Are you a loyal Knights follower? Excited by the new signings? Want to enjoy the games with the hospitality perks for you and your company? Then read on and learn what you can enjoy with the Executive Box Package at Doncaster Knights for the 2024-25 season. 

Here at Doncaster Knights, we are offering the chance for your company to experience every home matchday with maximum enjoyment. With the opportunity of watching at least 15 home matches throughout the season, you can make the most of your time at Castle Park with luxury.

What you can expect in your package is a fully catered two-course meal, included with drinks service, a half-time sweet treat, complimentary tea and coffee throughout the day, and the choice of 2 bottles of wine or a bucket of beers.

You and your company will also have access to your own private balcony, included with padded seating, a matchday team sheet, four complimentary parking spaces and visits from players on the matchday.

Your company would not only benefit from these exclusive matchday perks, but you would also receive plenty of exposure both on and off the pitch with your company logo appearing on the digital matchday programme, the scoreboard before each game in a partners loop, pitch-side perimeter board and a board above your box.

Additional to this, your company have access to website and social media activity on request to promote your business and partnerships, and visits from two of our first team players for added promotion. As an additional ‘thank you’ for the purchase of this Executive Box Package, you will be gifted a signed framed shirt from one of our players, and four additional season tickets.

For more information and enquiries into the Executive Box Package, please contact Tom Foy (tomfoy@castle-park.co.uk) or Tracey Owen (towen@castle-park.co.uk).

The Knights returned to Doncaster this evening with a win on the books having scored a late try to secure a 22-24 win over London Scottish at the Richmond Athletic Ground in Round 2 of the Premiership Rugby Cup.

It was by no means a clean game, errors-wise, and the majority of the time was spent with the two sides turfing it out in the middle third of the field.

However, Donny seemed to have the grit to scrounge out the win as Steve Boden explained post-match his pride at the way in which his players stuck together to secure the win for one another.

The Knights were the first on the board today. Clean work from the forwards at the lineout fed ball to Ollie Fox who backed himself for the first carry. The scrum half tipped the ball off to Jack Metcalfe who released Connor Edwards with the pass to run in the try with clean air in front of him.

Billy McBryde’s conversion gave the travelling side the full set of points on the board.

The hosts soon responded. Using their maul to creep to the Knights’ 5m line, they peeled off the back to feed their backs. Ben Waghorn carried through a harsh tackle from Edwards to stretch an arm out and place the ball down over the line with former Knight, Alec Lloyd-Seed then adding the extras.

Another came for the Londoners before half time. Big tackles from the Knights in defence of the width of their 22 were commendable but Lloyd-Seed spotted a soft shoulder and went himself through the gap to run in the try underneath the posts.

His conversion attempt was charged down by Edwards, and so the half-time scoreline read 12-7 in the hosts’ favour.

Scottish came out the blocks well at the beginning of the second half. Cameron Anderson broke with ball in hand but and ankle tap tackle forced him to juggle the ball. Recovering well, a combination of passes between Will Trenholm, Robbie McCallum and Waghorn put the centre in on the far wing for his second score of the day.

The Knights responded almost immediately. Working their way quickly into the hosts’ 22, a maul for the line rumbled over with hooker Harri Morris, on his first start for the Knights, emerging from the bottom of the pile of rubble as the try-scorer.

McBryde added the extras to bring the Knights within 3 points.

Scottish pulled away one last time on 52 minutes played. The Knights held up the short, brusing carries well in tight space on their line. However, Lloyd-Seed saw the option of a chip over the defensive line. Metcalf could only get a fingertip to it as Will Brown took it out the air in front of the winger to cross for a try in the corner.

Replacement Harry Wilson made a big impact for the Knights today, not least by scoring a try on the hour mark. There was a calmness to the Knights as they elected to pick-and-go on the Scottish line. Getting them within good range, it wasn’t long before the back-rower crashed the ball down for the try.

