Chris Raymond is the new head coach of Old Patesians Rugby Club.

The 57-year-old will lead the Pats in the newly-formed Counties 2 Gloucestershire in the 2025/26 season with his appointment coming almost 20 years since he was last in charge of the club.

“I’ve got the energy, time and hunger for another challenge,” the one-time Gloucester, Worcester and Moseley forward told The Local Answer today.

“The Pats is my home club, the situation arose, so why not? I’m still young enough to add something.”

And chairman Nathan Burtwell is certainly delighted with the appointment.

“It’s fantastic, it’s very exciting that Chris will be pulling the strings,” he said. “He’s a legend at Old Pats and in the rugby community, his vision is second to none.

“He’s got a presence about him and he’s very structured in his approach. His coaching style will be very informative, the lads will respond to him.”

Raymond, who lives in Cheltenham, is a very familiar face at the Pats.

“I’ve always come back to the club,” he said. “I’ve been involved with the Pats for over 40 years as a player for the juniors and seniors, head coach, junior chairman and board member – supporting the club in any way I can.”

Raymond’s previous spell as head coach coincided with the best period in the club’s 112-year history. It was a time when they were one of the leading clubs in Gloucestershire, winning the RFU Intermediate Cup at Twickenham in his first season in charge in 2001.

Raymond was still a player back then and he said: “We won promotion to the old National League 3 that season as well. We finished fifth the next season, we were the only amateur team in the division.”

They were special days, of course, but in more recent times the club have struggled to maintain those levels. They dropped three divisions ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and although they won Counties 3 Gloucestershire North, they have been unable to go up another level.

The new-look Counties 2 Gloucestershire is set to provide a sterner test than the old Counties 2 Gloucestershire North but Raymond knows what to expect because he was head coach of Smiths for three years not so long ago.

“I’ve got experience at this level,” he said. “I know a lot of the teams, teams like Old Elizabethans and the north Bristol clubs.”

He knows all about the likes of Cheltenham North, Stroud and Old Richians, too, while his son Marcus has been a major player at Smiths, a club who have enjoyed a lot of success in the past few years.

“Smiths are the dominant club at the moment with a strong, well-coached group of players,” said Raymond, who has enjoyed watching Marcus play in that period.

“But let me do my job with a new squad of players – and all are welcome. We need to build on the talented group we’ve got, developing individuals and teams to ensure everyone thoroughly enjoys their rugby – a hard-working, positive culture is so important.”

Winning games always helps, of course, but Raymond says, “success will be dictated by the quality of our play.

“It’s about performances,” he said. “If I can instil focus and direction, and the players buy into it, then that could be the start of some exciting times.”

The players will report back for very important pre-season training later this month, and Raymond recognises the importance of hitting the ground running. 

“I need to earn the players’ respect quickly and they need to earn mine and that of the other coaches we’ll be bringing in,” he said. “There is a lot of ground to cover and a lot to put in place so relationships on every level have to be solid.

“I’ve got a lot of experience and knowledge to put across and, being semi-retired, I’ve got the time to do it. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in.”

And Burtwell, who is still playing at 44, is certainly excited.

“A lot of people have been involved in Chris’ appointment,” he said. “We need a reset, we need to bring everything together and Chris will help us to do that.

“We’re at the start of a journey, this gives us an opportunity to evolve and grow. We want the players to be happy.”

The new Counties 2 Gloucestershire will be made up of Bream, Cheltenham North, Cinderford 2nds, Dursley, Frampton Cottrell, Old Elizabethans, Old Patesians, Old Richians, Smiths, St Mary’s OBs, Stroud and Tewkesbury.