Supermarine target survival (From This Is Wiltshire)

THE new rugby season is all about survival for newly-promoted Supermarine.

The South Marston club were superb last year as they stormed to promotion from Dorset & Wilts 1 North, and will now take their place in Southern Counties South alongside local rivals Wootton Bassett .

Promoted clubs have struggled over the last few years after stepping up to Southern Counties level, and Marine first XV coach Gavin Russ is hoping his side can buck the trend and win the battle for survival when they kick off at home to Sherborne tomorrow.

“This year is all about staying where we are, and it is vital for us to consolidate our position,” he said.

“For the last few seasons everyone who has come up has gone straight back down again, so our aim is to stay up and we will do everything we can to make that happen.

“It is going to be hard, we know that, and the big thing that I have said to the first team squad is that we have to be fitter and stronger than we have been before because the league we are going to.

“We have to be a lot more streetwise too, and we have our own game plan which we will look to use whenever we can, and we have a number of alternatives too for when things need changing.

“We know exactly what our challenges are for the new season, and that will be our main focus.”

Marine have enjoyed a good off-season with five new first-team players joining the club, and Russ believes the work they have done over the summer will stand them in good stead ahead of the season-opener against Sherborne.

“We have brought in a conditioning coach and he has done some great work with the players which will help a lot, and the players we have brought in are all very good players,” he said.

“I am not one for highlighting individuals because we are a team, and we will do everything as a team.

“Starting at home is vital for us and we have to win our home games, and if we can manage to do that we will give ourselves a real chance of staying up.”