London Welsh’s ground lies directly in the shadow of Kew Gardens’ Great Pagoda. The structure is currently being restored to its former splendour, complete with 80 gilded, wooden dragons, at a cost of £4.5 million.

There is no such grant available to Gwyn Williams and his merry band of volunteers at London Welsh but a similar restoration project is under way. The professional arm of the most storied of British rugby clubs was dissolved in January, the result of the perilous financial landscape within professional rugby and shocking negligence. On Saturday, they will be reborn in Herts and Middlesex 1, the ninth tier of English rugby, playing away to Watford in a league that also contains London French and the Bank of England. The surroundings will be very different, but crucially the Dragons’ spirit lives on.

It is difficult to overstate the place that London Welsh occupies in rugby history. Founded in 1885, the club has produced 43 Lions and 177 Wales internationals. The John Dawes suite at Old Deer Park is a treasure trove of photos and memorabilia.