Having worked with Phil Stanlake previously, I am delighted to be bringing his expertise into the mix and this will be a huge asset to the young, exciting squad that came together so well last season

- James King, Head Coach

Ahead of the 2016-17 season, Head Coach James King is relishing the prospect of working with Phil Stanlake to further develop the young squad he has so successfully coached over the past three seasons:

"After the highs and lows of last season and narrowly missing promotion, I am very excited for this season and the principle aim of a push for promotion into Gloucester Prem.

Having worked with Phil Stanlake previously, I am delighted to be bringing his expertise into the mix and this will be a huge asset to the young, exciting squad that came together so well last season. Phil has coached at the very highest level – England U16 head coach for a decade demonstrates the pedigree of coaching he will bring to the club – we may even be able to persuade him to put his playing boots on if required!

On the playing side, we are delighted to have retained the squad from last season with Chad Crosby continuing as captain. It is really pleasing that we have seen a number of new players express a desire to join us and recruitment bodes well for the season. We were lucky enough to have real strength in depth last season and were able to field three sides on a dozen occasions. This year will see our 3rd XV enter the league competition which will provide that team with the required level of challenge.

Training begins at 7pm on Tuesday 5th July – looking forward to seeing all players there - new and old, ready for the challenge ahead."

Stanlake expressed similar sentiments:

“I am delighted to be involved in coaching at such a growing club. I was a spectator over the last year or two and enjoyed watching the fearless way that the players and teams approached their rugby. The club has always been close to my heart having coached so many of the players at school. Working with James King will be a huge privilege and an exciting one. The club has ambitions to progress and to be a part of that journey will be hugely rewarding, but not without its challenges.”

Club Chairmain Martyn Langbridge summed up the new appointment:

"OCRFC has ambitions that match our playing talent and with these two coaches helping to take us forward, we are looking forward to the next season".

So, Tuesday 5th July at 19:00pm sharp to get pre-season off to a flying start. All new players are welcome. We now offer rugby across different, with the First XV playing in Gloucester 1 against such local rivals as Widden Old Boys, Spartans and Gloucester Old Boys. The Second XV play in the highly competitive 2nd Division of the Gloucestershire Reserve Leagues and the Thirds are looking to build on their successful rebirth last season by entering Division 4.