We are excited to announce that utility back Jack Metcalf will be staying with Doncaster Knights for the 2023/24 season.

22-year-old Jack signed for the Knights in January 2023 from Championship competition, Ealing Trailfinders. A locally produced talent, he was originally a member of the Yorkshire Carnegie set-up in their Academy as well as representing Yorkshire U18s.

The young back made the switch from the North to Sale Sharks in March 2021, debuting for the Premiership side against Leicester Tigers in the November before going on to make 12 first team appearances.

The utility back, who also spent successful loan time with Sale FC, can play centre, wing or fullback.

Jack is excited to be staying in his home county and hoping for a positive, full season with the Knights.

“It was a no-brainer to sign this season in the first place, and I’ve loved being back up North – the lads being so welcoming since I started really helped with that too.

“I’m looking forward to a full year with the boys and hope to have a strong season in 2023/24.”

Knights Head Coach Steve Boden is keen to see what more the coaching staff can get out of the naturally talented back throughout a full season in Doncaster.

“We’re delighted Jack has agreed to stay at Doncaster Knights. He’s incredibly talented and has some great aspects of his game where he can do some things others can’t do. He’s got a lot of development to do also, and we feel like he’s in the right place to do that to tighten down on some nuts and bolts in his game to make him a complete player.

“He’s extremely young so there’s a lot of time for growth in his game to come, which we’re excited about. And the fact that he’s a Yorkshire-born player playing in his home county is fantastic for the club.

“He’s gone out recently to Australia to gain some game-time for Eastwood, which shows the ambition and drive he’s got to be a better player – which fits in perfectly for where we are as a club.”

We are excited to see what Jack can continue to bring to the Knights badge throughout next season.

If you’d like to see Jack in action at Castle Park, be sure to purchase your season ticket HERE.

We are excited to announce that second/back row Evan Mintern will be staying with Doncaster Knights for the 2023/24 season.

27-year-old Evan arrived in Doncaster in late September 2022 from All-Ireland league side, Cork Constitution, with whom his rugby career began at the tender age of 4.

Playing for Cork, he won the Under 20s competition which led to him being named in the Ireland U20s side for the U20s World Rugby Championship in 2016. Following his time in Ireland, Evan spent time in the USA in Major League Rugby – representing Rugby United New York in 2021 before making the switch to Rugby Atlanta in 2022.

The pack member spent some time on the side-lines due to injury this year, but when fit, has given his all to make an impact on games and has appeared in a Doncaster shirt 17 times so far.

Evan is happy to be staying a part of the Knights environment and hopes to thrive throughout his second season at Castle Park.

“I am proud to continue my career with Doncaster Knights. Continuing to put the work in with a great group of players.

“The past 9 months have taught me the importance of consistency and resilience. I am grateful for the support of my coaches, teammates and our fantastic supporters.”

Knights Head Coach Steve Boden is intrigued to see what his forward can achieve in a full season with Doncaster Knights.

“We’re really happy Evan has decided to stay with Doncaster Knights. He’s a big, abrasive man who does a lot of the hard work.

“After coming in midway through the season from the MLR, we started to see a massive improvement in his performances at the back end of the year when he was back fit. So we’re excited to see what he can do with a full pre-season under his belt.”

Next season, Evan will be sponsored by loyal club partner, MF Hire Ltd.

We are excited to see what Evan can continue to bring to the Knights badge throughout next season.

If you’d like to see Evan in action at Castle Park, be sure to purchase your season ticket HERE.

Throughout the 2022/23 season, the Knights have had 26 different points scorers in both the Championship league and cup competitions.

For a second year in a row, Maliq Holden is your top try scorer with Alex Dolly securing the most points overall.

In an additional impressive statistic, two Knights backline duos have started a combined 47 games together – Alex Dolly and Sam Olver started 25 together with Connor Edwards and Joe Margetts started 22 together.

