Champions put plan into action
CONFIDENT CAMBERLEY BEGAN PLOTTING AT CHRISTMAS THEIR NEXT PROMOTION CAMPAIGN IN HIGHER DIVISION
GARETH Rise revealed how Camberley’s preparation for playing in a higher division next season “started at around about Christmas” – as his side were finally confirmed London One South champions.
A 32-24 victory away at Medway on Saturday (see page 36) gave the Black and Ambers mathematical certainty of the title and with it, promotion to the London & South-East Premier (or equivalent) next season.
But Rise, director of rugby at Camberley, has been planning for the 2022-23 campaign for a while.
“The next step started at around about Christmas,” he said. “We had a good feeling that we would be promoted and be champions this year, we felt confident.
“There are some really good teams in this league, but we felt confident. We started planning then, so the plans were ahead.”
Camberley have enjoyed a 17-game winning run on their way to clinching the title, in a season that saw them lose their first game of the campaign.
Rise said: “We came out the blocks pretty slowly, I think we played Hammersmith & Fulham first game and we lost, and I think that was a big reality check for us.
“But like any good group, people do they pick themselves up, we addressed some of those imbalances and we went forward and to go on to a real good run. Myself, the chairman and the club had a plan to get back to this level and we’ve done it which is great.
“There’s a fantastic coaching staff, Sam Voight, Ash Wright, Alex Hughes over those years, Alan Rise, who’s my father, who retired last year but had a huge part to play, although he wasn’t involved this year, but in the previous years.
“We have a fantastic playing group and great support from an executive committee and the chairman has been a huge part of it as well.”
Promotion this season makes it four in the last six completed seasons for Camberley, and they aspire to go even further.
Rise said: “The aspirations is for the club to be in National Two which is one more promotion, but we won’t rush ourselves.
“It’s a tough league, the next level, but we’ll be planning to perform to our maximum in it.”
From next season, the Rugby Football Union plans to restructure the leagues which will offer some interesting matches for Camberley.
Rise added: “I think it’s a really exciting league, it’s got a nice mix of local teams around London.
“We’ll be renewing some rivalries with teams like Havant and we’re looking forward to new matches against teams like Banbury.
“I think there’s a lot of derbies, we’ve got Bracknell which is quite close to us as well.”
Despite stepping up a division, Rise will not be looking to make wholesale changes to the playing squad, and he said: “I think every single player that’s been promoted this year is more than able to perform at the highest level of the league above. And they’ll be getting that chance in pre-season and throughout the season.
“The challenge is depth. We’ve got good depth in our squad this year but we’ll definitely be looking to recruit and those plans already started at Christmas.”
Camberley play their final game of this season at home to Hammersmith & Fulham on April 23.
We had a good feeling that we would be promoted and be champions this year, we felt confident Gareth Rise