Chosen Hill are chasing not one, not two, but three promotions this season.

That’s the aim of Dan Yeates, who was officially installed as chairman of the club earlier in the summer.

“We’ll be fielding three teams this season,” said Yeates, a scrum-half who still plays for the club’s 2nd team, “and we want all three to win promotion.”

The flagship team are hoping to make a quick return to Western Counties North after last season’s relegation and are sure to be among the favourites in Gloucestershire Premier in 2019/20 while the 2nds and 3rds will be playing in the Gloucestershire reserves leagues.

It is the first time for a while that Chosen Hill, who celebrate their 50th anniversary next year, will field three teams on a Saturday afternoon – not many clubs do these days – and it is something that new head coach Rich Planchant was very keen to introduce.

“We’ve been getting 40 out to training every week and he wants to make sure that everyone gets a game,” said 32-year-old Yeates, whose dad Ian captained the club in 1990. “We’ve had a big recruitment drive over the summer.”

Yeates is delighted that Planchant, a former Chosen Hill player, has joined the club after coaching at Cinderford United last season.

He will be assisted by Mark Peacey, who was part of the coaching staff at Old Patesians in 2018/19, and the two have plenty of experience of working together because they guided Gloucestershire Under-20s to the semi-finals of the county championship last season.

“Rich and Mark are great blokes and I’m delighted they’ve joined us,” said Yeates, who would also love to see the club have a good run in the National Junior Vase this season. “Rich had about four other clubs after him so it’s a really big coup for us.

“They’ve brought in Jake Lines to help on the coaching side – he’ll look after the 2nds – and they are here for the long haul.

“They see it as a long-term project and have a four-year plan.

“Rich wants us to get to Level 6 – we’re at Level 8 this season – and believes we could potentially play at Level 5.”

That would require some seriously good players to perform at that level week in, week out, of course, but the process of improving the playing squad has certainly begun in earnest this summer.

“Yes, there has been a big recruitment drive,” said Yeates. “Will Keenan has joined us from Cinderford. He’s a back row and has recently moved to Churchdown and Tom Darby, a centre/wing, has rejoined the club, also from Cinderford.

“Prop Rowan Mullis, who won England Under-16 caps, has joined after being released by Gloucester Academy, and centre Jack Harrod has joined us from Old Pats, so we’ve made some fairly high profile signings.”

There are others as well with back row Mike King – the son of former club chairman Phil – keen to play after semi-retiring because of injury. He’s someone Yeates describes as “one of the best players the club have produced” while another back row, Josh Bailey, is also planning to play this season after long term injury.

Second row Daniel Probin will again be captain after taking over in 2017 and there’s certainly no shortage of optimism around the club at the moment.

“There’s a big buzz around the club, lots of positive thinking,” said Yeates, who believes he is the youngest chairman in the Churchdown-based club’s history.

“Rich Planchant asked us what went wrong last season and we told him we weren’t fit enough. Pre-season has been very good but we’ve been doing lots of running!”

And while that is obviously hard work for the players the club’s supporters will be hoping that all the extra running pays off as they try to run rings around their opponents this season!

The club are still on the lookout for new players – particularly second rows – and anyone interested in joining the club can call Rich Planchant on 07837 148181 or email r.planch@hotmail.com