THE death of Mary Beavis will leave an irreplaceable hole at the heart of Cinderford Rugby Club. Often described as the 'first lady of rugby', Mary died on December 2 at the age of 82 following a short illness.

But for Mary and her late husband Bob, Cinderford Rugby Club would not be where it is now: among the top 40 clubs in the country.

Mary was the mother of the club. At one time, she was also the only female rugby club secretary in the country.

Today, the club boasts three pitches, four senior teams and a plethora of junior teams for children aged seven to 17. Without her efforts, however, much of that would not exist.

TRIBUTES:

ROB WORGAN, CINDERFORD RFC CHAIRMAN

"When Mary Beavis passed away the world of rugby lost one of its great characters.

"Mary and her late husband Bob were the driving force of the club during its renaissance after the Second World War and Mary was still taking an active interest in the club up until the last.

Despite her lifelong devotion to rugby in general and Cinderford RFC in particular, this admirable woman also found time to indulge her other sporting passion on the golf course, at Ross-on-Wye. She represented the GLCA as a county selector and had the honour to be president from 2002-04.

"To say that she will be greatly missed scarcely does justice to her reputation throughout the rugby world."

PETER BELL, CINDERFORD RFC PRESIDENT

"Mary has been the matriarch and the backbone of Cinderford RFC through the lifetimes of most of us who are now involved with the club.

"She, along with her husband Bob, are simply irreplaceable. Our rugby club won't be the same without them."