LYDNEY team manager Dave Emery says the Regentsholme club must look to rejuvenate itself with youth following confirmation of their relegation from the old National League set-up.

The rock bottom Severnsiders will be relegated from the South West Premier into South West One West next season following a 21-0 loss at Camborne.

Emery has targeted an immediate return to fifth tier rugby next term but admits the demotion has been coming for some time.

“Being a Lydney boy that grew up on the club and it’s success from over 30 years, it really hurts,” he said.

“To be fair with the results from the last few weeks we knew it was coming.

“When we needed results from elsewhere it didn’t go our way. It’s that time of the season where teams who haven’t won all season get results from somewhere and it didn’t happen with us unfortunately.

“We need to look at how we operate and talk to players and hopefully we can keep the majority of them here.

“For me, we need to look at our youth set-up.

“I think what we have got to look at is that we haven’t had any youth come through for about 10 years. That hurts the club.

“When you are relying on players coming from outside the area, I wouldn’t say there’s no pride in the shirt but at one point everyone wanted to play for Lydney because it was Lydney.

“Sides are not afraid to come to us and play like they were 20 years ago. We have to get that back.

“15 years ago we were the top side in the county. Now from a Gloucestershire point of view we are probably 12th or 15th.”

Emery also expressed concern over the impact of a loss of Colts sections across the county and the influence of Gloucester Academy and Hartpury College.

“The frustrating thing for me is that if you’re a 16-year-old, you go to Hartpury or Gloucester Academy and you don’t play any rugby from then until you’re 19,” he added.

“With no Colts either it means you’re asking 17-year-olds to play senior rugby.

“They go to Hartpury or Gloucester and they don’t play, they just train and then the ones who are good enough are shipped out to the better sides and the ones who aren’t are lost.”