We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Castle Park this evening. Here is all the important info for tonight’s game!

If you haven’t yet got your ticket, you can purchase it here!

 

Joe Ford and Sir Ian McGeechan have put out the first Doncaster Knights team of the season.

The squad will face Bury St Edmunds in a pre season friendly fixture at Castle Park, tomorrow night at 7:30PM. 

The team is as follows: 

1. Jasper McGuire

2. Ben Chapman
3. Lewis Thiede 
4. Adam Hopkinson
5. Josh Williams
6. Archie Smeaton
7. Rhys Tait
8. Morgan Strong (C)
9. Will Metcalfe
10. Alex Dolly
11. Harry Davey
12. Sai Tobeyaweni
13. Zach Kerr
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
15. Jordan Olowofela
16. Fred Davies 
17. Drew Turner
18. Joe Jones 
19. James Harrison 
20. Thom Smith
21. Taniela Ramasibana
22. James Blackett*
23. Max Woolgar-Norton

James Blackett is a guest player who was previously part of Newcastle Falcons and Max Woolgar-Norton is one of our Academy members.

Jacob Odams, is in his third year of the Doncaster Knights academy and often features for the Phoenix team. Odams will be featuring for Bury St Edmunds. 

Head Coach Joe Ford shares his feelings heading into Friday’s game:

“It’s exciting, we’ve obviously got a lot of new players who have joined us, so getting to see them for the first time at Castle Park is exciting.”

Pre-season has been brilliant but it does get to a stage where you’re ready for a game, and I think the lads are, so i’m looking forward to what they’re going to look like on the pitch what they can bring.” 

Ford explains the importance behind the pre season training camp at Bury and the training session at Sale: 

“They’ve been everything. As staff and a group of coaches, the number one thing we wanted was to be tight as a team. Because we have had a lot of turnover, we knew we were probably behind a little bit on that, so we spent a few days on a camp in Bury which was invaluable for that. We had some pretty deep conversations that didn’t involve rugby.”

We have been trying to connect a little bit more and get to know each other, which we feel, if we can get that right, we’ll obviously turn up on field for each other a little bit more. That’s been the number one thing and we’re really happy with how that’s gone. I couldn’t have asked for more.” 

Friday will be the first time the brand new Knights squad will play a game as a team. The squad contains a real mixture of exciting young talent, and experienced and skilful players. Ford said:

“We’ve got Geech [Sir Ian McGeechan] here, who is so experienced and he said to me, ‘you won’t understand the impact they’ll have on the young lads until they’re actually here’ and it’s proven to be right.” 

We’ve obviously got Logo who’s won the Premiership a number of times, Roko has played for England, Joe Jones has been about the Premiership, George Wacokecoke, people like that. It’s been brilliant for the young lads and the lads whohave been here for years just to see what it looks like at the very top. 

Ford explains how the Prem Cup fixture announcement has added an extra boost to the pre season training: 

“We are really excited. A Battle of the North. Obviously with Sale, we’ve got connections, can’t wait for that one. We’ve got connections with Newcastle through Darren Fearn and a couple of signings.

And then Caldy are obviously the other Northern team in the Championship. I love the way they’ve done that. It’s going to add a little bit to the games and really excited for them.” 

You can still purchase tickets for tomorrow’s pre season friendly against Bury St Edmunds. The tickets are significantly discounted, season tickets are valid for the game and U16s (as usual) go free! 

Grab your ticket to see our brand new squad in action for the first time this season.

 

 

Old Rivals will meet in a new-look Premiership Rugby Cup for 2024/25. 

The ten Premiership Rugby clubs are joined by the same amount from The Championship – with regional pools serving up some historic clashes for fans.

With five pools of four, there are some enticing away-days up and down the country with fixtures taking place across the Test windows in November and February, with a minimum of one match per Round broadcast live on TNT Sports.

Doncaster Knights will be part of Pool One – a pool that will host a battle of the northern teams! The group consists of Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks, Caldy and ourselves.

