Billericay's victorious rugby team want the town on the terraces as they seek to rekindle sporting glory days on the hallowed turf of Twickenham.

As the dust settles after their close-fought 18-6 win over Scarborough at the Willowbrook ground on Saturday, Billericay Rugby Club are looking forward to playing in the final of the National Tetley Bitter Vase Cup on April 17.

And they are calling on everyone - even people who have never been to a match before - to travel with them and shout themselves hoarse as they take on West Midlands side Old Silhillians in the biggest match in the history of rugby in Essex.

As many as 900 supporters turned out on Saturday, and the club is hoping that even more will travel to Twickenham.

Manager Gary Smith said: "Anyone who was there on Saturday will realise how important it is for the crowd to get behind the team. They were very, very supportive.

"But the crowd will have to be even louder to be heard in a huge stadium like Twickenham, so we are hoping for good support."

Details of the club's ticket allocation for the big day will not be revealed until the end of the week.

The club is hoping to lay on coaches so that anybody who wants to go to the game will be able to.

Looking forward to April 17, Gary went on: "All along the way, since we started in the first round with 512 teams still in it, we were just dreaming of playing at Twickenham.

"Now it's a reality. It's still not sunk in totally.

"It's going to be a marvellous day, and an important one for the town. Billericay Town Football Club had great success in the FA Vase back in the seventies, and now, twenty years on, it's the rugby club's turn to see if we can bring home a trophy."

Glory boys: Celebratory hugs from Billericay's Johnnie Stevens and Nick Glister.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.