Club captain: Paul Hoggett

Well, what an amazing 2008–09 season! The drama of the run in the EDF Vase and thinking we had missed out on promotion on points difference to Weston: just two of many highlights. However, as a club, we are where we wanted to be this season, with the 1st team promoted to division two and the 2nd team filling the spot we have vacated in division 3. Huge credit goes to the coaching team, committee and the players for their effort and commitment during one of our most successful seasons in recent history.

I look forward to and am extremely proud to be leading the 1st team again this season. We will need to make Cary a home fortress again and ensure we prepare thoroughly for our travels. This will undoubtedly be a tough year, with us playing a higher calibre of team each week. However, I do believe we have the ability and belief to surprise a lot of sides and finish within the top quarter of this division. Hitting the ground running will be imperative if we are to attain the standards we set last year. Attendance at Tuesday and Thursday training in pre-season is absolutely essential for our entire squad.

I would like to congratulate Simon Gale on his election to the 2nd team captaincy and thank Joe Pullen for his efforts with the seconds last season. Joe's enthusiasm and commitment was a great example to all. I look forward to seeing good numbers of Castle Cary players at training regardless of which team you play in. The club will benefit from having pressure on places for both sides and having a club pattern of play, set plays, etc., that we all know and can all do, regardless of which team we turn out for on a Saturday! A sense of being a Castle Cary player, rather than a 1st or 2nd teamer is something that I really wish to instill in our squad this season.

Second team captain: Simon Gale

There is a really big year ahead for the second team and for the first time in a while we have a full fixture list in a competitive league. The big issue for me in accepting the captaincy was if we were playing in the same league as our first team played in last year, then we would need the same level of support as they did. The club has delivered on this front, and we will be supported by a coaching team throughout the year. In response, those of us committed to playing second team rugby this year need to be training every week, and those of you who have already been training this year, and know me, will know there will be no 'them and us', just people committed to developing themselves and/or the club as players and as a team.

What do I want to get out of next season? To make sure we play as much rugby as possible and fulfil the potential we have to be competitive. From what I have seen recently, we have some great young players coming through, and I would like to think that we will leave other teams thinking that we are genuinely a rapidly improving all-round club. While it is really encouraging to see the development of new talent, there is a massive role for the older heads in the club to play, both on and off the field in terms of the experience you can hand down. I would encourage any of you that are 'umming' and 'aarring' about whether to play this season to get down to training and enjoy playing rugby. Everyone has a contribution to make. This year more than ever we need to be a team — not just a bunch of individuals who turn up on a Saturday and go home. As such I'd like to see us all spend much more time in the bar after games — Nev, I hope you've still got the rubber gloves and t**t jacket!