Three Knights from this season are selected in the Championship Rugby Team of the Season, along with Matt McNab, who is set to join Donny this summer. 

Jordan Olowofela has been selected as number 14. Scoring 19 tries this championship season with his superb speed and impressive ability to finish. 

Morgan Strong gets awarded the number 8 after a huge season up north. Playing every single game and scoring eight tries. 

Finally, our Captain Ben Murphy has also been selected for performing at a consistently high standard and guiding the team to our third place finish. 

Elsewhere in the team is future Knight, Matt McNab. McNab has been named at 23. Highlighting not only how brilliant his season has been, but also the versatility of him as a player – providing skill at wing, full back and centre. 

Doncaster Knights are delighted to announce that centre, Joe Margetts will be returning to the club for the 2025/26 season after a year with French club, USBPA.

Margetts returns to the club after a very succesful year in France, playing 19 games, 17 of them for the first XV. 

Joe’s first Championship experience was for west country side, Hartpury. While studying buisness management he played for the university side in the higest level of BUCS, before reamaining in the area post-graduation to play for the Championship side. 

In 2021, he moved up North for his first stint with Doncaster Knights, where he stayed for three seasons before his move to France. He was a big presence in the squad when here before, making 60 apperances and scoring 14 tries. We are delighted that he will be returning to us for the 2025/26 season.

Head of recruitment Matt Harland said:

“We were all gutted when Marg left for France last season. So, to be able to bring him back, we are delighted. The fact we have been able to attract Marg back is a real credit to the environment the lads have created and he can see what we are building at the club.

“As a player we know exactly what we are getting which is a robust ball carrier capable of producing some brilliant moments in games. Welcome back Marg!”

 

 

Doncaster Knights are seeking a dedicated and experienced Senior Physiotherapist to join our first team medical department. As a key member of our performance team, you’ll play a vital role in supporting player health, rehabilitation, and performance throughout the Championship season and beyond.

This is an exciting time to become part of the Knights family. As Yorkshire’s leading rugby club with a proud 150-year heritage, we are committed to reaching new heights, both on and off the pitch.

If you’re passionate about sport and want to be part of a hardworking, high-performance team, we’d love to hear from you.

Read the full Job description here

The closing date for this role is 5PM, Friday 13th June 2025. 

To apply, please send an up-to-date CV showing your qualifications and experience, and a one-page covering letter highlighting your suitability for the role to asmith@castle-park.co.uk 

Doncaster Knights cement their third place finish in the Championship with a 12 consecutive win, beating Ampthill 19-29. 

The Knights got out the blocks early to get on the scoresheet first. Russell Bennett kicked a lovely cross field for Aidan Cross to gather on the wing. Cross drew in Ampthill’s defence before shipping the ball across to Veainu, who ran it in from over 22m out. Dolly added the extras with a brilliant conversion from out wide and in the wind. 0-7

The hosts levelled the scores shortly after, offloading the ball between a handful of players to create the space to go over the line. They added the extras. 7-7. 

Jordan Olowofela was shown a yellow card and Ampthill used the overlap to claim a second try shortly after this. The Bedfordshire side popped the ball out the back of a rolling maul to Mapapalangi who powered over the line. 7-12. 

The Knights levelled the score just before the break through Alex Dolly. Morgan Strong carried blind out the back of the scrum and popped the ball across to Dolly, who dived into the corner to finish the job. 12-12. 

Donny carried the momentum into the second half with Ben Chapman turning the ball over at the breakdown, allowing Bennett to kick us up to the 5m line. 

Logovi’i Mulipola then carried hard to bring us up to the line, before Bennett, Strong and Veainu moved the ball quickly out to Olowofela, who finished in the corner. Dolly added the extras. 12-19. 

A brilliant try followed as the Knights displayed a double chip and chase. Bennett chipped through Ampthill’s defence for Chapman to gather. Chapman then carried into contact before Dolly chipped another through. Cross raced to the line to ground it. 12-24. 

Maliq Holden scored a final try for the Knights for a fairytale ending to his time at the club. A little pop opened a gap for him to power through and race to the line. 

The hosts claimed one more try with the clock in the red, leaving the full time score 19-29. 

Doncaster Knights finish the season third, keeping the majority of the squad in preparation for a big season next year. 

