Kirkcaldy Rugby Club: Blues coach Quintan Sanft keen to get 2nd XV established for next season

"We're happy we stayed up in the same league that we're in," Sanft told the Fife Free Press. "Especially with a depleted squad and only having one senior team in the club.

"Our focus now is to recruit, making sure that we get a 2nd XV out. It builds our depth and builds competition within the players.

"I'm very confident at the moment that we'll have a 2nd XV set up by the time the new season starts, things are looking good.

"It will make my job a lot easier. Player depth, player competition means the players will start to lift their performances.

"Obviously they will want to make that 1st XV squad. At the same time the 2nd XV also helps us in terms of Colts coming up, giving them game time against adults.

"Because they are all coming from under-18 squads - playing in an under-18 league - and adult rugby obviously has a lot more physicality compared to youth rugby. The boys who are 18 might come up against veterans that have played senior rugby for ten plus years.

"The difference is massive, the size of the players, the physicality when it comes to the tackle and the level of contact. If you're not conditioned enough to handle those blows - one blow could take one of these boys out for the rest of the season - which is not what we want.

"When I can, I'm very much the type of coach who promotes youth. At the same time, we have to make sure that they actually develop as well and can handle that workload."

Sanft is very optimistic that lads who have been starring for Kirkcaldy's Colts team can make the step up.

He added: "There are quite a few of our Colts that show great potential. That's why it's important for us to have this 2nd XV out as well.

"They have to get used to the physicality of the game. A year or two gives them that condition. The Colts have had a pretty good season, I think only losing one or two games.

"Hence why we're positive about having a 2nd XV because nine or ten of the boys might actually step up.”