It's been a season to forget for Cambridge Rugby Club, and head coach Craig Newby isn't sugarcoating it. After finishing the entire Champ Rugby campaign without a single win, Newby admitted his side "just haven't been good enough."

The Blood and Sand endured a brutal finale, falling 75-33 at Ampthill and conceding 11 tries in the process. That result capped a grueling 26-game season where they managed just 13 points—a staggering 22 adrift of second-to-last London Scottish—and finished with a points difference of -743. Promoted in 2023, Cambridge have found the step up to the second tier of English rugby a steep mountain to climb.

"I find it quite hard to let go," Newby told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "My mind's always working and ticking over, and I'll struggle in this off-season because the responsibility falls with me at the end of the day. At times, it's a pretty lonely place. I've got a couple of days to mope and cry and sulk about it, and then I'll park it and plan for next year."

Reappointed in February 2025 after stints in Japan, Ulster, and with Ealing Trailfinders, Newby previously led Cambridge from 2013 to 2015. Last season, the team managed three wins but still finished bottom. This year, the struggles deepened. Their only bright spot was a 12-12 draw at Doncaster in January, while relegation was sealed by a 31-7 loss to Ealing on April 15. The season opened with a 45-24 home defeat to Ampthill, foreshadowing the challenges ahead.

"I've never been through a campaign like this when we've not had a win," Newby said. "But I still feel the love from the supporters, the board, and the players. The club have been through some tough times before, and hopefully we can bounce back."

Looking ahead, Cambridge will return to National One, the third tier of English rugby. "Next year is going to be a difficult challenge," Newby acknowledged. "There are some good teams in there with goals as lofty as ours, but hopefully we can consolidate."

For a club with a proud history, this season will sting. But as any sports fan knows, the toughest defeats often lay the foundation for the greatest comebacks. The Blood and Sand will need grit, unity, and a fresh game plan to rise again.