Alchester coach Chris Kimber says their first season of competitive rugby is proving a surreal experience.

The Bicester-based club, who play at Marston Ferry Road, Oxford, were only founded in 2008 and joined the BB&O Premier Division last September.

Now, they are just two wins from a Twickenham appearance in the RFU Senior Vase.

Kimber, who is also Alchester’s chairman, said: “It would be Roy of the Rovers stuff.

“Many clubs will go through a ten-year history without achieving what this club has done.

“Perhaps it is a little bit too early for us, but we’ll take it as it comes.

“It is a little bit surreal. We started off brilliantly in the league and then had a mid-season crisis when we lost four games back to back.

“But we have showed we can compete with the teams around us in the county and beyond.

“I would like to thank Oxfordshire RFU for giving us this chance and all the help they have given us.”

Alchester’s foundation was not without controversy, with large numbers of their players having left Bicester to form the new club.

Kimber said he had no regrets about the apparent split.

“I wouldn’t call it a breakaway,” he said.

“It was something that happened on its own.

“The team that are here wanted to play their rugby together. It was their decision.”

Kimber has three sons, Dan, Luke and Garrick, in the Alchester squad.

But he said: “I would consider all of them as family.

“They are a young team with an average age of 22-23 and very committed.”

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  • BANBURY will play Henley in the Oxfordshire Under 14 Cup final after a nerve-jangling 12-7 victory at Witney.

Tom Letch scored a brace of tries to put Banbury ahead, Alex Caviezel Cox converting the latter.

Centre Charlie Clarke was held up for Witney in the seond half before flanker Callum Godfrey stretched out to score and scrum half Will Spencer converted.

Second rows Henry Lame and Sam Adamson led Witney’s onslaught, but Banbury held on.