out of the final five fixtures.
They will be big favourites this weekend against a Dartmouth side who only have one bonus point to their name.
“It’s been a slightly unusual build-up through the Christmas period, with the weather playing its part, but we’ve managed to get some valuable work done indoor at the sportshall at Tavistock College.
“This has to be a big year for Tavistock Rugby Club, and we’re really calling on the playing group to build from within.
“There is clearly a lot of talent around that isn’t currently playing club rugby, and we want Tavistock to be the club that welcomes those players back into the game.”
He added: “We begin the year by saying farewell to Sheldon Higgins, who is moving to the Isle of Man to play semi-professional rugby. We wish him all the very best.
“We’re also without two key players, Tylo Coupland and Vaughan Glover, who are away in Scotland, while Ollie Plummer – who has been playing his way back into the game and form – is unavailable.
“But the return of students Matt Sleep and Solly Hunter adds real energy to the group, and we’re excited to explore some new combinations and positional changes. Notably our ever-sharp captain Freddie Fuller moves to fly-half, while the versatile and dynamic Toby Teague dips his toes back into the front-row at hooker – centre one week, front-row the next.”
Leaders Devonport Services II start 2026 with a tough away trip to fourth-placed Exeter Saracens, who are unbeaten at home so far this season.
Services II are struggling a bit for front-row cover and are also missing Cam Donkin, Al Thomas, Tom Richards and Reece de Jersey.
“We have decent side out, but we are missing a few front-rowers,” said Services head coach Ben Russell.
“We have 11 fixtures left, eight of which are at home. We have OPMs away and also Exeter Saracens and Bideford.
“If you look at the fixtures we have played, we have done very well to be where we are at Christmas.”
Services II beat Exeter Saracens 59-33 at home earlier in the season, but they lost 34-31 away last term.
Ever-improving Ivybridge II will be hoping to pick up a fourth win of the season when they host Crediton II at Cross-in-Hand on Saturday.
The Bridgers picked up three wins in the final two months of 2025 to give themselves hope of staying up.
Crediton II have also only won three matches since their promotion, but they are currently three places above Ivybridge II in the table.
“We had quite a good meeting before the end of the year and we have targeted which games to really go for,” said Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson. “And this is obviously one of them.
“Looking at Crediton’s results, they are a bit like most teams, and don’t travel that well. I think their only away win was against Dartmouth.”
Also in Counties Two Devon, OPMs will start 2026 with a home game against promotion-chasing Bideford.
The Old Boys did push the north Devon side hard away, before Bideford just pulled away late on to win 40-26.
OPMs start 2026 sitting in seventh place, but they have only lost once at home this season.
They do have two home matches this weekend as their second team will be playing Devonport Services III at 1.30pm.
COUNTIES THREE DEVON SOUTH & WEST
OLD Techs could move into the top in Devon South & West if they could be third-placed Torquay Athletic at Weston Mill on Saturday.
Techs ended 2025 with wins over Plymouth Argaum and Kingsbridge II to close the gap on the teams above them.
Torquay II have only been beaten by Brixham II and Paignton II this season, but Techs did push them all the way away in September, just losing 27-25.
“There is a carrot there for us this weekend,” said Techs’ Shaun Bedford-Smith.
“Torquay have only lost twice this season, but we only lost up there by a couple of points. They scored late on to win and some of the lads have not forgotten that.
“We know it is another tough game, but we took a bit of confidence from the Argaum game and we are keen to keep that going.”
Josh O’Hare and Lewis Harvey could be missing for Techs, but they should have Lee Puleston, Jensen Baker, Eddie Ramazani and Ben Hill back in contention after missing the Argaum match.
Meanwhile, today (Friday) Techs are hosting a celebration of life event for former player and coach Ray Hancock, who died before Christmas.
Hancock also coached Tamar Saracens and OPMs. The club say everyone is welcome from 1pm and his family have asked for people to wear rugby shirts or club colours. The event will take place in their upstairs bar.
Argaum also have a tricky game this weekend when they visit inconsistent Salcombe.
Argaum sit in fourth place, with Salcombe, who are always better at home, in seventh spot.
When the sides met earlier in the season at Bickleigh Down, Argaum hammered an under-strength Salcombe side 79-0.
“When we played them at our place they were short and we finished the game 10 minutes early,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery. “We could have probably gone on and put 100 points on them, but we did the right thing. They were saying on the sidelines ‘wait to you come to our place’. I think they are very much looking to try and get some revenge.
“Fortunately, we have a reasonably good side going up and I would like to think we should be strong enough to go up there and get a result.
“But I said that ahead of the last two games – against Torquay away and Old Techs at home. Old Techs really fronted up, but we just didn’t really perform.
“I am sure other clubs are the same, but with the weather recently we have rarely trained well together, and I think that has made a difference.
“Hopefully, we can play together as a team this week and do what we did early in the year and push ourselves back up the table.”
There is a derby match at the Parkway on Saturday where Tamar Saracens host Plymstock Oaks II.
Sarries will be looking for revenge after losing 33-16 at Horsham Fields in September.
But Oaks II are likely to be as strong as they have been all season this weekend and their pack is set to include Devon player Kieran Jamieson, Ben Ross, Jack Hardman, Stu Kirkwood and Nathan Akers.
“Our twos do look strong for their game with Tamar Saracens,” said Oaks coach Mike Lewis.
“WE beat them earlier in the season here, but now we have a job to do over there.”
Elsewhere in the division, Plympton Victoria have a tough home match against second-placed Paignton II.
“We have got a team, which is the important thing,” said Plym Vic chairman Chris Hunt.
“And we had a reasonable rest over Christmas.
“But we are expecting the usual tough day at the office against a side whose first team is three divisions higher.”
Plym Vic have not been helped by recently losing a couple more players to Ivybridge and they are looking for new players to help boost their squad for the second half of the campaign.