Caldy’s flying start to the new Champ Rugby season shows no sign of slowing as they look to make it five from five when they take on the Cornish Pirates at Mennaye Field this Saturday.
The Wirral side have racked up the maximum 20 points across their first four games and currently sit second in the table – only below last season’s champions Ealing Trailfinders due to points difference.
After finishing just one spot above bottom-placed Cambridge last campaign, the Ravers have enjoyed an unexpected revival in form, recording wins over London Scottish, Richmond, Nottingham and Cambridge.
However, head coach Matt Cairns is not surprised by the impressive start to the season.
He said: “The team have been together now for so long. There’s not been a load of changes. We’ve signed a few extra players over the summer, but on the whole, we’ve just obviously kept the same team together for a long period of time.
“It’s our fourth season in Champ Rugby now, where we’ve learned lots of things over the last few years. But this season’s different with relegation and the play-offs, so there’s a bit of jeopardy, which has focused minds a little more.”
Following a rebrand from the Championship to Champ Rugby ahead of this season, there is a new six-team playoff system where teams will compete for the chance to face the bottom-placed side from the Premiership in a two-legged promotion-relegation match.
Additionally, Champ Rugby’s lowest ranked side will be automatically relegated, whilst the 12th and 13th teams will face each other with the loser facing off against National 1’s playoff winners to decide the 2026/27 second tier line-up.
In contrast to last season, Caldy will be looking up to the higher end of the table with promotion a real prospect and relegation seeming far less likely this term.
Saturday’s opponents, Cornish Pirates find themselves in ninth after a mixed start to the season, but Cairns insists his side will treat it like every other match.
The former England international said: “We know that to win games at this level, for us as an amateur team that just trains on Tuesday and Thursday, they’re always going to be close. So, everything we do in training is competitive.
“We try to bring a competitive edge to training and what we’re doing to make sure the lads get used to the winning and losing jeopardy.”
The Birkenhead club’s victory over third-placed Nottingham was a real standout with their other three opponents currently finding themselves in the bottom three.
Talented fly-half Kieran Wilkinson recorded two tries and three conversions in that match, following a move from Premiership Newcastle Red Bulls to join his brother Connor at Paton Field.
Wilkinson at Newcastle Red Bulls, formerly Falcons where he featured 13 times last season. Via Getty Images embed.
Cairns will hope his star man can replicate that form at 14:30 tomorrow.
