Cornish Pirates

Bedford Blues

Bedford Blues can confirm that they have arranged three pre-season friendlies before the real business of the second Championship season begins.

The 2010/11 season is sure to be a long and bruising affair for the entire squad but the Blues are squeezing in three tough encounters in just eight days in preparation for the year ahead.

On Friday evening, 13 August, Northampton Saints will be making the relatively short journey to Goldington Road in a return fixture of the friendly that took place at Franklins' Gardens last August. This fixture is always a thrilling affair with several players from both sides pitting their wits against their former employers.

The following Tuesday evening, 17 August, Bedford are set to face Premiership finalists Saracens at Goldington Road in what is sure to be a crunching encounter. Sarries took the Premiership by storm last season as they put an impressive unbeaten run together at the start of the season before making it through to the showpiece final only to be defeated by Leicester in a cracking match at Twickenham.

The final friendly sees the Blues travelling down to London on Saturday 21 August to face Rosslyn Park in another return fixture from last August. The Roehampton side won promotion from the fourth tier of rugby last season and will be keen to put on a good display when Bedford come to town. Kick-off is 3pm.

Looking ahead to the games director of rugby Mike Rayer said: "I think it will be fair to say that we are going to learn a lot about our squad during these three matches. We will also have the opportunity to rotate players and get a good idea of what combinations work and what ones may not.

"Everybody knows that the Championship is a long season especially with the inclusion of the British and Irish Cup. Hopefully by packing in the pre-season fixtures, we allow the lads to be fresh as they head into the year ahead.

"We have two of the biggest Premiership sides coming to Goldington Road and I'm sure that our fans will be just as excited about this game as the players. We faced Rosslyn Park before last season and they gave us a great game. They have had a cracking season and I'm sure that they are going to be just as hard a challenge as the Premiership duo."

Birmingham & Solihull

Damson Park will be the new home for Birmingham & Solihull Rugby Club for the 2010/11 season onwards, thanks to an exciting new ground share agreement with Solihull Moors Football Club which will be officially launched on Tuesday 15th June.

Bristol

Bath chief executive Nick Blofeld has begun discussions with Bristol over a possible player sharing arrangement next season.

With Bristol having to trim their squad budget drastically in the wake of failing to secure promotion back to the Premiership Blofeld has made his move as Bath look to set up their own dual-registration scheme with a Championship side.

The Bristol Evening Post quotes Blofeld as saying: "Having this kind of arrangement with a Championship club is something we have been thinking about for a long time.

"We have not necessarily always had Bristol in mind, and we have had chats with Plymouth before, and also worked with Newbury and London Welsh.

"One of the issues with having a big squad is that the younger players don't always get game-time for the first-team – and this type of arrangement would address that."

Full story www.thisisbristol.co.uk

Doncaster Knights

Director of rugby Lynn Howells has announced that he will stand down as director of rugby at Castle Park at the end of the forthcoming season.

Howells, who has been at the club since 2007, has one year left to run on his contract and has announced that he will not be seeking a renewal.

He told the Doncaster Free Press: "I've done four years at Doncaster and I think it's time at the end of next season for somebody else to take over.

"My one aim before I go is to leave the Knights in a better position than when I arrived.

I'll be sorry to go, but this is the right decision for the club. It's the right time."

Full story www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk

Plymouth Albion

Prop Martin Rice has handed Graham Dawe a boost as he prepares for the new season by agreeing to stay at Brickfields for another year.

The 27 year-old, who has already spent time on loan at London Wasps, was hotly tipped to return to the Premiership but is recovering from a neck injury sustained at the end of last season.

Dawe told The Herald: "Hopefully, he will play as much rugby next season as well.

But we do have to manage his workload.

"He is a very important player for Plymouth Albion, but he is still developing.

"Props mature at different stages and he is still improving, which is a prerequisite of being at Plymouth Albion.

"He added another string to his bow last season by playing at tight-head.

"He stood in there reluctantly at first, but he ended up enjoying it. By doing that he has increased his stock and his skill set.

"We feel he can develop into a really good tight-head, as well as a good loose-head."

Full story www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

Rotherham Titans

Highly rated Titans hooker Ross Batty has returned to the Premiership after signing a two-year deal with Bath.

The 23 year-old moved to Clifton Lane from Newcastle Falcons last summer and told BBC Radio Bristol: “I decided to have a year in the Championship which has paid off.

It's a massive opportunity for me to be at one of the best teams in the league, especially with the brand of rugby they play."

He continued: “It's a fantastic opportunity to be a part of it. It's exciting times all round for the club and was a great time to get involved.”

Worcester Warriors

Warriors boss Richard Hill has made his second signing since taking over at Sixways in former Bristol centre Rob Higgitt.

Higgitt made 111 appearances for Bristol before moving to Llanelli Scarlets where he made 28 appearances during an injury plagued two seasons.

Hill told the Worcester News: “Rob is the ultimate professional and one of the most dedicated players I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with so I’m delighted he will join us for next season.

“He is extremely focused and someone that other players look up to because of his work ethic and superb attitude. Rob literally eats, breathes and speaks rugby.

“He is also the master of defence and when I worked with him at Bristol we used the blitz defence to really press teams. He was our leader who set the example for others to follow.”

Full story www.worcesternews.co.uk

The Worcester News also claims that Hill is trying to tempt former Leeds and Scarlets head coach Phil Davies to join him at Sixways.

