Old rivals and new acquaintances will make up Colchester 1st team’s opponents following this week’s announcement of who will compete in the Regional 1 South East league.

Promotion and relegation - as well as a couple of geographical tweaks to even-up numbers - means there are five changes from the teams Colchester encountered last season.

Westcombe Park have been promoted to National 2 while Sidcup and Medway were relegated. With Tunbridge Wells moving sideways to Regional 1 South Central it means that supporters will save on the Dart Charge as there are now no trips to Kent.

Also moving sideways to the south central division are Chiswick-based CS Stags, who finished third-bottom last term.

Joining us are a couple of familiar Essex clubs, both of whom were relegated from National 2 East last season. Westcliff had a truly horrible time last term, losing all 26 matches and picking up a single losing bonus point.

Rochford Hundred fared a bit better, but still could not avoid avoid the drop, demonstrating the strength of level four rugby.

Promoted to our league are Letchworth, who comfortably won Regional 2 Anglia, winning 21 of 22 matches, along with two clubs from Northamptonshire who we have never played before.

Oundle drop down from Midland Premier league, while Old Northamptonians are definitely a club on the up, winning 19 from 20 games to become champions of Regional 2 Midlands. They crowned their season by winning the regional 2 Papa Johns cup final at Twickenham last week.

Unsurprisingly, Old Northamptonians have close links with Northampton Saints, with several of the Premiership club’s players coming through the ON ranks. Currently on their books is Joel Grayson, one of three rugby-playing sons of former Saints and England World Cup winning fly-half Paul Grayson. Let’s hope new Colchester assistant coach Mike Haywood can provide some inside knowledge!

Regional 1 South East 2023/24 teams: Bedford Athletic, Colchester, Harpenden, Hertford, Letchworth, Old Northamptonians, Oundle, Rochford, Shelford, Sudbury, Tring, Westcliff.

The season starts on September 2nd, with fixtures expected to be published soon. The Papa Johns Cup will again be scheduled for five weekend after the regular season, with the RFU promising “a rapid review” of its organisation after a number of clubs, including Colchester, opted not to compete this season.