We are proud to launch our playing kit for the 2023/24 season.
Brought to you by Umbro, we will be representing our colours and our Knights.
Our home shirt represents the proud Donny blue meanwhile, our away shirt takes a step away from the design of more recent years in favour of an aqua/turquoise design.
You can pre-order your replica shirt now HERE.
Doncaster Phoenix are hoping to make Thursday the new Friday at Castle Park this pre-season.
Start your weekend early in August as Doncaster Phoenix offer up some rugby fayre at Castle Park later this month in their pre-season friendlies.
On Thursday, August 24 the team play host to friends from Sheffield RUFC for a 7:30pm kick-off and the bar will be open.
On the following Thursday, August 31 – Phoenix invite you to the Phoenix and Demons Season Launch Evening.
Starting from 7pm in the Arms Park Suite come along for a beer or two, pick up fixture lists for the season, membership cards and meet some of the players and coaches.
The teams will also announce the winners of the Monthly Draw for August and there will be a welcome from new Phoenix club Chairman Dave Thomas.
Later this month a group of former Doncaster rugby players will take to the water to undertake a 10km Open Water swim to raise funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
The DRUFC Has Beens Swimming Association – which includes a number of Doncaster and Phoenix old boys like Mark Longworth, James Mell, Matt Brain, Chris Conway, Mike Bailey, Dave Senior and Mark Jasnikowski – will take on the challenge on Saturday August 19 at Thrybergh Country Park.
Mark Jasnikowski said: “Rugby is in our blood but the years have taken their toll and the joints and muscles aren’t working as well as they used to. The group was set up to help improve and maintain collective fitness levels post lockdown.
“We meet regularly at Hatfield Water Park at the SwimYourSwim sessions – though it’s funny how numbers peak in the summer months, when more backs take to the water.
“Supported by SwimYourSwim, we plan to complete a 10km swim in 5 hours either individually or as part of relay squads and we have chosen to raise funds for Doddie Weir’s Foundation due to his inspirational character and obvious links to the game we love.”
For more information about the challenge or to donate to the cause click HERE.
This Sunday (Aug 13), Doncaster Knights will take on Doncaster Phoenix in a 20/20 cricket game.
For those cricket fans already missing the Ashes and fed-up with the rain interrupting The Hundred then look no further – the clash between the two Doncaster sides will take place at Doncaster Cricket Club, Bennetthorpe.
Whilst both clubs play their rugby at Castle Park, due to their league positions they obviously don’t play each other. so this is one of the few events where the two clubs can come face to face.
Phoenix President Paul Curzon said: “The fixture used to be a regular summer event pre-Covid, so we are pleased to get it back in the calendar and thank our friends at Doncaster Cricket Club for hosting the game.
“The players from both the Knights and Phoenix have been busy training over the last few weeks so the cricket match will be a great opportunity to have a bit of fun, a beer or two and hopefully beat the recent poor weather.”
The game starts at 2pm, bar and food facilities will be available all afternoon and a fundraising raffle will also be held.
Entry to the game is Free – so get along for a great afternoon!
Doncaster Phoenix have provided an update on their pre-season progression and confirmed their 5-man coaching set-up for the 2023/24 season.
The team have been back in training since early June this summer, a couple of weeks longer than in previous seasons with the squad looking to improve fitness and work on skills under the watchful eye of a vastly experienced coaching team.
Headed up by Director of Rugby Glen Kenworthy, the team also consists of former Knights players Richard List (Forwards Coach and Player), Stevie McColl (Backs Coach and Player) and Tyson Lewis (Backs Coach) along with long-serving Phoenix stalwart Sam Bottomley (Strength / Conditioning Coach and Player).
This experienced team of ex-professional Premiership and Championship players bring a wealth of knowledge to the club and have been regularly on hand to supervise training sessions over the last couple of months.
Discussing pre-season so far, Kenworthy said: “The boys have been working hard through the summer and numbers at training sessions have been consistently high, taking into account holidays and work commitments.
“There is still work to be done as we move into August and we are always on the lookout for additional players to bolster the squad, so anyone who feels they could add to the team or benefit from the excellent coaching and facilities available at Castle Park should get in touch.”
Training takes place at Castle Park on Tuesday and Thursdays at 7pm.
