Exciting season ahead: New challenges ahead of Horsham RFC

With the league restructuring now complete and pre-season upon us, the excitement is growing across the squad as we begin to build towards the season’s start. With a league consisting of a number of familiar foes, two new opponents and the opportunity of a season end cup competition, it promises to be a great return to action.

The back end of last season saw consistent, strong performances which we will be keen to get back to as soon as possible. Starting with some tough encounters against newly promoted Old Colfeians and Dartfordians we look forward to renewing old rivalries whilst improving on our start last season which proved challenging.

Part of that challenge was the embedding of a new playing style under a new coaching set up. However, with all our coaches retained, alongside our talented team, we will not have to go through this learning and have the familiarity and cohesion in place to hit the ground running.

The season will be tough. Teams like KCS, Battersea Ironsides and Chichester have pedigree at this level whereas the restructuring will see confidence in several newly promoted teams including the likes of Gravesend and Reeds Weybridge in particular who have secured multiple promotions over recent years.

Guildford, with recent experience of level 5 rugby will be keen to push back up the league and will be threatening with their experienced pack. In most observers eyes, given their double over London Welsh last season, they will be the team to beat. The games between Horsham and Guildford will be tight given the results last season where a victory a piece saw the spoils shared. This season these matches promise to be close contests as will most matches at this level.

Knowing the quality of several sides promoted, it will undoubtedly be a season where home performances will be vital for ambitions. Our target, as always is to improve on our last season’s finish. In doing so, like last time, we also intend to have a say as to who will be in the mix for honours come season’s end given league positions dictate which cup competition we end up in. Hopefully, with a run of luck with injuries, we could go well in both competitions.

As a young squad, the potential is frightening. We have retained all of our players and as we welcome back influential players from long term injury, we look forward to seeing how the competition for places manifests itself in terms of performances. Players that will be looking to kick on from excellent seasons last year include the likes of player of the year Jack Osgood and young player of the year Oli Chennell.

Alongside talented half backs Aaron Linfield and Joe Blake and our try machine Dec Nwachukwu, we can’t wait to get started. We have also targeted some careful recruitment to allow greater depth in key positions including in the front 5 which will add to our already impressive power game of which the likes of Jordan Smith, Will Fowler, Charles Newey, Dan Cass and Andy Gray excel.

Preseason started on and we have pre-season fixtures set for Saturday 13 August and Saturday 20 August at home against Southend and Tunbridge Wells respectively, and finished with a night game on Thursday 25 August v Dorking away we look to ensure we are fully prepared for the season opener on 3 September.