The Royal Gloucestershire Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (Slashers) RFC beat the Royal Welsh Fusiliers 22-20 in the Army Cup final at the School of Artillery, Larkhill last month. A long hard route to the final and their first Cup win in 65 years was made all the more difficult by commitment to the fireman’s strike and Northern Ireland, said team manager Captain Brian Phillips.

Preliminary rounds included 2 PWRR, holders of the Middlesex 7s plate trophy, beaten 35-5 and, in the quarter final, last year’s finalist 22 Regiment RA, beaten 46-5. The semi final against the champions of Germany the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment saw Slashers RFC winning 17 points to 16.

The final took place on the battalion’s 309th birthday, adding impetus to what was always going to be a bruising encounter, both teams being infantry and from the Prince of Wales Division. This is the first time 1 RGBW have had their name engraved on the Cup presented to the ARU in 1907 by the RFU. Their predecessors the 2nd Bn the Gloucestershire Regiment had won the Cup twice in 1910 and
in 1938.