Weston-super-Mare enter Saturday’s final match of the Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West season with promotion already secured, sitting 17 points clear of second-placed Tiverton. As the club celebrates its 150th anniversary, it also targets an extraordinary milestone: completing the campaign unbeaten. However, visitors Crediton are determined to spoil the party.
Crediton, runners-up to league champions Topsham this season, hosted Weston-super-Mare in the opening fixture. Despite early pressure from Crediton, Weston claimed a hard-fought 28-24 victory.
Weston clinched the league title and promotion with two matches remaining, dominating Okehampton 40-17 at home. The win featured six tries, including four by Tongan-born No.8 Nasili Ikahihifo.
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Centre Marcus Nel, who rejoined the club this season from Clifton, reflected on the team’s mindset: “Once we sealed promotion, the next goal became clear. There’s still one more game, and it’s a big target for us. The season isn’t over yet. It’s been an unbelievable campaign with a real sense of family here. Coming back to this familiar environment was a major draw for me.”
Weston has amassed an impressive 105 league points while scoring 1,001 to concede just 339, boasting a points difference nearly twice that of their closest rival. Remarkably, they earned a try-scoring bonus point in every game.
Club captain Charlie Brabham, who will mark his 50th first-team appearance on Saturday, praised the collective effort: “Every week brought new challenges. The hard work from the coaching staff and the entire squad has been pivotal. We have limited training time, so we maximize every session with detailed preparation and video analysis to stay match-ready.”
Director of rugby Mark Matthews emphasized the club-wide impact of the first team’s success: “The momentum extends throughout the club, with our second and third teams pushing numbers at training and fostering a strong squad culture. This achievement is no accident. The foundation was laid when Steve Worrall returned as head coach in November 2024. Although we lost Steve in January 2025, his vision and structural guidance have been instrumental. Coaches Jon Bamsey and Darren Crompton have carried that forward.”
Mark added, “Celebrating 150 years with such success is fantastic, but the season isn’t over until the final whistle on Saturday against Crediton.”
On the same day, Weston’s second team competes in Counties 3 Tribute Ale Somerset South away to Chard 2nd XV, while the third team hosts Morganians in Counties 4 Tribute Ale Somerset South.
Several Weston players—George Talbot, Nasili Ikahihifo, Jacob Cox, Alex Howman, and Hayden Main—have been named in Somerset’s initial training squad for the 2026 Bill Beaumont Senior Men’s County Championship. Somerset opens their Division 2 - Pool 3 campaign against Devon on Saturday, May 16, at Brixham RFC, followed by a home game against Buckinghamshire at Taunton’s Summerfield Stadium the next Saturday. Both games kick off at 2:30 pm.