Here we are once more after a summer of sunshine and Cricket and it’s time to look forward to another long and hard season for Macclesfield Rugby Club as they seek to begin their campaign in National Two North on 1 September with a trip to the Midlands when South Leicester await but before that there is a little matter of a Cheshire Cup Semi Final this coming Saturday at Chester – who coincidentally we also play a couple of weeks later in N2N.
This coming season we have some new teams in Two North with the famous Preston Grasshoppers returning on promotion from 3 North and also a new club to us at Priory Park in the form of Peterborough Lions who were also promoted from 3 Midlands. Also returning are Fylde who were relegated from National One and I can feel the taste buds already with some excellent games in prospect especially the Lancashire ‘Derby’ between Hoppers & Fylde – two famous clubs with plenty of history to boot.
The other changes in Two North from last season have seen Sale FC move up to National One after their excellent campaign last time out and I am sure that they will justify their place at that level but at the other end of the scale we have lost Sheffield & Luctonians who suffered relegation down to National Three.
On Saturday Macclesfield played the final ‘warm up’ game when Bournville visited Priory Park and left, after a competent display, with a ‘W’ and they can look with some confidence to a good season in their Midlands Division. I will watch their progress with interest.
The Lions (2nd Xv), 3rd & 4th teams at Priory Park all begin their league games in the Halbro North West Leagues on 1 September with the Lions visiting local rivals Lymm but the 3rd & 4th teams thanks to their progress over the last few years are all playing ‘above their weight’ with most fixtures for the 3rd team being against other clubs second strings and the same applies to the 4th team who predominantly play other clubs 3rd teams. On the first Saturday of the season the 3rd team entertain Wilmslow Seconds at Priory Park while the 4th team welcome Crewe & Nantwich 3rd XV to Macclesfield.
I am hoping this season that I can elicit information from the 2nd, 3rd & 4th teams on a weekly basis in order to report on their games in this column as rugby in Macclesfield is not just about one team. Watch this space…………….
For those travelling to Chester on Saturday for the Cheshire Cup Semi Final the home club play at Hare Lane, Littleton, Chester CH3 7DB which from my part of Macclesfield is 35 miles and should take about 1 hour travelling time in normal circumstances.
I may or may not be there as on this day another big Rugby event takes place at Wembley but watch this space!!!
Looking forward to a long and eventful season of the greatest game as the campaign begins,
‘CLUBMAN’
