STROUD Rugby Football Club celebrated the official turning on of their new floodlights with aplomb to ease into the quarter-finals of the GRFU Road Chef Senior County Cup with a shock victory over Gloucester Old Boys.

The Western Counties side surprised the higher league opponents thanks to a 23-point hall from the impressive Josh Lister and a try from centre Rich Williams, watched by a large Fromehall Park crowd.

Stroud had received £35,025 to install a state of the art system at Fromehall Park.

President of Stroud RFC, Russ Hillier, said: "The grant gives the club so much more opportunity to promote games at the ground and it also compliments what is one of the best playing surfaces in the West of England.

"Floodlit games still retain a certain aura about them and with the lack of floodlight facilities in the east of the county Stroud RFC see this as a great community asset to be appreciated by all rugby supporters.

"The possibility of local schools playing their district age group finals under lights will further the desired links between school and club rugby and likewise the local Combination Cup Finals, which has taken place at Fromehall Park over many years, will have an alternative to playing over a weekend."

The Community Club Development Programme is an innovative collaboration between Government (the Department for Culture, Media and Sport), Sport England and 16 national governing bodies aimed at improving community club sports facilities.

STROUD open their New Year campaign at Gordon League on Saturday