'We'll fight to stay with Jersey'

GUERNSEY lost the Siam, but they refuse to simply lie down and lose the inter-island rugby war. In the week Jersey announced the signing of their first professional players - Tongan Latu Maka'afi, former England under-21 Kearn Yeats and Kiwi Nathan Kemp - GRUFC chairman Adie Le Page promises his club will move heaven and earth to stay with fiercely-ambitious Jersey.

'We've got to strive to stay with Jersey or we can kiss goodbye to ever winning the Siam Cup,' said Le Page the morning after a meeting of the GRUFC's hierarchy and coaching team.

And while Jersey continue to recruit new, better talent, Le Page said funds were available to improve his own first team.

'There will definitely be money available but we've got to decide how we are going to use it.

'We can't commit to anything yet, because we've got to find the players first and then get them jobs,' added Le Page, who concedes it's a massive task to stay close to Jersey, let alone surpass their achievements and ambitions.

Thursday's meeting had given the club 'much food for thought' and funding was key to everything.

'We now need to look finance some of the things we talked about.

'We're trying to put together a five-year plan.

'The coaching structure of the GRUFC has a strong desire to emulate Jersey.'

To a large extent, that means attracting overseas talent. Guernsey's recent successes have been forged on the back of the availability of a number of talented South Africans - Willoughby Bloem, Francois Venter, TJ Smit, Werner Stroh, Velde van der Merwe, Louw Brand - and Welshmen Matt Morgan and Steve and Paul Thomas.

But when the Springboks disappeared one by one and Morgan returned to Wales, the fortunes of the side slumped and Guernsey, already one division below Jersey, very nearly dropped two leagues below.

'We are going to be actively chasing new sponsors to put money into the club,' said Le Page.