Relatively chaotic play ensued following the third Donny score as both sides looked for dominance but were hampered by handling errors and penalties at set piece and scrum.

However, with just 4 minutes remaining on the clock, Wilson stormed his way through a tackle, shrugging off another to keep his long stride going for a break with ball in hand. Adam Hopkinson, his supporting runner who took the pass, was brought down just inches short.

Luckily, the ball popped out of the ruck and Will Metcalfe dove on top of it over the line for the Knights score which took them ahead of the hosts.

Despite a last-ditch attempt at an intense comeback in the bottom corner from Scottish, the Knights used pure doggedness to claim a turnover followed by a penalty – thus allowing them to nudge the ball into touch to bring the day to an end with a bonus point win on the road.

 

Scottish XV | 15 Cameron Anderson; 14 Noah Ferdinand, 13 Ben Waghorn, 12 Robbie McCallum, 11 Will Brown; 10 Alec Lloyd-Seed, 9 Stephen Kerins; 1 Will Prior, 2 Austin Wallis, 3 Rhys Charalambous, 4 Zach Carr, 5 Jonny Green, 6 Ioan Rhys Davies, 7 Jack Ingall, 8 Will Trenholm.

Replacements | 16 Toby Tyson, 17 George Cave, 18 Ashley Challenger, 19 Graham Geldenhuys, 20 Silas Pill, 21 Dan Nutton, 22 Billy Wara, 23 Elliot Haydon.

Tries: Waghorn 2, Lloyd-Seed, Brown

Conv: Lloyd-Seed

 

Knights XV | 15 AJ Cant; 14 Jack Metcalf, 13 Harry Davey, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 George Simpson; 10 Billy McBryde, 9 Ollie Fox; 1 Harrison Courtney, 2 Harri Morris, 3 Corrie Barrett, 4 Evan Mintern, 5 Ehize Ehizode, 6 Fyn Brown, 7 Archie Smeaton, 8 Seb Nagle-Taylor.

Replacements | 16 Archie Upton, 17 Conor Davidson, 18 Karl Garside, 19 Adam Hopkinson, 20 Rhys Tait, 21 Will Metcalfe, 22 Tom Parkin, 23 Harry Wilson.

Tries: Edwards, Morris, Wilson, Metcalfe

Conv: McBryde 2

Referee: Harry Walbaum

Doncaster Knights have named their team for Round 2 of the Premiership Rugby Cup as they travel to the Richmond Athletic Ground to take on London Scottish.

Director of Rugby Steve Boden and Head Coach Joe Ford have made 12 changes to the starting line-up that secured a bonus point 38-11 win over Cambridge at Castle Park last Friday night.

The front row is full of freshly debuted Knights as Harrison Courtnery and Corrie Barrett start at loosehead and tighthead with Harri Morris at hooker.

Evan Mintern returns to action for the first time this season as Ehize Ehizode is promoted from the bench to form the second row pairing with the Irishman.

The back row is another full of new signings as Fyn Brown and Archie Smeaton are named at blindside and openside flankers with Seb Nagle-Taylor at eight.

Ollie Fox comes in to make his first start as Billy McBryde makes his first appearance of the season captaining the team from fly half.

George Simpson and AJ Cant maintain their places in the back three with Jack Metcalf rounding out the trio. The centre partnership is a new one as Harry Davey comes in at outside centre with Connor Edwards on the inside.

On the bench, it could be a professional Knights debut for Knights Academy hooker Archie Upton. He’s joined by Conor Davidson and Karl Garside to form the replacement front row.

Adam Hopkinson, Rhys Tait and Harry Wilson round out the forward options.

For the backs, fresh from the announcement of their development deals with the first team, Knights Academy players Will Metcalfe and Tom Parkin are the cover.

Kick-off is at 15:00 at the Richmond Athletic Ground on Saturday, September 16, and live updates will be available on our Twitter throughout the match.

