DESPITE Launceston Rugby Club not starting their home league fixtures in Tribute South West (One) until September 8, players and coaches were down at Polson Bridge on Saturday getting their hands dirty.

Nearly 30 members, including first teamers, coaching staff and people making their way up into the senior set-up, spent the day doing some DIY.

Starting at 7.30am, and with many not leaving until 9pm, club members took the opportunity to get the club up and running ahead of the big kick-off.

Joint head coach, Ryan Westren, admitted that he was taken aback by the turnout.

He said: “The boys had a wish to make the changing room to feel more like our own and that was the main objective of the day so we decided to do it ourselves and going forward it looks like a new space. We still have a little bit to do but it’ll look really good.

“We also repainted the toilets, showers and all of the little changing rooms and we laid some topsoil on the centre of the pitch.

“Then, because we had so many boys turn up, we decided to pressure wash the front and sides of the clubhouse and all of the advertising boards around the first team pitch. It’s great that the boys have given up their time to help. We had 20 plus boys plus the coaches. We turned up at 7.30am and some of us stayed until about 9pm and had a barbecue and a few beers!”

Westren believes these sort of exercises could pay off in nine months’ time.

He said: “From a coach’s point of view it was lovely to see and I haven’t known it since I’ve been at the club. It was great that everyone made such a conscious effort to turn up. A couple of the lads who come from Plymouth who don’t drive even caught the bus which was an hour and a half each way and all of the coaches, Oli (Bastion), Glyn (Hutchings), Ian (Goldsmith) and even Jimmy (Tucker) popped down for at least a couple of hours.

“At the end of the day we’re a community club and that’s starting to show. If we want to contribute to the club long-term it’s not just about what happens on the pitch on a Saturday. Doing this sort of thing will help with our camaraderie throughout the season.”

The club have also announced that Oli Bastion has been appointed as assistant coach. See next week’s Post to find out more.