Points scorers:

• Alex Dolly – 144 – 4 tries, 41 conversions, 14 penalties
• Maliq Holden – 70 – 14 tries
• Sam Olver – 66 – 3 tries, 18 conversions, 5 penalties
• George Simpson – 50 – 10 tries
• George Roberts – 45 – 9 tries
• John Kelly – 40 – 8 tries
• Will Holling – 35 – 7 tries
• Robbie Smith – 35 – 7 tries
• Joe Margetts – 25 – 5 tries
• Billy McBryde – 25 – 1 try, 10 conversions
• George Edgson – 20 – 4 tries
• Connor Edwards – 20 – 4 tries
• Sam Daly – 20 – 4 tries
• Thom Smith – 15 – 3 tries
• Jack Spittle – 15 – 3 tries
• Rhys Tait – 15 – 3 tries
• Karl Garside – 15 – 3 tries
• Sam Hudson – 10 – 2 tries
• Ehize Ehizode – 10 – 2 tries
• Will Yarnell – 10 – 2 tries
• Alec Lloyd-Seed – 6 – 3 conversions
• Jared Cardew – 5 – 1 try
• Harry Davey – 5 – 1 try
• Joe Green – 5 – 1 try
• Jack Metcalf – 5 – 1 try
• Theo Vukasinovic – 5 – 1 try

We are excited to announce that lock Ehize Ehizode will be staying with Doncaster Knights for the 2023/24 season.

25-year-old Ehize signed for the Knights ahead of the 2022/23 season from Championship opposition, London Scottish, for whom he had featured frequently throughout the 2021/22 campaign having joined the club the previous summer from National One side, Chinnor.

Ehize’s career originally began as a back-rower before moving to the second row. He developed through the Wasps Academy where he represented them at U18 and A-league level. He also spent time in the Bristol Bears Academy before experiencing game-time for Dings Crusaders and Hartpury.

The big forward has enjoyed a stellar first season with the Knights – making 28 appearances and quickly becoming a firm favourite amongst Knights fans, as shown by his winning of the Supporters’ Player of the Year award at this season’s Knights Awards Evening.

Ehize is looking forward to continuing to thrive in the Donny environment.

“I’m excited to be staying at Doncaster Knights. The nine months of playing here has excelled my game with the help of the coaches, strength and conditioning, and my teammates.

“I’m looking forward to what’s to come next season with the club.”

Knights Head Coach Steve Boden has been impressed with the performances he’s seen from the second rower so far, so is looking for him to give even more to the Knights badge in his second year.

“We’re really happy Ehize has committed to the Knights. We feel he’s made huge progress since being here. He’s a really well-respected and well-liked member of the squad, so he fits in really well.

“I think everyone will have seen from his performances that he’s gone from strength to strength. We feel like it’s been a really good foundation year for him and we’re looking to see him kick on even further next season because there’s still plenty of growth and ambition within him.”

We are excited to see what Ehize can continue to bring to the Knights badge throughout next season.

If you’d like to see Ehize in action at Castle Park, be sure to purchase your season ticket HERE.

We are excited to announce that tighthead prop Karl Garside will be staying with Doncaster Knights for the 2023/24 season.

26-year-old Karl signed for the Knights ahead of the 2022/23 season from Premiership side Northampton Saints for whom he had made 12 appearances since joining the Franklin’s Gardens outfit in 2018 following a successful trial period.

During his time with Northampton, the prop experience loan time with Bedford Blues during the 2020/21 season as part of Saints’ partnership with the fellow Championship side.

Karl’s Donny debut came against Hartpury at Alpas Arena in September 2022 and he has made 19 appearances so far, scoring 3 tries in the process.

Karl is looking forward to competing for selection with his teammates for another season.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what next season can bring for Doncaster Knights and I’m excited to be going into another year with such a great group of lads as my teammates.”

Knights Head Coach Steve Boden is hoping to see a strong showing from his tighthead prop next season in his second year as a Knight.

“We’re happy to have Karl staying on board with us for another season. He’s had a good foundation in development for his first year at the club and so we’re hoping to hopefully see him kick on and progress to some good performances next year.”

Our thanks to Simon Haddock who has been Karl’s player sponsor throughout the 2022/23 season.

We are excited to see what Karl can continue to bring to the Knights badge throughout next season.

