Horsham Lions will once again be playing in The Surrey County League Premiership for 2023/24. The Lions are an integral part of the club and with a very strong second team, the assurance of a competitive 1st XV is gained. This is most clearly illustrated by the fact that no less that 5 regular Lions XV players stepped up to the 1st XV in the final matches of the cup run in April / May 2023 as a result of injury. This resulted in one debutant scoring at Twickenham in the final! Our recent efforts of building depth in the senior squad are starting to pay off with the door open for every second team player able to push for a 1st XV place. Effort and performances will be recognised and by our continued approach of ensuring the whole senior squad trains together means that all players get the same coaching and consideration for 1st team selection.

It promises to be an exciting year for the squad. Finishing 5th in the league, behind clubs whose 1st XV's play in higher leagues demonstrates the depth across the squad. In addition, our Lions will look to defend the Bob Rogers Cup and in doing so, extended the club's grasp on the cup for a 9th successive year. The target, will be to look to build on the league position which will be a big challenge given the quality of the sides in the league including the likes of Worthing Raiders, Richmond, Maidenhead and Camberley to name a few. Indeed, we have already arranged club days when the 1st XV and Lions will travel together to play their respective league fixtures and combined with an overnight in Bournemouth, the next year is shaping up to be a great one.

Following a number of seasons with the Lions, Tony Lewis has stepped away from his role and in his stead, Matt Stone has joined the coaching team to focus on the Lions. His role will be to make sure that the Lions get exactly the same experience on a Saturday that the 1st XV get and ensure that the playing aims and structures are met each week. Alongside the appointment of Glen Jones as the Rugby Operations Manager, as a club, we are very focussed on making the Lions experience the best second XV experience in the league with a package that is accessible across the whole of the performance squad. Making the match day experience second to none is a key club focus. Players who have missed out on 1st XV selection will undoubtedly be disappointed, but with Horsham Lions they will still get the development opportunity and more importantly the enjoyment from playing for a club that focuses on the whole squad rather than the 1st XV alone. The Lions have been instrumental in the recent performances of the club at 1st XV level and this continued optimism will be taken in the challenges ahead.