Enniskillen Rugby Club’s new coach Norman Richmond will take charge of the First XV for the first time this Saturday as they open their Kukri Qualifying League Two campaign with a fixture against Lisburn.

Norman has been a familiar face at the club since he joined as a 16 year old schoolboy at Portora, and after a season working as assistant coach to Alasdair Kee he has taken over the reins.

“I’m looking forward to it and excited about the new season with this squad of players we have,” he said. “Alastair was a great person to work under. He was very knowledgeable. He had a different attitude to where he believed we should be as a club and the players had adapted into that training regime. I am trying to take it on another step from there and develop it further.” The club have welcomed back a few players over the summer and Norman is confident the new squad is better placed to mount a challenge this season. “I think we are in a better position,” he said. “With Ashley Finlay and Nicky Finlay coming back into the squad and Paddy McCleery deciding to stay about home for another 12 months it has all helped the depth of the squad. Gareth Beatty is coming back from City of Derry and we have been able to develop the squad with younger players coming through as well.” Norman reckons the forwards will be key to the success of this year’s team, with a huge amount of experience among the pack sure to aid their chances. “We have a very solid front row with Gareth Beatty coming back and Stevie Welsh coming back to throw a bit of experience back into the squad,” he said. “Richard Beatty has been coming back into it trying to play with his brother in the front row, and Jamie Johnston is an absolute stalwart and club captain for the season having come off the junior ulster panel last year. His game and maturity will be required this season to lead the squad forward.” The side have played three matches in pre-season, and although they fell to a defeat against local rivals Clogher valley, they defeated Ballymoney by 28 points to 21, and beat Lurgan by 33 points last Saturday. Norman admits the preparations for the opening encounter with Lisburn have gone as well as he could have hoped for. “Pre-season has gone very well,” he said. “We are a much fitter squad this year than we have been over the last couple of years. We have trained and got ourselves to where we think we should be and the proof will come over the next few weeks with the first league games. Lisburn should prove to be a testing challenge and it will really set our marker out for where we are for the first half of the season.”