old elthamians
OE’s junior section to try their luck at
National league clubs like Blackheath
or Westcombe Park, not stay and play
London 2 rugby where we were, now
they stay, because there is no one offering
better rugby, it’s simple. We have amazing
facilities being built and an excellent
youth set up which the 1st XV are fully
involved in so the retention is easy”.
Kent is the biggest feeder county in
England for the top two leagues in fact,
not least because it is in the unenviable
position of having no team in the top 24
clubs. By getting into the championship
and becoming the best club in Kent, we
will hopefully be first choice for every
player coming through the youth ranks,
no matter what club they are at. This
is something we’re already starting to
see happen too. Six members of the 1st
XV squad this year are youth products
from last years under 18’s, the kind of
talent that we would have lost a couple
of seasons ago, so we’re clearly doing
something right.”
Gavin believes that the facilities being
built at Eltham College for Old Elthamians
are going to be second to none and it’s just
a case of providing a first team to match.
“I firmly believe that we will have the
best facilities in Kent. I want to attract
a thousand spectators every Saturday
but to get to this position; we have to
offer them something that they can’t get
anywhere else. As we saw with the Ealing
Trailfinders and Exeter Chiefs in recent
years, rising through the ranks of English
rugby is all about building momentum,
which we’ve achieved with these
promotions. It is also about maintaining
this momentum of course, which is what
we’re looking to do now.”
Gavin suggested that a football analogy
may be more apt, however, “We saw
with Wimbledon’s ‘crazy gang’ how
momentum can build. When they played
Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final, every
neutral was on their side. Everyone wants
a part of success and to jump on the bus,
we just hope that Old Elthamians is an
underdog story that people can really get
behind.”
Whether Old Elthamians can become the
‘crazy gang’ of the Championship remains
to be seen of course but it certainly
promises to be an entertaining ride.
www.pitchero.com/clubs/oldelthamians - Twitter : @ElthamiansRFC
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