'Who have we upset' - Rotherham Titans chief on promoted side's daunting Champ Rugby start
Harvey Biljon is wondering who Rotherham Titans have upset in the corridors of power after being thrust into a baptism of fire on their return to Champ Rugby.
The orchestrator of the Clifton Laners’ rise from National Two North to the second tier in three seasons, is never one to shirk a challenge but even he winced at the hand his side has been dealt. Rotherham - who are part-time in the 14-team division and on the lowest budget - will begin against three full-time teams who all made the last four of last season’s competition.
Titans start by welcoming Coventry to Clifton Lane next Saturday before heading to reigning champions Worcester Warriors the following weekend and then hosting Bedford Blues – all three long-standing rivals of the Titans from their Championship days.
“I don’t know who we’ve upset in the RFU, but in my time in the game I’ve never seen a team that’s promoted with the challenge that’s in front of Rotherham Titans,” he lamented.
“There’s a potential fixture list of Blackheath, Nottingham, Caldy etc, but instead we’ve been given the semi-finalists, the finalists and the champions in the first three weeks of the season.
“Coventry, second to Ealing last year in scoring the most points, and a full-time team.
“Then it’s away to the champions a week later, at their home ground and on a 4G.
“Then Bedford, who narrowly lost out to Worcester in the Champ final.”
Never one to talk openly about his team’s long-term targets, Biljon also balks at the suggestion fans should brace themselves for a chastening opening from that daunting gauntlet.
He has tailored pre-season to get his squad - comprising new and old faces mostly unfamiliar with second-tier rugby - to embrace the challenge head on.
“I think from a preparation point of view, we’ve gone well, but we won’t look at end outcome, we will look to expose all of our squad to what the next level looks like and feels like,” he said.
“And I trust we will build into the campaign.
"We’ve got to make sure we don’t focus on outcome or result, but that we focus on performance and what we’re doing.
“I trust if we do that the results will take care of themselves.
“We all know it’s a tough league, it’s an attritional league, there’s a lot of rugby to be played, so we’ve got to be very smart around how we approach the campaign.”