Canterbury Rugby Club’s Chairman Giles Hilton has told KSN how thrilled he was to see his side promoted as champions at the weekend.

The 60-15 win at Luton secured Canterbury’s return to National League 2 following relegation last season and Hilton was thankful the side nailed promotion having lost once this season:

“I think there’s a lot of happy people at Canterbury. From the top to the bottom at the Rugby Club, it’s a case of job done and well done.”

“To be fair, if we hadn’t of lost to Ampthill at home we’d have done it a game earlier, but to get it in the bag with two games to go is a fairly nice feeling.”

Being relegated last season could have been the start of a downward spiral for many clubs, but Hilton believes it was the kick up the backside the club needed to get going in the right direction once again:

“I think the way everybody embraced the disappointment from last season and from the youngest member, to their parents and right through to the oldest members, the playing staff, both male and female, the coaches, the sponsors, everyone has said right, this is not where we want to be and we want to turn it around.”

Success for the first team may grab the headlines, but for Hilton it’s all about what’s happening around the club with all of the sides having a good season:

“The second team have won the Invicta league undefeated and haven’t conceded a hundred points all season. The thirds, fourths and fifths have all had great season too.”

“The ladies have probably had one of their best seasons for the past eight to ten years and the success at under nineteens and the juniors has been outstanding.”

As for the future of Canterbury Rugby Club, the Chairman was in a bullish mood and believes seeing the side relegated last season has led to changes that give the sides every chance for success in seasons to come:

“We probably know more about our future. There’s always a case to be said that if you’re comfortable above, you’re perhaps not looking inwardly. We took a big look and realised the mistakes we made and fingers crossed we won’t make those mistakes again.”

Picture by James Crouch