Doncaster Knights are delighted to announce that Thom Smith has extended his contract for the 2025/26 season.

25-year old Thom Smith returned to Doncaster Knights this season after departing the club in 2023 to join Jersey Reds. The club is ecstatic that he will be remaining at Castle Park again next season. 

Despite having picked up a shoulder injury in January, Smith had a stellar first half of the season, scoring three brilliant tries and proving his skills at not just back row, but second row too.

Smith started his professional Rugby career for Premiership club, Leicester Tigers, back in the 2018/19 Season, becoming their youngest captain at age 19.

Mid-way through the 2021/22 Season, Smith signed a full contract for the Knights, after being on loan here from Leicester. During his first stint at the club Smith played a total of 2254 minutes, scoring a total of 25 points.

The end of the 2022/23 season saw him sign for Jersey Reds, but unfortunately they fell into liquidation right on the cusp of the 2023/24 season opener. Which then resulted with Smith returning to us the following season. 

Forwards coach Darren Fearn said: 

“We are delighted Smithy is staying, he’s such a good lad and has got such good character. He works hard, he’s got an edge about him and he’s got the bit between his teeth, both individually and to bring success to the club.”

“You saw his impact at the start of the season. Before his injury, he was one of our standout players, he was integral to that forward pack. And the skill set Smithy has, which he’s continuing to develop, fits the philosophy of how we want to play as Doncaster Knights, which is really exciting and why we as a team are delighted he’ll be staying and having a big impact next season.” 

“It is easy to forget with Smithy that he’s 25 years of age. He’s got so much of his career in front of him, he has such a high ceiling and because he’s so coachable and so open to get better, that’s really exciting. So, delighted that Tom will be with us next season.” 

Head of recruitment and analysis Matt Harland said: 

“We have been delighted to have Smithy back at the club this year, what he has given both on and off the pitch has been brilliant. Up until his injury he’s shown what a key player he is and will be for the club going forward.” 

 

Doncaster Knights kicked off the scores early as top try scorer Jordan Olowofela added another to his tally. Ollie Fox sent a long ball out to Telusa Veainu, who sent another big pass out to Olowofela, setting him up to finish in the corner. Russell Bennett added the extras 0-7. 

Doncaster carried the momentum into the next re-start as Cambridge kicked the ball dead, giving Doncaster a mid-field scrum, where they showed great dominance to win a penalty. 

Bennett kicked us into the 22 and the Knights continued to attack. Morgan Strong broke through the defence to carry up to the line, before popping the ball across to Rhys Tait. Tait stretched the ball over the line to finish the job. Bennett added another two, 0-14. 

Cambridge then worked their way up to the line and their centre ran a hard line to score their first. 5-14. 

Minutes later, the Knights reacted with another score. Bennett broke the line and shifted the ball across to Lewis Thiede. Thiede carried into open space before quickly moving the ball across to a supporting Ollie Fox. Fox showed brilliant speed to run the try in from 20m out. Bennett  extended the lead, 5-21. 

There was no score for the next ten minutes, but some great defensive efforts from the Knights, including a whole handful of scrum penalties. 

An overthrown Donny line out gave the hosts a chance to attack. Their fly half chipped the ball through and managed to gather it over the line. They added the conversion, 12-21. 

The Knights soon ensured they scored the final try of the half. The visitors put the ball through the hands of nearly all the backs, before Fox carried up to the line. Veainu popped the ball off the base of the ruck to Strong, who does a little spin to get over the whitewash. Bennett added the conversion. Half time score, 12-28. 

Donny began the second half with fantastic work rate. Cambridge found themselves with a line out on their attacking 22, but Adam Hopkinson disrupted the ball, allowing George Roberts to catch it. 

Roberts carried the ball into our half and Bennett then followed it up with a nice chip through to the try line. Cambridge beat us to the ball but at the next phase, Hopkinson turned the ball over at the breakdown. 

