End of season grades

As my old friend,  Eric Morecombe, would say: “What do you think of the show so far?” As for my club, Cambridge, might say: “Rubbish!!” Earlier this year, a contributor suggested we should spend more money on players, but as Mr Micawber would say: “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty-pound ought and six, result misery.” That’s enough literature.

It has been a challenging season for Cambridge, their victory over Pirates gave me hope but it was not to be, perhaps the Augean Stables clear out will improve the situation. Most of the recent National One promotion teams are in the bottom half of the table with the exception of Hartpury (2016/17) who have nudged Nottingham into the lower half this season.

In my opinion, there have been two key over achievers – newbies Chinnor and one of rugby’s stalwarts, Bedford.  Budge Rodgers and my former schoolmaster, Pat Briggs, must be delighted. Chinnor’s success and Cambridge & Caldy’s comparative failures are a discussion point – funding, coaching, desire to succeed? Nottingham must be looking at their peformance with a similar view - what happened?g down into NationalOne, Rams and Rosslyn Park have had repeated attempts to make the jump but to fall of in the final weeks.

Let’s not forget a selection of movers and shakers from prior years who were top of the National One  table. Coventry promotion 2017/18, Birmingham & Solihill 2009/10 (ceased trading), London Welsh 2010/11 (ceased trading), Jersey 2011/12 (ceased trading), Ealing 2012/13, Doncaster 2013/14, Richmond 2014/15, 2019/20 & 2024/25, London Irish 2015/16 (only team to go on to the Premiership, but then ceased trading). Independent financial success and rugby are not good bed partners.

Looking at the 2024/25 table, it's almost as it you could split Prem II in two: Prem - IIa (professional) and IIb (semi pro) – one half of the season within IIa and IIb and two teams promoted/relegated within those mini leagues at Christmas - but that's another story.