Spirits rose at Wood Terrace when Kiwi Sam Rasch, true to his word, has returned from his homeland to again don the sky blue, dark blue and red jersey.

Nobody with the club's fortunes at heart needs reminding of the impact he made when his pal and fellow countryman Kerry Wood – who had already made the open side flanker's spot his own – persuaded him to move in January to Tyneside from National Three side Canterbury where he was a star performer.

His splendid all-round skills at fly-half, and in particular his top quality place kicking, was a fillip to the side, and had they been available all season it is likely that the Shieldsmen would have beaten Huddersfield to the North One runners-up spot, and with it a play-off crack at promotion to the National ranks.

But along with Rasch has come a most significant bonus: two of his teammates from top Wellington club Petrone, which has produced 30 All Blacks, have followed him over to join captain Gareth Nesbit's team.

They are Willy Moala, a spring-heeled winger who has played international sevens, and Moe Souter, who won a place in the Wellington Maori squad, and as a prop-cum-hooker is a rare treasure these days.

And there is another front row man on the scene – Kieran McKeown, 26, from Gateshead, which further negates the loss of the talented Peter Tennet who, having moved to Yorkshire, has signed for Otley.

Notable among other new faces is full-back David Richardson, 28, from Middlesbrough, who was a Newcastle Falcons under-21 player and made a dozen Premiership appearances before injury cruelly dashed his ambitions at that level.

Then there is winger Sean Bellon, 20, who has played an important part in Sunderland's renaissance, scrum-half Peter Nichols, 23, from Durham City, back row man Richard Holmes, 19, from Northern, Jonathon Cloak, from Gateshead, who can play either at full-back or on the wing, and No 8 John Dye from Mowden Park.

On the debit side, there is disappointment that the excellent Johan Saaiman has gone back home to South Africa after a season and a half in Westoe colours, which leaves a gap to be filled in the backs, and livewire scrum-half Martin Lithgo has returned to Mowden Park.

But chairman and First XV manager Duncan Murray believes that the new arrivals mean the club will embark on the league campaign, which begins when Beverley come to town next on Saturday, with its strongest and deepest senior squad ever.

Murray said: "I am very optimistic. These are quality recruits who are bound to stimulate things, creating a greater competition for places which must be good.

"Additionally, the boys have trained hard and had tough pre-season games at Kendal and Mowden Park, and so are fighting fit and raring to go.

"Westoe is now regarded as an advancement by players in the region, and newcomers find harmony and camaraderie in the dressing room, the product of there being such a substantial base of homegrown players which remains our greatest strength.

"But the word is that other clubs have been recruiting extensively and ambitiously, and they will fancy their own chances.

"The prospects are for a hard, grueling season, the toughest since our promotion into this league.

"I think it very unlikely it will be a one-horse race for the top spot as Kendal made it last season.

"Rather, that several teams will be fighting it out right to the wire, and we expect to be up there with them."

The player influx also augurs well for the Seconds, who the club is anxious to develop into an academy-styled development squad and who for the second year will be under the guiding hand of Rod McLure, one of the most experienced coaches in the county.

The club's new main sponsors are Kenneth and Gillian Reader, bosses of the seafront Dunes Adventure Island.

Murray said: "We are extremely grateful to them and all our other sponsors for their generosity.

"We are now playing rugby at a higher level than ever before in the club's long history, and our achievements have brought sporting credit to South Tyneside.

"But this doesn't come cheaply, and we need all the support we can get, especially if our ambitions are to be achieved."

* The Seconds begin their season tomorrow with the tough task of entertaining Tynedale on the South Tyneside College ground in a game that counts in both the Northumberland and Candy Leagues (kick off 3pm).

Westoe: D Irvine, C Laycock, C Olugbode, D Whitlaw, J Irvine, R Beattie, P Nichold, N Whitley, R Lamb, J Cookson, J Younghusband, L Burn, J Smith, R Foster, G Smith: Reps: R Elliott, A Kirton, A Kingswell, B Deacon, J Thompson. Meet 1pm. Sponsored by Beacon Electrical (NE) Ltd.