Ex-Reds aim to 'repay' the island that helped them

James Mitchell helped Jersey Reds win at Bath in the Premiership Rugby Cup in September

"It came out of nowhere, it blindsided us and that was that," says Scott van Breda as he relives the early morning meeting where he and his Jersey Reds team-mates were told the club was going bust and they were all out of jobs.

Just four months after winning the Championship - the second tier in English rugby - he was told Reds were ceasing trading as they could no longer find the money to continue.

They followed Premiership sides Wasps, Worcester and London Irish in going bust as the harsh reality of the financial pressures on the English professional game hit home after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Eight months later the dust has settled, and two former Reds players are now preparing to help the island's amateur side in their biggest game of the season - the annual Siam Cup match against arch-rivals Guernsey.

"It was tough at the start, but these boys have been amazing for me," says scrum-half James Mitchell.

The brother of England and Northampton Saints nine Alex Mitchell has been working as a coach for Jersey RFC, and has donned his boots a couple of times, after opting to stay on the Channel Island following Reds' demise.

"I've loved working with them, they're a great set of boys and they just made it so much easier," he says having helped Jersey win the sixth-tier Regional Two South Central title this season.

"We've inherited a lot of the equipment that the Reds had, which has made us really, really elite.

"We've got a really good opportunity to go through the leagues, which is a really exciting place to be."

'It feels like I'm back at school playing with mates'

Scott van Breda scored Jersey Reds' opening try in their final-ever game against Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership Rugby Cup in September

For centre Van Breda, who is also a former Worcester player, the plan was to always stay in Jersey, just not give up professional rugby when he had to.

"Things happen for a reason, I've found a way to make it work for me," he tells BBC Channel Islands.

"I've got my wife and my young boy here who love Jersey, so we want to stay here long term and this is our way to make it home, and I've been welcomed with open arms by the rugby club.

"So as tough as it was I had really good people around me to make it as easy as it could possibly be."

Van Breda has found work in the island's finance industry and now does the nine to five before going up to his old training ground to play alongside new team-mates who would often pay to watch him play.

"It's funny, you'd think there's this huge big difference," he says.

"But because of the set-up here everyone's just allowed to have fun, there's no big meetings every Monday and no selection, it's just boys going out and having fun.

"It feels like I'm back at school playing with mates that are just doing it for the love of the game, and I think that comes through with what we do on the pitch and I've loved every minute of it."

The future of the English game

Jersey Reds won the English Championship last May - but went bust less than five months later

The future of professional rugby in England has still to be decided.

The Rugby Football Union is consulting on proposals for a revamped second tier from 2025.

But having seen two of his former clubs go bust South African back Van Breda has his own opinions on what would be best for the sport in England.

"How can you attract investors when you don't know what the future of the game looks like?" he says.

"You look at the French model and what they've built.

"They've got teams three or four leagues down paying players more money than the top Championship teams were paying, so then you know something's missing.

"It's going to be a long process and I think there needs to be a top-down buy-in and then they'll have to re-build it up slowly, but I think a big part of that will be getting whatever the next phase is, whether it's Premiership Two or the next phase of the Championship, that's crucial to the future of English rugby.

"If this disappears you can't just rely on 10 pro teams to keep the national team going because any way you look it's bigger than that, but I guess time will tell."

'Paying back' Jersey's community

Jersey won the Siam Cup last year on home soil, and will aim to retain the title in Guernsey on Saturday

For now the focus is on the rivalry with Guernsey.

The Siam Cup is one of rugby union's oldest trophies, having been played for since 1920.

While Jersey have dominated it over the years, Guernsey currently play in the fourth-tier National League Two East, two tiers above Jersey.

"You don't really realise how big it is until you're part of it," says Van Breda of the Siam Cup.

"I've been in Jersey for a while and took for granted how big it is and how much it means to the people and I think that's really come across in the last couple of weeks."

Mitchell adds: "When the Reds went into liquidation the Jersey community stepped up and helped every single one of the boys.

"I kind of want to pay that back a little bit and it means a lot to represent the island.

"The rivalry between the two teams is amazing and I want to represent the island and put my best foot forward."