CRAIG Burrows will put club before county if Grove reach a promotion play-off.

Burrows is head coach of Grove and Oxfordshire, who open their County Championship Shield campaign away to Surrey on April 27.

Should Grove, as expected, finish runners-up in Southern Counties North, they will play Trowbridge for a place in South West 1 East on the same day.

Asked what he would do in that position, Burrows (pictured) replied: “It has to be club if we are in the play-off.

“The players and the club have worked so hard this season to put themselves in this position and the thought of not being there has not even been a consideration.

“James Cathcart and Simon Matthews have more than enough experience to run the Oxfordshire team on the day.

“Unfortunately for the county, they would be without Grove players, but it looks like Surrey will be in the same position without Dorking players, who look like being involved in the National 3 play-off.”

  • OXFORD University will host a sevens tournament again next month after the success of their inaugural event, which marked the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The OURFC Invitational Sevens takes place on Saturday, May 11, with entries already confirmed from Leicester Tigers, London Welsh, Bath University, Oxford Rugby League.