WITH just a few days to go to the new National South 3 League season, coaches and players at Blackheath Rugby Club are brimming with confidence.

Last week, the club held two days of intensive training and team bonding at Swattenden, in Kent, so the many new summer signings could get to know their team-mates both on and off the field.

One of the new boys who is certain to be a hit with the young ladies at the Rectory Field this season is James Winstanley, who was signed from Northampton.

Winstanley was born in South Africa but to British parents, and the 21-year-old, six-foot three-inch, 16-stone, blond-haired back-row forward is a former flat-mate of lock Lee Evans and fly-half Tom Dann, another signed from Northampton.

Winstanley has been making himself busy off the field in the run-up to the new season by helping groundstaff get the Rectory Field's stands and terracing in tip-top condition.

Blackheath's head coach Chris Kibble is enthusiastic about the side's prospects.

He said: "I am confident Club will be involved in the promotion scramble.

"We've done more fitness work than ever, even bringing in a fitness company called Kinetic, and as a result the players' physical condition has improved I recken by twenty per cent.

"Last season, we lost matches in the final 10 minutes on eight occasions and our pre-season work has been aimed to make sure that will not happen again.

"The experienced players from last season will help the new guys trough.

"Players like Lee Evans thoroughly enjoyed last season and he has brought in fly-half Tom Dann and James Winstanley from his old club Northampton, which can only be good for us."

Kibble, who coached the England under-16 squad for six years and is now in charge of the under-17s team, added: "Another good signing we have made is Chris Brain.

"I coached him with the under-16 national squad a while back before he went to captain Durham University.

"He is a player of great ability, as is lock forward Hamish Innes, a double Cambridge blue and mountain of a man, and another to have joined us during the summer break.

"We are also expecting big things from our other new signings, prop Peter Barnes, hookers Andy Knight and Richard Moss, number eights James Bull and Andy Monaghue, fly-half Dave Ellwell, full-back Stephen Brutti, back-row forward Stuart Haughton and wnger Brendan Blackburn.

"Our first match is away to Redruth and is a fixture I relish.

"I much prefer to play at Hell Fire Corner' on a hard pitch rather than a heavy ground in the depths of winter. I'm confident we will have a good season and hope the support from our wonderful fans will be rewarded."

Blackheath play their first home match against Camberley on Saturday, September 14, but begin the new campaign with back-to-back away games at Redruth this Saturday, followed by a short trip to Barking the week after.