Paton Field has long been one of the hardest away trips in the Elior Champ and Caldy skipper JJ Dickinson wants to make it even more 'horrible' for visitors this season.
The Wirral club have established a reputation for making home games an uncomfortable experience for those who venture to the North West and Dickinson knows that they need to live up to that billing this year.
Last term, the Ravers won six of the nine games they won in the league in front of their own fans, as well as running eventual champions Worcester Warriors and Ealing Trailfinders very close, going on to lose by only two points on both occasions.
And with Elior Champ Rugby becoming increasingly competitive, Caldy know home form could prove crucial to their ambitions.
“The Champ is built around home victories for a lot of the teams, and I suppose we’re no different in that respect,” said Dickinson. “You want to build a fortress, don’t you? And we like to think we have started to do that at Caldy.
“The weather often helps, as you get about four seasons in a day at Caldy, and it’s pretty unprotected. We’re proud of the location and hopefully it is a horrible place to come.”
Caldy will need every advantage they can get in a division which Nye Thomas believes is now one of the most unpredictable in the country.
The Liverpool-born scrum-half has returned to Caldy permanently after previous spells at the club on loan from Sale Sharks and believes the strength and competitiveness of the division is one of its biggest attractions.
“It’s one of those leagues where anyone can beat anyone on the day,” said the 23-year-old. “You never know what’ll happen week to week. It’s an exciting league where you can’t really predict.”
Dickinson and Thomas also believe the introduction of the Play-offs, and reintroduction of relegation to National League 1 last season have been a major boost for Elior Champ Rugby, giving teams something meaningful to fight for throughout the season.
“Playing in a dead-duck league where you can’t go up or down is no good for anyone,” continued the 36-year-old No.8. “It’s no good for the supporters, and it’s definitely no good for the players either. So, creating that jeopardy last season meant it was the best season we’ve played in the Champ, both for ourselves and for the league as a whole.”
Thomas said: “Now the bottom has to win just as much as the top, which puts that element of doubt and excitement into the game, which is always positive.”
Caldy kick off their season at home to Hartpury on Saturday 19 September, with their first trip on the road coming against the newly-promoted Blackheath on Friday 25 September.
Teams will also get the opportunity to feature on free-to-air TV and reach new audiences this campaign after a deal was reached with Hearst Networks (BLAZE) to show games on Sundays.
Dickinson added: “The more you can get the league out there, and show people the quality of the rugby, then the better it is for the league and the better it is for the game in general.”
Played by professional and semi-professional players, Elior Champ Rugby provides a ‘Proving Ground’ for future stars. Watch every game live on Clubber TV and free-to-air on BLAZE on Sunday afternoons.
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