BEACONSFIELD RFC are reeling from an RFU restructure that will cost them more than £10,000 next season while consigning them to countless extra hours on the congested motorways around London.

After storming to the Southern Counties North title last season, they were rubbing their hands at the prospect of crossing swords with High Wycombe, Marlow and Windsor next season.

All three matches are big money-spinners for the club with the derby aspect of the games leading to increased bar revenues.

However, they have now been shoved into the London North division and can now look forward to trips to Essex, East London and Norfolk.

Chairman Jim O’Toole said: “We’re very disappointed. It’s almost as if we’ve been punished for being promoted.

“We had some really good local derbies to look forward to. They would have been big revenue generators for us, we’re probably talking about £10,000 total.

“But now we’ll be travelling across at least five counties to get to some away matches, using three motorways in some cases and spending six or seven hours on a coach.

“We’ll be very good friends with the M25 by the end of the season.”

Their furthest away game will be a 372-mile round-trip to Diss in north Norfolk, and they’ll be up that way again when they face Bury St Edmunds.

The restructure is the result of Bracknell’s relegation out of National League 3 to the South West league.

That created an imbalance, meaning either Beaconsfield, Bletchley or Wycombe had to move to make room for them.

Windsor might have been the obvious choice but were ruled out for being south of the river, while Bletchley was considered too far north even though their place in South West 1 East means more travelling for the rest of division.

So it came down to Wycombe or Beaconsfield, and Beaconsfield got the short straw by virtue of being four miles closer to London.

O’Toole said: “We submitted an appeal and they granted us an appeal hearing in London with an RFU official and two independent lawyers.

“They were very courteous and listened to our appeal and then said no.

“Our reasons were based on mileage and there will be loads of logistical challenges, but we have to respect the decision, take it on the chin and move on.

“It will be a big challenge, but we’re up for it.”

Pre-season starts on June 14 and the club will stage a summer 7s tournament on Saturday July 7 as part of the Beaconsfield Games.

Meanwhile, Beaconsfield U11s were at Twickenham on Saturday as part of a Parade of Champions following their Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup win.

The boys paraded around the pitch at half time of Harlequins’ win over Leicester.

Player Robbie Cartwight said: “I can’t believe I went to Twickenham Stadium and got to go on the pitch at half time of the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final.

“It was really exciting to walk out there in front of so many people, it was an amazing atmosphere and I now really want to play there when I’m older.”