Doncaster Knights and Edinburgh Rugby finished all square at Castle Park during the Knights’ final test of pre season. 

Donny managed to get off the mark just 30 seconds in. Connor Edwards, on his return from injury ran a powerful hard line to break through. He shifted the ball across to Ryan Olowofela, who weaved his way to the line for his first try at Castle Park. 5-0. 

Second row, Josh Williams made a brilliant steal at the line out to put Donny in attack again and they worked their way up the pitch. Quick thinking from Alex Dolly saw him tap and go a penalty before popping the ball to Ben Chapman. Chapman carried hard to drive the ball over and Dolly slotted the conversion. 12-0.

The forwards continue to graft as a big push at scrum time earned the Knights a penalty. They kicked it for territory and the forwards began making big carries to draw in the defence. Bennett then whipped a long ball out to R Olowofela, giving him the space to go over with the help of his fancy footwork. Dolly added the conversion from out wide. 19-0 

Edinburgh soon snatched a try back through their scrum half, Hector Patterson who ran a brilliant support line. 19-5.

A yellow card for the Knights caused a shift in momentum and the visitors scored another just before the break. Harri Morris drove his way over the line, and they added the conversion leaving the half time score it 19-12. 

Edinburgh still had an extra man after the break, and they used this to their advantage to score the first try of the second half. Number 8 Tom Currie made a huge carry, before offloading to the scrum half again. 19-17.

Another try for the Scots soon followed as a little chip over the top ignited a great attack, they then moved the ball between multiple players to create the space to score. Conversion successful 19-24. 

Morgan Bunting placed a perfect cross field kick to Thom Smith who collected brilliantly on the wing and levelled the scores with an impressive try! 24-24

The forwards then put in another big stint – Edinburgh kick the ball dead at the kick off so the Knights opt for the scrum. The front row dominate and win a penalty, allowing Bunting to kick them into the attacking 22. A monster drive at the line out then followed, with George Roberts driving over from the maul. Bunting added the extras. 31-24. 

With the clock in the red, and Donny defending the try line, it came down to the wire in the final play. The Knights were piling in hit after hit to hold Edinburgh out, which they did for over 5 minutes. But, eventually Edinburgh ship the ball out to the wing, where they find space for the try. A fantastic kick from out wide means they levelled the scores. 

Full time score 31-31. 

Donny now turn all their focus to the start of the CHAMP league, which begins away in Nottingham on Friday night! We return to Castle Park on September the 11th to face Cambridge Rugby. Secure your ticket now

Here is your guide to Doncaster v Edinburgh, all the important information for Tomorrow’s game!

• 7 PM Kick-Off
• Friday 26th September
• Castle Park

Turnstiles open from 5pm!

Tickets:

Tickets for the fixture are cheaper when purchased online, however can be bought from the ticket window on the day.

The ticket window is located around the back of the Lloyd De Mulder stand. 

U16s tickets are FREE but they must still get a ticket to get through the turnstiles.

GET TICKETS

Season tickets can be collected from the ticket window from 5pm. 

Turnstiles: 

We have now added turnstiles to the ground allowing easier and quicker match day access! It is as simple as scanning your ticket at the gate to trigger entry through the turnstile!

We have worked with the engineers to speed up the function of the turnstiles. To help with a smooth entry to the ground, where possible, please distribute e-tickets so that each fan has their own ticket on their own device. If this is not possible – please can the ticket holder scan everyone through before entering the ground last.

Parking:

Parking is available on site and operates on a first come, first serve basis. 

Parking is also available for £3 at Outwood Academy Danum, which is just a short walk away from the ground.

Accessible Parking is available on woodside car park, access to the concourse from the bottom end can be given to reduce walking distance. 

Food and Drink: 

We will have a variety of Food and Drink options available on match day. All bars will be open! 

BRAND NEW DONUTS! We have now started selling donuts on all of our bars! 

Our famous Cow Pie will be available at the Knights Fayre, along with a selection of other hot food. You can also purchase pasties and hot drinks at the end of the concourse bar.

CAM Coffee will be on site for hot drinks and you can purchase your sweet treats from the sweet van!

Live Sport: 

We will be showing the following games in the concourse:

• Bath v Harlequins 
• Saracens v Newcastle Red Bulls

Club Shop:

Club shop will be open from 5pm! 

Darren Fearn and Sir Ian McGeechan have named their first squad to run out at Castle Park this season. The Knights face Edinburgh Rugby for the second week in a row, after beating them 33-43 at the Hive Stadium last week. 

