By Alex Hoad

Sheppey Rugby Club coach Pete Olliver says his promoted side’s sole aim for next season will be to consolidate alongside the big guns in London 3 South East.

Next season his side will take on the likes of Kent 1 champions Ashford, Folkestone, Medway and Maidstone, who have been relegated from London 2.

Olliver (pictured), whose side secured promotion from Shepherd Neame Kent 1 with a 42-10 play-off win over Burgess Hill, said: "We are two years ahead of schedule. We sat down and spoke at the start of the season and we said top four was the aim this season. To finish second (in Kent 1) and get promoted is a fantastic achievement.

"We are already talking about next year and what we need to do in terms of player recruitment. It is going to be a strong, strong league next year. Every week we’ll be playing a top team."

He added: "We have got a good rapport with Medway and we look forward to playing them. We play them in a memorial game each year and we’ve already arranged that we’ll do that over the two games next season.

"I can tell you now Maidstone are going to win that league, they would have been looking to go up from the division above had it not been for a massive points penalty. They are going to be front-runners."

Sheppey will play Southwark Lancers in the Kent Vase final at Canterbury on Sunday, May 1, and Olliver said: "The players are chomping at the bit, they want to do the double. The Vase has always been a bonus for us but we want to win it and we’ll not taking anything for granted."