Preston Lodge Rugby Club League Champions
Preston Lodge Active Schools would like to congratulate Preston Lodge Rugby Club on becoming league champions. Not only is this a great success for Preston Lodge Rugby Club but also for extra-curricular rugby at Preston Lodge. The average age of the team is 19 and the nucleus of the team have emerged for Preston Lodge High Schools rugby teams.
Preston Lodge celebrate claiming the league title.
PL wrapped up the East Regional League Division 1 with a 129-0 thumping of Hawick Linden at the Pennypit on Sunday – less than four weeks after Christmas.
The weekend’s win was a microcosm of PL’s dominance over the season, which has seen them win 15 games from 15, earn 14 out of a possible 15 bonus points, while racking up 759 points.
The figure was boosted by Saturday’s 19 tries as Linden could not live with the PL juggernaut, the home team taking advantage of their superiority in all departments, from fitness to sheer quality.
Incredibly, the game was seen by some as an anti-climax, as many in the PL camp had been looking ahead to tomorrow’s (Saturday) game against Hawick Harlequins as the moment they would clinch the title and promotion!
Mark Steedman, PL head coach, told Courier Sport: “The goal was to win the league but to do it with three games to spare is bizarre.
“Being honest it was a bit of an anti-climax. We had geared ourselves up for next week. We weren’t really ready for it!
“The boys have played out of their skins; there is a good confidence around.
“[But] it is never enjoyable to beat a team that much.”
He added: “When we went to [second-placed] RHC before Christmas and won 12-7 that was when we kind of knew we had a really good chance [of winning the league].”
This season’s success has been made all the more special thanks to a nucleus of players who have emerged from Preston Lodge High School’s rugby teams, giving the team an average age of 20 and proving the old adage that, if you are good enough, you are old enough.
There have been few injuries, meaning a consistency in team selection, allowing certain players to shine as part of a fine unit, while the influence of assistant coach Andrew Clark was praised.
Steedman, who is in his fifth year of coaching the team, said: “[The average age] is really crazy. Out of the squad of 19 on Saturday, 16 are PL boys who came through the system, which is really positive.
“It is the first season I’ve been involved in a team with so many home-grown players who are so young. There is a maturity about them which is refreshing to see. There is an understanding there and they are all good friends.
“We have done well to avoid injuries. Over all the games we have used 25 boys in the first-team squad. In seasons before we have used 30-40. It allows consistency and our numbers at training have been excellent.
“The young lads want to prove themselves and play for each other – nothing fancy, just hard work.”
The club won the East 1 title at a similar time two years ago but, due to league restructuring, were denied the opportunity to test themselves at a higher level.
But even though there is further restructuring in the summer, PL won’t be denied the chance to take on tougher teams as they enter the third tier.
“That’s the biggest thing for me,” said Steedman. “I’ve coached at Premiership 2 level and that’s where the biggest headaches come. A lot of the boys should rise to the challenge.”
Steedman has stated that he has not “even thought about” next season, with the focus now on the remaining league games against Harlequins, Duns and Langholm, as well as the Regional Shield match against East 2 side Forrester and an East Lothian Cup match against Musselburgh, one league above them.
“In the rest of the season we want to try and go undefeated, which will be tough,” he added. “We have got teams to play at the bottom but they are fighting for survival. We really want to do well in the shield and we play Musselburgh on February 20.
“That marks where we are.”
