TAVISTOCK RFC have seen a lot of returning faces as well as several new faces at the various pre-season sessions, writes coach Martin Budden.

The commitment from the boys that have turned up to training has been extremely encouraging and their work rate has been excellent, however there are still a lot of players that we have yet to see return so we hope they come back soon to improve their fitness and get back into the structure of how we play rugby at Tavy.

A pre-season fixture versus Saltash 2nd XI ended in a 51-17 victory for Tavi with a mixture of colts, seconds and firsts turning out. Every player that graced the field that day put in an excellent performance and many of them played a full 80 minutes as we had a lot of players unavailable through injury or other commitments.

A one-sided 45-3 defeat to Plymstock Albion Oaks wasn’t the ideal way to start the campaign but it is just one game out of many.

Everyone is looking forward to the rest of the season, aiming to play some expansive rugby that’s great to watch and hopefully fun to play. We aren’t looking at achieving miracles regarding the league. If the first team can finish mid-table in their current league and the second team fulfil their fixtures then I think we’d take that as a success, given the players that we have lost over the summer and the restructuring of the coaching staff at the club.

The club are always on the lookout for more players, volunteers and spectators. Ability and previous experience aren’t necessary with everybody being welcomed with open arms. If anyone wants to know more or get involved, visit the social media, the website or the club in person.