Secure your season ticket here!

Joe Ford and Sir Ian McGeechan have named their final Doncaster Knights squad of the season to face Ampthill on Satuday.

Our front row remains unchanged with Logovi’i Mulipola, George Roberts and Joe Jones. With no changes to the second row either as Ben Murphy and Adam Hopkinson partner up. 

Ben Chapman replaces Rhys Tait in the back row, but Archie Smeaton and Morgan Strong keep their shirts for their final game as a Knight. 

Our replacement front row is Fred Davies (hooker), Andrew Turner and Lewis Thiede. Josh Williams and Jasper McGuire are the reamining forward replacements. 

Our halfbacks are unchanged again, Alex Dolly and Russell Bennett to start, with Morgan Bunting and Ollie Fox set to replace the pair. 

Rokoduguni will play centre alongside George Wacokecoke, but wears 14 for sizing. Our back three is made up of Aidan Cross, Telusa Veainu and Jordan Olowofela.

Maliq Holden is set to return from injury off the bench. 

Starting XV | 15, Telusa Veainu. 14, Semesa Rokduguni. 13, Aidan Cross 12, George Wacokecoke. 11, Jordan Olowofela. 10, Russell Bennett. 9, Alex Dolly. 1, Logovi’i Mulipola. 2, George Roberts. 3, Joe Jones. 4, Ben Murphy (C). 5, Adam Hopkinson. 6, Archie Smeaton. 7, Ben Chapman. 8, Morgan Strong.

Replacements | 16, Fred Davies. 17, Andrew Turner. 18, Lewis Thiede. 19, Jasper McGuire. 20, Jasper McGuire. 21, Ollie Fox. 22, Morgan Bunting. 23, Maliq Holden.

Unavailable For Selection | Thom Smith, Harry Davey, Connor Edwards, Rhys Tait, Zach Kerr

Doncaster Knights are delighted to share that another loan player has now commited fully to a Doncacster Knights contract next season. Winger, Adian Cross joins the list of exciting backs for 2024/25

Cross joined us on a short term loan from Scottish club, Glasgow Warriors around January time, he has since then remained with us till the end of the season. Socring four impressive tries in just seven appearances. He has showed his fantastic pace and outstanding ability to finish a score. 

The 24 year old winger joined Glasgow’s A squad for the 2024 FORSOC Super Series Sprint. Cross played his club rugby with Melrose before representing Southern Knights in Scotland.

We are dlighted that Cross has decided to commit fully to the Knights next season. 

Consultant Director of Rugby Sir Ian McGeechan said: 

“It’s great that Aidan has signed with us for next season. He is a really exciting talent and we feel he has a lot to offer the club. He has an outstanding attitude towards developing as a player and has really impressed since joining us on loan. Off the ball, he is outstanding and we feel he has a lot to build on.”

Head of recruitment Matt Harland said: 

“We are absolutely delighted that Aidan has decided to sign for next season. He’s shown in this short period on loan what an asset he will be to the club going forward. He has bags of potential and is an exciting prospect for the club to have.”

Doncaster Knights are delighted to share that loosehead Prop, Andrew Turner has signed a Doncaster Knights contract for next season, after spending a season long loan with us. 

Drew, who was on loan from Bristol Bears this year, has been a big presence among the squad and we are so pleased he has decided to commit to us fully.

He joined the Bristol Bears academy aged just 15 before signing his first professional contract with the club in 2020.

Turner’s love for rugby started from a young age when he started playing at Weston-super-Mare RFC at the age of 13, standing out from the crowd as a determined and powerful player from the offset.

Andrew featured in the 2022 U20s Six Nations with England where he made 3 appearances for his country. Putting in some impressive displays, he was called to the other side of the world to join New Zealand club, Crusaders on loan in the 2022/23 season after they experienced an injury crisis.

Turner has worked with some of the greatest in his game, so his exeprience at such a young age will be cruical in his development and contribution to the Knights. 

Forwards Coach Darren Fearn said:

“It’s brilliant that Drew will be a Doncaster player next season, he’s currently on loan from Bristol but is a big part of our group. Drew fits how we want to play on field, and is a popular member of the squad off it. He’s a young prop with good experience already under his belt, I am excited to see him keep progressing with us next season.”