If you’d like to see Karl in action at Castle Park, be sure to purchase your season ticket HERE.

Our Doncaster Knights Academy squad recently held their End of Season Awards dinner at Castle Park, with 6 trophies being handed out.

After a fourth-place finish to the season, coaches Tyson Lewis, Glen Kenworthy, Richard List and Billy McBryde gave another well done to everyone involved in the season.

A special mention must go to all those who collected awards on the night:

• Players’ Player – Archie Upton
• Most Improved – Liam Powell
• AOC Player – Lex Fenton
• Try of the Year – Tom Parkin v Bishop Burton
• Coaches Players – Archie Upton and Will Metcalfe
• Emerging Player – Adam Hopkinson

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported our Academy team throughout the 2022/23 season – we look forward to another year of hard work in 2023/24.

We are excited to announce that utility back Harry Davey will be staying with Doncaster Knights for the 2023/24 season.

24-year-old Harry signed for the Knights from Championship competition Cornish Pirates ahead of the 2021/22 season. Born in Dewsbury, the Yorkshireman made the return North having originally moved to Penzance from Yorkshire Carnegie in 2019.

His time at Mennaye Field was affected by injury, but Harry still managed 10 appearances in a range of positions across the backline. A former England U18s squad member, Harry had made his senior debut for Carnegie in 2017 against London Irish.

Harry’s Donny debut came in 2021 and last season he began to excel in a strong Knights backline. Returning this year with a visible lift in confidence in his abilities, he earned his place at the start of the season before injury interrupted his campaign.

Having made 26 appearances so far, Harry is looking forward to getting back out in front of the Castle Park crowd next season.

“I’m delighted to have re-signed once more with Doncaster Knights.

“It’s been a frustrating year for fans, players, and staff but everyone at the club is ready to go again next season and challenge the top of the table.

“Thank you to all the fans who have always continued to show their support.”

Knights Head Coach Steve Boden is excited to see what more there is to come for the young back, especially in a Knight shirt.

“We’re really happy that Harry is staying on board. He brings great versatility to our backline as he can play in numerous positions. We’ve put him in a couple of new positions this year where we feel his power in contact really suits him.

“He fits into our squad really well – a great team man. He’s had a tough year through injury but testament to Harry that he bounced back and got some rugby at the back end of the season.

“We’re delighted to see him develop further in a Doncaster Knights shirt. The beauty of this signing is that we feel that Harry is starting to build up quite a bit of experience as a professional, yet he’s still relatively young, and we feel like we’ve not seen anywhere near the best of him yet.”

We are excited to see what Harry can continue to bring to the Knights badge throughout next season.

If you’d like to see Harry in action at Castle Park, be sure to purchase your season ticket HERE.

Local homebuilder, Albemarle Homes, recently held a Kings Coronation Competition with two local primary schools in Armthorpe.

The competition aimed to inspire creativity and encourage artistic expression, whilst commemorating the historic event, invited children to design and make a crown fit for the King.

Charlotte Kirk, Head of Sales for Albemarle Homes said: “The King’s Coronation is such a momentous occasion in our country’s history and we wanted to ensure local children had the opportunity to mark the event with a fun and creative competition.

“We asked children from Shaw Wood Academy and Tranmoor Primary to design and make a crown that the King would be proud to wear, and one that we would be proud to display in our Westmoor Grange sales centre, in Armthorpe over the Coronation weekend.

“There were some amazing entries, with a wide range of designs and styles, showcasing the children’s ingenuity and imagination. Our interior designer, Clare Barker, had the unenviable job of deciding the top four entries. We then asked our social community on Facebook and Instagram to vote on their overall winner.”

The competition’s top prize went to Daisy a year three pupil at Shaw Wood Academy, whose crown design was particularly impressive. Albemarle Homes’ interior designer, Clare, was captivated by the originality of Daisy’s design which intricately and creatively depicted the ceremony itself, with an effigy of King Charles III.

In addition to the overall winner, three runners up were chosen including year one pupil, Rares also from Shaw Wood, Maya year three and Zofia, year two from Tranmoor Primary School.  All runners up have received a creative art case in recognition of their outstanding designs and artistic talents, whilst the winning design also received an Amazon voucher.

