Old boy Oakley relishing the opening shot from Bristol

HARTPURY captain Rhys Oakley reckons the club have the right foundations to ensure a successful first year in the Championship.

The college side romped National One last season with a 100 per cent record and have recruited strongly this summer, with former Gloucester props Rupert Harden and Dan Murphy headlining a raft of impressive new signings.

Oakley, who will line-up against former side Bristol when Hartpury begin their campaign next Sunday, said: “We’ve looked pretty good pre-season and believe we can have a solid season in the Championship.

“The recruitment by coaches Mark Cornwell and John Barnes has been excellent and even though we’ve lost good players in Jake Polledri and Jonas Mikalcius, those brought in will cover more than adequately. Last season was outstanding, and one of our hallmarks was that when guys were rested or rotated, new players came in from the squad and it was seamless.

“Changes don’t affect our standard and from that perspective Hartpury’s a fantastic place to be. As a college everything’s very sound structurally and there are good foundations, which hasn’t always been the case where I’ve been.”

No.8 Oakley, whose professional playing career began at Bristol in 2002 and has encompassed spells at Newport, Leeds, Northampton, Moseley and Plymouth, turns 37 next month but insists he has had no thoughts of retiring.

He said: “I’ve been around for a long time and played at a lot of places, but I’ve been lucky to stay pretty much injury-free and I still love the game.

“You’re a long time retired and if you’re still able to do it and are hungry, that’s the most important thing. Whether it’s the Premiership, National One or in the lower leagues, as long as that desire is still there I’ll carry on playing.”

Oakley added: “We’re looking forward to Bristol and although they’re favourites, we aim to give a good account or ourselves.”