Just a few phases later, we moved the ball out wide to Aidan Cross, who displayed a superb single-handed finish, while avoiding the touchline. Bennett added another two from a difficult kick out wide, 12-35. 

Ben Murphy picked the ball from the back of a breakdown and carried into space. Fox ran the support line again, which meant he could carry half the pitch to score his second of the game. 12-40. 

Cambridge then displayed the strength of their backline to score a nice try. They distributed the ball between countless players, before going over in the corner. 17-40

Bennett spotted nobody in the back field for Cambridge, so placed a nice kick up to the 5m line, gaining big territory for the Knights. Cross soon found a second try as Alex Dolly threw a well timed pass out to open the gap. Bennett added the conversion, 17-47. 

Cambridge continued to fight for more points and worked their way up to the try line, but a turnover from Morgan Strong meant the Knights could attack again. 

Donny worked up to the opposing try line, and a huge maul from the forwards meant Fred Davies could get himself onto the score sheet. Full time score, 17-52. 

The Knights will look for another win next week as we host Chinnor at Castle Park. 

Get tickets now!

Doncaster Knights are back on the road this weekend as they travel to Cambridge for Round 16.

A few changes in the front row, with Lewis Thiede coming into the starting line up to join Conor Davidson. George Roberts remains the hooker for the weekend. On the bench, loan players Andrew Turner and Patreece Bell will be ready to replace the props. Fred Davies remains our replacement hooker. 

Josh Williams comes back into the starting line up to join Ben Murphy in the second row. This means Adam Hopkinson moves back into the back row, with Rhys Tait and Morgan Strong.

Cory Teague and Archie Smeaton remain the replacement forwards. Ollie Fox comes in to start at 9, with Alex Dolly on the bench. Russell Bennett remains the starting fly half, with Morgan Bunting amongst the reserves.

Our back three stays the same with Jordan Olowofela and Semesa Rokoduguni on the wing and Telusa Veainu at Full Back. Our centre partnership is also unchanged, Zack Kerr is partnered with George Wacokecoke on the outside. 

Obi Ene is the final replacement on the bench. 

Starting XV | 15, Telusa Veainu. 14, Semesa Rokoduguni. 13, George Wacokecoke 12, Zach Kerr. 11, Jordan Olowofela. 10, Russell Bennett. 9, Ollie Fox. 1, Conor Davidson. 2, George Roberts. 3, Lewis Thiede. 4, Ben Murphy (C). 5, Josh Williams. 6, Arthur Green. 7, Rhys Tait. 8, Morgan Strong.

Replacements | 16, Fred Davies 17, Andrew Turner. 18, Patreece Bell. 19, Cory Teague. 20, Archie Smeaton. 21, Alex Dolly. 22, Morgan Bunting . 23, Obi Ene

Unavailable For Selection | Thom Smith, Harry Davey, Joe Jones, Maliq Holden

 

Front of House Manager – Doncaster Knights
Castle Park, Doncaster |  30 hrs/week | £13.60/hour |

Join Yorkshire’s top rugby club as we grow on and off the pitch. We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Front of House Manager to lead our hospitality operations across matchdays, events, and conferences at Castle Park.

What You’ll Do

• Lead front of house service for events, matchdays, weddings, and conferences
• Manage and support hospitality and catering teams
• Ensure high-quality customer experiences and operational excellence
• Oversee set-ups, guest-facing tech, and day-to-day logistics
• Maintain safety, hygiene, and licensing compliance
• Liaise with suppliers, manage budgets, and drive service improvements

What You’ll Need

• Proven experience in hospitality or events management
• Strong leadership, organisation, and communication skills
• Good knowledge of food & beverage operations and relevant legislation
• Commercial mindset with attention to detail
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends around events

A formal qualification is a plus, but passion, professionalism, and people skills matter most.

Read Full Job Description: Front of House Job Description

TO APPLY: Send your CV & Cover letter to [email protected] 

CLOSING DATE: Applications will close once the position has been filled. 

 

A close and exciting game at Castle Park, where tensions were high and yellow cards were frequent, resulted with Donny excelling to victory. 

