Doncaster Rovers duo describe healthy competition after taking up 'world's fastest-growing sport'

Just four games dotted across the month has meant no midweek assignments and some extra down-time for the staff and players. And for two members of Rovers' playing squad it's given them the chance to brush up on their skills in another sporting discipline.

Padel - a combination of tennis, squash and racketball - has been described as the 'world's fastest-growing sport' as it soars in popularity. Joseph Olowu and Kyle Hurst have certainly caught the bug.

"Me and Kyle go down when we don't have a midweek game and play for about an hour or so," Olowu recently told the Free Press, when asked about how he switches off from the rigours of a fierce promotion battle. "I've taken to it quite well so you might find a Joseph Olowu range of padel rackets coming out soon!"

His sparring partner Hurst, speaking to the media prior to the Salford City clash, added: "We saw it on social media a while back and we saw more and more people playing it. I just thought 'you know what? I want to try this, it looks alright.'

"Me and Joe go when we can. It's difficult finding time and we've got to look after ourselves because at the end of the day it is another sport and it gets very competitive! So we need to look after ourselves but yeah, when we get the chance, we do go and play. We have a good few games and it's good. We enjoy it."

When asked who is better, Hurst takes a long pause, smirks and says: "It has to be me!"

Whilst it is one of the more light-hearted takeaways from media engagements with members of Grant McCann's squad, the healthy competition between Hurst and Olowu is just one example of a squad that is all signing from the same hymn sheet.

McCann himself referenced as much during the lengthy time between matches earlier on in the campaign. Rovers had a nine-day break between matches against Harrogate and MK Dons. Rather than go off doing their own thing, a large cohort of the playing staff met up to socialise and take in a trip to Doncaster Racecourse during the time off. McCann says that shows the togetherness within the group he has put together.

Speaking back in September, the Ulsterman said: "We gave them a few days off and they still spent it together! Which tells you a lot about the group. I think it's important in any club, you bond together. They live in each other's pockets and are always around each other. We try and create that togetherness at the club and we've got a really good group of boys."