Coney Hill Rugby Club’s young guns have helped fire the club towards an encouraging end-of-season finish in Western Counties North.

Relegation from South West One at the end of the previous season brought with it a few problems, including a 10-point deduction for failing to fulfil two fixtures.

The club also lost seven or eight first-team players but they have regrouped and the optimism has returned.

So says Simon Baldwin, the club’s webmaster who is also a director and committee member at the club.

“We’ve got a very young team and it was difficult at the start of the season but everyone seems to have come together,” he said.

“We’ve got a very good captain in hooker Tom Anderson and he’s galvanised everyone. He joined us from Hucclecote a couple of years ago and he’s fitted in really well.

“He’s only young but he’s a great lad. It’s his first season as captain and he’s a great leader.

“We had a very successful under-17s team three or four years ago and we’ve brought quite a few of those boys into the first team this season and they’ve done well.

“Fly-half Clayton Dee, number eight Dan Anfield, prop Charles Hoare, full-back Lewis Dennelly and centre Ryan Kline have all come through our youth system.”

It’s not just the youngsters who have helped kick-start Coney Hill’s season, a couple of their more experienced players have also played their part.

Tighthead prop Craig Greer and centre Andy McRae are in their first seasons as forwards coach and backs coach respectively and Baldwin has been impressed by their work.

“The boys have really responded to them,” he said. “The feelgood factor is back and it’s showing on the field.”

Such has been the upturn in Coney Hill’s fortunes that Baldwin believes a push for promotion could be on the agenda next season and he has not been put off by the problems the club faced in 2015/16.

“Western Counties North is the right level for us this season, absolutely,” he said. “But we’ll be stronger next season for sure. We’ve lost quite a few games by only seven or 10 points so we’re not far away.

“The last time we were in South West One we were the whipping boys of the division, we weren’t quite good enough.

“The travelling really hurt us. The team were predominantly made up of skilled workers and they had to work on Saturday mornings so it was difficult for them to get to some away games.

“We were filling the team up with second team players and there is a big difference between the two levels in the fitness and physicality.”

Coney Hill Rugby Club were founded 70 years ago and Baldwin is proud that the club retains its place in the heart of the community today.

“That’s very important to us,” he said. “The club do very well off the field and financially we’re sound. Donna Impey, the stewardess at the clubhouse, does a great job.”

The club also run a second team every week and a third team on occasion. They also run teams at under-16 and under-9/10 age groups.

The youth section is something Baldwin wants to expand.

“It’s so important for any club,” he said, “because it provides a pathway into the first team. I’d love to find someone who could take over the whole junior playing section, someone who is really committed who would be able to do the job for a few years.”

As for Baldwin, he put his playing boots away for the last time a long ago.

“I was sensible enough to realise when I was too slow and no longer good enough,” he chuckled, “I haven’t played since 2000.”

Baldwin was a tighthead prop and played all his rugby for Gloucester Old Boys except for one second-team game with Gloucester All Blues.

He became involved with Coney Hill through his son Richard, who started playing for the club with the under-10s.

Richard was there for five or six years and is now at university training to be a teacher. “He doesn’t play rugby anymore,” said dad, “he plays basketball now.”

Richard may no longer be involved but thankfully for Coney Hill Rugby Club, his dad is still very much hands-on.