Clifton Rugby Football Club was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Matt Salter early in March.
Matt, 49, was a hugely respected figure in the Bristol rugby community. An iconic player for Bristol Rugby, where he captained the club for four seasons and was named captain of the Guinness Premiership Dream Team in 2006, he also played professionally for London Broncos and Leeds.
Following his playing career, Matt dedicated himself to developing the next generation of players, serving for many years as Head Coach at Clifton RFC and as Director of Rugby at Clifton College.
Matt’s impact on the game in Bristol will be felt for many years to come. As a player, captain and coach, he inspired countless teammates, players and students, and his passion for rugby and for helping others develop through the game was clear to all who worked with him.
Many will consider his finest moment at Clifton was leading Clifton’s successful promotion to National League One at the end of the 2024-25 season by winning the hugely competitive National League 2 West
Tributes to him were made in the national press and from across the world of rugby. Thoughts remain with his wife Charlotte and their children.
Huge admiration was shown before the first home game since his passing against local rivals Dings Crusaders, a clash he would have relished.
The next home game this season is with Birmingham Moseley at Station Road at 3pm on April 18.
The first game after Matt’s passing was a challenging visit to London to face promotion candidates Rosslyn Park. Emotions understandably ran at a high level throughout the day. The occasion was honoured by the attendance of Matt’s parents on a ground where he made his Clifton playing debut in 2009.
The game was a fine tribute to him with pulsating open end to end rugby. During the exciting afternoon the outcome was a 43-40 win for the Londoners with the lavender and blacks returning with two richly deserved bonus points. Clifton had the first strike and, although trailing at half time, fought back to take the lead as the game entered its final quarter before the Park responded to take the spoils by a narrow margin.
The players and travelling fans earned great respect for handling such a sensitive occasion with dignity, courage and the utmost respect for a fine rugby man.
• A memorial service to celebrate the life of Matt Salter will take place at Bristol Cathedral, College Green, BS1 5TJ, on Thursday April 16 at 1pm.