From the first whistle it was evident that every point would count in this battle, which meant Donny opted for three at their first chance for points. Alex Dolly slotted the first three after a Bedford high tackle resulted in a yellow card. 3-0

The visitors answered back moments later, moving the ball out wide quickly to open a gap in the corner. Will Maisey added the extra two. 3-7 

Another yellow followed the try, this time for the hosts as Semesa Rokoduguni was sent off for a late tackle. Bedford fed off the momentum from the card and quickly scored another. The penalty allowed them to kick for a line out and drive the maul over the whitewash. 3-12

Donny worked brilliantly to regather some momentum, Adam Hopkinson snatched an overthrown Bedford line out and George Wacokecoke made a brilliant carry up the wing. After a few more phases, Ben Murphy stole the show by putting boot to ball, chasing the kick and offloading to Logovi’i Mulipola. The tight head ran a brilliant support line before driving over the line. 8-12. 

Mulipola continued his brilliant work during the next play as Doncaster won a scrum penalty, putting the home team on the front foot again. Bennett put in a great kick to touch, bringing the Knights up to the line. Moments later, Arthur Green made a dominant drive to score the second Donny try. Dolly extended the lead with another two. 15-12. 

Wacokecoke is given a yellow for a high tackle and Bedford took the three points to level the scores. 15-15. 

Bedford regained possession and the wind assisted them a 50:22. Doncaster do well initially to drive Bedford away from the try line, but a string of penalty advantages meant Bedford were given multiple chances. The away side eventually drive over and add the conversion. 15-22.

On the 40th minute, Jordan Olowofela ensured the Knights went to the break with the final say. Bennett kicked the ball to Bedford, but it slipped through their full backs hands. Olowofela, who was chasing the kick, managed to chip the loose ball towards the line, before following it over and dotting it down. The wind interfered with Dolly’s conversion, sending it wide. Half time score 20-22. 

From the start of the second 40 Doncaster came out with energy and were up in the 22 almost instantly. Olowofela was held up over the line, but the Knights received the ball from the goal line drop and continued to attack. Bedford’s winger Garside was shown a second yellow, which meant he was in the bin for the remainder of the game. We capitalised on the overlap with another try. Wacokecoke put in a lovely chip up the wing, which was chased and gathered by Bennett. Dolly added the extras. 27-22.

Telusa Veainu was next to be shown the yellow and a Bedford try in the corner levelled the score. 27-27. In quick succession, Bedford scored another with Fred Tuilagi driving over. 27-32

Tuilagi was then denied a second try as Rhys Tait put in a huge tackle, driving the number 8 into touch just 5m out from the line.

Doncaster then switched on to get down the other end of the pitch. Veainu made a speedy break up the wing before offloading to Ene. Ene was swamped by Bedford players so kicked the ball up to the line, relieving the pressure well. However, he was beaten to it by the finest of margins and Bedford dotted down the ball for a goal line drop. 

The Knights had managed to work their way up to the 5m line again, but it was Bedford’s ball in the line out. Bennett then claimed his second try of the game with super speedy reaction time! Bedford overthrew their line out and our fly half caught the ball before crossing the line and carrying the ball under the posts. Dolly added the two to put us back in front. 34-32

Zach Kerr carried hard before shipping the ball to Veainu. Veainu drew in the defence before darting the ball across to Ene. Ene shook off a Bedford defender before taking off for the line, scoring his second try in just two games for the Knights. Dolly slotted another conversion 41-32. 

Ene was chosen as our player of the match for fantastic impact off the bench. 

In the final moments of the game, Bedford attempted a penalty kick to get a second losing bonus point, but the kick went wide, meaning the full time score was 41-32! 

Doncaster face Cambridge away next week, but return to Castle Park in a fortnight for a rematch with Chinnor! Bring the noise again and secure your ticket now!

Here are your Doncaster Knights to face Bedford Blues at Castle Park on tomorrow! There are a handful of changes to this weekend’s team due to a big group of players returning to the squad. 

