In a rerun of last year’s final, Kent face Yorkshire at Twickenham aiming for a third consecutive title while the white rose look to lift the trophy for the first time since 2008. (Photo Credit: Claire Jeffrey)

One quick scan of social media and a simmering fervour can be felt.

Pre-season preparations are already underway at clubs like Plymouth Albion, Scunthorpe and Old Redcliffians, even if the initial sessions aren’t yet at full pelt.

But for some, the 2024/25 term isn’t quite over, with Saturday’s Bill Beaumont Division 1 County Championship final bringing the curtain down on a 10-month campaign for those involved.

Once again, Kent and Yorkshire are back at Twickenham with representatives from across National One and National Two set to do battle for the second year running.

Twelve months ago, it was Kent who retained the trophy after an absorbing 31-30 contest which went to the wire.

 

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A second-half red card shown to Yorkshire fly-half Eddie Crossland didn’t deter the white rose, who could have snatched victory right at the death, but Lewis Minikin’s penalty sailed agonisingly wide.

“It really could’ve gone either way,” Kent and Blackheath head coach Tom Stradwick reflects. “It was a tough final, but I think that is also testament to the character and resilience of the boys, which we have seen throughout the last few seasons.”

It is hard to disagree with Stradwick as last year’s final was akin to 2023. On that occasion, Kent overturned a 17-point deficit and survived a late, missed conversion to clinch a 39-37 victory over Lancashire which ended the county’s 96-year wait for a Division 1 title.

On their way to their third successive final this year, Kent’s steely winning mentality was on display again. During their 34-18 victory over Cornwall, they repelled a second-half revival to book their place at Twickenham and remain on course for a ‘three-peat’.

But appearing regularly at England HQ has never really been the norm for Kent. It might feel that way in the here and now, but before 2023, they hadn’t reached a Division 1 final since 1986.

So what has gone into their sustained, recent success

“One of the things we do at Kent is we go on tour,” Stradwick explains. “It started a long time ago. I went on tour with Kent in 2012 to New Zealand, and this was when Chris Wilkins and David Corry were running Kent. They came up with an initiative to try and grow Kent rugby by taking a group of developing young lads on tour.

“I don’t think any other county has done this or did do at the time. Most recently, we have been to South Africa and next up is Chile. A county team touring makes for fantastic experiences, and that gave boys more of an incentive to play County Championship rugby.

“Now we have a number of players that we have retained from previous years, and that helps build the squad profile and shape how we coach because there is a bit of familiarity to it all.”

Adding to the Kent operation, as Stradwick goes on to explain, has been the ability to create a brains trust from some of the leading National League Rugby clubs in the county.

Right at the top, Director of Rugby Taff Gwilliam has recently guided Canterbury to their highest finish in National Two since 2019, attack coach Seb Sherwood led Tonbridge Juddians to the National Two East title this term while backs coach David Marshall has been integral to the progression of Westcombe Park.

Marshall’s move to National One side Blackheath for the 2025/26 season will see him work further with Stradwick – with the latter stepping up to the head coach position – but it is that synergy across the board which is ultimately benefiting Kent.

“You are getting good representation from different coaches at different clubs, and then you have access to the players,” Stardwick says. “That buy-in has been really important and has probably been the biggest difference in the last few years.

“When I first started playing for Kent, there would have been representation from a lot of different clubs across lots of different levels but chipping away with the tours, chipping away with bits of success with the Division 2 title [in 2014] has allowed us to pretty much pick a side exclusively from National One and National Two which has driven the standards up.”

Whenever there is a winning formula, there is always that temptation to rinse and repeat but as Stradwick adds, even though Kent have been champions in 2023 and 2024, it isn’t as simple as that.

Given the cyclical nature of county rugby and where the fixtures fall in the calendar, squads have to change. From Kent’s victorious 2023 team to this year’s crop, only six players remain. 

One of which is player/coach Stradwick, who also confirmed he will be hanging up the boots following Saturday’s final.

“Yep, this will be my last game of rugby,” Stradwick says. “I had my last game as a player for Blackheath earlier in the year [vs Rotherham at the beginning of April] but this will be a great way to bow out, doing it at Twickenham and it will feel very special. 

“Being on that top step with a medal around your neck and lifting that trophy would be ideal, but that doesn’t happen to everyone but yeah, let’s see what happens!”

While Stradwick will be dreaming of a Hollywood ending, Yorkshire are seemingly at the start of a new journey under the guidance of Lee Denham and Glen Kenworthy, who took over the reins from Dan Scarbrough and Pete Taylor at the start of this season.

During the pool stage, Denham also handed out 13 debuts, 11 of which came in their opening 66-14 victory over Somerset, so is there a fresh sense of optimism around the white rose? 

“We outlined at the start of the campaign that the end goal is obviously to get to Twickenham,” Yorkshire and Sheffield forward Archie Crapper tells NLR.

“We highlighted that we have a lot of new faces, a lot of young players but we haven’t shied away from making the final. It was very much like, ‘We are going for it.’”

Both Archie and younger brother Felix were two of the players to earn their first senior caps against Somerset, with the latter, still only 19, grabbing himself two tries at Hull Ionians’ Brantingham Park.

