Blues plan ahead

Looming relegation prompts early start to plans for life back in South West rugby

NEWBURY BLUES have started preparing already for next season's return to South West divisional rugby.

Director of rugby Andy Widdop is attempting to firm up which members of this season's squad will be staying with the club, although he expects some departures in the wake of a third successive drop.

"We are working on ensuring that we keep as many players as we can,"he said, "and we are working on the pre-season plans as well.

"We are setting out to organise for next season now," he said, "which is more than we have been able to do for the past couple of years."

Plans are to organise a weekend training camp for the first team squad, and Widdop hopes to bring in some new faces for what will still be a testing campaign.

Blues will face trips to clubs such as Exmouth, Bridgwater, Newton Abbot, Weston Super Mare, Barnstaple and Cheltenham and more local challenges from Chinnor, Redingensians and Oxford Harlequins.

Blues may also be tempted to look towards some outside help.

"Because we are playing at that level, overseas players do not need to worry about work permits as they do now.

"One club told me that they had brought in four Soutuh Africans and found them a place to stay.

"I don't know if we will go down that route, but it is something we could look at if we needed extra help."