This week will see the start of a new era for Aberdeen Grammar as they begin life in the second tier of Scottish rugby.
Last season’s relegation from the Premiership came amid a perfect storm of injury and illness, with the club needing to hit the reset button at the end of the campaign.
It has been more evolution than revolution at Rubislaw over the summer, with familiar faces remaining but taking on different key roles in a bid to shape a brighter future for Grammar.
The big change was at business end of the team, with head coach Ali O’Connor taking a step back. He will not be lost to the club completely though, with his expertise being utilised as an attack coach this year, but O’Connor deserved a break from the frontline after the chaotic season just gone.
In his stead will be two familiar faces, with ex-captains Greig Ryan and Nat Coe leading the coaching setup. Coe, at 27, is one of the youngest coaches in Scotland and had only been named co-captain himself last summer – alongside Tom Aplin – before issues with concussion prompted him to retire from playing earlier this year.
The messaging coming from Grammar has certainly been positive, which could not have been easy after the hardship of the last 12 months.
They are realistic enough to know that a return to the top-flight may not come straight away, as much as the Premiership is the place they want to be.
A season or two in National One is a chance for them to rebuild and allow Coe and Ryan to bed in their own ideas, playing the brand of rugby they want Grammar to play.
But dropping down a division does not mean the challenges will cease. Last season’s runners-up Gala will no doubt have designs on another promotion push, while southern outfits Biggar and Melrose will provide stern examinations.
There is also the enticing prospect of clashes with Highland and Dundee, which will be as near to derby fixtures as Grammar are likely to get, even if they are both more than 60 miles away from the Granite City.
A huge step in the right direction will be getting Grammar winning again. Losing can so easily become a habit, particularly when you feel like circumstances are conspiring against you.
They only picked up three victories last season, which must seem like a distant memory to a lot of the squad who endured such a bruising experience.
But with new faces in the playing squad and renewed optimism among the coaching staff, there should not be any doom and gloom ahead of the season getting underway.
Grammar are not where they want to be but maybe it was a necessary step backwards before taking a larger one forward. Perhaps if they had not endured relegation and somehow scrambled to safety, some issues could have been glossed over and not addressed.
Whereas taking the drop down a level forces everyone at the club to reassess what they are doing, finding ways to improve and ensure the same mistakes are not repeated in the future.
A trip to Kelso is first up on this coming Saturday and Grammar should tackle it with a welcome sense of vigour.