“It is mad because I’ve only been playing for Sheffield’s 1st XV for the last two seasons and made about 11 caps,” Felix explains. “I got a nice bunch [of games] towards the end of this season.

“It [Yorkshire] has been incredible. The marriage of experience and youth in the squad and being with all of these brilliant Nat 2, Nat 1 players is helping me and speeding up my learning process which I enjoy.

“There is always a running joke in our family with stuff around tries. I think Archie thinks I am the favourite! That first game was such a surreal experience, though. I just went into it thinking I am just going to enjoy every moment and managed to get on the end of a few things!”

“I’ll just say now, he is the favourite!” Archie interjects. “I made a joke to Felix when we first walked out onto the pitch and pointed to where I’d scored for Sheffield [against Hull Ionians back in March]. That backfired a bit!”  

Neither of the Crapper brothers had represented Yorkshire Under-20s before their progression into the senior squad, with 19-year-old Felix ineligible to play for the Under-20s due to his involvement with Sheffield’s 1st XV.

But looking beyond that point, perhaps it just highlights the development of both siblings at a club who went on to record their highest ever league finish in their history in 2024/25.

Following 22 wins from a possible 26, Sheffield finished second in National Two North on 111 points and ended the term as the leading points scorers in the division (933).

Based on those statistics alone, it is unsurprising to read that eight players connected to the Abbeydale Park outfit have featured for Yorkshire over the past month.

“Me and Archie, through my Dad and family members, we have been involved with the club from a really young age,” Felix says.

“To see it progress, and lucky enough for my Dad, to both be playing first team and to be doing so well as a club where we are achieving milestones is great.”

“I know we came third the year before, but last year we never had a goal or anything,” adds 23-year-old Archie. 

“We took one game at a time but honestly, sometimes I think it is not always down to the rugby we play. I think it [Sheffield’s rise] is more down to the environment that we create, and that is what makes Sheffield special.

“What I can say from our point of view is that Sheffield boys do play well together. Our squad has stayed pretty much the same for the past three years and that is no coincidence so having a big contingent from Sheffield in the Yorkshire squad has been brilliant.”

After back-to-back top-three finishes in National Two North, Sheffield will be one of the favourites to challenge for promotion when the 2025/26 campaign gets underway on September 6th, with Anthony Posa’s troops opening their account at home to Otley.

But for the Crapper brothers, talk of the new campaign can be put on hold for now as a special day awaits at Twickenham.

Archie reveals the ‘Crapper clan’ – spearheaded by dad Nick (the former Sheffield player, captain, coach and now club president) –  will be descending on England HQ to see if Yorkshire can get their hands on the County Championship Division 1 title for the first time in 17 years.

“Dad played for Sheffield for a long, long time but he is massive for us. Me and Archie are very lucky to have him as a role model,” adds Felix.

“That name at Sheffield, the Crapper name, I think holds a bit of an ethos of what we are about. He is a clubman and me and Archie are. He now gets to sit back and watch us along with the rest of our family. I think that is special that he gets to see us play at the level we are playing at.”

Sheffield are also putting on a supporters coach on Saturday, with many anticipating a brilliant day of rugby which includes the Gill Burns County Championship Division 1 Women’s final between Yorkshire and Buckinghamshire as well as an England XV – stacked with Premiership stars – taking on a France XV.

“It is always nice to play in front of more people,” Kent boss Stradwick adds. “Nice of England to do the curtain raiser for us too! 

“Yorkshire brought down a good number of fans last year and I know a lot of our players are bringing multiple friends and family, and other people in the county down this year so it should make for a good occasion.”

When Saturday finally comes around, it will be 287 days since the 2024/25 campaign kicked off for Stardwick and the Crapper brothers but collectively, the trio are desperate to finish it in style.

Since the County Championship came into existence in 1889, just four counties have been able to complete ‘three-peats’ – Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Lancashire – with the latter the last to do it between 2009-11.

After retaining the crown for the first time in 2024, Kent are aiming for another slice of history while Yorkshire are searching for their first Division 1 title since 2008.

“The three-peat…that is what we have been theming it as!” Stradwick says. “It would mean so much to the county and a number of the boys who have been involved in all three finals and the coaching staff as well.

“We set out to win one and obviously one turned into two. If you can do three, you put yourself into a very, very elite group but we are not underestimating Yorkshire. They are a very good side. They will bring big challenges for us. We have identified where their strengths are and we’ll try to nullify them as much as we can, but they will be a strong test for us.”

“We have obviously looked at a few clips of Kent and how they play,” Archie adds. 

“Going back to the Crapper family and rugby, it was a coincidence that my Dad was down in Cornwall on his holiday at the same time Kent were playing Cornwall! It was a rainy day, it was only a tenner on the door and he had a watch.

“He blurted some information at myself and Felix which I took in one ear and out the other! 

“I think for most of us though, we are just trying to treat it as a normal game. We will go down there and do what we can do. Not only to represent Yorkshire but playing alongside Felix as well, it would be the cherry on top of the season if we can get over the line.”

“To play at Twickenham and as a day itself is incredible, but to win is what you want,” Felix concludes. “As rugby players, that is all you want to do. “You are chucked into a squad and you just naturally make connections. We’ve only known each other for a month and a bit but to win together would be special.” 

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