The British Army men’s rugby union team secured a victory of redemption over the Royal Air Force with a 38-20 win at Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester, ending their Inter Service campaign on a high. After the disappointment of defeat against the Royal Navy at Allianz Stadium, where the Senior Service secured the Inter Service Championship, this final fixture was about pride and finishing with the final bragging rights.
The RAF, also coming into the match off the back of a tough result against the Navy, fielded added experience with professional player Josh McNally in their ranks. They began brightly, with skipper Mark Williams slotting an early penalty to give the Light Blues a 3-0 lead.
However, it was the Army who struck first in open play. Right wing Tomasi Vula finished a well-worked move to score the opening try, with Jack Johnson adding the conversion to put the Army ahead. The RAF responded well, with loosehead prop Craig Irwin powering through the Army defence to bring the hosts level in terms of tries, but the Army quickly reasserted control.
Sean Beevor and Koroinivuku Vereti both crossed within four minutes of each other, giving the Army a growing advantage at 21-8. As the match approached half time, momentum remained with the Army, and outside centre Penaia Tagutu finished clinically after linking with Francis Kelly to extend the lead further. The RAF did manage a late response through Freddie Richardson, narrowing the gap to 26-15 at the break.
The RAF carried that momentum into the second half, with Zack Taylor scoring a converted try to reduce the deficit and bring renewed energy to the contest. The Army, however, responded quickly, with Tagutu going over for his second try of the match, and Michael McDonald adding the extras to restore control.
The game then settled into a long, physical arm wrestle, with both sides battling hard but unable to convert pressure into points for much of the third quarter. Eventually, the Army broke the stalemate late on, as Matthew Dawson forced his way over for what proved to be the decisive try.
As the final whistle sounded, the British Army confirmed a 38-20 victory, closing out their Inter Service campaign with redemption and repeating their success at Kingsholm from 2025. Inside
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