Steve Jackson BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Cambridge skipper Darren Fox will be central to the team's success this season

BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Steve Jackson takes a look ahead to the upcoming rugby season.

Bob Crooks' Cambridge squad will be aiming to start their season on a high at Sedgeley Park as National League rugby returns this weekend.

Last season saw the visitors victorious 43-24 in a bruising encounter and there is no reason to suspect that this time it will be any easier.

Cambridge, though, begin their campaign full of optimism, albeit with the youngest first team squad in the club's history.

With an average age of around 21 years old, they will be looking to the experienced heads of skipper Darren Fox, hooker Stuart Pearl, lock Robbie Hurrell, flanker Gareth McComb and number eight Danny Legge to provide knowledge and muscle to enable the youngsters to play an expansive game.

The real masterstroke could be the acquisition of 18-year-old half-back pairing Ben Spencer and Dan Mugford from the Exeter Chiefs academy. Both looked assured and exciting prospects against Moseley BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Steve Jackson

Pre-season defeats to Championship Moseley and Wales' Bridgend Ravens have, paradoxically, only served to heighten expectations.

Crooks' team were unlucky to lose both encounters and have much to take into the new season.

Significant departures include top scorer Handre Schmidt (Bedford Blues), lock Karl Rudzki (Esher) and centre Adam Barnard (Old Albanians) but the club have used Crooks' contacts book and recruited judiciously over the summer with some exciting new arrivals.

Lock Ien Ascroft Leigh (Newbury Blues), wing Jaco du Toit (Westcombe Park), centre Phil Ellis (England Students/Southend), centre James Knight (Bedford Blues) and ex-Stourbridge prop Mark George add experience, despite their lack of years, and vital competition for places.

The real masterstroke, though, could be the acquisition of 18-year-old half-back pairing Ben Spencer and Dan Mugford from the Exeter Chiefs academy. Both looked assured and exciting prospects against Moseley.

This will be Crooks' first full season in charge

The club faces a tough task to improve on last term's fourth place finish, but definitely has the quality to be a top three side in a very strong division.

Their chief rivals will be a fully professional London Scottish, but the likes of newly promoted Rosslyn Park and Barking should be strong too.

Coventry, relegated from National One last season, have recruited from local lower league teams and may not be up to the rigours of National One.

Redruth, Blaydon, Tynedale, Launceston, Otley and Wharfedale, though, can never be discounted.

The opening day visit to Sedgeley Park will set the benchmark for the first half of the season as Cambridge do battle with an established team - one with several players dual registered with the Premiership's Sale Sharks - on a massive pitch designed for running rugby.

As the latter is the cornerstone of Crooks' coaching philosophy it would be a good test to pass, especially with a home match against Cinderford the following week.

Shelford begin their season in National Two South with a home fixture against newly promoted Jersey and an away fixture at Old Albanians a week later, where they will face a hungry squad coached by former Cambridge director of rugby James Shanahan.

Shelford will look to improve on last season's 10th place finish

They will be looking to improve on last term's 10th place finish, but start the season without influential scrum-half Alex Birkby and points machine Ed Gough, both out with long-term injuries.

Another long, hard winter could be in prospect for Sam Tovo's team, though a number of new recruits will add strength in depth, something that was lacking on occasion last time out.

The return of Grant Anderson from Northampton Saints could prove critical, as will the form of the destructive Aki Lea.

A top half finish will not be beyond the Peacocks in 2011.

Jon Phillips' Peterborough start their campaign at home against Bromsgrove in National League Three (Midlands) against a summer of high-profile departures to local rivals Peterborough Lions.

Peterborough coach Jon Phillips is an ex-Northampton player

Captain Paul Cook in particular is excited, though, about their prospects for the coming season and the messages coming from the club are positive, promising some serious running rugby.

Whilst promotion may be an aspiration, it could well prove beyond them this coming season, though there are strong grounds for optimism in terms of pushing on, if not pushing up.

Of Cambridgeshire's three National League sides, Cambridge look the more likely to finish the season in the top three in their division.

Whether they will want the burden of promotion to the as-yet-unsponsored Championship, and all that entails, should become clear as the campaign unfolds.

Whatever, the future looks bright for the county's top teams.

Keep up to date with Cambridge, Shelford and the county's rugby on Sports Talk and Saturday Sport on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire (96 and 95.7 FM, DAB and online).

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