How last season panned out: The eventual title winners rode the crest of a wave following away defeats to Rams (29-19) and Sedgley Park (27-21) in the opening four weeks, going onto dominate the division and ultimately seal success with a week to spare at Birmingham Moseley (52-0).

The Thame-based side won 20 of their last 22 games, only beaten at home by Plymouth and at Blackheath after September, and ended with 112 match points and a game
difference of +636, the third best of teams entering the Championship in the past 15 years.

Nick Easter’s men racked up 40 points or more on 14 occasions, totalling 1,039 as their outstanding defence shipped only 403 in reply.

Players to Watch:

Henry Pearson – A homegrown prop who moved to Gloucester then Manly in Australia, the 20-year-old is back at his boyhood club and ready to make an impact.

Willie Ryan – Captain fantastic, the No. 8 has come out of retirement to commit for another year. The former Rotherham Titans, Doncaster Knights, Ealing Trailfinders and Nottingham man was in the National One Team of the year both in the Rugby Paper and the NLR website’s selections.

Callum Pascoe – The outstanding Luke Carter is likely to start as Chinnor’s first-choice No. 9, but the new recruit from Darlington Mowden Park has dazzled against Rams in the past two seasons.

Following a path trod by bulldozing centre Morgan Passman, ex-England Under 18 Pascoe heads down south having grabbed a try in the 43-21 home DMP defeat of February 2023, then pulling the strings in both games last term, taking over the kicking boots up north as well.