Gordon League are ready for the next step after clinching promotion to Counties 1 Western North.

That’s the view of chairman Nigel McMahon after the Counties 2 Gloucestershire North champions defeated Bream 25-20 in a play-off on Saturday, a play-off that determined which team will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Cinderford United, Old Redcliffians and Bridgwater & Albion next season.

It will be a big test, of course, and they were certainly given a big test by the Counties 2 Gloucestershire South champions at the weekend before being roared to victory in front of their home supporters.

“We were 15-5 down at half-time,” said McMahon. “Bream played very well in the first half, they’re a hard physical side, but we turned it around in the second half.

“We started to play a bit faster, put them under pressure and managed to turn the pressure into points.”

Gordon League had won 19 of their 20 league games before Saturday’s showdown so there was plenty of confidence that they would pull through and McMahon continued: “It’s fantastic, we’ve been working towards playing at the next level for the past few seasons.”

And McMahon is confident that the club have what it takes to succeed in 2024/25.

“I think we’ll be mid-table and higher,” he said. “We’ve got a good squad with some good young players, they’re ready for the next step.

“It’s going to be a better standard of rugby but that will allow us to play our free-flowing rugby.”  

Saturday’s game against Bream was a double-header because the two teams had been drawn against each other in the first round of the Papa Johns Community Cup Counties 2 Championship with Gordon League now heading to Cornwall to play Saltash on Saturday.

They are travelling down on Friday and it’s a competition that they want to do well in.

The final will be at Twickenham next month and McMahon said: “There is a lot of rugby to be played but we want to go all the way.”

Playing at the home of English rugby will certainly be the aim of head coach Jake McMahon, who is Nigel's son.

Jake is also head coach of Gloucestershire and his dad added: “He deserves it, he’s a really good coach. He’s done wonders for us.”