Craig Chapman had only retired from playing rugby for a few short of months when the call came from Stow-on-the-Wold asking him if he’d return to the club.

Only this time it wasn’t as a player, but as a coach of the Southern Counties North club.

“I retired at the end of the 2016/17 season,” explained Chapman, the one-time no. 8 who is joint head coach with another former player Tim Peachey.

“After about four games into last season they asked me and Tim if we’d take it on.”

And as you’d expect of someone who has been with the club for 24 years from the age of nine, Chapman had little hesitation in accepting the challenge.

“I’d known Tim for 10 or 12 years,” he added. “We played a lot of rugby together.”

Peachey, a back row or centre, looks after the backs and Chapman takes care of the forwards and so far everything has been going pretty well.

“We got through last year,” admitted Chapman, “it was a bit of a struggle. We had a lot of injuries which didn’t help but it was good to stay in the league.”

This season has seen the club take a step forward with a number of encouraging results.

“We had a good pre-season and we’ve started to build,” said Chapman. “We’ve tried to improve the atmosphere and make playing rugby more enjoyable and more sociable. There’s a better buzz about the team.”

Back row Dan Salvage has taken over the captaincy – he was vice-captain last season – and while Chapman and Peachey have obviously worked their magic they will be the first to admit that they have been helped by some of the team’s more experienced players.

“Craig Voisey has joined the club this season,” said Chapman. “He’s moved to the area and was player/coach at Stratford who play at a good level. He’s a back row and is just playing. He just rocks up on a Thursday and a Saturday.

“Richard Huggett has come out of retirement to play. He’s been away for a couple of years, he’s an old stager in the second row. And Rich Kilbey is also back. He’s a prop and those three are the spine of the pack.”

But that’s where the real experience pretty much starts and finishes.

“We’re a real young side,” continued Chapman, “the majority of our boys are under 25. We’ve had three or four boys back from university which has helped.

“Angus and Archie Hayward, who play at full-back and on the wing, have returned and Jake Collett is back at 10. He’s been away but he’s fully committed and controlling things from fly-half.”

It all sounds very encouraging – and it is – so how far does Chapman think Stow can go?

“I’ve said it for three or four years, we play at far too high a level for our little team,” he said. “We’re little Stow-on-the-Wold and we’re playing the likes of Reading Abbey and Aylesbury, we’re playing city clubs.

“We played High Wycombe the other week and they had five teams out, we only had one.

“It’s a hard league to play in but we’ve been competitive and that’s what we’re looking for. If we can keep the squad together we should be mid-table or towards the higher end of the table.”

That optimism reflects well on Chapman and Peachey – who away from rugby are both carpenters – so how do they work together?

“It helps that we did the whole pre-season,” said Chapman, who made his debut for Stow at the age of 17 when the club were playing in South West Two. “We were able to bring in our game-plan and we work well together.

“We both enjoy rugby, we’ve both got ideas and we ‘get’ each other.”

Clearly they are enjoying their new roles, so does Campbell prefer coaching or playing?

“Coaching at the moment because I’ve had to put my boots on a couple times of this season,” he laughed. “That was down at High Wycombe and Reading Abbey when we were short of players.”

Peachey, meanwhile, is “pretty adamant that he is retired” and Chapman’s wife Victoria would very much like her husband to do the same.

“It’s like World War Three when I say I’m playing,” said the dad-of-two with a laugh.

The good news for Mrs Chapman is that the club are helping Peachey and her husband with their coaching badges and that is clearly where Chapman’s future lies.

“At the end of the day it’s a hobby but we’re enjoying it,” Campbell added. “It’s a way of relaxing. It’s good to be around the boys, I’d miss the atmosphere.”