The club was founded in 1913 by former pupils of Pate's Grammar School, where the game of rugby union had been played since 1906, hence the name "Old Patesians".

In January 2006 a Ladies side was created and they are now playing regularly in the Spirit of Game development league.

The Old Pats, under a new coaching team, won South West One League in 2000–01 on the final Saturday of the season on points difference as well winning the Intermediate Cup at Twickenham by one point to Blaydon, and lost to Cinderford RFC by a narrow margin in the Gloucestershire Cup final.

In their first season in the National leagues in 2001–02, after taking a couple of games to find their feet, the Pats finished 5th.

The club narrowly avoid relegation in 2005–06 but did win the Cheltenham Combination Cup for the fifth year in a row.