Head of recruitment Matt Harland said: 

“We are thrilled that Drew has decided to sign at the club for next year. He’s been brilliant this last year during his loan spell from Bristol, when the opportunity came to sign Drew permanently as a Doncaster Knights player, there was no doubt in our mind. He is another that quietly goes about his business unflustered, there’s so much more to come from him and we’re excited to see that growth in his game at Castle Park next year.”

End of Season Awards Dinner – Celebrating the 2024/25 Campaign

Doncaster Knights brought the curtain down on another thrilling season with a special End of Season Awards Dinner at Castle Park. An friendly gathering of around 50 supporters joined players and staff to reflect on the highs and lows of the year and celebrate the individuals who made it memorable.

Guests enjoyed a delicious curry buffet before settling in for speeches from Director of Rugby, Sir Ian McGeechan, Club Captain Ben Murphy, and Club President Steve Lloyd. Each shared their reflections on the season, acknowledged the hard work of the squad and backroom staff, and thanked fans for their continued support.

The highlight of the evening was the awards presentation, recognising standout contributions both on and off the pitch:

• Players’ Player of the Season – Telusa Veainu
  Chosen by his teammates, Telusa’s skill, leadership and consistency throughout the season made him a deserving winner.

• Coaches’ Player of the Season – Zach Kerr
  A consistent performer and true professional, Zach earned the praise of the coaching staff with his hard work and impressive performances.

• Supporters’ Player of the Season – Rhys Tait
  Voted for by our loyal fans, Rhys’ commitment and impact on the field clearly resonated with the Knights faithful. Tait performs at a brilliant high standard each week and was recognised as one of the hardest workers in the squad. 

• Knight of the Season – Harry Davey
  More than just on-field performance, this award recognises a player’s contribution to the club culture and community. Harry’s character, positivity, and willingness to go the extra mile made him a standout presence throughout the year. This season Harry has been increadibly dedicated to coaching the Knights Academy, he was also always in charge of ensuring the team’s coffee was topped up, showing his face at every sponsor/fan/hospitality event and even assisting the media team at times. Most importantly, he was always a friendly face, boosting team morale and supporting his team mates. 

• Top Try Scorer – Jordan Olowofela
  With pace and flair, Jordan crossed the whitewash more than any other Knight this season.

• Top Points Scorer – Alex Dolly
  Alex’s reliable boot and game management made him the club’s leading points scorer this season.

• Try of the season – Arthur Green
  In a very very close vote, Arthur Green was awarded the Try of the season for his score against Hartpury at home. A team try, which he finsihed in style. Remind yourself of Arthur’s try and the other nominations here

• 

To conclude the night, our leavers were presented with signed shirts and pictures to thank them for thier time at the club. Steve and Tony were presented with framed 150th anniversary shirts to thank them for all their time and dedication to the club. 

It was a night full of celebration, a fitting end to a hard fought campaign, praising the team’s journey from the bottom half of the table, to third. Thank you to all the fans who attened and to everyone who supported us this season. We can’t wait to see you all back at Castle Park for the next chapter. 

Doncaster Knights are delighted to share that we have signed centre/back three, Matt McNab from Cornish Pirates.

McNab started his rugby career aged six for an academy in Zimbabwe called Sharks Kids, which was run by Brendon Dawson who has held the head coach role in Zimbabwe. Matt was educated at Whitestone Primary School and then Falcon College before attending Hartpury University where he did his Undergraduate Degree in Sports Business Management, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Management.

Matt has represented Zimbabwe in two World Cup qualifiers, one in 2019 and another in 2022, he has also in the past represented Zimbabwe Goshawks in the Currie Cup competition.

He began his Championship career with Hartpury RFC before moving to Cornish Pirates, where he really made a name for himself. During his first season in Penzance, he made 26 appearances, scored 13 tries, one of which won their ‘Try of the Season’ award. He also won Pirates’ ‘Sportsman of the Year’ and ‘Supporters’ Player of the Season’ trophies. At the end of the 23/24 campaign he was selected in the Championship clubs’ Team of the Season.

This season, he has continued to impress, currently sat at fourth top try scorer in the league, having socred 14 tries. 

Doncaster Knights are delighted to have McNab join the club. Aged 26, weighing 99kg and standing at 6ft2.