The club has two pre-season games in the diary away to Nottinghamshire side Paviors on Saturday, August 19 before hosting Sheffield at Castle Park on Thursday, August 24 (kick-off at 7.30pm).
Their league campaign opens on Saturday, September 2 against Sandal at Castle Park (kick-off 3pm).
The club can announce, after 21 years at Castle Park, General Manager Neil Holmes will be retiring from the business.
Neil has been a part of Castle Park since Doncaster Knights’ days in National Two as the club looked to climb it’s way higher in the English domestic league structure.
He has seen the progression the club has made over those two decades – from the original club building here at Armthorpe Road to the construction and completion of the impressive De Mulder Lloyd Stand and the additional facilities which have made the venue what it is today.
Neil has witnessed promotion from National Two to National One to the Championship – experiencing demotions, promotions and a hard-fought play-off for the Premiership along the way.
He has worked alongside six different Head Coaches or Directors of Rugby in the sporting side of the business as well as being a regular feature in the planning and running of hundreds of weddings, parties, functions, and countless other occasions hosted by the Castle Park events team.
More recently, Neil has been a key figure in navigating the intense procedures of dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving the noteworthy goal of passing the RFU Minimum Standards Criteria for potential promotion to the topflight of English rugby.
Neil has taken the tough decision to step away from the business in order to dedicate more time to his family and intriguing new ventures such as running his own portable gin bar for event hire.
Everyone at Castle Park extends a thank you to Neil for his 21 years of dedication to the business and we wish him the very best in his retirement, alongside his family.
The club are thrilled to announce the season-long loan signing of centre Joe Bedlow ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Joe joins Doncaster Knights from Premiership side, Sale Sharks.
Discussing Joe’s loan agreement with the Knights, DoR Steve Boden said: “We’re really happy Joe is going to come on loan with us. We’ve worked with him in the past when he was on loan during the Championship Cup last year and he impressed.
“He’s a strong ball carrier with strong contact skills and he’s young. He needs game-time and exposure to try to force his way up the pecking order at Sale Sharks, so hopefully this deal will work to the benefit of both parties.
“There’s going to be a lot of competition at centre, so Joe’s going to have to be at his best to get the kind of game-time he wants.
“During last year’s Cup competition, he fit in with the boys really well, so we know what he’s like as a person and we know he’s going to bring the right attitude, so we’re really lucky to have him amongst our squad.
“And ultimately, this is also helping to grow the relationship we’ve built with Sale Sharks in the last two or three years, so hopefully that can continue in the future.”
The 21-year-old back has progressed in recent years from the Sharks Academy to appearances for the first team, mainly in the Premiership Cup. He has also spent time on loan in the Knights environment before – starting two games in the Championship Cup in late 2022 charting two wins over Coventry at home and London Scottish in the capital.
Charting a handful of appearances for Sale so far following his debut in a Premiership Cup fixture against Newcastle Falcons at the AJ Bell Stadium in November 2021, Joe has progressed well since joining the Premiership outfit from Myerscough College.
The young centre is motivated to further build on his game with more regular game-time.
“Having spent a few weeks here last season, I know the environment at Doncaster Knights will push me on and develop me as a player.
“I’m hoping this season we can kick on and compete at the top end of the Championship league and the Premiership Rugby Cup.”
We look forward to seeing what Joe can bring to the Knights throughout 2023/24.
As Joe is an incoming player, there are player sponsorship opportunities available. Please email [email protected] for more information.
Doncaster Phoenix’s new President, Paul Curzon (right in picture, alongside former President Billy Farley), has penned an open welcome letter to all supporters ahead of the 2023/24 season.
It reads:
“After well over 20 years involved the club, this summer sees me take up the role of the President of Doncaster Phoenix RUFC.
“Handing over to me is a friend, player and executive committee colleague Bill Farley who has loyally served the club well for many a year now in various roles and I know I will be able to draw from his experience in my new role.
“I look forward to my new role as President as I hope I can continue to help provide all our members, players and supporters along with their families a Rugby Club that is a good place to be around and where we can enjoy attractive rugby and have good fun.
“Thank you for your continued support to Doncaster Phoenix RUFC at Castle Park.”
We wish Paul and Phoenix all the best in their preparations for the new season.
Castle Park, home of Doncaster Knights, are looking to recruit in a handful of casual vacancies amongst our Events and kitchen staff.
The roles currently being advertised for are:
The roles will mainly require availability to work weekends and be flexible in terms of a work schedule.
