Trowbridge’s campaign for the season began on Saturday with their first visit to Slaughtergate for several seasons, the Dorset side being level transferred at the end of 2024-25 to play their third season at level six. They are now playing in their third geographic area in three seasons they have played at level 6.

Both sides had a number of changes to their squads this season and Trowbridge have a new Head Coach Elliott Bowler who has introduced a few new players to merge with more established players who gained third place in the league last season.

The match began with the forwards well matched but with play mainly in the North Dorset half. Defences held firm, but the Dorset side were robbed of possession in front of the posts after 9 minutes and Rory Murchison crossed for Trowbridge’s first try. Tom Weaver converted. In the next 10 minutes Trowbridge crafted two tries on the blind side. New signing Alex Kilbane, playing at full back, outpaced the Dorset defence on 16 minutes before scrum half Will Lennox switched play to the narrow side from a scrum and fed left wing Alex Christopher via Kilbane after 20 minutes. This time the conversion from the touch line was completed by Weaver. There was no further scoring before the interval but although North Dorset had their fair share of possession they could not break the Trowbridge defence and play remained short of the 10 metre line in the first half throughout the first half.

In the second half the teams were evenly matched with both defences remaining unbreached. Both sides changed their personnel but no further scores came until half way through the second period when centre Alex Murchison went past several defenders to score a bonus point try for the visitors before new signing Sam Harrison from Clifton scored soon after coming on as a replacement in the centre. North Dorset scored their first points after 30 minutes of the half when fly half Ashley Monaghan-Phelps crossed for a try which he converted himself, but from the kick off Harrison scored his second try which was unconverted. The teams played out the remains minutes of the half with the home No 8 Tom Hooper crossing in the final play of the match. Monaghan- Phelps converted.

Trowbridge came away with a useful victory with a changed team, but North Dorset competed well throughout and can have no fears for the season on this performance.

Trowbridge 2nds were beaten 33-22 at home by strong opposition in Salisbury after their promotion to Counties 1, while Trowbridge 3rds beat Midsomer Norton in a friendly, with their league campaign not starting until October.