Scottish Scrum Half, Ben White has been called up into the British and Irish Lions squad following the injury of Welsh scrum half, Tomos Williams.

Ben White joined the Knights on loan in 2016 while part of the Leicester Tigers setup. White became the youngest ever Knight, earning his first cap at just 17 years old.

He went on to make 11 appearances for us across the season and scoring 30 points, before returning to his parent club the following season.

He is now at the top of his game, claiming the number 9 shirt regularly for Scotland, and having just competed in the TOP 14 semi final for his club, Toulon.

Doncaster Knights are proud to have played a part in his journey and wish him all the very best for his time on tour in Australia!

Congratulations Ben.

Our Junior Touch Rugby is back in full swing and this evening we will be joined by Knights Player, Ben Murphy!

The session is free to attend and takes place at Castle Park between 6 and 7pm.

These junior touch sessions will continue every Wednesday until further notice, what better way to keep the children entertained over the summer!

The club would like to extend a huge thank you to Jamie Rosser for 20+ years of service as Donny the Knight!

Thank you for all your support, positivity and enthusiasm throughout your time with the club.

We are now looking for a new mascot for the upcoming season, if you or anyone you know would be interested in this, please contact [email protected]

Doncaster Knights are excited to invite fans, families, and friends to Castle Park this summer for our special Lions Breakfasts on:

• Saturday 19th July

• Saturday 26th July

• Saturday 2nd August

With the British & Irish Lions taking on Australia in a blockbuster Test series, there’s no better way to start your day than with great food, great rugby, and great company.

🍳 What’s Included?

Each morning kicks off from 09:30am, with the buffet breakfast and bar open from 10:00am.

Enjoy a served full English breakfast Buffet featuring:

• Sausage

• Bacon

• Hash Browns

• Confit Tomato

• Mushroom

• Black Pudding

• Scrambled or Fried Eggs

• Baked Beans

• Toast with Butter

• Unlimited Tea & Coffee Station

Pricing:

• £12.50 per adult

• £8.50 per child
  Please note: breakfast must be pre-booked and paid in advance.

📺 Live Streaming & Matchday Fun

All three Lions fixtures will be shown live at Castle Park

Make it more than just breakfast – take part in:

• Guess the Score competitions

• First Try Scorer predictions

It’s a brilliant opportunity to enjoy the buzz of international rugby in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

🎟️ Book Now

Spaces are limited, and demand is expected to be high. Secure your place early and don’t miss this unique rugby breakfast experience with the Doncaster Knights community.

For bookings and enquiries, please book your tickets via the Doncaster Knights Website, HERE

Job Title: Marketing & Sales Officer
Department: Commercial & Marketing
Location: Castle Park Stadium, Doncaster, DN2 5QB
Reports To: Head of Commercial

Salary: Up to £27,500 (DOE)
Contract Type: Full-time, 40 Hours per week

 

About Doncaster Knights

Doncaster Knights are a leading rugby union club competing in the RFU Championship. Based at Castle Park, we are proud of our community roots and ambitious outlook, both on and off the field. As the club continues to grow, we are seeking a dynamic and creative Marketing & Sales Officer to play a key role in driving ticket sales, growing retail revenue, and supporting our commercial success.

 

Role Overview

The Marketing Officer will be responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies that increase matchday attendance, maximise retail performance, and support the commercial team with the promotion of hospitality packages and sponsorship opportunities. This is a hands-on, creative role ideal for a motivated individual with a passion for sport and commercial marketing.

 

Key Responsibilities

 

Ticketing Campaigns

• Plan, develop and execute integrated ticketing campaigns across digital, print, and social media platforms.
• Analyse sales data to refine audience targeting and increase conversion.
• Collaborate with the ticketing partner to ensure seamless customer journeys and promotions.
• Support fan engagement initiatives to encourage first-time and repeat attendance.

 

Retail Marketing & Planning

• Work with kit and merchandise suppliers to plan seasonal retail launches and promotions.
• Oversee product marketing across e-commerce platforms, social media, and matchday.
• Develop creative content to support merchandise sales (videos, photography, influencer tie-ins, etc.).
• Report on retail performance and recommend improvements.

 

Commercial Support

• Support the commercial team with marketing and activation for hospitality and sponsorship packages.
• Produce professional marketing collateral to promote matchday hospitality, events, and partnership opportunities.
• Assist in organising and promoting business events, sponsor activations and networking functions.
• Liaise with partners to ensure brand visibility and value delivery across campaigns.

