BURY ST. Edmunds RUFC chairman Mike Robinson believes the club has what it takes to sustain a challenge in National League rugby, with promotion looking more likely by the week.

Fierce rivals, Colchester, were the latest team to incur the Suffolk side’s strength, skill and power at the weekend, Gavin Hogg’s side running out 54-7 winners in Essex, thanks in no small part to skipper Matt Edison’s five-try haul.

Eleven points clear with ten games to go, elevation to National League 3 South East will be all but secured with wins against second-placed Eton Manor, and third-placed Letchworth, in the coming weeks.

Robinson, 53, who was named chairman this year, and has a 25-year association with the club as a player and latterly, as players’ chairman, believes the tension will rise as the season’s end draws nearer.

However, he is confident the team has the necessary tools to get over the line.

“There will be a lot of nail-biting as each game draws closer,” he said.

“We have got to make sure we maintain that balance of not being over-confident with the fact that we know we have the ability to beat anyone in the league if we play to our potential.

“Letchworth will be tough opposition this weekend, weather permitting, as will Eton Manor and we will have to be firing on all cylinders.

“Should we achieve promotion, then we will obviously want to do well at the next level but time will tell. and we won’t know the standard until we get there.”

A former wing-forward, Robinson retired from playing aged 40, after sustaining a serious injury but, having remained on the committee, he has experienced the highs and lows of the club and will be delighted if the club makes the next step.

“It’s certainly the best time I can remember at the club. I have been here 25 years and we have never had such sustained success,” he explained.

“We have decided we are capable of playing in the league above with the structure and team we have in place, but even if we don’t do well we will be able to build from there.

“We have got a very good, strong youth and minis section and we have really improved the facilities at the club over the last ten years or more.

“There has also been the work of Terry Sands (director of senior rugby) and we have been able to assemble a very good team in which everyone supports each other.”

With the potential visit of Letchworth this weekend, the first of Bury’s remaining home matches, the significance of the fixture is not lost on anyone at the club.

But while nerves will be running high around The Haberden, the interest among people in the town is also growing too.

“We are getting more spectators and the success of the club has raised our profile,” said Robinson.

“In the past, I think people may have thought, ‘I can’t go to Bury to watch the rugby as it’s a private club’.

“That is not the case and anyone that comes and watches are going to see a good standard of rugby in a nice environment which is family-orientated.”

Last weekend’s victory over Colchester was Bury’s 29th straight win and marked a year without defeat for the London 1 North leaders.

Robinson said: “Colchester has always been a tough game and the result showed how we have progressed.”