Cheltenham Tigers chairman Steve Ratcliffe is calling on the Cheltenham and District Combination to do more to develop rugby in the area, particularly in the younger age groups.
 
Ratcliffe was talking to The Local Answer on the eve of the Combination’s end-of-season showpiece finals day at Cheltenham Saracens, a day that will feature two teams from his club.
 
The long-serving Cheltenham chief is concerned about youth development and particularly the transition from junior to senior rugby.
 
He admits that he hasn’t got all the answers but says “we need to put our thinking caps on”.
 
And by ‘we’, he doesn’t just mean the Cheltenham Combination.
 
“I’m talking about everybody involved in rugby,” Ratcliffe said. “Schools, universities, colleges, clubs, the RFU. There needs to be a lot more joined up thinking.
 
“There is a major problem once players come out of the comfort zone of age group rugby.
 
“A lot of boys find it too big a step into the adult game when they’re 16 or 17 and they stop playing. Some do make the step up but most don’t.”
 
Cheltenham, of course, ran a famed Colts set-up for 40-odd years before it was disbanded around the turn of the century. It folded in large part because more and more youngsters were going to university or being recruited into the professional game via academies.
 
“Most clubs have junior set-ups these days,” added Ratcliffe. “It’s not like 30 years ago when there was only Cheltenham Colts around here. Some clubs have under-17 teams, others have under-18 teams… what we need is a coordinated response to ensure these players go on to play senior rugby.”
 
Ratcliffe, meanwhile, is very much looking forward to tomorrow’s three finals, with the first between Old Pats 4ths and Norton for the Minor Cup at noon. Cheltenham 2nds then take on Old Patesians 3rds in the Junior Cup (2pm), before Cheltenham and Cheltenham North lock horns in the Senior Cup at 4pm.
 
“We’ll have a fairly strong 1st team and a decent 2nd team,” said Ratcliffe. “It’s a good local competition and the bragging rights are important. The players enjoy it and everyone likes to win a cup. It should be a festival of rugby.
 
“What we need is nice weather, a decent pitch and good behaviour from players and supporters.”
 
Cheltenham’s flagship team have certainly been in good form in recent weeks as they pulled clear of the drop zone in Western Counties North.
 
“We’ve had four wins and a bonus-point against the champions [Coney Hill] in the past five weeks,” added Ratcliffe.