Rams aim to charge into new era
NATIONAL LEAGUE 2 SOUTH
With a modern new name to back up his side’s bold ambitions, Rams rugby chief executive Gary Reynolds has outlined his plans to usurp London Irish as Reading’s biggest team.
Formerly known as Redingensians, who finished third in National Two South last season, a summer rebrand has heralded a new sense of purpose as the Berkshire club target promotion.
“You have to modernise and kick-on,” Reynolds told The Rugby Paper. “The Redingensians name was very close to the club but we have a big junior section now and are very active in the local schools and colleges so the ‘old boys’ name just doesn’t fit our ethos anymore.
“It sounded a bit uppity, but we’re not an uppity club. We’re ambitious, inclusive and when London Irish eventually move out of Reading, we aim to take advantage of that.
“Berkshire deserves more than a club that’s just parked itself here temporarily and Rams produce a lot of good players. If Reading can produce a Championship/Premiership football club, it should be able to produce its own Championship rugby club – and that’s our aim.”
With Cinderford and Chinnor, the sides who finished above Rams last season, both being promoted, Reynolds and his coaches have been busy strengthening their squad.
Fly-half Alex Seers arrives from Ealing, while centre Andy Humberstone moves south from Hull Ionians. Up front Sean McDonell-Roberts is a former Ospreys prop who can play on both sides of the scrum and he is joined by ex-Worcester hooker James Page.
“We over-achieved last season if I’m honest,” says Reynolds. “I’d been hoping we could match sixth place from the previous season but we built up a head of steam and if we want to step on again now, which we do, we’ll need to make the play-offs at the very least.
“Our pack will be stronger, we’ve signed good backs and we couldn’t be in a better position, but Taunton are a cracking outfit who I’d expect to be a threat, while Tonbridge Juddians, Old Albanians, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Worthing and Dings are dark horses”
Newly-promoted Dings Crusaders also enter the new campaign with huge momentum, having fully acclimatised to their splendid new facilities at Shaftesbury Park.
Steve Lloyd, chairman of the Bristol-based club, said: “We had crowds of over 1,000 towards the end of last season and it should give us a very good base to push on.”