Barnstaple RFC head coach Winston James pledged a Twickenham return after his side lost out on Papa Johns Community Cup finals day in heartbreaking fashion.  

The Devon outfit lost a thriller via the first try scored tiebreaker at the end of a pulsating 35-all draw with northerners Heath at a sun-drenched home of rugby.

It was another near miss for James’ side, after finishing second in the league, but he believes they will look back fondly on an unforgettable experience.

“It’s been brilliant to play at Twickenham, the lads are still saying what a great experience it’s been,” said James.

“Nobody ever wants to lose and that’s what it is, but to be able to come up here and have the ridiculous support we’ve had, it’s been a great experience for all the lads.

“Even in a week we’ll look back at it in a very different light.”

The finale on day one of the Papa Johns Community Cup started with a bang as Heath’s Calum Harriott-Brown touched down in the corner inside two minutes.

But it was Barnstaple who looked set for victory when fly-half Tyler Gordon-Oke kicked two penalties to nudge his side 35-30 in front with just seconds remaining of a frenetic encounter. 

That was until, with one last faultless drive, Heath broke Barnstable hearts, scoring the trophy-clinching try with the clock in the red courtesy of replacement hooker Jack Malthouse.

“It’s bittersweet, it’s obviously an amazing day for the lads but the game was in our hands,” said James.

“I thought Heath were brilliant, it was a really good, exciting game of rugby but we didn’t do quite enough.

“We made a wrong decision here and there at the key moments and that was it.

“There were a couple big moments, they played theirs really well. It was nip and tuck, a draw, but ultimately they scored the first try.”

A year-long celebration of community rugby, the Papa Johns Community Cup has enabled clubs to play different opposition and visit new places, while others reignited old local rivalries, all making plenty of memories along the way.

Finals weekend witnessed non-stop action across the country with more matches being held at Sixways Stadium, Shaftesbury Park and Darlington Mowden Park. 

“It’s been fantastic, we weren’t sure what we would be getting ourselves into but it’s 100 percent something we’ll be doing again,” added James.

“We’ve really enjoyed the experience of going away to clubs we haven’t played and it’s the best of the best playing each other in cup final after cup final. It was a fantastic experience.

“The local cups are just one game now and that’s not a cup for me, we’ve had an unbelievable experience here and hopefully we’ll be back next year to go one better.”

For a round up of all the Papa Johns Community Cup Final action and to watch the games back follow @RFU on X or search for #PapaJohnsCommunityCup