If there was any doubt that junior and mini rugby is the lifeblood of a rugby club, just ask Grove, writes Michael Knox.

Five years ago, when their senior sides were in the doldrums, Grove assembled a successful under 15 team the product of a well-organised junior set-up.

The young players stuck together and finally this season, the club has felt the benefit with promotion from the Bucks and Oxon League.

Seven of the Grove side who beat Harwell 51-0 on Saturday to clinch second place in the table, are under 23.

And five of those were part of that successful under 15 side brought to fruition by junior organiser Dave Jones and former player Duncan Nicholl.

Nicholl's son, Ben, who plays in the back row, is the Grove captain and other lads who have come up through the ranks include full back Ben Dean, winger Paul Cuddon, centre Matty James, prop James Eckert, flanker Matthew Young and scrum half Paul Maryon. "A lot of the lads are at university, but they they still come back to play for us," explains first-team coach John Gunter, who has held coaching posts at Oxford and Banbury in the past.

The club have also benefited from the services of back row forward Johnny Dunbar, who has been a member of the England under 21 squad.

"The club's success have really come from the top and the policy set by chairman Roger Williams," said Gunter, who also paid tribute to his fellow coach Simon Mildren.