The candidates should be able to work under pressure and have the ability to work both as an individual and as part of a team.
The roles will be based at Doncaster Knights Rugby Club, Armthorpe, Doncaster.
Please note, to apply for any of the above roles you must be 16 or over.
For more information, or to apply, please contact Rebecca Hill at [email protected]
The club are thrilled to announce the signing of hooker Tom Doughty ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Tom joins Doncaster Knights from Premiership side, Bath Rugby.
Discussing Tom’s signing for the Knights, DoR Steve Boden said: “We’re really happy that Tom has signed with us at Castle Park. He’s a hooker that’s experienced a little taste of top-flight rugby with Bath and he’s also tasted the Championship as well.
“He’s in a stage in his career where he’d like to challenge to play more regular minutes. We feel like some of his attributes, from what we’ve seen, could definitely try help push the club forward.
“He’s got a very competitive area that he’s playing in – up against George Roberts and Harri Morris – so we’re looking forward to seeing how strong parts of his game can push us as a team forward and inject challenge within the squad.
“We’ve spoken to a good amount of people regarding Tom and they spoke very highly of his character, which is a big driver in what we look for in players.”
The 26-year-old front rower, who was with Bath for 4 seasons, made 24 senior appearances for the side in domestic and European competitions. His original signing with the club was inspired by breakout performances for the University of Bath in the BUCS Super Rugby league.
The former BUCS captain, who represented his university between 2017 and 2019, debuted for Bath against Newcastle Falcons in 2018 and, having been known for his scoring prowess at university level, notched up a couple of tries at a higher level – including a try against Toulon on the road in European competition in late 2022.
Following his departure from Bath at the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, Tom headed to the southern hemisphere to chalk up some game-time with Australian side, Sydney University,
The hard-working hooker is relishing the idea of both benefiting from and adding to the environment fostered by the current Knights squad.
“After I spoke with Bodes and got to know him and understand his philosophy of the game; the exciting players and staff at the Knights; the set up they have – it sounded like an environment and squad I want to be a part of and add to, while working with new people.”
We look forward to seeing what Tom can bring to the Knights throughout 2023/24.
As Tom is an incoming player, there are player sponsorship opportunities available. Please email [email protected] for more information.
The club are thrilled to announce the signing of scrum half Ollie Fox ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Ollie joins Doncaster Knights from Championship rivals, Ealing Trailfinders.
Discussing Ollie’s signing for the Knights, DoR Steve Boden said: “We’re really pleased to have Ollie come on board. I’ve worked with him before and known him for a while now as he came through the academy at Yorkshire Carnegie when I was head coach there.
“We feel that Ollie’s got a lot to give the club as a Yorkshire-born player, coming from just down the road. So, we’re really pleased we’ve got another Yorkshire player with a lot of quality, ambition and desire to kick-on with his rugby career.
“We think he’s got a lot of good attributes to help challenge the other nines within our squad. He’s got a good passing game, kicking game and fundamentals. He’s at a stage in his career where he’s still young enough to get back to the top flight and we feel that he’s got the desire to do so, but he just needs to be in the position to be challenged with regular game-time.”
The Yorkshireman, from Dewsbury, grew up playing rugby league before joining the Yorkshire Carnegie rugby union academy at the age of 14. He would go on to make his Championship debut for the club during the 2016/17 season.
Getting the call from Premiership outfit Bath ahead of the 2019/20 season, Ollie would go on to make 21 first team appearances for the top-level side in 3 seasons at the Rec.
Alongisde this, Ollie’s career honours also include representing England U20s in both the U20s Six Nations competition and the World Rugby U20s Championship.
For 2022/23 season he represented Ealing Trailfinders before spending the off-season and beginning of the 2023 summer in Australia, gaining valuable game-time for Randwick in the Shute Shield.
The young half-back, who is a proud Yorkshireman, is looking forward to coming back to a home environment and add what he can to the Knights badge.
“I’m really excited to be playing rugby in my home county. I’m looking forward to working alongside coaches who supported me at very start of my academy years.
“It’s a great club, with a great ethos and reputation and I want to do it proud.”
We look forward to seeing what Ollie can bring to the Knights throughout 2023/24.
Ollie will be sponsored by loyal Knights supporters group T.O.S.S.E.R.S for the duration of the 2023/24 season.
