Robinson back with vow to give his best – as always

Although Fylde rugby union club might not be a household name among the former grand institutions who reside in union's lower national leagues, they have enticed to their ranks this year one of the biggest individual names in the sport.

In a career spanning 18 years, Jason Robinson has been one of the most recognisable faces in the game, whether in his eight years as a league player with Hunslet and most notably Wigan, or in the last decade as a Premiership winner with Sale.

That he has a World Cup winner's medal in his possession, and a try in a World Cup final to his name, adds to the aura of one of sport's great winners.

Yet after hanging up his boots in 2007 and slipping into a temporary retirement that included an unsuccessful spell as head coach at his beloved Sale last season, the 36-year-old Leeds-born try-scorer is ready to don the shirt and gumshield again.

A versatile back of such pedigree might have been able to still cut it at the highest level, but Robinson has opted for Fylde and the fourth tier.

"I am not too sure what to expect at this level," conceded Robinson, who is poised to make his debut next Saturday in Fylde's home game against Preston, much to the chagrin of Hull Ionians who had hoped his debut would be at their Brantingham Park ground today.

"I am not taking this lightly. I know there will be some tough opposition and tough players and I need to make sure I am ready.

"That is one of the reasons why I am coming back to play – I still have that competitiveness.

"I am no spring chicken, but I am still in good shape and I have certainly not let myself go."

Robinson announced earlier in the summer that the Woodlands Memorial Ground, just a touchline conversion away from Royal Lytham and St Annes which will host golf's 2012 Open Championship, would be the base for his comeback.

He began serious training on August 1 and intends to hit the ground running when he makes his debut next Saturday.

His old England coach and fellow notable Fylde recruit Brian Ashton has already forecast he will be the best full-back anywhere in the country, but Robinson is not so keen to place too much emphasis on his return, stressing he will take this new chapter one season at a time.

"You don't want to talk yourself up – at the end of the day I will do the same as I have always done. I will give 100 per cent and I look forward to putting on that shirt for the first time," said the man whose last appearance came in the 2007 World Cup final.

"My only guarantee is, as it has always been, that I will give it my best. The rest will take care of itself.

"Joining Fylde is a win-win situation for myself and the club. I get to play again and I get to help promote the club and help with the development of the players.

"It's a nice challenge for me, one that is not as high pressured as the Premiership."

With his new home ground just a 30-minute drive away and training just one night a week, Robinson's new lifestyle might sound low-key, but he knows once he takes the field he will be a marked man.

"If I were a National Two North player lining up against Jason Robinson I'd want to beat him every time," he said.

"Even though I am quite small and I am known for evasion and scoring tries, I do like the physical side, so it will be nice to get the shoulder in.

"If somebody can give you a good shot, then fair play – you just get back up and you crack on with it.

"There are lots of options where I could play; full-back, wing, outside-centre – the more I get hold of the ball the better."

The hunger is still there for Robinson the player, as is the business acumen for Robinson the publicist whose dual role in his Fylde venture is to help raise the profile of the club and propel them on a journey up the national pyramid.

Getting backsides on seats is a priority in the first instance although, as Hull Ionians have discovered, it looks like that ethos will apply only to Fylde's home games; hence Lytham St Annes might become a pilgrimage for fans of Yorkshire's National Two North contingent of Huddersfield, Hull, Morley and Harrogate this season.

Robinson has yet to confirm whether he will play many away games and may make the decision as the season pans out, citing the lack of travelling as a major attraction of Fylde and fourth-tier rugby.

But whether it is at Fylde, Claro Road or Scatcherd Lane, one of the joys of this season will be watching a colossus of the game in action once again.