Doncaster Knights busy recruiting players despite uncertainty surrounding next season

Castle Park. Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

New head coach Steve Boden is busy rebuilding the Championship club’s squad despite not knowing when next season will start.

There are also complexities associated with bringing players back in for pre-season training and second tier clubs do not know whether they will be starting the new season playing behind closed doors.

Last season’s Championship campaign came to a premature end in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, with Knights’ players and staff subsequently placed on furlough leave as a result of the loss of all revenue streams at Castle Park.

Earlier this month Premiership and Championship clubs were told they can resume training on a non-contact, socially-distanced basis – although Knights have no immediate plans to return for pre-season training.

The Premiership plan to resume the 2019/20 season on August 15 with matches taking place behind closed doors but there has been little mention of what lies ahead for the Championship.

Nevertheless Boden has been given the green light to bring in several new faces and the new boss has been keen to lower the average age of the squad.

Fly half Billy McBryde arrived from Welsh Premiership side RGC 1404 last week.

The 22-year-old was last season’s top points scorer in the Welsh top flight.

Since then prop forward Ben Betts, 23, and centre James Newey, 22, have joined from Championship rivals Ealing Trailfinders and Jersey Reds respectively.

“Billy is a great fit for us as a developing team, he has a very strong and varied kicking game which we really like,” said Boden.

“We believe Ben’s best rugby is yet to come. There is definitely plenty of potential in him and we believe he has a lot of growth in his game that can be unlocked in the environment we’re creating next season.

“James has good pace and the ability to create something out of nothing,” he added. “He also has areas of his game with room for development and we believe he can flourish within the Knights set-up and have a great future.”

Newey’s arrival took the total of confirmed squad members for 2020/21 to 21.