A glorious late-summer afternoon at Hampshire Avenue, a healthy crowd lining the touchlines, and a senior squad packed with talent from across the club's playing ranks could only mean one thing; an entertaining afternoon of attacking rugby.

Bognor's senior squad, featuring a blend of players from the 1st XV, 2nd XV and wider club ranks, put on a rugby masterclass as they ran in ten tries to defeat Burgess Hill 1st XV 62-0.

Chris Hay was first to get in on the action, producing one of the lines of the afternoon. Full of bustle and enthusiasm, he somehow appeared in three places at once before crashing over for Bognor's first score.

Veteran Tom Merritt then rolled back the years. Displaying the composure and rugby intelligence that only comes from countless Saturdays spent on rugby pitches, he produced a delightful kick-and-chase before gathering and finishing in style. Both Hay's and Merritt's tries were expertly converted by fly-half Zak O'Connor, who had enjoyed a silky start to proceedings before unfortunately being forced from the field through injury.

With O'Connor sidelined, Bognor's adaptability was tested but hardly affected. Full-back Pemberton joined the try scorers list, with Newton Young stepping up to add the extras.

As the first quarter drew to a close, Spray dotted down following another flowing attack before Newton Young converted to bring an end to an entertaining opening period and a thoroughly deserved drinks break. Given the temperature, the water carriers may well have covered more ground than some of the players.

The second half continued in much the same fashion. Bognor maintained their attacking intent while refusing to allow Burgess Hill any route back into the contest. The visitors continued to battle bravely, but every attack was met with determined defence and relentless work rate from the hosts.

Elijah Green finished a flowing move as the home forwards began to dominate the breakdown and gain line with strong running and quick ball. Hayes and Spray took advantage of the wide spaces to put Bognor further clear of their visitors.

While the scoreboard ticked over nicely, perhaps the most pleasing aspect was Bognor's defence. Burgess Hill were repeatedly repelled by a green, purple and white wall that refused to budge. The defensive effort was testament to countless pre-season drills, much to the delight of the coaching team who could finally point and say, "See, we told you those drills were useful."

Halligan added his name to the scoresheet with a well-taken try before Chris Hay grabbed his second of the afternoon to cap a positive individual performance.

As the final whistle sounded, the scoreboard read 62-0 to Bognor. More importantly, the afternoon demonstrated the strength in depth and progress made throughout the club's senior section. Players from across the squads combined seamlessly, attacked with confidence, defended with pride and entertained the supporters who had come to enjoy the sunshine and some pre-season rugby.

Attention now turns to next weekend when Bognor 1st XV travel to Haywards Heath to continue preparations ahead of their Regional 2 campaign. If this performance is anything to go by, excitement is building nicely ahead of the league season.