Albemarle Homes, also provided the winning school with a host of decorations for them to mark the occasion with their own Coronation party.

Charlotte continued: “The Kings Coronation Competition was a huge success, and we are honoured to display the creative crown by Daisy at our sales centre, where all visitors will be able to view it.  We would like to thank the two schools for their participation and congratulate all entrants on their fabulous designs.”

Loyal supporters group the Knights of the Roundy Table [KORT] have kindly donated to our Doncaster Knights Academy.

Discussing why the KORT chose to make their annual charitable donation to the DK Academy, Bill Lowes – a key member of the KORT – explained it felt right to keep the good work in-house.

“KORT members felt that Tyson Lewis and his team have worked extremely hard over the past few years with the Academy to get them where they are now.

“And so, when asked if the Academy could use a donation, Tyson confirmed that it would help to purchase further equipment for use by the squad. At our last KORT lunch, it was put to those attending this was what we could do with the money, and it was unanimously confirmed.

“The KORT would like to take the opportunity to thank those who have attended our banquets and given generously to the raffles and wrong-handed drinking fines imposed. We hope this donation will further the Academy advancement.”

We thank the KORT members and supporters for this kind donation to the Academy.

Our U17s Colts have recently returned from a successful tour to Northern Italy which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

A welcome supper on their first evening there saw the squad needing no encouragement to get stuck into the local cuisine, which was excellent. A few songs on the bus back to the hotel rounded off a long but enjoyable day of travel.

The atmosphere at the Rugby Colorno club was brilliant with 8 teams from across Northern Italy gathering to compete in the tournament. Gathering crowds were entertained by a local DJ throughout the day as well.

Following tournament day, where the squad took 2 wins from 4 intense games, Sunday was about the team bonding as the squad headed to Parma for a go-kart track day. After a team meal at a local restaurant in the evening, the boys prepared to travel once more.

Monday brought a visit to the Ferrari museum and a training session at Benetton Rugby facility whilst Tuesday was spent sight-seeing in Venice. Wednesday was the final gameday of the tour at Villorba Rugby in the evening.

The boys returned to Doncaster after a successful tour upon which they were a credit to their club. Big thanks to Simon Drohan, Steve Mason, Steve Atkinson, Clive McCready, Andy Norburn, and James Poncia for their work in making the tour possible.

We are excited to announce that tighthead prop Andrew Foster will be staying with Doncaster Knights for the 2023/24 season.

29-year-old Andrew first joined the Knights in the summer of 2019 from Yorkshire Carnegie having made 26 appearances for the Leeds-based side.

Having previously featured for Rotherham Titans in the Championship, Andrew had also experienced National One rugby with Blaydon RFC before the Newcastle-born prop made his Premiership debut from his home-town club – Newcastle Falcons – against Saracens in April 2015.

Andrew was a mainstay of the Knights line-up last year as his performances often saw him getting the better of his direct opposition as his scrummaging was of important note throughout 2021/22. Unfortunately, injury struck early this season and kept the tighthead out for nearly 6 months.

However, the front rower – who will continually to be loyally sponsored by club partner, AGM Safety Ltd – is focused on continuing his spell at Castle Park and moving on to next season having returned at the tail end of the 2022/23 campaign.

“I am excited to be remaining a Doncaster Knight after a tough season this year and I look forward to pushing on with the club and seeing what our future can hold.”

Knights Head Coach Steve Boden is pleased to have his prop continuing at Castle Park.

“Andrew has been proven to be a consistent performer throughout the Championship. He’s had a tough year with injury and so we’re looking forward to seeing him put in some more consistent performances in Doncaster next season and hopefully get the game time on the field that he needs.

“He’s a good guy who fits into the squad really well and he’s an unbelievable team man, which is everything that Doncaster Knights wants to be associated with.”

We are excited to see what Andrew can continue to bring to the Knights badge throughout next season.

If you’d like to see Andrew in action at Castle Park, be sure to purchase your season ticket HERE.