Jordan Olowofela returns from injury to slot back in on the wing, with Semesa Rokoduguni returning from Army duty to make up the opposite wing. Telusa Veainu keeps his spot at full back. Last weekend’s loan debutant Obi Ene, moves to the bench. 

Fly Half Russell Bennett shifts into the starting line up to join scrum half Alex Dolly. Morgan Bunting and Ollie Fox are the half back replacements. 

Our centre partnership remains the same with both ex Newcastle Flacons, Wacokecoke and Kerr. Hear what Wacokecoke had to say ahead of the game here:

Conor Davidson comes in to the starting front row, moving Logovi’i Mulipola to tighthead. George Roberts keeps the number 2 shirt after scoring our first try last weekend. Adam Hopkinson moves from the back row to join captain Ben Murphy in the second row. 

Prem Cup winning loan player Arthur Green returns from his stint at his parent club, Bath. He slots straight into the starting line up at 6, joining Rhys Tait and Morgan Strong in the back row. 

Fred Davies returns to be our replacement Hooker, with Andrew Turner and Lewis Thiede replacement props. Cory Teague and Archie Smeaton make up the rest of the bench.

Starting XV | 15, Telusa Veainu. 14, Semesa Rokoduguni. 13, George Wacokecoke 12, Zach Kerr. 11, Jordan Olowofela. 10, Russell Bennett. 9, Alex Dolly. 1, Conor Davidson. 2, George Roberts. 3, Logovi’i Mulipola. 4, Ben Murphy (C). 5, Adam Hopkinson. 6, Arthur Green. 7, Rhys Tait. 8, Morgan Strong.

Replacements | 16, Fred Davies 17, Andrew Turner. 18, Lewis Thiede. 19, Cory Teague. 20, Archie Smeaton. 21, Ollie Fox. 22, Morgan Bunting . 23, Obi Ene

Unavailable For Selection | Thom Smith, Harry Davey, Joe Jones, Maliq Holden

Grab your tickets and show your support!

That’s a wrap on week one of our kids rugby camps here at Castle Park! However, you can still book your child onto next week’s sessions!

The Knights Foundation is excited to be bringing another week of Knights Rugby Camp to the Home of the Knights, Castle Park during these Easter Holidays.

These rugby camps take on a familiar format to the traditional Knights camps and will bring together a perfect blend of experience and knowledge to focus on the key elements of rugby in a fun and safe environment.

Additionally, there will be numerous team building, resilience, friendship building and enrichment segments across all days, delivered through a variety of fun games and activities.

Former Knight, Kendo will be leading the programme alongside the community coaching team.

Week 2 – Monday 7th April – Thursday 10th April

Times: 10am – 3pm Daily

Ages: 7 – 14 Years old

Lunch/Refreshments: Lunch is provided but you are more than welcome to provide your own lunch and snacks if you prefer. Please supply them with a refillable water bottle.

Cost: FREE to children and families in receipt of free school meals or special educational needs. We also have a limited amount of places you can pay for those children not on free school meals, these are chargable at £12 per day.

BOOK A PLACE HERE!

How many places do we have: We have limited places available at each camp so please book ASAP for the best chance to secure your child’s place – Please complete a form for each child you want to book on.

What next?: You will receive a confirmation email to confirm your child’s place. Please contact Doncaster Knights Foundation immediately if you decide your child will no longer be attending.

If you require any further information about our camps, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01302 831 388

 

Here is your guide to Doncaster v Bedford, all the important information for Saturday’s game!

• 14:30 PM Kick-Off
• Saturday 5th April
• Castle Park

Turnstiles open from 12:00!

Tickets:

Tickets for the fixture are cheaper when purchased online, however can be bought from the ticket window on the day. 

The ticket window is located around the back of the Lloyd De Mulder stand.

U16s tickets are FREE but they must still get a ticket to get through the turnstiles. 

