Ben Patteson only got involved in Bream Rugby Club because his son Wallace started to play for them.

That was five years ago and now he is one of the small number of volunteers looking to ensure that rugby is played in the village for many years to come.

Patteson senior was in his mid-40s when he first started taking an interest in the club and these days he is first team manager, fixtures secretary and webmaster as well as helping to deal with all the club’s admin.

Making sure the club survive for another 100 years or more – Bream are one of the oldest clubs in Gloucestershire having been formed in 1878 – is no one-man operation of course and the club may be old in years but they are certainly not standing still, with work due to start soon on renovating the clubhouse.

“We’re keeping the miners’ hall but we’re knocking everything else down,” said Patteson. “Once we’ve got the new facilities that should go a long way to helping our cause in the future.

“Club secretary Jon Havers and treasurer Clive James have played a vital role in organising the renovation of the clubhouse,” said Patteson.

“Clive also does the ground maintenance as well as a lot of other jobs in and around the clubhouse.

“And Alan Nyland and Ashley Worgan also do a lot around the clubhouse, especially relating to the running of the bar, while Julie James is another who helps with the bar along with organising the food side of things.

“We are few, but without everyone’s help, we wouldn’t have a club. We are all volunteers who want the same outcome… rugby to still be played in the village for years to come.”

On the pitch Bream are playing in Gloucester Two in 2017/18 after last season’s relegation.

“Yes, it can be tough at times,” admits Patteson, “because we’ve got big clubs like Lydney, Cinderford and Drybrook on our doorstep.

“This season we’re just going to run a 1st XV. We obviously want to do well but the main aim is making sure we get a team out each week.”

Peter Pritchard looks after the coaching side, with help from Dan Hardy and Sam Thomas. Both Pritchard and Hardy will also play when the club are short of numbers.

Patteson’s son Wallace should have a big part to play this season.

The 19-year-old loosehead prop only played one game last season before rupturing his medial ligament but has now fully recovered.

He got involved with the club when they had a successful Colts set-up.

It has now disbanded but Patteson senior said: “We were quite strong for two or three years although a lot of those players are now in the first team.

“I remember Wallace just rocked up one day when he was about 14 and said he was going to play rugby for his school team at Whitecross and that’s how it all started.

“I love the social side of rugby and the game itself and I wish I’d got involved sooner.”

Patteson senior did play rugby in his school days at Kingham Hill. “I was a loosehead just like Wallace,” he said. “But I stopped playing once I left school and I played golf for fun at Forest Hills with Wallace and my other son Fletcher.”

Stand-in captain and centre Hugh Gibbs will lead Bream for much of this season because regular skipper and no. 8 Andrew Cooper is recovering from an ankle injury which is expected to keep him out until early next year.