In the front row, Ben Chapman gets the start at hooker, with Conor Davidson and Lewis Thiede the props beside him. Captain, Ben Murphy comes into the line up to start in the second row with Josh Williams. 

Adam Hopkinson is named in the back row with Josh Bainbridge the other flanker and East Timor Viliamu starting at 8. 

Our front row replacements are hooker, George Roberts and Props, Logovi’i Mulipola and Joe Jones. Forwards, Ehize Ehizode, Morgan Jones, Thom Smith, Rhys Tait and Jasper McGuire are also listed among the replacements. 

We switch the half backs this week as Alex Dolly and Russell Bennett earn the starting shirts. Ollie Fox and Morgan Bunting will replace them. 

We finally get to see double Olowofela action with a twin named on each wing, Jordan at 11 and Ryan at 14. Telusa Veainu is the full back between the pair. 

In the Centre, Connor Edwards returns with Semesa Rokoduguni on his outside. Backs, Matt McNab, Zach Kerr and Joe Margetts are also named amongst the replacements. 

Don’t miss the chance to catch our brand new squad at home for the first time. Secure your tickets now!

SQUAD: 1. Conor Davidson, 2. Ben Chapman, 3. Lewis Thiede, 4. Ben Murphy (C), 5. Josh Williams, 6. Adam Hopkinson, 7. Josh Bainbridge 8. East Timor Viliamu, 9. Alex Dolly. 10. Russell Bennett, 11. Jordan Olowofela, 12. Connor Edwards, 13. Semesa Rokoduguni, 14. Ryan Olowofela, 15. Telusa Veainu

REPLACEMENTS: 16. George Roberts, 17. Logovi’i Mulipola 18. Joe Jones, 19. Ehize Ehizode, 20. Morgan Jones, 21. Thom Smith, 22. Ollie Fox, 23. Morgan Bunting, 24. Rhys Tait, 25. Jasper McGuire, 26. Matt McNab, 27. Zach Kerr, 28. Joe Margetts. 

Today’s match day charity partner – the RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF)

Doncaster Knights have supported the RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF). In addition to today’s opportunity to be match day charity partner, the Knights have generously donated £3,000 to the IPF from the silent auction at the club’s 150^th dinner.

The donation reflects the Knights’ ongoing support for the wider rugby community and is an example of how the rugby family looks after each other.

The IPF is England Rugby’s official charity and supports players from any level of the game who have sustained a life-changing injury while playing rugby union in England, specifically those which result in the loss of, or use of a limb, catastrophic spinal cord injuries or acute severe traumatic brain injuries which result in permanent functional disability.    

Thankfully, life-changing injuries like this are extremely rare in the sport. However, if a catastrophic injury does happen, the IPF will aim to be by a player’s hospital bedside within 48 hours and will continue to provide wide-ranging support for the player and their family for life, if needed. The IPF also funds vital research to improve injury management and players’ quality of life, and to reduce the risk of injury in rugby. 

Helping to spread the word about the IPF 

Match day partnerships like this are so important to help raise awareness of the IPF and the support it can provide, from funding rehabilitation, house adaptations or specialised equipment to supporting players in returning to work or education. While it’s highly unlikely a player you know will ever need the IPF, it’s important for the rugby community to be aware of how to access support if they do. Find out more at www.rfuipf.org.uk.

Please follow IPF socials and share information about the charity’s work and its inspiring members.

FACEBOOK: @RFUIPF      INSTAGRAM: @RFUIPF    X @TheRugbyCharity  Youtube: RFU Injured Players Foundation

Join Our IPF Squad

If Doncaster Knights’ partnership with the IPF has caught your attention today, do get in touch.

We’d love you to join the formidable IPF Support Squad we’re assembling, which includes well-known faces from Rugby World Cup winners to world-class referees. Find out more here

As part of this wider support squad, there are so many ways to get involved, from personal fundraising challenges to hosting an ‘Up Your Game’ fixture for the IPF. Special edition IPF socks are available for these matches, as stylishly modelled by Doncaster Knights today!

To find out more visit RFUIPF.org.uk/get-involved  

Physical season ticket cards are available for collection from the club’s reception during 9am and 4pm tomorrow and Friday. From 5pm on Friday, they can be collected from the ticket office before games.

Season tickets can also be accessed digitally. 