The competition will begin on the weekend of 1-3 of November, and the Knights will kick off their cup campaign by hosting Sale Sharks at Castle Park on Friday November 1 (7:30 KO).

The following week, we travel up to Newcastle Falcons in our first away fixture of the competition for a 3pm kick off on Sunday November 10. Following this, Doncaster will round up the November block with another away trip across to Caldy on Saturday November 23 (2pm KO).

The next block of the Premiership Cup will take place in February. Where Castle Park will host two home games. On February 1 Newcastle Falcons will visit us for a 2:30KO.

The Knights will head to the Salford Community Stadium on Sunday February 9 to face Sale Sharks in the return fixture.

Finally, Doncaster will round up the pool stages of the Cup with Caldy at home, on Saturday February 15 (2:30 KO).

What happens after the group stages?

The leading eight will progress to the quarter-finals, composed of the five group winners plus the three best runners-up.

The knock-out stages will then take place on consecutive weekends in early March with the Premiership Rugby Cup Final scheduled for the weekend of March 15, live on TNT Sports.

Phil Winstanley, Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby, said: “It’s great to once again open up the Premiership Rugby Cup to Championship clubs.

“By regionalising Pool games the narrative, and stakes, are even more intense with some old rivals set to produce plenty of new stories for fans.  

Conor O’Shea, Executive Director of Performance Rugby at RFU, said: “We are very excited to see the Gallagher Premiership Rugby and Championship teams battle it out again in the 2024/25 Premiership Rugby Cup.

“The success of last year’s competition was clear to see and the start of a competition that we all believe will continue to grow and thrive with each season.

“Winning silverware in any professional sport is no easy feat, but the opportunity to do so in the Premiership Rugby Cup is a fantastic motivator for players, staff, and supporters. This competition has given valuable minutes of playing time to players against new opposition and we’ll see more of the same in this year’s tournament.”

You can purchase your ticket to our first Premiership Cup fixture ( v Sale Sharks) here! 

Pricing:

De Mulder Lloyd Stand (Seated)

Adult Seated – £15

Concession Seated – £12

U16 – FREE 

East Terrace (Standing) 

Adult Standing – £12 

Concession Seated – £10 

U16 – FREE 

 

If you have purchased a physical season ticket they can now be picked up from the main reception at Castle Park. Reception will be open between 8am-4pm every day this week. 

If you are heading to the pre season friendly on Friday the 23rd of August, you can pick them up from the ticketing window anytime from 5pm. 

For anyone who would like a physical card but did not pre order one – you can head to reception and pick one up from reception for £5!

If you are choosing to stick with digital ticketing, you can follow are step by step digital ticketing guide here:

 

 

On Friday the 16th of August, the Knights travelled across to Sale Sharks training centre in Carrington for a joint training session with the Premiership team. 

The teams began the session by splitting off into backs and forwards. The forwards practiced contested scrums and line outs while the backs took each other on in a skill-based attacking session. Both the backs and forwards performed at high intensity and made a competitive match up for the Premiership team.

The next part of the session consisted of a series of Sale v Knights training games, it was 15 v 15, shoulders on with fully contested set pieces. Referee Karl Dickson officiated all the contested drills and the training games to help the teams perfect their discipline and technique.

The day was a great learning opportunity for the Knights as they had to perform under fast-paced, game scenarios against a strong Sharks side.

Spot some of the Sharks catching up with the Knights post training…

 

 

Doncaster Knights are pleased to welcome Chris Wroot to the Knights family. Wroot will be our brand new club Chaplain to provide support for our players throughout the season. 

Wroot says: “I am honored to accept the role of chaplain for our local rugby team and to be part of the Knights Rugby family. As an ordained priest in the Church of England, I currently serve the mission area of Warmsworth, Balby, and Wadworth with Loversall.”

“With over 30 years of experience in local government, I have had the privilege of working with communities across a diverse spectrum, fostering relationships built on trust, respect, and understanding.”

