Tewkesbury are still celebrating after winning their end-of-season shootout and with it the Gloucestershire Two North title and promotion to Gloucestershire One.

They defeated long-time rivals Cheltenham Civil Service 33-7 on their patch to provide the perfect finale for retiring captain Mike Harper.

But while there was joy aplenty for Tewkesbury, there was only huge disappointment for the home side who ended the season in third place behind Fairford who had already finished their campaign.

And while Harper had some sympathy for Service, it was nothing compared to the elation he felt at the final whistle.

“It was a great feeling,” he said. “It was all on the last game, either team could have won the title, it was like a cup final.

“They are probably our biggest rivals outside Bredon and the game meant as much to them as it did to us. It really was winner take all.

“It’s never nice to see a team when they are as gutted as they were, but then it could have been us.”

What made the win even more satisfying for Harper was that it avenged their opening-day 39-12 loss to Service.

In fact, Tewkesbury started the season poorly because they lost their next game 37-0 at Fairford but they recovered to such an extent that they lost only one of their next 12 games.

And Harper believes the way they handled the pressure at Service on Saturday shows just how far they have come over the past few months.

“We kind of expected them to throw the kitchen sink at us,” he said. “They were the home side and they had everything to play for just like us.

“But we’ve worked really hard this season, particularly on our defence and our line speed.

“We were under real pressure in the first 10 or 15 minutes but our defence was incredible.

“In attack we’ve always been relatively confident and against Service I think we were ruthless in defence and clinical in attack.”

Harper, a committed Tewkesbury clubman who has played hooker all season, was among the try-scorers and he said: “I set up one as well, it was nice to make a captain’s contribution.

“We made plenty of chances and we took them.”

They certainly did and now the club will have the chance to rub shoulders with some of the bigger teams in Gloucestershire One next season, although they’ll have to do it without captain Harper.

“I’ve been struggling with my knees,” he admitted. “It was a great way to bow out. I’ll enjoy watching the team from the sidelines next season, it will be nice to have a beer rather than get knocked about!”

And Harper is confident that Tewkesbury have the players to succeed at the higher level.

“I think they’ll do fine,” he said. “The attitude has changed significantly this season. Everyone has come together as one. There’s a good ethos and a good attitude to training.

“The players have bought into what head coach Billy McGinty and forwards coach Martin Thomas are doing. It will be a tough league but we’re playing well as a team, we’ve got some great young lads and some good older heads, it’s a good mix.”

And the club’s supporters certainly think so.

“Their support was unreal for that final game,” added Harper. “It felt like a home game. To see so many happy faces at the end of the game… it was the perfect ending.”

And while Harper, a former Tewkesbury School pupil, is delighted for everyone associated with the club, there is one man he says is deserving of special praise.

“Our director of rugby Nick Smith,” he said. “He does so many hours for the club, I’d like to dedicate the win to him.”

Fairford, meanwhile, will join Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire One next season if they win their promotion play-off against Gloucestershire Two South runners-up Bream.