GET TICKETS

Turnstiles: 

We have now added turnstiles to the ground allowing easier and quicker match day access! It is as simple as scanning your ticket at the gate to trigger entry through the turnstile!

We have worked with the engineers to speed up the function of the turnstiles. To help with a smooth entry to the ground, where possible, please distribute e-tickets so that each fan has their own ticket on their own device. If this is not possible – please can the ticket holder scan everyone through before entering the ground last.

Parking:

Parking is available on site and operates on a first come, first serve basis. 

Parking is also available for £3 at Outwood Academy Danum, which is just a short walk away from the ground.

Food and Drink: 

We will have a variety of Food and Drink options available on match day. All bars will be open! 

BRAND NEW DONUTS! We have now started selling donuts on all of our bars! 

Our famous Cow Pie will be available at the Knights Fayre, along with a selection of other hot food. You can also purchase pasties and hot drinks at the end of the concourse bar.

CAM Coffee will be on site for hot drinks and you can purchase your sweet treats from the sweet van! 

Live Sport: 

We will be showing the following games in the concourse:

• Toulon v Saracens 
• Leicester v Harlequins 
• Montpellier v Gloucester 

Club Shop:

Club shop will be open from 12!

Doncaster Knights are looking to make it five wins in a row at the weekend. The Yorkshire team will face Bedford Blues at Castle Park on Saturday. 

Centre, George Wacokecoke explained how important it was that the Knights backed up their win against Ealing with a big win at London Scottish: “It was very important. I think, with how the results have gone through the season, it was quite easy for us to get up for the so-called big games.

But in the Championship, you know, we’ve had to learn that every single game is a big game. And, it was very nice to see that, come to fruition against Scottish.” 

He also discussed how the team’s form has boosted their confidence recently, “I think the biggest thing for us is not looking too far ahead, it’s just thinking about the next day and the next game. I think we’ve, had a good patch at the moment and we’re just focusing on our drills and things that we can control. It’s really boding well and hopefully we can continue that on for the rest of the season.” 

Wacokecoke explained what he believes is required to go well against Bedford: 

“I think it’ll just be a quick start more than anything else, It’s at home and they want to play a good brand of rugby. So for us you know, it’s about fronting up physically as well as still playing the brand of rugby that we want to impose on them. And to mainly just keep doing the same thing we did against Scottish.” 

Doncaster Knights lost 35-18 to Bedford earlier in the season, Wacokecoke said, “Last time I think we were just caught off guard more than anything else, we didn’t give the best account of ourselves. We are going into it focusing on the things that we can control so hopefully it’ll be a different result.” 

He also highlighted the importance of having our fans behind us this weekend. “The impact is massive to be honest with you. Even the crowd who came to the away game at Scottish, you know, that was very much appreciated and we really felt that as well.”

Any noise, makes a massive difference to the boys on the pitch, especially when you’re getting tired. It makes a massive difference.” 

Get behind the Knights on Saturday! Get your ticket now!

The Tier 2 Board have confirmed new clubs for 2025-26 season. 

The makeup of next season’s expanded Championship has been confirmed.

After two years of intensive work, the Tier 2 Board with the RFU and Championship clubs, is announcing a new and improved league, starting next season, with a vision to inspire and engage current and future generations of rugby fans, while also bringing commercial sustainability and growth to its clubs.

An open tender to the whole game, approved by RFU Council, has been conducted in recent months to join the league from 2025-26, if the league’s minimum operating standards and growth strategy are met.

As a result, from next season the league will be made up of 14 teams which will include all 12 current Championship clubs, the promoted National League 1 club (subject to meeting the league’s Minimum Operating Standards) and Worcester Warriors.  The club is under new ownership, after the new owner bought the rugby assets from the administrator of the insolvent entity, and brings with it exciting new plans, as well as seeing Championship rugby strengthened in the West Midlands. 

