The relatively newly named CCS Norton are hoping to run two competitive men’s rugby teams this season.

The flagship team will play in Counties 3 Gloucestershire North alongside the likes of Cheltenham Saracens, Spartans and Tewkesbury, while the 2^nd team will play in a six-strong Gloucester & District 3.

Rugby supporters in Gloucestershire will know that CCS Norton are an amalgamation of two clubs – Cheltenham Civil Service and Norton – who first joined forces a couple of years ago.

“Cheltenham Civil Service were really struggling for players and Norton were in the same boat so we decided to merge,” explained CCS Norton honorary president Tony Wegrzyn.

“We actually played together as one club last season but we played as Norton because we couldn’t get the name changed to CCS Norton in time for the start of the season.

“This season we should be able to play under CCS Norton, the merger of the men’s sections is all going through.”

And irrespective of the name, they’ve certainly enjoyed a good start to life as a single entity because last season they won Counties 4 Gloucestershire North after winning five of their six games.

“We were starting to looking good,” added Wegrzyn. “It was tough to win the division, Cinderford 3rds were very good.”

That was actually the second piece of silverware that the club have won in the past couple of years because they won the end-of-season Cheltenham Combination Minor Shield in 2022/23 with a 60-5 win over Smiths 3rds.

Cheltenham Civil Service were a long-established name in Gloucestershire rugby, of course, after being formed in 1947, while Norton were founded in 2011.

The two clubs’ mixed ability sections have also merged – they will be known as CCS Norton mixed ability – but the juniors, women and walking rugby sections will be known as CCS Sharks, CCS women and CCS walking rugby.

“Our chairman Jim McGeough has put a tremendous amount of hard work into it,” Wegrzyn continued.

“The men’s 1^st team and the women’s team will play their home games at the Cheltenham Civil Service ground while the men’s 2nds, mixed ability and the juniors will play at Norton.”

That’s a lot of rugby being played with Wegrzyn confirming that they’re hoping to get two men’s sides out every week.

Meanwhile the women will be competing in the eight-strong NC 3 South West (North) Division and Wegrzyn, who first played for Cheltenham Civil Service way back in 1975, is delighted that so many people still want to play the game.

“We had to diversify,” he said. “We have to have something for everybody. The walking rugby is really well supported, we get about 30 people turning up.

“And now that we’ve got the Sharks up and running we’re starting to see players coming through into the adult teams, there’s a pathway.”

That’s very good news, of course, and just as good is that the new rugby season is almost upon us.

CCS Norton’s first league game is at Chosen Hill 2nds on Saturday 7^th September, so what is the aim for the men’s 1^st team this season?

“The aim is stability,” said Wegrzyn.