Excitement is building at Priory Park as Macclesfield look forward to a potentially successful season ahead in National League One.
Looking to build on their sixth-place finish from last season, director of rugby Geoff Wappett has strengthened his squad with brand new signings aimed at improving the first XV and building up the strength in depth of the club.
"The problem was that our existing squad was just too small," revealed Wappett.
"All you had to do was suffer one or two injuries and you were in trouble.
"The biggest problem was that there just wasn’t enough competition for places.
"So my aim this close-season was not only to freshen things up, but also to instil more competition in the squad and I’ve certainly done that."
The club have brought in Tom Cruse, on a dual-registration deal with Sale Sharks, as well as Sam Rodman, Matt King, Kirk Robinson, England Counties player Dave Marwick and Elliot Brierley.
They have also signed experienced players like centre Sam Marland who returns after a season in Italy with Aironi, scrum-half Matthew Rhodes who had played at Championship level with Rotherham and Cornish Pirates, Andy Walker from Wilmslow and Joe Clowes who has just joined the club from Leicester Tigers’ Academy.
Clearly happy with the progress so far, Wappett continued: "I’m more than satisfied because we’ve managed to come up with a really good group of players combining good, proven and experienced players and some fresh new talent.
"The younger lads I’ve brought in are very good and have enormous potential."
Wappett says that the club has rather ambitious aims for the next couple of seasons, adding: "Our aim is to be pushing for the Championship in the next few years. We recognised we had to build on the progress made in the last two seasons.
"You can really sense the buzz of excitement at Priory Park. We aim for this to become a hard place to come and win and the Blues a team that no-one fancies playing."
The Blues are already well into pre-season and they have a number of training matches ahead of them, including the first round of the Cheshire Cup before the league campaign kicks off against Blayton on September 1 at Priory Park.
