After about a decade of being unable to field a team, the club staged a comeback four years ago, combining with Alexandra and entering an Alexandra-Roxburgh side in the senior B competition.
"We'd hold an annual North-South [Teviot Valley] match and every year about 20 players would turn up for each side, so we thought why can't we have a team in the competition again?
" Roxburgh Rugby Football Club president Dave Hall, of Roxburgh, said.
"The senior B competition was formed in 2009 which involved our team, and sides from Wakatipu, Cromwell and Upper Clutha. We didn't win a game that first year, and the second year we still struggled and only won one game."
The first team had only a handful of Roxburgh players, but by the 2010 season, there were more Roxburgh than Alexandra players in the team and most of the training was done in Roxburgh.
Home games were held at the Roxburgh showgrounds, as well as in Alexandra.
Last year, the fortunes of the side started to rise. It only lost two or three games, made it through to the final of the Central Otago senior competition and lost to Wakatipu.
This season, all 28 players who turned out in the sky blue jerseys were from the Teviot Valley, Mr Hall said.
They won all their games with the exception of two - one a loss and the other a draw - and ended the season on a high, winning the Central Otago senior competition and retaining the Presidents' Cup.
It was predominantly a young side, although players ranged in age from 17 to 48.
Most of the men were in agriculture or horticulture-based occupations and the club was lucky to have a strong nucleus of players to draw upon, Mr Hall said.
"I think it's a very good team because they enjoy their rugby but they're also a social team."
The strong support from the community was another factor in the team's success, he said.
"The support has been unbelievable.
"When we played the final in Alexandra, as the curtain-raiser to the premier grade final, we'd have had 150-180 supporters at the grounds.
"Our lot were by far the most vocal supporters.
"Our support base has increased, probably quadrupled, since we won that first game, and now there's cars around the showgrounds and more than 100 people at our home games."
Mr Hall also paid tribute to the volunteers behind the scenes and said the club was fortunate to have the support of 18 businesses as sponsors.
"It's great that it's gaining momentum. The younger fellows here who play rugby can see a career path for rugby and watch senior games in their own town."
Roxburgh Community Board chairman Stephen Jeffery said the revival of the valley's rugby team had caused "a buzz " around the area.
"It's pretty rare for a team to come back like this. You see all different sports faltering, for various reasons, or amalgamating with other clubs, so it's great to have this come back and be going so strongly.
"And it's really encouraging to hear all the talk about it. It's been a positive story and good for the area." Mr Hall said the 2013 season would be a major challenge for Roxburgh rugby. There was unlikely to be a senior competition in Central Otago next season so Roxburgh was hoping to "step up" to the premier grade.
"That's a huge challenge ahead of us, but it's kind of timely too, with the club celebrating its 125th anniversary next year. "
