Gavin O’Meara arrived at College Meadow from Blackheath during the summer eager for a fresh challenge. After only a month with his new team-mates and coaches, he believes he has joined a club on the verge of something special.

“This journey that OEs are going on really appeals to me,” the Dublin-born hooker explains. “It’s such an exciting time for the club and what sold me was the fact that I am 29, I don’t know how long I’ve got left playing, but I’ve never actually won anything. To help Old Elthamians get into National One or higher and be part of a promotion-winning side would be a dream come true.

“The first time I met Director of Rugby Gavin Lach, he said straight out: ‘we want to get promotion’ and I absolutely love that attitude. OEs have won three promotions in the last five years and seeing the passion with which he has built this squad, I wanted to be a part of that. There’s absolutely no point coming third or fourth - that’s not what I came here for. This has given me a new lease of life. Now I can’t wait for the season to start.”

O’Meara boasts an impressive rugby CV. A product of Leinster’s Academy, having come up through the ranks playing alongside the likes of internationals Paul O’Connell, Rob Kearney, Devin Toner, Malcolm O’Kelly, Sean O’Brien and Johnny Sexton, the hooker represented Ireland at Schools level, Under-19s and Under-21s.

With his first team chances limited at Leinster, however, O’Meara moved to England and spent two seasons playing for London Welsh in the Championship, packing down in the front row alongside Elthamians’ new player-coach Aaron Liffchak and England prop Paul Doran-Jones and appearing in the play-off final against Bristol shown live on Sky Sports.

He then spent a season in National One with Plymouth Albion playing under former England hooker Graham Dawe before work commitments saw him to return to London in 2011 where he signed for Blackheath.

“Playing under Graham Dawe, I learned to toughen up and not show any pain,” O’Meara laughs. “He was one tough bloke who would really appreciate it if you took a big hit or knock and then got up and carried on. He was all about not showing any weakness no matter how much pain you were in and I hope I can bring that mindset to Elthamians.”

He continues: “The one season I had at Plymouth was awesome but my wife was living in London and I had to commute from there which was quite stressful. Being down in Plymouth made me realise that I was never actually going to make it all the way to the top in rugby. I was only 24 at the time, so I started looking for clubs in London where I could also get a career. I signed for Blackheath and they got me a job. I had four great seasons there and enjoyed every minute.”

During those four seasons, O’Meara was a virtual ever present in the Blackheath line-up, playing over 100 games and earning a reputation for being one of the best, most uncompromising hookers outside the Championship.

“Last season I decided I wanted a bit of a fresh start,” he explains. “I’d changed my job and moved into property sales, then Liffy (Aaron Liffchak) got in touch with me and told me he was player-coach at Old Elthamians and suggested I come down and have a look.”

And O’Meara admits, he’s been seriously impressed by what he’s seen so far. “To be honest, I’ve been blown away by just how professional and disciplined it is and how much quality there is here,” he says. “The coaches have come across really well and the lads are really buying into it. Training’s been of a really high quality. Everyone’s really busting a gut and I think that comes down to how well the club look after you. Everyone’s bought into this culture and no one wants to let anyone down.

“It’s not just on the pitch either, it’s everything about the club – the gym membership at Virgin Active, the one on one time with coaches like Nico [Williams] and Renford [Bennett] for strength and conditioning; the access to a sports therapist; all your kit from Under Armour; the boot sponsorship deal with Adidas; your medical requirements; your supplements and protein bars that are laid out for the boys after every session. You don’t get all that at Championship level! I’ve never ever experienced that level of support anywhere other than at Leinster. It completely blows other clubs out of the water.”

O’Meara insists that level of support creates a ‘no-excuses’ environment where players have to deliver on the field. “What it does, is stop any friction among the squad and creates a feelgood factor,” he says. “At some clubs you might only be given stash if you’ve made the starting line-up, whereas OEs are buying into the whole squad ethos. No player is better than anyone else, everyone gets exactly the same. So we are given everything we need to perform on the pitch which means you have no excuses for not performing.”

While O’Meara is desperate to hit the ground running for his new club, he refuses to take anything for granted. “I’m one of the older players there and I’m happy to help out anywhere I can,” he says. “There were seven hookers at training the other night, seven! So I’m certainly not assuming I’m going to start – competition for places is fierce.

“But if any of the younger players want help or need to do some extra sessions, I’m happy to help because I want to see the club fulfil their dreams of being in the Championship within five years. And I want to be a part of that.”