Worcester Warriors has been through a rigorous process for selection into Tier 2.  As part of the conditions to join the league, the club’s new ownership has provided a financial security guarantee, held by the RFU, as well committed to paying off debts left by the previous owners to rugby creditors. In addition, the new owners have already made substantial payments to the administrators and have entered into an agreement with the relevant parties which will result in the remaining contractual funds from the administration being paid to DCMS and HMRC by the end of the year.

Starting in the 2025-26 season, the Tier 2 Board will both launch the league and drive further improvements in the Minimum Operating Standards for the clubs and the league, with a phased approach to its development allowing time to establish club composition. 

Simon Gillham, Tier 2 Board Chair stated: “The vision for this league is really ambitious and so much work and collaboration has taken place over nearly two years to establish a path towards a vibrant and self-sustaining competition. 

“Today marks a significant step forward with Worcester Warriors returning to professional rugby under new ownership in a heartland for our sport with the club’s new owners having provided a financial security guarantee, held by the RFU, as well committing to paying off debts left by the previous owners to rugby creditors.

“Worcester Warriors brings with them a fanbase, history, commercial value and infrastructure that will be important to the league; we’re really pleased see their return to professional rugby as I’m sure are their fans.

“National 1 is a highly competitive league with some ambitious clubs and we look forward to welcoming the promoted club from National 1 as well as continued collaboration with the current Championship clubs into next season. 

“There is a great deal still to achieve and we will be working at pace over the coming months to prepare for the 2025-26 season and beyond.”

Tier 2 Board member and RFU Council Member for the Championship Clubs, Simon Cohen said:“Current Championship clubs have worked diligently over much of the past year to reach the new standards we’ve set for the league and I thank them for all their hard work.  Our league comprises many vibrant clubs, some of whom aspire to reach the Premiership and we need to support them to achieve this by developing a thriving and commercially viable league.  Our plans very much aim to do this, and I look forward to working with existing Championship clubs and our two incoming clubs to realise this goal.”

Christopher Holland, Worcester Warriors owner said: “We are really pleased to be bringing rugby back to Worcester and have made significant progress in stabilising the Sixways business as well as successfully navigating the detailed application process for entry of the club into the second tier of professional rugby in England.

“After careful consideration we chose to make the application to the new league under the name Worcester Warriors to preserve its history and legacy. As a result, we are required to settle rugby creditors and acknowledge and fully own this process and the responsibility that comes with it.

“We now enter a defined period in which to provide financial guarantees, and to identify, validate, and agree all inherited rugby creditors. The completion of this process is the key to success and requires the collective support of all involved. We are committed to resolving this swiftly.”

John Inverdale, Chair of National League Rugby and RFU Council Member for National League Rugby, said: “Driving up standards and supporting clubs to develop in all aspects that will see them thrive is crucial in a competitive commercial landscape. I am hugely supportive of the goals of the Tier 2 board and I’ve no doubt that the promoted National 1 club will add great value to the league next season.” 

Further details on competition format, new branding and commercial strategy will be announced as we move towards the new season.

 

Doncaster Knights fans support has been massive recently, and has played a big part in the team’s recent success. It would be brilliant to get a full coach down to our next away fixture against Cambridge. 

The game in Cambridge is on Saturday, April 12th. It is important that we have as full a coach as possible as we plan to keep the maximum amount we charge at £30 per supporter. The coach will cost £900 which will require us to have 30 supporters to cover the cost. We would suggest however that, if we could reach 25, we could live with that and could afford to write any net loss off against raffle income and previous surpluses.

We are hoping to confirm our booking with Buckleys by noon on Monday, April 7th so you must text John Lowe on 079 7711 2706 by 9am on that day please. 

The match kicks off at 3pm so the coach will leave Buckley’s garage in Blaxton at 11am and, after our usual pickups in Auckley, Branton, Cantley and Armthorpe, should arrive at Castle Park at around 11.30am. From there it will proceed along Balby Road for a pick-up opposite the Winning Post before heading south. If you are leaving your car at the club please leave it on the limestone car park.

The coach will leave Cambridge for the return journey 45 minutes after the final whistle please.

Please text 079 7711 2706 to reserve your seat.