RAMS SQUAD DESPERATE TO RETURN TO ACTION

GARY Reynolds, CEO of Rams RFC, believes the chance to play any form of rugby before the end of the season would be ‘brilliant’ for those involved in the sport.

No competitive action outside the ‘elite’ level has been played since last March, and despite the best efforts of the NCA to organise an alternative National Cup to replace the cancelled leagues, that too has fallen by thewayside.

However, in recentweeks there have been signs of improvementwith cases and hospitalisations reducing, while the Government has received credit for its mass vaccination programme, which surpassed 15 million last weekend.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to unveil his roadmap out of lockdown on Monday, andwith friendlies potentially able to take place up until the end of May, Reynolds says it would be a real boost to the players and morale in society in general.

He revealed: “The squad are gagging at the bit to get out and play some rugby and I desperately hopewe can do it before the end of the season.

“I think it would be brilliant to get the boys out on the pitch, playing hopefully a great game and local derby or two under the newlights and have the chance to meet upwith some of our supporters and opposition supporters and have a great time.

“The guys have been brilliant andwewere very fortunate to invest in a good outdoor gym facilitywhich meanswe’ve had full capabilities to keep our boys fitwhenwe’ve been able to during the last year.

“They’ve also been brilliant in terms of the support they’ve given to others throughout the club.

“As a rugby club, we are extremely proud of how engaged our first team is with its community.”

Plans have been put in place to make changes to the community structure in futurewith fewer teams in the National Leagues, along with more localised competitions further down the pyramid.

Reynolds believes something needs to be done, stating: “There’s a lot of uncertainty as towhat the structureswill look like – there’s been stacks of publicity about the financial problems in the

Premiership and Championship.

“I think the RFU are working really hard to see howthey can help the game open up positivelywith some newideas coming through and possible new league structures from 2022/23.”

However, while the hope of a brighter future may be coming onto the horizon, he was adamant ofwho deserves the most credit closer to home.

He concluded: “We’ve been incredibly fortunate because other sports clubs have suffered much more than us.

“Butwe’ve got a superb group of volunteers through all the sections and theymake Ramswhat it is.

“They love being part of it, but they are alsowhat make it.”