DORKING Rugby Club captain Armand Roux is worried that bad news could come in threes.
The first team missed out on winning the National League Three London & South East title by a single point to Bishop's Stortford, having led the way for much of the campaign.
That meant they had to endure a 400-mile round trip to Devon to face Exmouth in the promotion play-off, which they lost by a single point – 21-20 – on Saturday.
Now it has emerged that the Big Field club could be forced to swap leagues and ply their trade in National Three South West next season.
Roux said: "It came down to Tring, we should never have lost there, it comes back to bite you and haunt you and the tragic thing is it probably means we're going to have to move across to National Three South West.
"Staines got relegated, London Irish are going up and we're the most western side in our league. It hasn't been confirmed yet, but there is a possibility. It's a sad scenario."
It all relies on who is relegated from National League Two South, with the final placings yet to be decided.
Barking have already been demoted and they are further east than Dorking.
Lydney and Bournemouth currently occupy the other two relegation spots, both of whom are more westerly than the Red & Whites.
However, Bournemouth still have two games to play and should they overhaul Clifton and Southend and Southend drop into the bottom three, Dorking could find themselves swapping leagues.
Director of rugby Richie Andrews does not think that will be the case though, not that he would mind if they did change divisions.
He said: "All I know is that it looked like the sides coming down were all further east than us, which would mean we were the most westerly club, but if it's Bournemouth they would drop into the South West division.
"I don't mind, we will go where they put us, but I'm pretty sure it will be South East.
"If we want to go up the leagues we have to do the travelling anyway. If the game on Saturday had ended 30 seconds earlier we would have to be doing that travelling anyway.
"I'm not fussed, you can put us wherever you like. South East is going to be very tough next season and if London Irish and Exmouth are the best the South West has to offer, well, if we played Exmouth tomorrow I am fairly confident we would beat them.
"I still look back on that game and think 'who was the better team, who played the better rugby, who looked fitter'? The only thing not in our favour was the score."
