The St Nicholas Park-based men's team are preparing for their second season in National Division One, while the women will. step up to National Division Two for the first time.
The summer Whitefield tournament, packed with higher-level sides, gave women's coach Martin Warman a glimpse of the future.
"Whitefield showed us what was in store for us", he said.
It gave us targets to aim at. It told what we needed to do pre-season and we've been working on that.
He is confident they will survive. "But it will certainly be a big test for us," Warman admitted.
Riga ladies are also hopeful of signing an Italian junior - currently studying at Warwick University.
The men's most important task is to build on last year's encouraging debut,
according to captain Tom Young. He said: "Just before Christmas and through
January we thought we'd turned the corner, then we took our foot off the gas."
"Although we ended the season on a high note, we dipped back to our early
season-form, which was not impressive to say the least!"
Young's men just missed out on the semi-finals in the Whitefield tournament
and made the final of a competition in Oxford, where they lost to league and
cup double-winners Malory in straight sets.
Ex-Leicester defender Mark Fearn has signed for Riga, strengthening their
challenge.
Young said: "We're looking at us top-half finish, with a place around the
top four as target.'"
"Training's been going well with plenty of hard work and focus on the
important things to get us right for the season."
"With the new rule changes you have to be on your mettle all the time."
"There'll be upsets aplenty this season and I want us to be on the giving
end."
