Throughout August, Doncaster Knights will be taking part in a handful of activities to help them prepare for the start of the Championship season.

From 7th August to 10th August, the squad will be travelling down to Bury St Edmunds for a weekend-long training camp. During this time they will be working hard to improve their skills, fitness and the team’s chemistry. 

Bury St Edmunds will then return the journey to Castle Park on 23rd August, where the Knights will go head-to-head with Bury in an exciting Friday night fixture. Tickets for this game are heavily discounted and can be purchased here: https://www.drfc.co.uk/tickets/

If you wish to catch the Knights in action again after the friendly, you can come along to our FREE open training session on Thursday 29th August. Tickets for the open training session can be acquired via the ticket link above.
Everyone must get their tickets, despite your status of season ticket.

The Championship season will then begin on 21st September with the Knights facing Ampthill at Castle Park. To view the full fixture list see here.

Doncaster Knights fans are invited to Castle Park on Thursday 29th August to watch the men’s first team train here at Castle Park. 

The club is hosting the event during the summer holidays to encourage families and junior fans to come meet their favourite players and get a behind the scenes look at preparations ahead of the new season.

Gates will open at 5:30pm and fans can access the ground via the turnstiles. Seating will be available in the De Mulder Lloyd Stand, not reserved. Food and drinks will be available to purchase from the main bar concourse and knights fayre in the De Mulder Lloyd Stand. 

The training session will commence on pitch 1 at 6pm and will last approximately one hour.

The Knights players will be available to sign autographs and take photos at the end of the session.

After the session, all players and coaching staff will be in the concourse bar after to mingle with the fans. 

Parking will be available in the main car park, limestone and overflow on a first come first served basis. 

Thursday 29th August
Gates Open at 5:30pm
Pitch 1, Castle Park
De Mulder Lloyd Stand Open (Seating Unreserved)
Bar Open
Cow Pie

𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐘

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: www.drfc.co.uk/tickets

Doncaster Knights are delighted to announce the season-long loan signing of Andrew Turner from Bristol Bears.

Starting his rugby journey in Weston-Super-Mare, Turner joined the Bristol Bears academy in 2020 as a loose-head prop before signing his first professional contract with them in 2021. 

Andrew is currently 22-years-old, 1.83m tall and weighs a hefty 115kgs, the perfect physique for his position. In 2022, Andrew Turner was fortunate enough to represent England in the Under 20s Six Nations Championship.

During an injury crisis, Andrew went on loan to New Zealand team Crusaders last year, which was an important step in his career. He only played twice but was a valued asset of their squad in a difficult time for the club.

Andrew is a very mobile player in his position, and a very capable scrummager. His power, mobility and competency are what peaked the interested of Doncaster to go ahead with the signing, and everyone is excited to get Turner involved in the squad.

Head coach, Joe Ford, has detailed how he is looking forward to introducing such a young yet experienced player like Andrew into the Knights system, and hopes this move can be one that benefits both parties in a positive way for the upcoming season and beyond.

At only 22-years-old, Andrew has been fortunate enough to play abroad, represent his nation, and play for a successful Premiership side, all while playing alongside very talented players. Everyone at Doncaster Knights hopes this level of maturity and experience can be shared across the squad as we search for a successful season.

Andrew is available for sponsorship for the 2024/25 season – For more information, please contact Tom Foy at tomfoy@castle-park.co.uk or Tracey Owen at towen@castle-park.co.uk

Doncaster Knights are delighted to announce the signing of Josh Williams on a permanent deal from Cornish Pirates.

26-years-old, 118kgs and 1.95m, second row Josh Williams has put pen to paper to begin the next step in his illustrious career. Born in Teesside, he has represented England from Under-18 to Under-20, demonstrating his maturity in the game from a young age.

Williams developed his love for rugby while at school at Hartpury College, before signing his first professional contract with Newcastle Falcons where he honed in on his skills. Josh then went on to join the Royal Marines as a Royal Marine Commando and has represented the Royal Navy rugby team on numerous occasions.

In 2021, Josh Williams was ready to resume his professional rugby career, however, his season was cut very short due to a season-long injury but came back tackling and running to his best in the 2022/23 campaign.

Last season, Josh only played four times as he continued to balance his career in the Royal Marines but did manage to find himself on the score sheet on one occasion. Doncaster hopes to give Williams plenty of opportunity to allow both his careers in rugby and the armed forces to flourish in the 2024/25 season

His enormous size and competency should fill fans with hope, as there should be no doubt that Josh will be a great asset in lineouts, along with his brilliant track record in defensive settings. Head coach, Joe Ford, believes this move is the perfect stepping stone for Williams’ as he continues his rugby career, and everyone at the Knights hopes for a long and successful tenure for the second row.

Josh is available for sponsorship for the 2024/25 season – For more information, please contact Tom Foy at tomfoy@castle-park.co.uk or Tracey Owen at towen@castle-park.co.uk

𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒-𝟐𝟓 & 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝  

We are actively seeking a main stand sponsor for the forthcoming season  

This would be a great way to showcase your brand and support a local professional sports club in Doncaster.

Drop tomfoy@castle-park.co.uk or towen@castle-park.co.uk a message for a specific proposal built around your company’s brand and needs.

Everyone at Doncaster Rugby Football Club is saddened to hear of the sudden passing of William “Billy” Halkett.

Statement by the Championship Clubs after the RFU Council meeting on Friday June 14th, 2024

The Championship has today (Friday) won the right to a realistic chance of promotion to the top-tier of the game and taken control of its destiny with the creation of a new, independently-chaired Tier 2 Board of governance. 

The RFU Council today approved a promotion and relegation deal that the Championship clubs have been fighting for since the beginning of 2023. 

The deal means that in order to be eligible for promotion, the minimum operating standards have been relaxed to make them more achievable and the deadline for achieving those standards will be spread over four seasons. Full details will be announced in due course. 

Previously, the terms and conditions of entry had been unacceptable to Championship clubs, because the amount of investment needed and the shorter timetable made them impracticable to a potential promotion candidate.  

In its meeting today, the RFU Council also approved the new Tier 2 Board, a body with an equal representation of Championship and RFU members, chaired by an independent person. That Board will take decisions affecting the commercial exploitation of the second-tier league, hence allowing our clubs to make the most of their marketing, media and broadcasting rights. 

The clubs believe these changes herald a new era for the professional game in England. They set the current 12 clubs – and all those who wish one day to join them – onto a brighter footing. 

With an agreed pathway to promotion, many of the current league’s clubs will now start the planning and investment that will give them a fighting chance to be the first non-P shareholder to reach the Premiership since London Welsh in 2014.  

Simon Halliday, chairman of the Championship, said after the RFU Council’s vote: “We have got what we came for. Now our clubs – and every club – can realistically dream of promotion to the Premiership. 

“There is now a genuine path for ambitious clubs to rise; the top tier is reconnected to the rest of the English rugby and we can use our commercial potential to fund the growth that rugby sorely needs at our level. 

“This is a result that brings common resolve to our sport, guaranteeing that English rugby remains open and fair from the lowest league to the highest.”