After five promotions in six years, with a couple of trips to Twickenham for cup finals thrown in, you could be forgiven for thinking that things have gone a bit quiet at Newent Rugby Club.

Not a bit of it, even though next season will be their third in a row in South West One West.

“To get to the level we’re at which is one below the national league is not bad for a little town like Newent,” said first-team manager John Moore, who is also the club’s chairman.

“They are all local lads and after just missing out on the play-offs last season we’ve not been too far away again this season.”

As befits a Welshman, 66-year-old Moore has been involved in rugby almost from the day he saw his first scrumdown.

He was a tighthead prop back in the day for Rhymney before moving to Newent 30 years ago through his work as a logistics director at Whitbread in Gloucester.

His playing career was over by the time he moved to Gloucestershire but he has moved seamlessly onto the non-playing side where he has immersed himself in all things rugby in Newent.

He is enough of a realist to say that the club are not yet ready to make the step up into the national league.

“We’re still a relatively young side,” he said. “We need more strength in depth. We’ve got a basic squad of 20-21 but after that we’re a bit thin on the ground in key positions. We’re quite happy where we are. It’s a tough league but it’s a good standard.”

The club run two adult teams and also an impressive mini and juniors section which attracts 150 youngsters aged five to 13.

There are plans to expand the junior section and Moore added: “It’s been going for a number of years and it’s going from strength to strength. The future of any club is in the minis and juniors, you have to grow your own players.”

Director of rugby Andy Addis has been the mastermind behind much of the club’s recent success and he is supported by two first class coaches. Ross McMillan, a hooker with Bristol, is head coach, and Peter Kingston, the former Gloucester and England scrum-half, looks after the backs.

“They’ve done an amazing job,” said Moore. “The great thing is that they are all completely amateur. We don’t pay any of our coaches or players.”

Addis could have been forgiven if he’d concentrated his energies on one player in particular this season – his son Mikey, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season at hooker.

Both Addis junior and fly-half Tom Webb have seen their excellent form rewarded with call-ups to the Gloucestershire under-20 squad.

Continuing the strong family connections at the club, Webb’s inclusion follows older brother Ross’ selection for the Gloucestershire senior side last season.

Ross Webb, Newent’s captain and back row star, was joined in the county side by scrum-half James Dean – the first time that Gloucestershire had selected players from Newent. “It’s nice for the club and players to get some recognition,” added Moore.

Off the field, things are also moving at a great pace and the club is hoping to install some new floodlights at the Recreation Ground.

“The ones we’ve got are candle power,” said Moore, “they’re very old and we need new ones when we’re training in the winter.”

The floodlights will cost £90,000 and the club have raised two-thirds of the money themselves. A grant from the RFU to make up the difference is conditional on gaining a long-term “security of tenure” agreement with Newent Town Council, who are the trustees of the Recreation Ground.

The club want a 21-year deal and while the signs are good, Moore cautioned that the club were “still in negotiations”.