Hampshire clubs kick off what is likely to be another gruelling season tomorrow as rugby players put their short summer break behind them.

Over the next eight months, league and cup battles are likely to be contested in sun, wind, rain and possibly snow.

Many clubs see a golden opportunity to take another step up the ladder to face new challenges.

Others target survival as the main aim while some will want to bounce back from the bitter disappointment of relegation.

Gosport & Fareham played second fiddle to runaway London 2 South-West leaders Guildford last term but still managed to step up to London 1 South after beating South East runners-up Maidstone in the play-offs. Their campaign started last weekend with defeat to Hove.

And it’s derby day for them tomorrow, again at Gosport Park, against neighbours Havant.

Match of the day locally is London 2 South-West’s mouth-watering clash at North Walls between Winchester and Tottonians.

Winch have had a good pre-season build-up – which included victory over Havant - and they also got the better of Totts when the sides last met at Water Lane towards the end of last term.

Coach Andy Fields said: “We probably deserved that match because we went into it with the right attitude and a few breaks went our way.

“We could not have had a tougher start this weekend but we are really looking forward to it.

“Pre-season has gone well but it always goes well because the weather is good and nobody is injured.

“It will take a couple of games before we really know how things are.”

Tottonians looked odds-on for a third-placed finish last season, but had to settle for fourth.

However, they still amassed 27 points more than tomorrow’s opponents and aim to stay ahead of them again.

Totts ran in 11 tries in a warm-up game against New Milton last weekend – four of them coming from new team member Bart Van Herwijnen.

Coach Gavin Williams said: “Our number one aim is to field all the teams every week and give as many people as possible a game of rugby.”

He added: “Our approach is to go out and try and win every game we play and see where that leaves us at the end of the season.

“Winchester deservedly beat us at the end of the season but, at our best, we are good enough to win this game and we have a strong team to face them.”

Robbie Searle takes over the captaincy and will be supported by vice captain Sam Cranton. Plenty of local battles will taking place in London 3 South-West during this campaign.

Joining Eastleigh, Ellingham & Ringwood and New Milton are Andover, up from Hampshire 1, and Trojans, who suffered their second relegation in as many seasons at the end of the last campaign.