Davies is currently the forwards coach of the Wales Under-20 side who are in Argentina competing in the Junior World Championships.

Full story www.worcesternews.co.uk

OTHER NEWS

England Counties

Five players from Championship clubs featured in the latest England Counties match on their tour of Canada.

Tom Kessell (Plymouth Albion), Phil Eggleshaw (Nottingham), Craig Voisey (Rotherham Titans), Harry Spencer (Bedford Blues/Saracens), and Mark Evans (Moseley) all played in the hard fought 32-26 win against Ontario Blues.

Former Cornish Pirates lock Luke Collins also played.

Match Report:-

England Counties V Ontario Blues

England Counties maintained their unbeaten record in Canada when they claimed the second win of their three-match tour against Ontario Blues in Toronto tonight.

But once again the tourists found themselves sorely tested by energetic and very skilful opposition, who fully lived up to their reputation for enterprising rugby and had the Counties nerves jangling to the bitter end.

Had the tourists shown less naivety in the closing stages when they had the opposition by the throat and only needed to screw the game down with a conservative kicking strategy they might have won with something to spare, but instead they were always looking to add to their try tally and it made for very nervous watching.

There was no hint of the topsy-turvy game to follow when the Counties came out of the blocks at pace to take a 10-0 lead in just six minutes. Once again young scrum-half Tom Kessell was on the score sheet, supporting a smart break by fly-half Paul Humphries to slip through near the posts.

Full-back Tom Jarvis converted and added a penalty, but the setbacks did not faze the Blues, who settled into the challenge and cut the deficit when prop Dan Pletch was driven over from a lineout.

Fly-half Steve Piatek converted and then made the Counties pay for their indiscretions when he landed three penalties to put his side 16-10 ahead at the interval.

With the wind in their favour and some strong direction from the coaching staff at the break, the Counties set about repairing the situation with a more focused and more organised approach in the second-half, a try from a driving maul by prop Gavin Woods, converted by Humphries, edging them in front.

Humphries then supplied a perfectly weighted kick for Jarvis to gather at full-speed to give the Counties a 22-16 lead, but any hopes that the Blues might buckle were quickly dispelled when scrum-half Adam Schouten stretched over and Piatek goaled to put the home side ahead again at 23-22.

The indomitable Humphries then served up an exquisite pass for flanker Dan Baines to scythe through under the posts, Humphries converting and adding a penalty for a 32-23 lead.

Piatek had the last word when he kicked a penalty after 65 minutes to bring his side within striking distance again, but although the Counties could not keep their hands off the self-destruct button by continuing to play attacking rugby, they held out for the win.

"The Blues came at us strongly in the first-half, as we knew they would, and they were probably stronger up front and more skilful than we were led to believe," said Manager Danny Hodgson: "Going in six points down at half-time was a bit of a worry and I don't know what the coaches said at half-time, but it certainly had an effect.

"We were more composed after the break and I thought the Blues might tire a bit, but they came back again and took us to the wire. I was a nervous wreck in the closing stages and mightily relieved to get the win.

"Overall, though, I thought it was a great game and a great rugby occasion, just what the Counties team is all about in my view. Now we go to Vancouver to take on the British Columbia Bears and we know that we'll probably need to raise our game again to complete a hat trick of wins."

Ontario Blues:
Rory Tomlinson (Brantford Harlequins)
Ryan Macsween (Balmy Beach)
Ryan Tomlinson (Barrie)
Derek Daypuck (London St Georges)
Scott Kyle (Niagara Wasps)
Steve Piatek, (Brantford Harlequins)
Adam Schouten (Brantford Harlequins)
Creag Johnston (Toronto Scottish)
Mike Pletch (Velox Valhallians)
Dan Pletch (Oakville Crusaders)
Brett Beukeboom (Lindsay Gryphons OR Gord Kehoe (Barrie)
Stu Ault (Barrhaven Scottish)
Keegan Selby (Brantford Harlequins)
Alistair Clark (Oakville Crusaders)
Mark Macsween (Balmy Beach).

England Counties XV:
Tom Jarvis (unattached & Gloucestershire)
James Tincknell (Wharfedale & Yorkshire)
Kyle Dench (Harrogate & Yorkshire) capt
Henry Staff (Blackheath & Hertfordshire)
Charlie Ingall (Tynedale & Northumberland)
Paul Humphries (Blackheath & Kent)
Tom Kessell (Plymouth Albion & Devon)
Gavin Woods (Caldy & Cheshire)
Jonny Roddam (Fylde & Lancashire)
Nick Flynn (Sedgley Park & Lancashire)
Louis McGowan (Coventry & Lancashire)
Luke Collins (Redruth & Cornwall)
Mark Wilson (Blaydon & Northumberland)
Daniel Baines (Macclesfield & Lancashire)
Phil Eggleshaw (Nottingham & Durham).

Replacements: all used
Matt Hall (Blaydon & Northumberland)
Craig Voisey (Rotherham & North Midlands)
Harry Spencer (Saracens/Bedford & Devon)
Mark Evans (Moseley & North Midlands)
Ross Winney (Macclesfield & Cheshire)
Steve Hamilton (Blackheath & Kent)
Fergus Mulchrone (Macclesfield & Cheshire).

Referee: Mr Andrew Hosie (Canada/Ontario)