Rye hopeful of another good year

The New Roaders finished a very creditable eighth out of 12 last term and will be aiming to fare even better when the new campaign starts in September.

Rye RFC manager Tony Pierce said: “It’s looking like a really good, even contest this year. There’s not that team that are going to come and trounce you.”

The new line-up has a wide open look about it with 2010/11 champions Uckfield, who won all 22 of their matches, promoted to London Three South East and Hastings & Bexhill moving sideways to Kent One.

No team has been relegated from above so the division is likely to be slightly weaker. Chichester III and Newick have come up from the Sussex Intermediate League, and St Francis have gone down, leaving a total of 11 teams.

Rye will begin their programme with a home game against Chichester III, who will also be their final opponents next April. In fact, four of Rye’s first five matches will be at New Road, including 2011 runners-up Burgess Hill.

Rye plan to start pre-season training on Tuesday July 12 from 7pm. Anybody keen to come along is more than welcome.

The full article will appear in Friday’s Rye Observer.