Follow the step by step for digital season tickets below: 

HOW TO GET STARTED 

Step 1:

Using the phone you wish to store your tickets on, click on this link, which will take you to the Doncaster Knights digital ticketing app.

Step 2:

• Add the Digital Ticketing icon to your home screen. 

• Chrome (Android):
  You will be prompted to add the Digital Ticketing page to your home screen when you open the Digital Ticketing Service for the first time. If you do not receive the prompt you can do so manually by selecting the three dots in the top right corner of the screen.
• Safari (iPhone):
  Select the “share” button (square with an arrow pointing upwards) in the bottom centre of the screen; Scroll up to find “Add to home screen” ; Select “Add” on the top right corner of the screen.

Note: Apple does not allow you to add the Digital Ticketing icon to your homepage if you are using Chrome, so we recommend using Safari.

Step 3a (if you have an account):

Log-in with your ticketing email address and password, from here you will be able to access all Season Tickets and Match Day Tickets.

Step 3b (if you DON’T have an account):

Select “Create Account” in the bottom left-hand corner, and fill out the required fields. Please ensure you use the email address that you used to purchase your Match Day Tickets or Season Ticket on. Then click login to continue. Once you’ve logged in, you will have access to tall Season Tickets and Match Day Tickets, which can also be added to your Apple or Google Wallet.

Step 4:

When you arrive at Castle Park, open the Digital Ticketing page that you have now added to your home screen, or via your Apple or Google Wallet. Select on the appropriate order(s); Present the given QR code(s) on your device to the stewards.

Step 5:

Make your way in and enjoy the game!

Darren Fearn and Sir Ian McGeechan have appointed Ben Murphy as Club Captain for the second season running. 

Ben is now one of the longest serving members of the current squad, on 69 caps for the Knights. He had a stellar first season as Skipper last year, leading the boys to a third place finish and huge winning streak. 

Born in Wales, Murphy was a product of the regional pathways in Wales, beginning his rugby career at Abercynon for their junior squads, and played there until he was 18. 

In 2014, he then signed for Merthyr RFC, who at the time, were in the Welsh Championship. Murphy had a successful 3 years at the South Walian side, aiding in their epic success by winning the Championship in his second season and immediately winning the Welsh Premiership the season after.

In 2017, Ben was spotted by URC team, Cardiff Blues, and that was where he spent a lengthy period of his career. It was part-way through the 2021/22 season that Murphy ended his contract early with the Welsh capital, and made his way up to Doncaster in the November after only making 19 appearances for Cardiff.

We are delighted to be led by Murph again this year. 

Catch him in action for the first time this season on Friday night vs Edinburgh at Castle Park! GET TICKETS HERE

Doncaster Knights travelled to Edinburgh for their first of a preseason double header with the Scottish outfit. The Knights came out on top, winning 33-43 in a high scoring battle at The Hive.

It was the hosts that opened the scores, with their winger, Satala. He performed an impressive chip over the top, before chasing and collecting over the line. They added the conversion to go 7-0 up. 

Thom Smith soon answered back with a try on his first game after injury. A well executed line out brought us up to the try line, before Smith picked the ball and drove over. 7-5. 

Edinburgh then scored two more tries in quick succession. The first of which saw last season’s loan player, Tom Currie run in from out wide. Shortly after, inside centre, Matt Davidson broke into space and offloaded to supporting scrum half, Conor McAlpine. Both their tries were converted. 21-5. 

Matt Mcnab kicked off the Knight’s comeback with a brilliant try on the wing. The forwards spent a number of phases drawing the defenders in and opening up the space. The backs then moved the ball out wide and McNab powered over in the corner. 21-10

Donny began to build on the momentum and another debut try shortly followed. Aidan Cross intercepted a loose ball and made a break up to the half way line. He moved the ball across to R Olowofela who went the distance for his first Donny try. Morgan Bunting added the extras. 21-17. 

Rhys Tait led by example as today’s captain with a brilliant solo try. He powered through Edinburgh’s defence before shoving off the final defender and finishing the try. Bunting added the extras. 21-24. 

Edinburgh kept the scores close with one final try before the half time whistle. The forwards spent some time trying to drive the ball over the line, before shipping it out to their backs to finish the job. 

Half time score 28-24. 

