A HOT, muggy July evening and Blackheath's training ground at Well Hall is a hive of activity.

The schools may have only just broken up for their long break, and the major cricket test series of the summer is barely under way, but south-east London's premier rugby side is already four weeks into its training regime for the new season.

Standing out amongst the crowd of players is the 6' 6"

frame of Club captain and lock-forward Tom Bason.

Bason has made 120 first XV appearances for Blackheath since joining the club in 2004, scoring 23 tries along the way including one hat-trick, over half of which have been as skipper.

He said: "When I was first appointed in 2005, the club was going through a bit of an upheaval with a lot of experienced players having hung up their boots at the end of the previous season.

"Nevertheless, I was still looking around the changing room at few more senior heads to me, including Harvey Biljon who'd just returned to Blackheath as player-coach.

"At just 23 years of age, it was all a bit daunting.

"I had to grow up fast but although that first season saw some setbacks, the next two terms saw consecutive fifth place finishes in what was then National League Two."

In 2008, Bason stepped aside when Blackheath recruited the vastly experienced Liam Wordley.

But with the hooker's subsequent retirement, followed by his successor Matt Leek being forced into ending his career prematurely last December due to injury, the tall second-row was happy to pick up the reins once more.

He said: "To be honest, I think it was good to have a break" he went on.

"But the important thing for me is that it doesn't affect my game in any way.

"I still hit the rucks and mauls and go through the line-out drills just the same.

"Tactically the half-backs call the shots while vice captain Richard Windsor runs the back division, all of which leaves me clear to focus on the game up front.”

Given his height and build, it was always likely Bason would end up in the second-row and growing up in Northampton meant he was able to pay close attention to the skills of one of his icons, Tim Rodber.

But starting out playing the game in such a keen rugby town wasn’t necessarily that easy.

He explined: “The Saints had no mini or junior sections so my rugby-mad dad established Old Northamptonians to provide coaching for youngsters.

"I moved on to playing for Loughborough University and British Universities while working for my economics degree and then went to Australia where I joined Parramatta in Sydney.

"After a year I returned to work in London and began looking for a new club.

"Back in Northampton, Mattie Stewart turned up my dad’s dental practice as a patient and recommended Blackheath. So here I am.”

As well as being an almost permanent name on the Blackheath teamsheet, Bason has made six appearances for England counties who have also recognised his leadership qualities making him captain on three of those occasions.

He added: “Outside of the fully professional game, the counties is the highest level an English player can achieve.

"It’s probably a bit like England in the amateur era.

"The training is really intense but you do get time to experience the places you visit, as I did with a trip to Passchendaele while on tour in France.”

When not playing rugby or working as an accountant in Mortlake, Bason relaxes playing golf or by lobbing a basketball at the hoop set up in the park behind the Richmond home he shares with girlfriend Charlie.

But with training now in full-swing, thoughts are inevitably turning towards the new season ahead.

He said: “Everyone’s expecting London Scottish to be the dominant force in National League One this time around, but the truth is we really don’t know.

"Newly promoted Macclesfield are a very ambitious club and Coventry will want to bounce back up to the Championship quickly.

"There will be no easy points on offer and every game will be huge.

“Last season we proved that on our day we can compete with anyone and, although it may be a cliché, the challenge for us is to gain consistency.

"If we can repeat the kind of form we showed in our home performances, particularly post-Christmas, we will go well.”

Blackheath’s league campaign will open against Scottish at the Athletic Ground in Richmond on September 4.

Prior to that, however, Club have three friendlies with a trip to Canterbury on August 15, before they entertain Richmond and Nuneaton at their Well Hall ground on August 21 and 28 respectively.