14 July 2025
Navy Rugby Making Waves in Weymouth
Written by J Campbell-Baldwin
RAF Marham were crowned champions in a thrilling finale to end the hugely enjoyable Navy Rugby Beach Festival in Weymouth. The event delivered an exciting afternoon of action, with teams from across the service battling it out for the top spot. From dominant group stage performances to a nail-biting final, the competition was a fantastic display of Navy Rugby at its best.
How the Leagues Panned Out
Culdrose were the team to beat in League 1, cruising through their matches with an unbeaten record. They kicked off with a 5 – 1 win over Sultan (SUL), followed by a 6 – 0 thrashing of Collingwood (CWD) B (resplendent in their canary yellow hockey kit) and a 5 – 0 victory against HMNB Portsmouth (HMNBP). Sultan also impressed, securing a 4–1 win over HMNBP and a 6 – 0 result against CWD B to finish second in the group.
League 2 saw RAF Marham dominate from start to finish. They opened with a 5 – 1 win over the SW Submariners, followed by a 5–0 victory against the only Ship in attendance, HMS Sutherland , and a 5–1 triumph over CWD A. Sutherland managed to edge out the Submariners 2 – 1 in a tight encounter to claim second place, while CWD A picked up a 3 – 2 win over the Submariners in their final match.
Quarterfinals: The Knockouts Begin
The quarterfinals saw the top teams from both leagues face off. CUL continued their strong form with a 6 – 0 win over the SW Submariners, while Sultan defeated Sutherland 2 – 0 in a tight contest. Marham showed their attacking power with a 7 – 1 victory over HMNBP, and CWD A advanced with a 3 – 0 win over their B team.
Semi-Finals: Sultan Stun Culdrose
The semi-finals brought plenty of drama. Sultan and Culdrose went head-to-head in a thrilling match, with Sultan narrowly coming out on top 5 – 4 to end Culdrose’s unbeaten run. In the other semi-final, Marham proved too strong for CWD A, securing a 4 – 1 win to book their place in the final.
Marham Take the Title
The final between Marham and Sultan was a match to remember. Both teams were up for it and gave their all with nothing separating the 2 sides with the game finishing 4 – 4 at full time. After a quick discussion between the referees the game went to extra time. Marham found the golden point to clinch a dramatic 5 – 4 victory and take home the championship.
A Great Day of Rugby
The Navy Rugby festival was a fantastic success, with every team giving their all and providing plenty of memorable moments. Jay Toogood for the U23s TSG and Rose Dixon for the Women’s Development XV were on hand to take down player details highlighting the linkages between events like this and pull through to the representative area. Congratulations to RAF Marham on their well-earned win, and well done to all the teams for making it such a brilliant competition. We’re already looking forward to next year!
"The beach rugby was a huge success and is always the most well attended community event of the year and is a great recruitment tool for unit and regional level rugby. It always gives me great pleasure to see the players enjoying themselves in such a unique setting and with a rugby ball in their hands. The support from our volunteers and from everyone who came to Weymouth are the driving forces behind the success of this event and we simply couldn’t do it without them. It’s events like this that showcase and epitomise all that Community rugby is and is a great example of how committed Navy Rugby is to providing Community rugby for our service men and women” – Jane West, Director of Community Rugby, RNRU.
Culdrose were the team to beat in League 1, cruising through their matches with an unbeaten record. They kicked off with a 5 – 1 win over Sultan (SUL), followed by a 6 – 0 thrashing of Collingwood (CWD) B (resplendent in their canary yellow hockey kit) and a 5 – 0 victory against HMNB Portsmouth (HMNBP). Sultan also impressed, securing a 4–1 win over HMNBP and a 6 – 0 result against CWD B to finish second in the group.
League 2 saw RAF Marham dominate from start to finish. They opened with a 5 – 1 win over the SW Submariners, followed by a 5–0 victory against the only Ship in attendance, HMS Sutherland , and a 5–1 triumph over CWD A. Sutherland managed to edge out the Submariners 2 – 1 in a tight encounter to claim second place, while CWD A picked up a 3 – 2 win over the Submariners in their final match.
Quarterfinals: The Knockouts Begin
The quarterfinals saw the top teams from both leagues face off. CUL continued their strong form with a 6 – 0 win over the SW Submariners, while Sultan defeated Sutherland 2 – 0 in a tight contest. Marham showed their attacking power with a 7 – 1 victory over HMNBP, and CWD A advanced with a 3 – 0 win over their B team.
Semi-Finals: Sultan Stun Culdrose
The semi-finals brought plenty of drama. Sultan and Culdrose went head-to-head in a thrilling match, with Sultan narrowly coming out on top 5 – 4 to end Culdrose’s unbeaten run. In the other semi-final, Marham proved too strong for CWD A, securing a 4 – 1 win to book their place in the final.
Marham Take the Title
The final between Marham and Sultan was a match to remember. Both teams were up for it and gave their all with nothing separating the 2 sides with the game finishing 4 – 4 at full time. After a quick discussion between the referees the game went to extra time. Marham found the golden point to clinch a dramatic 5 – 4 victory and take home the championship.
A Great Day of Rugby
The Navy Rugby festival was a fantastic success, with every team giving their all and providing plenty of memorable moments. Jay Toogood for the U23s TSG and Rose Dixon for the Women’s Development XV were on hand to take down player details highlighting the linkages between events like this and pull through to the representative area. Congratulations to RAF Marham on their well-earned win, and well done to all the teams for making it such a brilliant competition. We’re already looking forward to next year!
"The beach rugby was a huge success and is always the most well attended community event of the year and is a great recruitment tool for unit and regional level rugby. It always gives me great pleasure to see the players enjoying themselves in such a unique setting and with a rugby ball in their hands. The support from our volunteers and from everyone who came to Weymouth are the driving forces behind the success of this event and we simply couldn’t do it without them. It’s events like this that showcase and epitomise all that Community rugby is and is a great example of how committed Navy Rugby is to providing Community rugby for our service men and women” – Jane West, Director of Community Rugby, RNRU.
Images by Callum Sanders