THE players for Ludlow RFC were due to return to pre-season training this week – and have already had an arduous work-out by pitching in to help upgrade facilities at their Linney base.

The Midlands 2 West North side have been handed an away day in the preliminary round of next season’s North Midlands Shield and any thoughts they are facing a straightforward trip to take on an Old Saltleians team relegated to the division below will be tempered by the knowledge their hosts were beaten finalists in the competition last month.

The tie has to be played on or before Saturday, September 1 and the winners will visit Midlands 3 outfit Shrewsbury in the quarter-final.

The draw has also been made for the North Midlands Vase preliminary round, with Church Stretton away to Aldridge, Bishop’s Castle & Onny Valley facing a trip to Birmingham Exiles and Tenbury also on the road, at Dixonians. The Vase ties will be played on Saturday, August 25.

Ludlow have retained Mikey Jones as coach who expects to add “several new signings” for the new campaign. Joe Doyle has been retained as backs coach.

The club’s reserves will play in the Midlands Reserves League for the new campaign.

The club’s players, who have a social tomorrow night [Friday July 6], installed new railings in front of the clubhouse, buried a water tank to expand shower capacity and cleaned the clubhouse and changing rooms ahead of the return to training.

“We had a record turnout and the good weather allowed us to get more done than we had expected,” said chairman Andy Wright. “We also managed to get a lot of grounds maintenance done as well.”