The season started with a new skipper at the helm as Jon Britton stepped up to the mark in what was destined to be a difficult season. Having narrowly avoided relegation from Level-8 last season, repeating that feat this time was going to more of a challenge. With issues in the Front Row positions Committee decided to withdraw from all three Cup Competitions (National, North Midlands and Shropshire) to allow rest and recovery so that players could fully concentrate on the League encounters. An early season friendly proved a false dawn as Chaddesley Corbett were easily dispatched 43 – 10 and apart from a loosener didn’t prepare the side for the difficult away games to follow.

The first League game was competitive 35 – 20 defeat and no bonus points, but with Eccleshall RFC likely to be a relegation rival the visitors the following week a morale boosting 11 – 5 victory was well deserved. However, heavy away defeats against clubs likely to be close in the final reckoning, allied with crushing home defeats to clubs looking for promotion combined to leave those early season victories as the only ones for the whole club before Christmas. Afterwards the League table was very much divided in to a ‘have’ and ‘have nots’ and without the benefit of picking up bonus points, the ‘survival chance’ writing was most definitely on the wall. With 5-games to go the crucial match was to win away at Yardley & District RFC in early March – we lost 5-38! Relegation was now a mathematical certainty. Then surprisingly with the ‘monkey off their back’ the team started to play! True we did have home advantage for most of those last few games, but we managed to be leading against eventual Champions Willenhall RFC 10-6 going in to the final 10-minutes and then conceded two converted tries. In the final 2-games we managed victories over both Shrewsbury RFC and Wednesbury RFC to at least leave that division with our heads held high. It was a difficult season with so many youngsters and a lack of strength in depth, that this spirited late response was testament to the Captaincy of Jon Britton and the coaching of Tony Heap & Josh Phillips. Scoring contributions this season came from several sources, but Ed Lewis grew into the kicking role and finished as Top Points scorer (80-points with 10-conversions & 20-penalties), while Alex Howman (6) continued the family tradition by finishing as top Try Scorer with elder brother Ben Howman (3) and David Shorter (3) just behind and even dad Pete Howman (2) bagged a brace during the season.

In the end we managed 3-victories, only a single bonus point and were relegated by some 17-point margin, we look forward to life in Midlands 4 West (North) next season with renewed vigour. Our youngsters will have had more experience, and the return of a previous Captain in Allan Shields. We will also look forward to games against our neighbours and friends from local teams including Clee Hill, Bishop’s Castle and Tenbury.

Dan Shotton remained as 2nd XV Captain, but a weakened team were crushed by Clee Hill in their first game and that didn’t encourage too much further participation so that Christmas arrived with just 2-defeats. Afterwards, the demands of the 1st XV allied to several weekends that fell victim to adverse weather, meant that there was just a single game, a well fought win over Kidderminster 3rd XV. With more local opposition to play next season, we do aim to do much better!

Our one and only Junior team had reached the Under-15 age group and managed 4-matches during the year, but sadly non resulted in a victory, but we will try for one last season Under-16 level next year and ensure their participation is a positive one with more games for 2013/14. In those 4-games Try scoring was shared about with 7-players scoring one each, while George Warrington edged the Top Points scorer (11-points with 1-Try & 3-conversions),