We now have ten days to get the place 'ship shape' in time for the playing squad, who will return to pre-season training on Monday 20th June.

While there is little happening on the domestic front, away from home there is plenty of international action. The England squad flies out today to North America to take part in the Churchill Cup minus Mike Worsley, who withdrew due to injury. We wish Ugo Monye well and hope that he sees some of the action during the tournament.

Congratulations are also in order to Gavin Duffy, who is starting for Ireland this weekend at outside centre against Japan, and our continued best wishes go to Will Greenwood in New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions squad.

Everyone at NEC Harlequins continues to be amazed by the number of season tickets that you have purchased - the total is now in excess of 3,500. This along with the continued support of our sponsors has given everyone great heart for the season ahead.

There is a fair amount of traveling to be done in the opening month of the National Division One season, given that we are away to Pertemp Bees (3rd September), Otley (10th September) and Nottingham (24th September), with our one home game being against Newbury on 17th September.

We are still looking to arrange at least one further pre-season fixture around the first weekend in August and we will let you know details of this in the coming weeks.

I appreciate that you are all waiting to hear news of our new signings for next season. There are a number of contracts signed, with just a few minor points to be finalised on one of them, but we will not be confirming these signings until these minor matters are resolved. I will not put a timescale on this, but it will not be long that is for sure.

So with the players due at Roehampton a week on Monday, there is a lot of work to be done so that we get pre-season training under way with everyone focused on the matches we face in the first month of the season.

In the meantime, I am sure we are all looking forward to watching the Lions play the New Zealand Maoris on Saturday morning.