“My skills in communication, active listening, and maintaining a non-judgmental stance are the cornerstones of my ministry. My strong faith and commitment to service guide my approach, ensuring that I offer support and prayer to all, regardless of their background or beliefs.”

“Coming from a rugby family, I have always appreciated the safe and friendly atmosphere that rugby fosters. I am eagerly looking forward to this exciting opportunity to work with the team and the wider Knights Rugby family. My goal is to provide a confidential, supportive, and prayerful presence, helping to nurture the well-being of all involved.”

“Thank you for welcoming me into this community. I am excited to journey with you and support you in every way I can.”

Everyone at Doncaster Knights is looking forward to having Chris around heading into what will be a very exciting season.

 

 

Clearing to apply for the Doncaster Knights Academy, student athlete programme is now open.

Whether your results were unexpected, or you’ve only just decided to apply, Clearing allows you to apply for available places once you have your results. 

Here at the Knights Academy, we are partnered up with University Campus Doncaster to provide both brilliant education and high quality rugby coaching. The Academy first XV compete in the BUCS Men’s Premier North 2. 

To apply through cleaning to join the Academy, contact joshwroot@don.ac.uk OR kendo@castle-park.co.uk 

 

Over the past two days the Doncaster Knights first team have been in Bury St Edmunds for a pre season training camp. The team are continuing to grow both on the pitch and off the pitch as the weekend consisted of a handful of team bonding activities, alongside lots of training. 

Thursday: 

Upon arrival, the team got stuck straight in to their training at Bury’s ground. They started the day with a backs and forwards split, with one group using the gym while the other made their way out to the pitches for a skill based session. They then swapped for the second half of the session. 

The Knights then had a well earned break and refuel before heading back to the pitches for a series of 15v15 training sessions with the Bury St Edmunds boys. 

Thursday ended with a team bonding session where the team were split up into groups and assigned questions to discuss. This task helped everyone get to know each other on a more personal level. 

Friday: 

On Friday, the team headed over to ‘The Playground’ – an outdoor assault course just outside Bury St Edmunds. The course was 1km long with over 30 obstacles. 

The Knights also took part in a range of challenges while there: 

• Tractor tyre flips 
• Weighted JCB tyre pulls 
• Tug of War
• Car Tyre challenge around the course 
• lap of the assault course 

The playground was a brilliant day out for the team, with lots of laughs and competitiveness. Even the coaches got stuck in: 

Finally, the team ended the weekend with a team meal at a pub in the town centre. 

Bury St Edmunds will return the journey to Castle Park on Friday the 23rd of August for a pre season friendly fixture! 

After this weekend, it is safe to say it will be an exciting game – you can get your discounted tickets for the game here. 

 

Doncaster Knights are delighted to announce the new partnership with the Hilton Garden Inn, on Leger Way. This collaboration aims to enhance the experience for rugby fans and visitors to the city on match days, providing premium hospitality services, alongside top-tier rugby entertainment.

This agreement between the Knights and the hotel is set to bring a multitude of benefits: the Knights will have access to Hilton’s exceptional facilities and services, including accommodation, event hosting, fitness centre, and catering. The deal will also enable visiting teams and fans to rest their heads in a great set-up ready for a weekend game.

Tom Foy, Doncaster Knights’ Head of Commercial, shared his thoughts on the new partnership between the club and the Hilton Garden Inn, Doncaster. He expressed his enthusiasm, stating:
“We are proud to be collaborating with a prestigious brand like Hilton, which aligns with our commitment to providing top-notch experiences for our fans, players, and visiting teams. We are excited about the opportunities this collaboration will bring and look forward to a successful partnership.”

Located idyllically on the historic grounds of Doncaster Racecourse, the Hilton Garden Inn is only 2.3 miles from Castle Park, making it the closest hotel to our ground and therefore the ideal place to book into. Not only that, but it is a 10 minute drive from Doncaster Train Station, which is a major link to London, only a 90-minute journey.

To learn more about Hilton Garden Inn, or to enquire about a stay, visit their website, or follow on X (formerly Twitter) at: @HGIDoncaster