Long-time player and committee member Clive Eagles has given a lot to Minchinhampton Rugby Club.

He’s played some 450 games for the club – more than anyone else – has served on the committee since the mid-80s, is a past 2^nd XV captain and is the current captain of the club’s 3rds/vets side.

But whatever Eagles, now 58, has given to Minchinhampton, he readily admits the club has given back to him, and more, by the bucketload.

When the one-time Marling School pupil was asked if he’d play for the club way back in 1982, just a few weeks after they were formed, he could not have imagined the journey it would take him on.

It's a heartwarming tale that has given him the opportunity to be in the presence of Royalty, play against international rugby players and appear on prime-time television; but more than anything it’s given him the opportunity to have fun with a capital ‘F’.

As he readily admits: “I’m not sure what I’d have done for a social life without the rugby club.”

He’s still playing at least once a month now – he says he wishes he could play more – and remains forever grateful for a chance meeting that got him involved with Minchinhampton RFC in the first place.

“I was in the pub on a Friday night and I saw Pete Smith,” he said. “He was involved at the club and knew I’d played rugby at Marling. He asked if I fancied a game the next day.”

Pete Smith came from a strong rugby-playing family – he is the son of former England international and one-time RFU and Minchinhampton president JV Smith – and the game in question was at Bream.

“I hadn’t played in quite a few years and I’m pretty sure we lost,” Eagles said. “Until a couple of years ago that was the only time I had ever played at Bream.”

In those early days, Eagles was happy to play wherever he was asked but after a while he established himself as either a scrum-half or fly-half.

“I played for the 1sts for about 10 years,” he said. “I was in the Army and was based in Germany for a while but I always played when I could when I came back. Most of my games for the club have been for the 1sts or 2nds.”

He enjoyed playing for both teams, of course, and also enjoyed his spell as captain of the 2nds.

“I’ve been lucky with injuries,” he said. “I’ve only had a couple of injuries – a leg injury and a dislocated shoulder… not at the same time.”

When asked, he says that fly-half is his favourite position, so what sort of 10 is he?

“These days I’m working on my hands so I can get rid of the ball as quickly as possible,” he laughed. “And you’ve also got to pick your fights when you get older!

“I’m not the biggest of blokes but when I was younger I could tackle and I had something of a notorious dummy!”

Eagles is easy to talk to, and he loves talking rugby and Minchinhampton Rugby Club in particular. And while winning is obviously important, it’s the fun, friendship and laughs that will remain with him long after he has laced up his boots for the final time.

“We do enjoy ourselves and it’s important to keep the social side going,” said Eagles, who lives in Chalford. “I’ve always been a bit of a singer and I like a sing-song, it’s good fun.”

And he’s been belting out the tunes in Minchinhampton, around Gloucestershire and even farther afield for many years now.

“Up until Covid we’d been on a tour every year since 1993,” said Eagles, who has great memories of them all, but one in particular.

“One year we went to Belgium and were playing this unpronounceable team just outside Brussels.

“We used to have a theme for every year and this particular year we dressed up as Morris Dancers, we even had Morris Dancing lessons.

“We thought if the All Blacks had the haka we could have the Morris Dance!

“One of the newspapers picked up on it and the next thing we know we’ve got two reporters from the ITV show Richard and Judy with us in Belgium.  

“They did a big feature and I was filmed kicking off the game!”

And a decent kick-off it was too – you can check it out on YouTube – although that was by no means Eagles’ only high spot in Minchinhampton’s 40-year history.

In 2017, their new £370,000 clubhouse was opened by The Princess Royal, followed by a game between a Mike Tindall XV and a Gloucestershire XV.

Tindall’s side included the likes of former internationals Iain Balshaw, Thinus Delport and David Flatman, while Eagles was one of the lucky ones to play against them.

“I didn’t lay a hand on any of them,” he said with a laugh. “Most people seem to remember me getting absolutely flattened by David Flatman!

“It was a great day, there was lots of excitement and there were lots of people there.”

That day showed just how far the club had come in the previous 35 years.

“I have seen Minchinhampton play in about seven different grounds over many years in a daunting effort find a home,” Eagles said. “We have used pubs and other clubhouses  in our peripatetic wanderings.

“It is now thriving with a spectacular clubhouse, two men's teams,  minis and juniors, touch and ladies' rugby.

“Many dedicated and hardworking people made this possible, some of whom have been connected to the club as long as I have.” 

Eagles, who is married to Tracey, is anxious that the great days at Minchinhampton Rugby Club continue, of course, and he’s planning to play on for a while yet.

“Physically it takes a bit longer to recover now, but I’m not going to retire until I’m at least 60,” he said. “I’ve got a couple of seasons or so and then we’ll see.”

And when he does eventually pack up playing, the club’s one-time fixture secretary will be able to look back on a club career that will be getting up towards 500 games.

“Yes, it is an achievement,” said Eagles, who repairs medical and dental equipment for a living. “A few others have played 400 games and it makes you feel very proud. Mind you, I try to keep it quiet because my wife thinks I should have given up playing years ago!”