NEW Ivybridge head coach Steve Atkinson says there has been a ‘really good vibe’ around the club in the opening few weeks of pre-season.

Atkinson was formally appointed as the Cross-in-Hand head coach in the summer after stepping in on a temporary basis towards the end of last season when it became clear that the club were going to be relegated from the South West Premier Division.

Former Wasps and Scotland Under-20 fly-half Connor Eastergate has also joined the coaching staff from Plymouth Albion, while ex-Ivybridge forward James Sloan is also part of the new-look first-team backroom set-up at the Bridgers.

James Tichias will continue to coach the second team – the Vandals – with help from senior player Luke Martell.

“It is going all right at the moment,” said Atkinson. “There’s a really good vibe.

“Connor Eastergate has come in and he is going to do the backs and he probably will do the attack eventually once he’s settled in a bit more. He’s got a brilliant rugby CV.

“We also have James Sloan, who is an ex-player, who has taken over the forwards.”

He added: “We’ve managed to recruit a few new players for the twos and we have got quite a few colts coming up. I think we have about 15 this year. We’ve also recruited a few university boys.

“We have lost two lads to Brixham, which I get why, and Adam Northcott has moved to New Zealand, but that’s about it really. We haven’t lost that many.

“We’ve had 40-plus at every training session, and the boys seem to be enjoying it.

“We have now got a player development group. Older players asked if they could help out a bit and they are having chats with the lads, just seeing what they want to do and how they are enjoying it, and the feedback has been really positive.

“The club have also managed to sort out a really good player package, which is good.”

Ivybridge’s first and second teams had contrasting fortunes last season. Their firsts were relegated from level five after a 10-year stay, but their second team won promotion back to level eight.

It does mean that there will be only two levels between their two main sides this coming season, rather than four.

“Last year the gap was quite big,” admitted Atkinson. “And we only really had about 19 players that could consistently play at level five, whereas now we probably have eight to 10 more lads that could play at level six, just because that gap is a bit smaller.

“We’ll see how we get on, but it’s exciting, really exciting.”

Ivybridge will start their pre-season preparations in earnest this Saturday when they have their first run-out in a four-team mini tournament with Saltash, Salcombe and Plymouth Dolphins.

“We just wanted an early run around,” said Atkinson.

“I think last year we only had one pre-season game as we couldn’t really find any and one we did have someone dropped out. This year I just snapped what we could.”

Ivybridge will also play first team matches against Plymstock Oaks and Devonport Services and second team pre-season fixtures against Brixham II and Services II.