 

Starting XV | 15 AJ Cant; 14 Jack Metcalf, 13 Harry Davey, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 George Simpson; 10 Billy McBryde, 9 Ollie Fox; 1 Harrison Courtney, 2 Harri Morris, 3 Corrie Barrett, 4 Evan Mintern, 5 Ehize Ehizode, 6 Fyn Brown, 7 Archie Smeaton, 8 Seb Nagle-Taylor.

Replacements | 16 Archie Upton, 17 Conor Davidson, 18 Karl Garside, 19 Adam Hopkinson, 20 Rhys Tait, 21 Will Metcalfe, 22 Tom Parkin, 23 Harry Wilson.

The club are thrilled to announce scrum half Will Metcalfe and fly half Tom Parkin have officially joined the Knights first team on development deals.

The two senior Academy players have been involved in a group of seven participating in pre-season and training with the Knights squad and will look to make appearances in the Premiership Rugby Cup competition.

Discussing the positive news, Director of Rugby Steve Boden said: “We’re really excited for Will and Tom to be involved with the Knights, and to soon get their first taste of game-time this season.

“They got their first experience of Knights action last season in the Championship Cup. I think they’re a great example of how the Academy and the first team are closely connected.

“They also prove that even if you’re young, you can be good enough – helping to promote young Yorkshire talent coming through the system.

“They’ve not had it easy – they first came into the first team environment as 18-year-old young men and they’ve had some tough times through exposure to this level of rugby, but they’ve stuck in, and they’ve dug in, so now they’re starting to get their opportunity.

“A massive credit must be given to the Academy and the amount of work that Tyson and his coaches put in. We’re looking forward to Will and Tom having successful futures at the club.”

The two backs both made their professional Knights debuts in the 2022/23 season’s edition of the Championship Cup.

Will debuted at the Richmond Athletic Ground in the Knights’ 24-12 victory over London Scottish.

Meanwhile Tom debuted at home at Castle Park against Coventry, scoring a conversion as the Knights surged back from a scoreless first half to defeat the visitors 22-7.

Head of Academy, Tyson Lewis, is extremely proud of his players as he said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Will and Tom, which they have thoroughly earned with their consistent hard work.

“It is also a fantastic indicator of the foundation our Academy can provide players and helps us to take another step in developing the player pathway we have established between our Academy set-up and the first team here at Castle Park.”

Will is extremely proud to have signed the deal with the Knights, as he said: “Being in the first team environment is a dream come true. It has really helped my development and increased my confidence a lot. Having Tyson working hard to allow Academy lads to get these opportunities made the transition a million times easier.

“I’m also looking forward to keep learning but most importantly, competing and pushing on with everyone in the Knights environment to achieve our goals.”

Tom, similarly to his teammate, is determined to make the most of the opportunity afforded by the deal, as he said: “I’m excited and grateful about the opportunity to be with the first team this season.

“I have learned so much from being in the Knights environment with the coaches and players and I have put it into practice with the Academy for the last two seasons.

“I hope to play as much as possible and help the team achieve our goals this season.”

We look forward to seeing what Will and Tom can bring to the Knights throughout their time in the first team environment.

Will Metcalfe will be sponsored by Newsome Ltd whilst Tom Parkin will be sponsored by Pro Football Support.

Doncaster Knights’ fixture against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens has been selected for broadcast by TNT Sports and as a result has been rescheduled to Sunday, October 8.

The Round 5 game of the Premiership Rugby Cup was originally scheduled for the Saturday but having now been chosen for broadcast, the game has been moved to adapt to the TNT Sports schedule.

Our host club, Northampton Saints, have confirmed anyone who has already purchased a ticket for the match will have their tickets automatically issued to reflect the new date and kick-off time within the next seven days.

If you do not receive your tickets via email before midnight on Thursday, September 21, please contact the Northampton Saints ticketing team at ticketoffice@northamptonsaints.co.uk