After a three-year hiatus, it’s all systems go for the North Gloucestershire Rugby Combination’s end-of-season cup competitions.

The draws for the three cups were made at Coney Hill earlier this week and players, officials and spectators are now counting down the days to the big kick-off at the end of March after the Covid-enforced suspension of the competition.

And what makes this season’s extravaganza just that little bit more mouth-watering is that one of the cups has been re-named in honour of one of the true stalwarts of the North Gloucestershire Combination.

The Junior Cup – the competition for 2^nd XV players – will now be known as the Martin Slatter Junior Cup in recognition of Slatter’s remarkable 50 years of service on behalf of the Combination.

A past president, chairman and secretary of the Combination, Slatter still remains heavily involved in local rugby and these days is Old Centralians’ representative on the Combination.

“I announced it at the cup draw,” said Combination treasurer Andy Payne. “Martin was there but he didn’t know anything about it, it was a surprise for him.

“He deserves it, I’m very pleased for him, he is ‘Mr Gloucester Local Rugby’. He’s been involved with the Combination for so long, he knows everything about all the clubs and all the old players.”

Slatter has yet to be told whether he will be presenting the trophy named after him on finals day at Kingsholm on Sunday 8^th May.

“I hope so,” he told The Local Answer, “I’m sure it will happen. It’s a great honour to have the competition named after me. It’s very nice, I’m very, very pleased, it came as a complete shock.”

Thirteen clubs are competing for the Martin Slatter Junior Cup, with all 13 also playing in the Senior Cup.

Seven teams have entered the 3^rd XV competition – the Glanville Cup – and Payne said: “It’s good to see so many clubs taking part this year and it’s great to see Gloucester All Blues have entered a team.

“It’s all about local rugby. The key is to make sure the tradition of the North Gloucestershire Combination carries on.”

The Glanville Cup final will start proceedings at Kingsholm on 8th May at 11am with the Martin Slatter Junior Cup final kicking off at 2pm and the Senior Cup final getting under way at 5pm.

Senior Cup draw (Matches to be played Tuesday 29^th March):
Longlevens v Matson
Brockworth v Widden
Old Richians v Hucclecote
Old Cryptians v Old Centralians
 Spartans v Coney Hill
Byes: Chosen Hill, Gordon League, Gloucester Old Boys

Martin Slatter Junior Cup draw (Matches to be played Wednesday 6^th April):
Hucclecote II v Matson II
Spartans II v Gordon League II
Brockworth II v Old Cryptians II
Longlevens II v Widden OB II
Coney Hill II v Gloucester Old Boys II
Byes: Chosen Hill II, Old Centralians II, Old Richians II

Glanville Cup (Matches to be played Thursday 7^th April):
Gordon League III v Matson III
Chosen Hill III v Gloucester All Blues
Longlevens III v Old Centralians III
Bye: Old Cryptians III