Ramsey will break new ground on Saturday with their first foray into the RFU National Vase Competition.

The Manx side were invited to represent Cheshire in the competition which begins with a three-team mini league against the teams representing Lancashire and Cumbria Liverpool University and Creighton respectively.

The students met Creighton on October 14 with first blood going to the Cumbrians with a 34-15 win and Ramsey will want to do better than that ahead of their trip to Carlisle in February.

The pool winner will play the winner of the Midlands pool and the victor of that game has a Twickenham final to look forward to.

Ramsey do face Liverpool University in their league, but that side is the university’s medical students and, while there may be one or two medics in the side, the makeup of the team will be slightly different with mainly engineering students.

Ramsey go into the game with two very solid wins under their belts, but they will be missing one or two players.

Last year’s captain Dan Bonwick is away at Twickenham as is Ethan Benjamin, therefore the side will miss Bonwick’s tenacity and Benjamin’s powerful running.

Callum Clague will fill the back row vacancy and with Ali Trace and Matthew Meechan to come into the back line, Ramsey will have plenty of options.

The game will be played on the Wirral at the home ground of Ramsey’s old friends Oxton Parkonians.

This is because the competition rules require Isle of Man sides to play home games away.

Parkonians have kindly agreed to provide a home from home and chairman Richie Beckett has promised to have some of the Parkonians guys supporting on the touchline.

Ramsey skipper Michéal Flynn will once again lead his troops from the front row and will be aiming for a win and to make those first tentative steps towards a final at the ground he simply calls ’HQ’.

Dave Christian