WITH promotion in the bag, Old Grovians are now switching their attention to lifting the SSE Yorkshire Division Three championship.

The Apperley Bridge club need ten points from their last four matches to be certain, and their director of rugby Martin Whitcombe said: “It is nice that we have gone up with so many games to go but I would be very disappointed if we don’t win the championship, and that is now our focus.

“The team really evolved last season in what was a journey into the unknown.

“At the start of this season, we thought that Castleford and Thornensians would be the ones to dislodge.

“We also felt that Old Modernians would be up there, and we still have Thornensians (fourth) to visit but our last two away wins were at Castleford (second) and Old Modernians (third).”

However, it was only last season that Old Grovians were hurting so much that the future of the fledgling club – they were only formed seven years ago and have achieved three promotions – was in doubt.

Whitcombe said: “We had suffered so many injuries that we didn’t even know if we could continue but the lads pulled through. We have a squad of about 20 to 25 who are capable of playing first-team rugby but the priority for next season is increasing that by another full team of 15 players so that we can regularly field a second team.

“Obviously, the focus of our club is at Woodhouse Grove, but we now have a link with Bradford Grammar School and, being a community-based club, we will take anybody, such as second-teamers who are unhappy at their current clubs and want to get a first-team game.”

Old Grovians are next in action at Rotherham Phoenix a week tomorrow, and a five-point win there and at home to Stocksbridge on March 28 will mean that they cannot be caught.