If we thought 2020 was tough, then the New Year is already showing us that we still face very challenging times ahead.

The Covid picture nationally is grim – and I believe it will be for a few more weeks yet – but, at the same time, the rolling out of the two vaccines does gives us hope that there is some light at the end of the tunnel moving forward.

As a club, we are not immune to the current struggles and in recent weeks we have seen our match-day plans disrupted due to the continuation of the pandemic. Across the Premiership, each club is being affected in its own way – and the loss of a number of fixtures already is a stark reminder to us all of the times we live in.

Until the weekend before last, elite rugby was continuing to run with increased testing and protocols coming into play each week. However, discussions between European Professional Club Rugby and French authorities resulted in both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions being suspended.

That news was quickly followed up – with confirmation that the Gallagher Premiership was also taking a two-week break, rather than fill the void left by the two blank European weekends.

Hopefully, this break will allow current restrictions to kick in further and that we can start to see a drop in the daily figures which, if we’re honest, are truly depressing and incredibly sad for those who are losing loved ones.

As I’ve said previously, I remain hopeful that in time we will return to some kind of normality and that once more we will be able to welcome supporters back on match-days to Sandy Park.

I know from comments we have received as a club, that those supporters who did return for the two fixtures last month against Bath and Glasgow Warriors, plus the women’s game against Sale Sharks, loved being back experiencing the famous Sandy Park match-day atmosphere.

However, to get supporters back inside Sandy Park, both safe and secure, was no easy task and I must once again re-iterate my thanks to the team here at the club, who worked tirelessly to implement our match-day plan.

In other news, I am pleased to report that despite the challenges of Covid, the Sandy Park Hotel is progressing well and is on time to finished in the Autumn of this year. It is currently eight stories high with the ninth – and final floor – due to be constructed in February.

This will be the top floor, which will encompass a restaurant that will have panoramic views across East Devon, the River Exe, as well as views out of over Haldon and Dartmoor.

Finally, I could not sign-off without acknowledging the New Year’s Honours handed out to Rob Baxter and Joe Simmonds.

Rob, who has been awarded an OBE, has been outstanding in his management of players and coaches over the last ten years, taking the club from the English Championship to that of being crowned the Premiership and European champions.

Well done to Rob, but also Joe who is an outstanding player and achieved so much in a very short space of time. To have captained the team in both victories is a brilliant achievement and again, his MBE is well deserved.