BROMSGROVE Rugby Club skipper Andy Bridge believes their North Midlands Cup success could be the springboard to promotion next season.

Bridge lifted aloft the cup for the Finstall Park club yesterday following a 34-10 victory over Newport in the final at Stourbridge -- the second time Bromsgrove have won the trophy.

And after finishing third in Midlands Two West this season, Bridge is determined his side will build on the cup win.

He said: "It's been a strange season in a way because we have had a few good runs in the campaign yet just finished outside the top two. It is important for a club like Bromsgrove to be winning things and hopefully now we can carry on and get promotion next season.

"We have been in Midlands Two now for a while and just missed out on promotion so we feel it is time for us to maintain our development and take that extra step."

Bromsgrove, who last won the trophy in 1982, had scored a total of 140 points in their two league games against Newport earlier in the season, but the Shropshire club provided much tougher opposition in the final.

Bridge added: "They had nothing to lose in a sense and they had added to their side with a new number eight, scrum-half and fly-half since the last time we played them."

Newport were left to regret failing to take advantage of two try-scoring opportunities when they had created overlaps and Bromsgrove's pack, in which former Stourbridge prop Steve Phillips was outstanding, gradually assumed control.

Having created the pressure Bromsgrove's forwards then released their backs and five tries were produced, three of them for former Moseley centre Dave Wilkinson.

Scrum-half Nick Copson and winger James Robson also touched down, fly-half James Udy kicked a penalty and two conversions and Midlands 18-Group centre Dave Wellavize also landed a conversion.

Newport, who were playing in their first final, replied with a consolation try from winger Ben Hay, a drop goal from fly-half Trevor Powell and a conversion from scrum-half James Simpson.