ENFIELD Ignatians will be returning to London 3 North-East next season after a three-year absence.

Following a restructuring of the leagues, the Donkey Lane will start the new season in a division in which they last played in 2004/05.

The restructuring of the leagues has come about after two relegated clubs, including Tabard, caused the London 3 North-West division to become too big, and it has had to be culled from 13 to 12 clubs.

Ignatians' geographical position on the far eastern perimeter meant that the club has had to transfer, and means that in September they will be kicking off in a division in which the club finished fifth in the 2004/05 season.

Club captain Rob Wyer has mixed feelings about the switch. He said: "Obviously we would have liked to have stayed put in the North-West because we know all the teams, and believe that we would have had a good chance of winning the title.

"We made our feelings clear to the league secretary and to the RFU and they consulted with a number of other clubs about moving across, but none of them unsurprisingly indicated a willingness to move."

Not that Ignatians will be unfamiliar with all of the teams in the North-East division as some old faces from the 2004/05 season including Romford & Gidea Park, Brentwood, Braintree and Sudbury all remain.

However, there are also a number of new challenges including Harlow, Norwich, Thurrock and Mersea Island, and clearly the travelling involved to away fixtures will be more pronounced.

Wyer added: "We have resigned ourselves to the move and are looking forward to life in the new league, and visiting clubs of which we know very little about.

"There has been has a change in the way the season is structured as our first fixture is a cup clash in the EDF Energy Senior Vase on September 6, and our league programme begins a week later (September 13) when we play Mersea Island."

"On the playing front our squad from last season is very much intact, although we will be missing former club captain, Nick Martin, as he has decided to retire after giving many years sterling service to the club."

Wyer is in his fourth season as club captain and new recruits to a club that runs four senior sides and seven junior teams are most welcome.

Anyone interested in joining Ignatians should call Wyer on 07956 458560.