When the final whistle blew at Twickenham in May 2025, Stamford Rugby’s players stood together beneath the shadow of the South Stand, heads held high. They hadn’t lifted the Papa John’s Community Cup that day — Brunel University took the honours — but for Matt Albinson, the club’s manager and director of rugby, it hardly mattered.
After more than three decades with the club, he had just led his hometown team onto the most famous pitch in the sport.
“To walk out at Twickenham after 32 years at the club… you can’t describe that feeling,” he told Fen Regis Trophies. “I looked back from the pitch and saw friends, family, players’ children, all wearing Stamford shirts. That’s what it’s all about.”
It was the culmination of a season that had already made history — a promotion, a place among the top amateur sides in the region, and a cup run that captured the imagination of the town.
For Stamford Rugby, a club built on community and camaraderie, reaching a national final felt like the reward for years of quiet, determined graft.
A Lifelong Bond
Matt’s story with Stamford Rugby begins long before the Twickenham triumph. He first pulled on the club’s shirt at the age of 10, not long after returning from The Hague, where his family had spent four years.
“My first experience of rugby was at an international school in Holland — mostly tag tournaments and sevens games,” he recalled.
“When I came back to the UK in 1995 and started at Stamford School, that’s where things really began.”
Now 32 years after his first appearance in blue and white, he’s still there — albeit on the touchline rather than the wing or in the scrum-half shirt.
“It’s home,” he said. “I’ve been through it all here — as a player, captain, coach, and now director of rugby. The place means everything to me.”
Teacher Turned Leader
Before taking the reins at Stamford, Matt spent 15 years in education — as a PE teacher, maths teacher and eventually vice principal. It’s a background that has shaped his approach to coaching.
“The classroom and the training pitch aren’t so different,” he said. “You’re managing individuals, building relationships, helping people find their potential.
“You can’t get the best out of anyone unless they feel valued.”
That philosophy has underpinned the club’s resurgence over the past few seasons. Working alongside coaches George Cox and Ali Shaw, Albinson has helped to foster a culture that players don’t want to leave.
“In two years, only one player has come and gone — and that was down to injury,” he noted proudly. “That tells you a lot about what we’ve built.”
It’s an environment rooted in enjoyment and belonging. “Happy players make great players,” he often says — a simple mantra, but one that carried Stamford to the home of English rugby.
A Season to Remember
The 2024/25 campaign was the second year of a five-year plan. After finishing third the previous season, promotion was the clear goal — and the squad achieved it with weeks to spare, sealing their rise to Regional Two Midlands East of Midlands Division by March.
That left the Papa John’s Community Cup as something of a bonus. Yet momentum can be a powerful thing.
“I remember telling the lads once we’d wrapped up promotion, ‘You could end this season at the home of rugby,’” Albinson recalled telling his squad. “From that moment, you could feel belief growing.”
Stamford stormed through the knockout rounds, producing one of the club’s most memorable performances in the quarter-final against Sutton Coldfield, who had been unbeaten all season. The semi-final, played in front of a roaring home crowd at Hambleton Road, went to extra time before Stamford clinched a 49-44 victory over Novocastrians.
“That day was electric,” Albinson said. “The atmosphere, the emotion — it was everything community rugby should be.”
Then came the call: Stamford were going to Twickenham.
Chaos, Commitment and a Thousand Fans
With just a week between the semi-final and the final, the days that followed were, in Albinson’s words, “absolute chaos.”
Logistics, travel, kit, tickets — everything had to be organised in a matter of days. “I’d actually started planning a few bits before the semi-final, just in case,” he admitted. “Once we won, it was all systems go. Late nights, endless phone calls, but it was worth every second.”
Nearly a thousand supporters made the journey to London, turning a section of Twickenham purple and white.
“To see that sea of Stamford shirts and flags — it was incredible,” said Albinson. “We didn’t win the match, but we won something bigger that day. We showed what a true community club looks like.”
It wasn’t all joy, though. Selecting the final matchday squad meant leaving a couple of players out who had been instrumental all season.
“That was the hardest part,” said the Stamford boss. “These lads aren’t professionals. This was their one shot at something magical. Making those phone calls, that still hurts.”
Looking Ahead
After such an emotional high, it would be easy for Stamford to rest on their laurels. Albinson won’t let that happen.
“People say, ‘You’ll be back at Twickenham next year,’ but you can’t chase that,” he said. “You just keep doing the right things: building the culture, developing the players, investing in the club. The moments will come naturally.”
Now leading a club with more than a thousand members across men’s, women’s, and junior rugby, Albinson’s focus is on sustainability and community impact.
“Our goal isn’t just to be successful on the pitch,” he says. “We want to be the best community rugby club in the country. That’s not about league tables, it’s about how we make people feel when they walk through our doors.”
For a man who started out playing tag rugby in Holland, it’s been quite the journey. Through all the milestones, the promotions, the cups, the glory of Twickenham, one thing has never changed.
“Rugby’s been the constant in my life…it’s given me friendships, memories, and purpose.
“If I can help others find that same joy, that’s enough for me.”
By Aaron Gratton
