Egremont Rangers are back in the National Conference Premier Division with a new coach in charge.
Former BARLA tourist and GB Community Lions representative Rhys Davies has stepped up from assistant coach to take over from the retiring John Wells.
Davies, 36, saw his own career ended by a serious knee injury and it was Wells who called him in two years ago to get involved on the coaching side.
“John’s lad Charlie and myself were his assistants and it was disappointing in that first season to lose our Premier League status.
“But we bounced back well last year to win promotion from Division One and I honestly think we were the best team in the League even though we didn’t take the title.
“That experience will have done us good because it is going to be hard back in the Premier League. Survival is our minimum aim and it is going to be hard to start with because of our injuries.
“We haven’t a big squad and it will be a bit lighter at the start of the season because of injuries to Kristian Tyson, Sam Appleby and Jon-Paul Brocklebank.
“However we do have two new reruits lined-up. Stephen Fox, a former Whitehaven pro who hasn’t played for two or three years is coming back to training and Mark Tyson, who was at Barrow Raiders a few years ago is coming too.
“We start with a really tough test at home to West Hull, last season’s beaten finalists, but it’s one we are all looking forward to.”
The National Conference season gets underway on Saturday, March 2 and before then Egremont will play two warm-up games, both at home.
Barrow Island are the visitors on February 10 and then a week later Rangers will host Hensingham in the annual Jackie Davidson Memorial game.
Davies had an extensive career in the amateur game before the injuries ended it at 31 years of age.
The full-back started with Egremont as a six-year-old and apart from a couple of games for Kells Under-18’s all his rugby was played for the Gillfoot club.
Representative honours for Cumbria, BARLA age group sides and the Community Lions saw him make tours to Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Dubai, Fiji and South Africa.
He did have offers in between to turn pro at Workington Town (under Dave Rotheram) and at Whitehaven (under Gary Charlton) but preferred to stay in the amateur ranks and see a bit of the world.
Now, though, his focus is on coaching and he’s relishing the opportunity to start his first season in charge in the National Conference’s top flight – and keeping them there.
