TWO promotions in three seasons can be just the start for Ludlow RFC, believes head coach Mikey Jones after seeing his side wrap up their latest title with two games to spare.

Ludlow beat Stafford 38-14 at The Linney last Saturday to clinch the Midlands Two West North crown in front of a rapturous home crowd.

And Jones believes winning the league in such an emphatic fashion can only bode well for Ludlow’s return to Midlands One level next season.

He said: “We will go up with confidence and I think our style of rugby will suit the league better than the division we have been playing in.

“Hereford have been in that league for years and years so we can look at it as a case of trying to stay in and around the area they occupy.

“But we don’t just want to aim to stay up because that’s when you start to struggle. I’m really proud that we have gone up with two games to spare but now we move on.”

Ludlow’s championship-winning season was built on superb rugby at each end of the pitch – they boast both the division’s highest-scoring attack and meanest defence – plus a stunning home record.

Jones added: “We have put a lot of points on a lot of teams, we are unbeaten at home – we haven’t even conceded a single bonus point at home – and we deserve to finish top.

“The players have put in a lot of hard work but they have also understood how we wanted them to play.”

Several of Ludlow’s players partied into the night last weekend but not Jones – he insists he is saving his celebrations for the season’s end.

And he wants his side to put the icing on the cake by winning at third-placed Tamworth – themselves still in with a chance of going up – this Saturday.

Jones said: “There’s only been one Ludlow side in the past to go to Tamworth and beat them – and that was something we spoke about after last Saturday.

“We want that extra little thing – we want to be the Ludlow team to go there and beat them on their own patch.”

LUDLOW RFC’s Jack Small had double reason to celebrate last Saturday – as the birthday boy ran in two tries to help seal the Midlands Two West North title.

Will Hodnett’s early try put Ludlow ahead before Small’s double – almost identical scores from line-outs – made it 19-7 with visitors Stafford replying in between.

Further tries from Will Sparrow, Jim Alderson and, finally and fittingly, captain Matt Davies got the champagne corks popping with a 38-14 win.