1:00pm Saturday 26th June 2010
BASINGSTOKE RFC's new head club coach has warned against complacency after learning that his side will face promoted teams their first two National Three London matches.
'Stoke will start the 2010/11 season on September 4 with a trip to Staines, who have been promoted to the league after winning London One North last season.
The Down Grange club's first home game comes a week later, when they host Civil Service, who beat Dover in a promotion play-off after finishing second behind Staines.
Junior Paramore, the newly appointed head club coach, believes that this could be a good thing - as long as Basingstoke do not take victory for granted.
“It might be a good thing to start against promoted teams - as long as we play well,” he said. “We cannot afford to take them lightly because they have come up from the league below.
“It's going to be a tough season, with some good sides coming up, but Chris Cook is giving me the lowdown on them, having come up against them in the past. It's a good challenge and we are looking forward to it.”
The other new clubs in the league are Barnes, who have been relegated from National Two South, and Gravesend, who won London Two South last season. There is one place in the league still to be allocated to a club.
Basingstoke RFC fixtures 2010/11 National Three London.
September: 4 - Staines (a), 11 - Civil Service (h), 18 - Havant (a), 25 - Barnes (a).
October: 2 - Bracknell (h), 9 - Tring (a), 16 - Gravesend (h), 23 - Bishop's Stortford (a), 30 - Diss (h).
November: 13 - North Walsham (a), 20 - Hertford (h), 27 - Dorking (a).
December: 4 - TBA (h), 11 - Civil Service (a), 18 - Havant (h).
January: 8 - Barnes (h), 15 - Bracknell (a), 22 - Tring (h), 29 - Gravesend (a).
February: 5 - Bishop's Stortford (h), 19 - Diss (a).
March: 5 - North Walsham (h), 12 - Hertford (a), 26 - Dorking (h).
April: 9 - TBA (a), 16 - Staines (h).
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