THE current rugby season might not have been what Ledbury were hoping for but memories still abound of the most successful season in the club's history.

Jack O'Donovan, who was the manager of the team back in 1966-7, recalled that the side suffered just two defeats in 35 matches after he encouraged a more serious attitude towards the game.

"On becoming manager, I learned to my dismay that winning did not appear to be top priority with the club," said Jack, who lives in Lugwardine. "To them rugby was a fun game and Saturday was a fun day.

"However, to me, having been brought up in the hotbed of Munster rugby, this was rank heresy. Munster's attitude was, and still is, that defeat is worse than death because you have to live with defeat!"

It seems that Jack soon got the side around to his way of thinking.

"I made some changes and laid down some ground rules and the team responded magnificently, playing 35 matches and losing only two, a club record which, nearly 40 years later, has not yet been beaten.

"The two matches we lost were to Moseley and Hereford but we won both of the return matches handsomely."