DOUBLE-PROMOTION winner Jamie Guttridge admits having the chance to play for Rams in National One was ‘like a dream come true’ as he retires from the sport.

The back row, who scored 45 tries in 117 appearances for the club, admits the time is right having undergone a second knee reconstruction last year.

Having played his junior rugby at Reading and then Newbury for Colts, Jamie played his first season of adult rugby at his boyhood club in 2011/12, before heading off to Loughborough University.

He returned to Berkshire to complete a Masters at Reading University in 2014, and from there he went onto enjoy a decorated career at Old Bath Road, starting with a National Three South West title in his debut campaign.

He began: “I met (Mike) Tewkesbury in an M&S café and he set his vision out for the season, saying he’d like me to join and then it all kind of fitted into place.

“There was a clear target of wanting to go up having got so close and lost in the play-off the year before, and despite there being a few tough games – Exmouth chased us down the whole season, Brixham, Old Pats and those sorts of teams – we got the job done.”

Having finished as joint top try-scorer with an impressive 13 in his maiden campaign, he added seven more the following year, albeit as Rams found the going much tougher in their first crack at Level Four.

Jamie explained: “We lost seven of the first eight and the first game, losing 37-16 to Redruth was a ‘Welcome to Nat Two!’

“We’d gone from Nat Three winning most games and having teams fall away after 60 minutes so we could push on to a league where everyone played the full 80.

“I think getting Robbie (Stapley) back after Christmas was a turning point, but also getting other players back from injury was important – during the season I think we used more than 50 players.”

Having secured survival with a game to go, the next two years proved frustrating for Gutts, who underwent a first ACL reconstruction and played just nine times before returning to full fitness to help Rams complete a stunning title-winning campaign in 2018/19.

Touching down 11 times in 24 games, he helped Rams not only win the league with a staggering record of 28 wins in 30 matches, but also setting a club record 17-match winning streak in mid-season.

Looking back, he explained: “It was special because we knew how far we’d come from the first game in Nat Two, to going onto win it – you’d done the hard yards and then reaped the rewards at the end of it.

“At no point had it crossed any of our minds about how many in a row we’d won – we never really spoke about it. It was just a pleasure to be playing with your mates and we had no pressure from Seb as head coach, or (CEO) Gary (Reynolds) or (Chairman) Andy (Lynch) – we were just pushing ourselves, having a good time and that was the best bit about it.”

Promotion was secured with a 45-21 triumph at Clifton, and Jamie admitted: “It was a great year, and sealing it there was a sweet ending – one of our first games in Nat Two was at Clifton and we weren’t allowed to warm up on the pitch, we were put on the furthest one away, there was no hot water in the changing rooms – so to do it there was extra special.”

Amazingly things got even better the following year as Rams finished as National One runners-up in the Covid-hit campaign, and Gutts shared some fond memories.

He said: “It was a great achievement, and we were now testing ourselves against some of the teams you’d always heard of – Cinderford, Rosslyn Park, Rotherham, Blackheath – and we were now at the point of like ‘this is a dream come true’ to be testing ourselves against these great teams and players.

“There’s the home game (in Week Four) where Chinnor’s back row was Carl Kirwan, Willie Ryan and (Ofisa Treviranus) and it’s like ‘how’s this going to go’, but we had a good team ourselves and we were able to go toe-to-toe with them.

“You also then realise if you’re a group of 15 and have each other’s backs, it doesn’t matter who you come up against.”

He continued: “It was exciting to be going round the country, testing yourselves and playing so many close games.

“There were some elements of luck, but things have to go your way sometimes and we’d earned it because we’d put in a lot of hard effort in pre-season, brought in a couple of players, and as opposed to the first season in Nat Two, we didn’t have so many injuries.

“I think some teams also underestimated us, perhaps didn’t do the preparation as they might not have thought we were a threat.”

Among particular highlights were two weeks in early January 2020, with Jamie stating: “One of my favourite moments was Chinnor away under the Friday Night Lights – it was the first time I’d played in front of a crowd that big and an amazing thing to be involved in.

“The atmosphere, we’d all been at work all day and were again up against great players, what a night!

“It also led into the Richmond game at OBR and that was another ‘wow moment’ – it was amazing to be involved in those occasions.”

Key to the success of the side as it climbed through the ranks was the back row triumvirate of Jamie at blind-side, Tom Vooght on the opposite flank and captain Robbie Stapley at No. 8, the trio establishing themselves as a well-oiled machine.

Explaining their success as a trio, Gutts went on: “As an athlete Tom was one of the best I’ve seen, his engine and the way he just kept going making tackle after tackle, took people with him.

“Robbie was very much similar, carry after carry, decision-making, and we all complimented each other – we all had different skill-sets and when we played together it just seemed to work.

“If one person was out of position another would be there, and just the sheer number of games we played together – along with Baker, Hendo and OT – you just knew where each other was going to be and doing, if you made a chop tackle Vooghty would be over the ball.”

Having spent the best part of a decade at OBR, Jamie is confident things can yet get better as he said: “From when I started, bringing in the gym, the S&C coaches, the stand, the lights, from the start it’s always mentioned about finding those little one per-centers which we’ve all been doing along the way.

"Stepping back, you can see from the squad, there are younger players coming through and you’ve always got to be looking to the future, which is what Rams have done.

“You look at Andy and Gary who have been at the club for a very long time, but they still have the hunger and desire, I feel Rams is in a great place.”

Saving his final thoughts for what his time at Rams has meant, Gutts concluded: “It’s something which can never be taken away and has felt like home from the start. Playing with your mates, on the pitch we were given the freedom to flourish, off the field the facilities to improve and have fun.

“I can’t thank Tewkes and Spike (Henderson) for the environment they created when I came in, and then obviously Seb, Owen, Danny with their attention to detail and meticulousness.

“Also, Paddy (Conlon), Spike (Chandler) and the guys with the Titans, I remember a great trip to Jersey!

“Thank you to all the supporters – I hope it’s meant as much to them as it has to us because it’s been a brilliant ride.

“Hopefully they’ve enjoyed coming round the country and we’ve brought them some joy on a few Saturdays – fingers crossed the club will continue to do that.”

*Congratulations on a fantastic career Jamie, and we look forward to seeing you at OBR soon!