The Rugby World Cup is special, very special, but if this year’s extravaganza in Japan has a downside it’s meant that the start of this season’s Premiership campaign has had to be delayed.

Gloucester rugby fans have to wait until the weekend of 20th October for the opening round of Premiership fixtures, before that it will be the Premiership Rugby Cup that takes centre stage in September.

But after Gloucester’s exploits in the Premiership last season when they finished third, the wait will surely be worthwhile for supporters of the Cherry and Whites and one person who certainly hopes so is Peter Ford, one of the club’s favourite sons.

The 87-year-old is one of only two surviving life members of the club – his great friend Mickey Booth is the other – and he remains as passionate about the club today as he was when he was one of the club’s star players throughout the 50s and 60s.

Ford happily admits that last season was “much better than everyone expected” and he credits head coach Johan Ackermann as one of the main reasons for the upturn in fortunes.

Ackermann is looking forward to his third season at the club and Ford said: “Things look good, the atmosphere is much better than it was. There seems to be a lot more togetherness, it seems the players want to play for each other.”

That’s vital, of course, and something that Ford, a back row, preached during his five seasons as captain all those years ago.

As a back row he was obviously impressed by Gloucester’s forwards for much of last season – “It’s a good pack,” he said – but he admits it was one of the backs who got him out of his seat more often than most.

And anyone who goes to as many games as Ford – he hardly misses a home game and still goes to some of the away games, including the European Challenge Cup final against Cardiff a couple of seasons ago in Bilbao – won’t be surprised to hear him say that that man is fly-half Danny Cipriani.

“He’s a players’ player,” said Ford. “He makes the players around him play better. The other players want to play with him, he brings out the best in them and he’s got that eye for an opening.

“He’s got time to play and in my day anyone who had time to play was a class player.”

Billy Twelvetrees, who like Cipriani and Ford has played for England, is another player who impresses Ford.

“He always puts in an honest shift,” Ford said. “He’s a sound player, makes few mistakes. He tackles, he does his job.

“And Ollie Thorley on the wing, he’s an attacking player, he’s done well.”

So how does Ford think Gloucester will fare this season?

“I’d be happy if they could do as well as last season,” he said, “that’s the hope. Saracens are well out in front and Exeter are a good side, I think we’ve done very well to get close to them.

“Some of the South African lads have come in and done a good job for us, they are all class players. The players come from all over the world, in my day we all lived within a few yards of the ground!”

These days Ford still doesn’t live too far from Kingsholm – he lives in Churchdown – and he was certainly one of Gloucester’s great players back in the day.

His was a career that saw him play more than 500 games for the club, captaining them when he was just 23, and he also played many times for Gloucestershire in an era when the county championship really mattered.

Described as a “tall, sparely built, blindside forward with many of the traditional back row skills, noted for his massive hand-off and his ability with the ball at his feet, in addition to his tackling and speed around the scrum,” he had to wait until he was 31 before he won his first England cap.

That was in 1964 and he played in all four games in the Five Nations Championship, a tournament that saw England beat France in Paris as well as draw with Wales at Twickenham.

Since finally hanging up his boots at the age of 38 Ford has remained very much involved in rugby, particularly at Gloucester where his roles have involved team secretary, chairman of selectors, trustee of the club, chairman and president.

He also served England as an administrator – he was the Gloucestershire representative on the RFU committee and an England selector for four seasons.

But Gloucester remain his first love and he along with thousands of others will be cheering on the Cherry and Whites against this season.

It may not quite match playing the great game of rugby but he still loves it.

“It’s a tremendous atmosphere at Kingsholm,” he said, “it’s the best in the country.”

And no-one in and around Gloucester would disagree with him.