The Knights came out firing in the second half and were the first to cross the line. Aidan Cross earned himself a try in his home country after a quick ball from Bunting opened the space for McNab to break through. He fires the ball out to Cross, allowing him to finish in the corner. 28-34

Jordan Olowofela then scored arguably the try of the day, thanks to McNab and his twin brother. McMab carried up the wing and pulled off an unbelievable dive to avoid touch while offloading. R Olowofela received the ball and passed it out the backdoor to his twin. J Olowofela dotted it down under the sticks and Alex Dolly added the conversion. 28-36

Satala then scored another solo try for the hosts, by snatching a loose ball and speeding over the line. 33-36.

Donny soon began to attack again and a huge carry at the line from East Timor Viliamu drew in the defending forwards. Dolly fired the ball out to Kerr who displayed brilliant determination to ground the ball, despite three defenders trying to hold him up. Dolly added the conversion in the 79th minute and Donny kicked the ball out after the kick off. 

Final score, Edinburgh 33 – 43 Doncaster Knights. 

Special mention to our Academy Player Lonny Fenton for making his first team debut during today’s match! 

Edinburgh will make the return journey to Castle Park next week for the second half of our pre season double header. It’s set to be a cracker after today’s try-fest! 

Secure your tickets NOW! 

Friday 26th September, 7PM KO, Castle Park. 

1.Andrew Turner, 2. Fred Davies, 3.Joe Jones, 4. Ehize Ehizode, 5. Morgan Jones, 6. Josh Bainbridge, 7. Rhys Tait (C) 8. Thom Smith, 9. Ollie Fox. 10. Morgan Bunting, 11. Adian Cross, 12. Zach Kerr, 13. Joe Margetts, 14. Matt McNab, 15. Ryan Olowofela

16. George Roberts, 17. Jasper McGuire, 18. Lewis Thiede, 19. Adam Hopkinson, 20. East Timor Viliamu, 21. Ben Chapman, 22. Alex Dolly, 23. Russell Bennett, 24. Lonny Fenton, 25. Jordan Olowofela, 26. Josh Williams. 

Darren Fearn and Sir Ian McGeechan have named their very first Doncaster Knights side to face Edinburgh away, on Friday 19th September. 

This fixture marks the first in a home and away double header with the Scottish outfit. After tomorrow’s game, Edinburgh will make the return journey to Castle Park on Friday 26th September. 

For tomorrow’s game, Andrew Turner and Joe Jones are named as the starting props, with Fred Davies at Hooker. Or Second Row is made up of returning player Ehize Ehizode and new signing Morgan Jones. 

In the back row, our very own Scot, Rhys Tait earns the captaincy and number 7 shirt, with Josh Bainbridge named at 6 and Thom Smith our number eight. 

The replacement props are Jasper McGuire and Lewis Thiede, with George Roberts the reserve Hooker. Adam Hopkinson, East Timor Viliamu, Ben Chapman and Josh Williams will also get chance to make impact from the bench. 

In the backs, Ollie Fox and Morgan Bunting will be pulling the strings at 9 and 10, with Zach Kerr and Joe Margetts supporting them from the centre. 

Our back three is made up of Aidan Cross and Matt Mcnab on the wing, with Ryan Olowofela at full back. 

On the bench, we have Alex Dolly and Russell Bennett at half back. With Academy player Lonny Fenton being given the opportunity to earn his first team debut. Jordan Olowofela is the remaining back on the bench. 

1.Andrew Turner, 2. Fred Davies, 3.Joe Jones, 4. Ehize Ehizode, 5. Morgan Jones, 6. Josh Bainbridge, 7. Rhys Tait (C) 8. Thom Smith, 9. Ollie Fox. 10. Morgan Bunting, 11. Adian Cross, 12. Zach Kerr, 13. Joe Margetts, 14. Matt McNab, 15. Ryan Olowofela

16. George Roberts, 17. Jasper McGuire, 18. Lewis Thiede, 19. Adam Hopkinson, 20. East Timor Viliamu, 21. Ben Chapman, 22. Alex Dolly, 23. Russell Bennett, 24. Lonny Fenton, 25. Jordan Olowofela, 26. Josh Williams. 

This game against Edinburgh will be live-streamed and can be accessed HERE!

You can secure your ticket to next week’s return fixture at Castle Park NOW! Or, grab a season ticket to get the Edinburgh game at the best value, with all 13 Champ games included. 

SEASON TICKETS!

Doncaster Knights Home and Away kit for the upcoming season has officially launched! 

All replica shirts are available for purchase RIGHT NOW on our online shop. 

The club shop is stocked and ready to open for our pre season fixture against Edinburgh on Friday 26th September. 

Shop online now!