There may be two months to go before the Weston-super-Mare Rugby Club starts its league programmes, but the players from the three senior sides will be back in pre-season training on Tuesday (July 1) at 7 pm.
The first team will be taking on several teams for the first-ever time in the league, having been given a sideways transfer to the Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West, with the players facing a 350-mile round trip to Penzance, while there is the less arduous visit to local rivals Winscombe.
Weston-super-Mare has confirmed that Darren Crompton and John Bamsey, respectively, the forwards and backs coaches, will continue to steer the rugby Club's three senior sides through the 2025/26 season.
Pictured (Left to Right): Director of rugby Mark Matthews, coach Darren Crompton, Club chairman Alex Larkin and coach John Bamsey. Photo credit: Weston Rugby
The latest player to join the Seasiders is Alex Howman, who was with last season’s National League 2 West champions Clifton since the summer of 2020. The former Merthyr wing/full back made 37 appearances during his two-season spell at Weston, scoring 95 points.
Alex Howman rejoins Weston-super-Mare RFC ahead of 2025/26 season. Photo credit: Weston Rugby
When Steve Worrall was appointed head coach, Crompton and Bamsey returned to the Weston Club in November 2024. Following the sudden passing of the former assistant director of Rugby with the Royal Air Force Rugby Union, they took over the reins at the Club.
Weston-super-Mare's Director of Rugby, Mark Matthews, said: "While it may be a quiet time for the players during the summer, behind the scenes, there is much work to be done before the start of the new season.
"It is essential that Darren and John are confirmed in place as, like most of the Clubs, we are in the recruitment phase - not just for the senior sides but as we ensure a player pathway through the Club.
"During the second half of last season, Darren and John followed the plans developed by Steve Worrall when we were fighting to avoid relegation, and the players responded excellently to finish in seventh place."
Crompton joined Weston in the summer of 2004 as player/forwards coach before becoming interim head coach in October of that year. He stepped down from the role at the end of the 2022/23 season but has continued coaching within the Junior section.
He played for Bath, Richmond, Bristol and Cardiff Blues between 1993 and 2004, accumulating 391 appearances between the four clubs across 11 years. He played for England u16s, captained the U18s and U21s and played for the South West 21s.
Crompton was also selected for the England A tour to Australia and Fiji in 1995, debuting against South Australia. His senior England debut in the first Test against South Africa in May 2007 at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium at 34 and 256 days, becoming the second-oldest debutant.
Weston-super-Mare-born Bamsey, like his father before him, played for his home town club before making his senior debut for Bath in the centre against Clifton in April 1987. He also played for England U16s, England Colts and Somerset.
He made 103 appearances for his adopted Club, the last being against the Army in March 1995. John has been an assistant coach at Weston-super-Mare several times over the years under Worrall and Paul Redman.
Several 'guest' coaches will be assisting during the season, including Bristol Bears' prop Andrew Turner, himself a former Weston-super-Mare player who has represented England at U20 level and appeared for the Crusaders in Super Rugby during a stint in New Zealand in 2023
Matthews added: "The Club is looking to support the coaching with pre-season conditioning being provided on Tuesday evenings through July. The physical training regime has been put together by a senior PTI Royal Marine based at Lympstone in Devon.
"This will be delivered with the support of Rhodri Williams, Gary Moore, and Trueman Currie. Further work and advice are being created around nutrition for the players to use and take advantage of."
Weston-super-Mare’s first-team squad will host Burnham-on-Sea in the first of their pre-season games on Thursday, August 14, kick-off 7.30 pm. Their final warm-up match will be at Bridgwater & Albion on Saturday, August 30, kick-off at College Way is at 2.30 pm.
