Tewkesbury Rugby Club supporters have been warned that it won’t be a breeze in Gloucester Two this season.

The club were playing in Gloucester Premier not so long ago and there are high hopes that the club can bounce back quickly to the next level after last season’s relegation.

Dave Randall, the club’s chairman, is urging caution however.

“It’s not going to be as easy as everyone thinks,” he said. “There are some decent teams in this division. Smiths are coached by Chris Raymond and they’re a good side.”

Raymond has been at the helm at Smiths for a couple of seasons but Tewkesbury have a new man in charge for 2017/18.

One-time rugby league player Billy McGinty, who played for Warrington, Wigan and Great Britain back in the 1980s and 90s, has taken over the reins and Randall is excited by his arrival.

“We interviewed quite a few people and we wanted to make sure we got the right person,” he said. “We wanted to get someone who we really wanted to come to the club.”

McGinty is that man. He has been coaching Malvern Rugby Club and it’s hoped that his methods will have an immediate impact once the new league season gets under way on 9th September.

Randall, who used to coach at Tewkesbury, will be watching closely from the sidelines, although he has to split his time between the club and watching his two sons play.

Joel, 27, is a second row or back row with Old Richians while 23-year-old Lance, also a second row or back row, plays in the Welsh Premiership for Ebbw Vale.

“Lance plays against Cardiff, Swansea and Pontypool,” said his dad. “It’s one level below the Dragons, Ospreys and Cardiff Blues. He was in the Dragons academy and used to play for Cinderford.”

Joel and Lance come from a big rugby-playing family, of course. Dave and his brother Martin were well known around the Cheltenham Combination back in the day after their time with Tewesbury and Cheltenham North.

Dave, now 52 who also played for Old Richians, was a fly-half with a huge boot on him while Martin, five years older than his brother, was a driving no 8.

Martin has very little to do with rugby these days.

“He’s into his boats,” said Dave. “He’s got a 40ft sailing boat in Cardiff marina and he goes over to France and all over.”

Dave, meanwhile, is still playing the odd game of rugby in the second row or back row.

“I played a couple of veterans’ games at the end of last season but the trouble is they come at once,” he laughed. “I played for Tewkesbury on the Saturday and then for Cheltenham Combination against Stroud Combination on the Wednesday.

“Two games in four days… I ached for weeks!”