CHESHAM Rugby Club are hoping it'll be third time lucky in their hunt for silverware as they try again to play their cup final.

A waterlogged pitch led to the final of the Southern Counties Senior Vase against Gosford All Blacks being cancelled for a second time on Saturday.

The Oxfordshire side had said earlier in the week their pitch was playable, with Chesham's near neighbours Amersham and Chiltern willing to step in and host the game if necessary.

But more wet weather led to another cancellation, and by the time of the call-off it was too late to switch the venue to Bucks.

Weather permitting, the game should be played on Saturday - but with another game with Farnham Royal still to be scheduled in, and Chesham due to travel to Gosford for a league fixture the following week, it may count as a league and cup double.

Club chairman Simon Harris said: "The cup game takes precedent over the league game. We hope it will be played this weekend but then that would be another league game we'd have to cancel.

"We were offered Chiltern's pitch last weekend but they insisted we'd play at Gosford. It was touch and go and they made a call not to go ahead.

"The cup game was going to be a double header as a league and cup game and that's what I expect we'll do."

If it does go ahead the final will be played at Gosford, with no spare pitches at Amersham and Chiltern as they host two matches.

Chesham have the benefit of being able to use all-weather pitches and indoor facilities to keep their fitness levels up.

But they haven't been able to play on home soil for a month, with the club's website jokingly suggesting they should be renamed Chesham Canoe Club.

And without any floodlights they don't have the luxury of being able to play outstanding games in midweek, meaning a fixture backlog could be on the cards.

Harris was philosophical about that however.

He said: "Everyone's in the same boat. We can't change the weather. There's no point using the pitch for the sake of one game, then not being able to play on it for a month.

"There will be a big backlog but at the moment there hasn't been any talk of extending the season. That hasn't been suggested but we'll see what happens.

"They are saying people with floodlights could play in the week. That's a possibility for other clubs - for us, we'd have to go up to Chiltern or somewhere else."