'We've got our mojo back': But can Rotherham Titans build on that momentum in National One

The Clifton Lanes outlasted Leeds Tykes in a season-long promotion battle that went right to the wire in 2023-24, one in which Rotherham trailed their Yorkshire rivals for much of a relentless campaign before beating them and overtaking them when the finishing line came in sight.

It was an enthralling tussle between two proud adversaries, one that shone a positive light on both clubs no matter who celebrated the title and promotion from National Two North.

That is was Rotherham means it is they who begin life in National One today with a home game against a well-resourced Rosslyn Park side from south-west London, who underline the challenge facing the Titans this year as they look to stabilise in the third tier.

They made a smart decision from the outset, extending the director of rugby position Harvey Biljon first began in a consultancy capacity last October into a permanent one for their new adventure back in National One.

A Jersey man at heart, Biljon could have had his pick of Championship jobs after doing such a sterling job with his native islanders in his previous role, but having been attracted to Rotherham less than a year ago by the challenge of giving them an off-field strategy and on-field stimulation, he is invigorated again at the task of keeping the momentum in the South Yorkshire town.

“As an outsider last season, I could see there was a real buzz around the place, but it was [director] Martin Jenkinson who summed it up best around six or seven games out from the end of last season,” Biljon tells The Yorkshire Post.

“We were still behind in the promotion race at that stage but regardless, Martin just said ‘the club has got its mojo back’.

“It was a great way to describe it. You could see the buzz in the bar, you could see the gate improving, the results on the pitch. It was all about Rotherham Titans, it wasn’t about Leeds, it wasn’t about anyone else.”

A lot has happened since those final three Saturdays in April when Rotherham snatched promotion out of Leeds’ hands.

Players who had helped Rotherham win 29 of 30 games in the regionalised fourth tier celebrated with gusto but then had to think long and hard about the realities of life in a national division against teams with far bigger budgets.

“We had a demographic in the squad where some had a decision to make around their careers, some were probably coming to the end and others weren’t sure about the commitment,” accepts Biljon.

“And for me, there was excitement about the opportunity to try and recruit a new squad and get a squad ready for National One.

“What we’ve done is we’ve grown a new squad. I looked at all the players who had played for Yorkshire U18s, Yorkshire U20s that had gone to university etc, and as they’ve all come back aged 21, 22, 23, we’ve been able to recruit those guys and get them back on board, so we’ve got a good contingent of ex Yorkshire age group players.

“What an opportunity for them to come and play National One rugby.”

In part to accommodate his life back in Jersey, Rotherham trained three nights a week in pre-season.

“Tuesday was rugby-focused,” explains Biljon, “Wednesday was a unit evening, forwards on detail around scrum and maul and backs on decision-making, skillwork etc, and then Thursday a combination of both.

“When you’ve only got an hour session it’s not easy to get a lot of information in.

“I think we’ve maximised the small amount of time we’ve had and they’ve had a rugby ball in their hands since day one.”

Even if the playing group has changed, Biljon - who is refusing to set a target as they venture into the “unknown of National One” as he puts it - believes they still have the positive vibes from last season.

“You can see the group coming together again this pre-season and hopefully we can create a little momentum from that,” he says.

“That energy is still around, but we’re very conscious of the fact everything is not going to go our way, it won’t always be great.

“We’re aware of the fact that this is a young group that’s going to get things wrong but what’s important on this journey is we’ve got to be better in six months time, we’ve got to be better in 12 months time, better in 18 months time.

“That journey, that growth, is the bit that’s exciting.”