Rugby here builds character, resilience and teamwork first
Our programme is designed to build skill and sportsmanship in an environment that is competitive and nurturing at the same time. The habits a player learns in a rugby team stay with them on the pitch and well beyond it.
The Kingsley Family includes players at every level, from those aiming at a professional pathway to those who simply enjoy turning out with their teammates on a Saturday. Both belong here, and both are coached well.
Led by a Director of Rugby from the professional game
Tom Skelding leads the Rugby Academy as Director of Rugby. Alongside his playing career he holds a BSc in Sports Coaching and Conditioning from Hartpury College, and families can contact him directly at tskelding@kingsleydevon.com.
Tom Skelding
A former professional player with Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs and Plymouth Albion, Tom holds a Level 3 Rugby Coaching Licence and has 15 years of coaching experience. He is also 1st XV coach at Bideford RFC.
Rugby for every age, from tots to the 1st XV
Sessions are timetabled through the week for each age group, from the Prep School to the sixth form, and the Academy runs both girls' and boys' rugby.
coaching from a Director of Rugby who played professionally for Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs and Plymouth Albion
girls' and boys' rugby at all ages, from rugby tots to the School 1st XV
national competition at the Rosslyn Park National Sevens each March
sessions across the week for the Prep School and for Years 7 to 13
The world's biggest Rugby 7s tournament
Each March the Academy travels to London for the Rosslyn Park National Sevens, held over five days, where school teams from across the country meet on one stage.
The season also includes a full programme of fixtures that stretches players and builds match experience.
Our Rugby Tours
Our biannual rugby tour to Kenya
The tour takes place in July. While in Kenya the players run the National U13 Kingsley Cup and the Kenya National U15 Futures Cup.
Travelling and competing overseas as a squad is one of the highlights of the rugby calendar, and players come home having grown as sportspeople and as young adults.
Training, fixtures and tour
A surface built to hold up in any weather
Rugby at Kingsley is played on the only World Rugby and FIFA approved all-weather sports pitch in North Devon, so training can go ahead whatever the weather. Players also use the Grenville Pitch, where scholarship trials are held, along with the grass pitches and Sports Hall of the Sports Hub. The junior and mini sections of Bideford RFC are based at Kingsley too.
Join at prep age and keep developing
The Rugby Academy is built around progression, with the coaching and competition to match each stage from the Prep School to the sixth form. For players with real talent and commitment we offer generous rugby scholarships, and applicants attend a scholarship trial on the Grenville Pitch.
Applications for sports scholarships for entry into Year 12 close on 31 October 2026. Please contact Admissions for the next trial date and full details.
Frequently asked questions
What makes Kingsley a leading rugby school?
Kingsley has a growing rugby tradition for girls and boys from rugby tots to the School 1st XV, and our ambition is to be one of the leading schools in the south-west for rugby. The Academy is led by Director of Rugby Tom Skelding, a former professional with Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs and Plymouth Albion. Players compete at the Rosslyn Park National Sevens, travel on our biannual tour to Kenya and train on the only World Rugby and FIFA approved all-weather sports pitch in North Devon.
Who coaches the Rugby Academy?
The Rugby Academy is led by Director of Rugby Tom Skelding, who played professionally for Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs and Plymouth Albion. He holds a Level 3 Rugby Coaching Licence and a BSc in Sports Coaching and Conditioning from Hartpury College, has 15 years of coaching experience and is also 1st XV coach at Bideford RFC.
Which competitions and tours are on offer?
Each March the Academy competes at the Rosslyn Park National Sevens in London, the biggest Rugby 7s tournament in the world. On our biannual tour to Kenya, held in July, the squad runs the National U13 Kingsley Cup and the Kenya National U15 Futures Cup. A full programme of fixtures runs through the season as well.
Are there rugby scholarships?
Yes. Kingsley offers generous rugby scholarships, and a sports scholarship gives access to the ACE Programme, with extra support in strength and conditioning, nutrition and sports psychology. Applicants attend a trial of position-specific skills and competitive match play, and successful candidates are invited to interview with the Headteacher and Director of Rugby Tom Skelding. Early scholarship applications for September 2027 entry close on 31 October 2026, and our Admissions team can advise on how to apply.
Northdown Road, Bideford