Now the dust has settled...

Best season ever? Could be... Mike Alcock is doing some detailed research for a full statistical breakdown of things, including I think details of all the games going back to Year Zero - wins and losses, tries and so on (when I last heard there was a bit of a gap covering the second season) but using the National 7s - the only tournament we have entered every year...

• 2005: 16th (U17s and U14s lost to, well, everyone!)
• 2006: Plate semi-final (we won a game - but then lost to someone called Wimborne...)
• 2007: Plate winners
  
• 2008: Cup quarter-finals

To that we can throw in the National 10s (5th in 2007, 4th in 2008) and even Herts 7s (first appearence in the final of the senior event, though the U14s did reach the final in 2005). And - as a bonus - we got further in the 7s than any other Hertfordshire team, and further in the 10s than anyone else in East Region - or East Midlands come to that.

Admittedly the first half of the season was less than triumphant. Big changes like a new coach can result in a few steps backwards to begin with and so Rochford (for example) was a bit uninspired and in retrospect, moan as we did, we can only be thankful that RFUW put the 10s back!

For now... well, the first weekend without rugby for eight months was a little strange - and think I did see a small group of familar faces trying to deal with the withdrawl symptoms on the top pitch on Saturday. The rugby season "officially" begins on 7th September (though registration, will be the weekend before - 31st August) but in practice - with county trials only a week later - it is likely that something will be arranged before that.

In the meanwhile watch this space... and the new countdown clock!