After a challenging season, the Valley produced one of the great fightbacks to secure Level 5 rugby for another year, showing heart, belief and character when it mattered most.

First Half – Chippenham Take Control
The home side struck first after 23 minutes when Reg Parfitt crossed for Chew Valley’s opening try. The conversion was missed, but it gave the crowd plenty to cheer about.

Chippenham responded strongly, however, taking control of the first half with three tries and a penalty to put Chew Valley under real pressure.

At the break, Chew Valley trailed 7–24 and faced a huge second-half challenge.

Second Half – The Comeback Begins
Whatever was said at half time worked immediately. Chew Valley came out firing and reduced the deficit just two minutes into the second half when Strider powered over for a try on 42 minutes. The conversion was missed, but momentum had shifted.

On 50 minutes, Tom Bryan crossed to bring the Valley closer, again unconverted.

Then came the turning point. On 53 minutes, Strider grabbed his second try of the afternoon to level the scores at 24–24. Tom Bryan added the conversion to send Chew Valley ahead for the first time, 26–24.

Chew Take Control
From there, the home side never looked back.

A dominant rolling maul on 60 minutes brought another try for Chew Valley to extend the lead to 31–24.

The forwards were in irresistible form, and another powerful maul try on 68 minutes pushed the score to 36–24.

Tom Bryan then added a penalty on 74 minutes to stretch the advantage further to 39–24.

Chippenham refused to go away and scored late on 79 minutes to narrow the gap to 39–31, setting up a tense finish.

But with nerves at their highest, Tom Bryan stepped up once again to slot a penalty on 82 minutes and seal the victory at 42–31.

Final Whistle – Scenes to Remember
As the final whistle blew, the crowd erupted. Players, coaches and supporters celebrated together as Chew Valley secured their place in Regional 1 South West for another season.

This result means more than just league survival. It reflects the strength of the club, the togetherness of the squad and the incredible support of the Chew Valley community.

The club would like to thank every supporter who came out to back the team. Your noise, passion and belief helped drive the lads over the line.

After everything this season has thrown at us, Chew Valley stood tall when it mattered most.

Chew Valley won on the scoreboard but on a day like this, rugby was the real winner.