THE Midlands Rugby Football Union has restructured the league format for next season, with divisions now consisting of 12 or more clubs. Huntingdon Stags will play in next season s Midlands Two East (South) and will face journeys as far a field as Banbury

THE Midlands Rugby Football Union has restructured the league format for next season, with divisions now consisting of 12 or more clubs.

Huntingdon Stags will play in next season's Midlands Two East (South) and will face journeys as far a field as Banbury and Market Harborough. Their biggest local ties will be matches against Peterborough Lions.

Stags captain Tom McCreadie knows that the club will need to improve on last season.

"The club didn't enjoy their best season by a long way last year, so the news of the restructure - together with the return to the Racecourse ground at Brampton, after more than 10 years' absence - is a double bonus for the club."

McCreadie is aware of the challenge ahead and revealed that Stags have already lined up two big name signings to help the coming campaign.

St Neots and St Ives find themselves placed in the Midlands Four/Five East (South) with 12 other clubs who will be split into two conference sections. The top four from each conference will progress to another group stage to compete for promotion at the end of the 2009-10 season.

The Conference A group throws up some interesting encounters involving the two Saints teams who are included with near neighbours from Biggleswade, Oundle, Rushden, Wellingborough OG and Stamford OBs.

St Neots chairman Chris Picton was pleased with the outcome: "We will need to be on our game, but we fear nobody in the league and with so much local interest we can expect good crowds if we play good rugby."

His words were echoed by St Ives captain Bryan Richardson: "We need to up our game for the coming season but we know we can compete. It promises to be an exciting year.