Head of recruitment Matt Harland said: 

“Matt is someone we’ve been working hard to bring to the club for the last 2 years and we are delighted we’ve finally been able to get his signature. Matt is a powerful ball carrier and shown this year what a quality finisher he is. Matt adds depth to our exciting back line covering both Centre and Wing. We’re really looking forward to see what Matt can achieve in a Knights shirt as we know we are bringing a quality player to Castle Park for next season.”

 

Doncaster Knights can now confirm the 7 players who will depart the club at the end of the season:

Maliq Holden (82 appearances)

Long serving Knight Maliq Holden will leave the club after spending four seasons with the Knights, scoring 41 tries and making 82 appearances. Holden has been a huge part of the club over the years and will be really missed by everyone. The club would like to thank Mal for all his hard work and success over the years, we wish him all the best in his next adventure.

Archie Smeaton (47 appearances)

Another long serving player set to leave is back row, Archie Smeaton. Smeats has made the choice to move to London and pursue his career in consulting, alongside playing National League rugby. Archie has been an integral member in the squad for many seasons now. Good luck in your next adventure Archie, and thank you for your service to the club. 

Harry Davey (42 appearances)

Winger, Harry Davey is also set to leave the club. Over his time here, Harry has made 42 appearances. He has also contributed massively to the development of our Knights Academy, serving as an assistant coach. Last night, Harry was awarded Knight of the season, highlighting how key his presence has been to this team. The club extends a huge thank you to Harry for everything he has done for the club, and would like to wish him good luck in his next steps.  

Morgan Strong (28 appearances)

Doncaster Knights would like to pass on a massive thank you to Morgan for an incredible shift in the blue and red stripes, it’s been fantastic watching him tear up in Yorkshire. Strong has played every single game this season, and racked up an impressive eight tries for the club, with one game still to play. Morgan remains in the Championship next season, but will represent Coventry Rugby. 

Will Metcalfe (6 appearances)

Scrum Half, Will Metcalfe will also depart the club at the end of the season. Metcalfe has made 6 senior appearances for the Knights, but has been an integral part of the club, coming through the Academy setup, playing for them for three years. Doncaster Knights extend their thanks to Metcalfe for all his contributions to the club, and wish him good luck for the future.

 

Cory Teague (6 appearances)

Second Row, Cory Teague will also depart the club at the end of the season, Cory made 6 appearances for the Knights and has been a fantastic presence in the squad this season, despite struggling with a difficult shoulder injury. The club would like to thank Cory for his service this season, and wishes him all the best for his next steps.

Taniela Ramasibana (9 appearances)

Taniela Ramasibana will also depart the club at the end of the season, he made 9 appearances for the Knights and has been a fantastic team player in the squad this season. The club would like to thank Taniela for his service this season, and wishes him all the best for his next steps. 

 

Doncaster Knights are delighted to announce the signing of Ex-Knight Ehize Ehizode. The second row returns to the club after spending a season with league winners, Ealing Trailfinders.

Ehize’s career originally began as a back-rower before moving to the second row, standing at 6ft 5. 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 building his experience with Dings Crusaders and Hartpury.

Ehize signed for his first stint with the Knights ahead of the 2022/23 season from Championship opposition, London Scottish, for whom he had featured frequently throughout the 2021/22 campaign. Prio to london Scottish, Ehizode was olaying his rugby with then National One side (now fellow Champ club), Chinnor.

He became a real fan favourite during his previous tenure with the club, making 28 appearances and winning of the Supporters’ Player of the Year. We are delighted to have him back again this season. 

Forwards Coach Darren Fearn said:

“I’ve only heard good things about Ehize, everyone speaks so highly of him. I’ve watched a lot of his games and glad he will be rejoining us. Ehize will have gained valuable experience this season winning the Championship down in Ealing. I am sure everyone involved with the club will be delighted to see him pull on a Doncaster shirt again!”

Head of recruitment Matt Harland said:

“Ehize is a player who is well known at the club and a fan favourite. We are delighted he’s decided to come back to the North, he’s coming back to a club he knows well and played some of his best rugby with. I know in this new environment, and where the forward pack has moved on to, he will thrive and continue to develop. It’s a real credit to the coaching staff that a former player is wanting to come back and can see how the club has continued to move forward in the last year.”