Ivybridge U15s Gloucester Premiership Tour weekend: A cherry & white fairytale to remember!

Ivybridge has been the hub of our Devon Big Bash since 2021. Through their generous hosting of our own festival, they became tourists of their own taking their U15s on tour to Gloucestershire in April 2025. Through a few minor setbacks of their initial fixture hosts having cancelled, they were hosted by Drybrook RFC who were extremely hospitable and welcoming.

On Saturday they took on the local team, Drybrook RFC and then, dressed as princesses, they went off into the night, enjoying Cheltenham’s jam-packed set of activities. With restaurants available such as Five Guys, Nando’s, Prezzo, Son of Steak or Mowgli’s available for them they refuelled after a busy day but with access to all the town centre’s amenities they carried on late into the night. These attractions ranged from Mr Mulligan’s Lost World Golf to Hollywood Bowl, escape rooms and many more! They then got back to their hotel ready for another ‘rugbytastic’ day!

After a hotel breakfast the next day they then made the short trip to Kingsholm stadium, the home of Gloucester Rugby, where they attended a training session on their freshly kept artificial pitch and went on to be the official flag bearers for Gloucester’s home game vs Exeter Chiefs. After a heavy, yet entertaining, win for the hosts (79-17), the club had time to then finally indulge themselves amongst Gloucester’s infamous shed celebrations before heading back down to Devon afterwards.

After just a 2-and-a-half-hour journey back home Burleigh received some amazing feedback saying, ‘Thank you for all you did, the tour went off without a hitch! I think all the hitches played out before!! The lads had the best time, I’m sure they will remember their first tour for a long time! Most of the parents have now recovered and caught up on their sleep like the lads, everyone enjoyed the tour fun and the fact we had a tour coach!!’

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