DURSLEY Rugby Club's first team lined up for a minute's silence on Saturday as a mark of respect for one of the club's founder members, Ron Martin, who sadly passed away last week.

The minute's silence occurred before Saturday's league game against Cotham Park, with both sets of players lining up before kick-off at Stinchcombe.

In the 1950s Martin was a teacher at Berkeley Junior School who was involved in rugby with Stroud RFC before attempting to resurrect rugby more locally in the Dursley area.

Although there had been a club in Dursley as far back as 1896 there had been no continuous side throughout history.

Martin completely re-established the Dursley club in 1953, with games being played on the town's Recreation Ground.

At one time or another, Martin did all the club jobs from secretary to pitch marker. It is in many ways thanks to his efforts in the early days that Dursley now has such a successful club.

In the mid-1960s Martin became the headmaster of a junior school in Bluwberry, Oxfordshire. He quickly became involved with Oxford Rugby Club and the Oxfordshire RFU, of which he was twice president and then match secretary for many years.

Dursley Rugby Club president John Darlaston said: "He devoted much of his life to rugby football and will be sadly missed."