Caldy ready for battle with Waterloo

Aug 27 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

CALDY are getting ready for one of their biggest games of the season – before it has even started.

The Wirral club welcome mighty Waterloo to Paton Field on Saturday, August 30, in the last of their pre-season friendlies and it will be the first time the two clubs have met at first team level (kick-off at 3pm).

The game shows just how far Caldy have risen up the English League structure in the past few years, to the point where they are about to begin their second season in National League Three North as Wirral’s highest ranked club.

Tony Atherton, director of rugby at Caldy, said: “Waterloo are the top club on Merseyside and we are No.2, so we are eager to test ourselves against them.

“Since the game was announced, there has been a real buzz around the place.

“Waterloo is a fantastic club with some great players. Even three years ago, the thought of playing them was out of the question really because we were so far below them, so we are really looking forward to taking them on at Paton Field.”

There are already good relationships between the two clubs, with several former Waterloo players running out for Caldy on Saturday.

They include Caldy captain Shaun Woof, who spent two seasons with Waterloo when he was 18.

Now 31, he says the meeting with his former club should be a great game to play in and to watch.

Woof said: “We have had a good pre-season but this is the game all the players have been excited about.

“Playing against a team from a higher league is an excellent challenge, both for our younger players for their development and the lads who have played for Waterloo in the past, to get one over on their old team-mates.”