Dereham Rugby Football Club has been a staple in the community since its formation in 1974.

It runs active mini/youth, women's, and touch rugby programs alongside its senior men's squads.

The club also recently announced a partnership with Fakenham to form the combined Dereham and Fakenham Barbarians.

The club has been a staple in the community since being founded in 1974 (Image: Dereham Rugby Club)

But the Purple Army hit a stumbling block in 2023 after claiming the Eastern Counties Division Two North title.

Andrew Mash, youth coach and honorary secretary, said: "We lost far too many players. It got to a point where we couldn't fill the squad the following season.

"There wasn't a huge amount of people at the club. Me and Andrew Brooke kept taking our kids down there and it went from there.

"We had our 50th anniversary so it would've been a huge shame if we couldn't carry on, but the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes has been........

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