 

KPI’s

• Increase in ticket sales:
  Achieve a % uplift in matchday ticket sales year-on-year (e.g., +15% season attendance vs. previous year).
• Campaign ROI:
  Track and report ROI for each ticketing campaign (target: minimum 3:1 return on spend).
• Digital engagement:
  Improve click-through and conversion rates on ticket-related emails (e.g., +10% CTR, +5% conversion).
• New audience acquisition:
  Grow first-time buyers database (e.g., +20% increase in new ticketing customers per season).

• Retail revenue growth:
  Deliver year-on-year growth in merchandise sales (e.g., +10% retail revenue).
• Stock turnover rate:
  Increase turnover of seasonal items (e.g., 75% sell-through within 3 months of launch).
• Campaign effectiveness:
  Execute and measure at least 1 retail marketing campaign per month, tracking sales uplift directly linked to activity.
• Online store performance:
  Improve traffic and conversion rate on the e-commerce platform (e.g., +20% online store sessions, +5% conversion rate).

• Lead generation:
  Generate a set number of qualified commercial leads per quarter through marketing campaigns
• Hospitality bookings uplift:
  Support the commercial team to increase hospitality bookings (e.g., +15% uplift in matchday hospitality guests).
• Partner satisfaction:
  Maintain high satisfaction among commercial partners through timely marketing support (measured via feedback or NPS-type surveys).
• Marketing asset delivery:
  Deliver all required hospitality/sponsorship marketing assets on time and to brand standard (e.g., 100% deadline adherence).

• Content output:
  Deliver a consistent content schedule (e.g., minimum 3 promotional posts per week across platforms).
• Reporting & analysis:
  Submit monthly marketing performance reports including key metrics across ticketing, retail, and commercial.
• Budget management:
  Keep marketing activities within budget with 0% overspend unless pre-approved.

 

 

Key Skills & Experience

• Degree or relevant qualification in Marketing, Communications, or Business preferred.
• 1–3 years of marketing experience, ideally within sport, events, or entertainment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with social media management, email marketing, and design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Suite).
• Analytical mindset with knowledge of campaign reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Creative flair with a proactive, collaborative attitude.

 

Desirable

• Experience with CRM and ticketing platforms.
• Knowledge of the rugby or sports industry.

 

Why Join Us?

• Work at the heart of a professional rugby club with a passionate fan base.
• Play a key role in shaping the club’s future commercial and marketing success.
• Career development opportunities within a growing team and evolving club structure.
• Access to matches, club events, and a vibrant working environment.

 

And Finally….  The list of duties in this job description is not exhaustive and is intended to outline the main activities of the post holder. Duties and responsibilities may be subject to change taking into account the development needs and following full discussion with the post holder. 

 

Equal Opportunities

Doncaster Knights is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace. We value diversity and encourage applications from all qualified individuals.

 

To Apply:
Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role to [email protected] by Friday 4^th July at 12pm

 

Doncaster Knights can today confirm that Head Coach, Joe Ford has left the club to take up a new role as Attack Coach with Premiership side, Sale Sharks.

Joe joined the Knights in 2022, initially as Backs Coach, before being promoted to Head Coach in 2023. Since then, he has been instrumental in driving the club forward, both in terms of performance on the field and in building a strong, united culture within the squad.

Under Joe’s guidance, the Knights have developed an exciting, expansive style of play that has helped unlock potential across the squad, guiding them to a top-three finish this season.

Highlights of Joe’s tenure include a club record of 12 consecutive wins while competing at this level. As well as that, Ford has guided this squad to many historic moments. This season, Doncaster Knights are the only team to have beaten the league champions Ealing, both home and away. On 7 February, when the Knights travelled to the Salford Community Stadium to face Sale Sharks, our current squad became the first-ever Doncaster side to defeat Premiership opposition.

Working alongside our Head of Recruitment, Matt Harland, Joe has helped to build a talented and exciting squad going forward—a wonderful combination of local Yorkshire talent, Championship superstars, and experienced ex-internationals. Joe’s ability to blend these experienced players with rising prospects has helped lay the foundations for long-term success at the club.

Thanks to Joe, we’ve also built a strong relationship with Sale Sharks this season, including joint training sessions that have been hugely beneficial for our players and coaches alike. A partnership we hope will continue to grow and bring long-term value to the club.

While he will be missed at the club, we are incredibly pleased that Ford’s hard work and talent has been recognised. We are delighted that he has been given an opportunity to progress his coaching career while being close to his family and hometown.

Doncaster Knights would like to extend a huge thank you for everything that Ford has done for the club. His time, effort, and dedication has been unmatched, and we know that he has left a solid foundation for the club’s future.

Thank you, Fordy.

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.

The closing date for this role is Saturday 28th 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 [email protected] 

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!