SOUTHEND Rugby Club’s first team will be known as the Saxons from next season.

The National Two South side have opted to rebrand themselves ahead of the new campaign.

But their head of senior rugby Chris Dyton remains keen to keep the club’s long history in tact.

“We date back to 1870 and we’re the seventh oldest club in the world so there’s an amazing history we don’t want to lose and that’s why it’s just the first team that are changing their name,”

confirmed Dyton.

“It went down well when it was suggested at the AGM and it’s all part of trying to make ourselves the biggest club in the south east.

“Other clubs have done it like the Henley Hawks and the Taunton Titans

“Higher up the scale you have the Leicester Tigers but we wanted to select something which was affiliated to Southend and that’s why we went for the Saxons.”

The name chosen ties in closely with the discovered Saxon King, whose burial site was located in Prittlewell back in 2003.

The name will also tie in with plans to develop the nearby fields to create a vast new business park called the Saxon Business Park.

And a new logo, to be used by the first team only, will soon be designed.

It may not be ready for the start of the season in September but the name change has also been approved by the Rugby Football Union.

Echosport understands that Southend United chairman Ron Martin has previously considered changing their nickname to the Saxons.