Dean Richards revolution sparks optimism at Doncaster Knights ahead of new season

The Dean Richards era has begun at Doncaster Knights and with some savvy arrivals on the pitch and behind the scenes, as well as renewed rivalry, excitement abounds at Castle Park.

Following a tricky season during which Donny made the decision to go from full-time to a hybrid set-up, it would have been easy to start to worry about the club’s trajectory. But the arrival of former England and British & Irish Lions No.8 Richards, who has enjoyed a successful coaching career at Leicester, Harlequins and Newcastle, has ensured there is plenty of reason for optimism at the club.

Among those who have also joined in the summer are former Caldy fly-half Kieran Wilkinson, and coach Alan Dickens, who was in charge at Newcastle last season.

Reflecting on Richards’ impact, hooker Corey Tait said: “It can only been good for the club. We've already seen the impact he has had in the little time he has been there. You look at the coaches he's brought in, Alan Dickens is really quality from what we have seen so far. We're grateful to have him and Dicko come in.

“It's more been his backroom impact so far. He's a very approachable person, you can go and have a conversation with him and speak to him about different things. But the difference has been the backroom stuff, he's brought players in, he's brought Dicko in and the prestige he brings to the club and the experience in the PREM, he's got a lot of knowledge and experience behind him.”

Doncaster finished eighth in Elior Champ Rugby last season, paying the price for a slow start as their run of four straight wins to finish the season proved too little, too late. They are hoping to be right in contention for the top six and a play-off spot this time around, particularly after seeing Worcester come from fourth spot to win it all last year.

And with Rotherham Titans’ promotion, they also have a derby date to look forward to, and the prize of the Yorkshire Cup on the line for added spice.

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Tait said: “You've got your usual suspects, the likes of Ealing and Worcester and you go from there. That top six come Christmas time is going to be incredibly competitive and it's going to come down to those last few weekends to decide those play-off spots. We all know what can happen from there.

“It's a big rivalry (with Rotherham), we've got the Yorkshire Cup that gets played and it's not been played for a few seasons. That will be a big thing, we're looking forward to those home and away fixtures. We've got a couple of lads from Roth in our squad so I'm sure they will be looking to go after it.”

Another change in Elior Champ Rugby this year is the introduction of free-to-air coverage with BLAZE showing matches on Sunday afternoons in addition to Clubber TV’s offering that was transformative last term. Doncaster will be at the heart of thew new broadcast deal, having been selected for the first two weekends as they travel to Cornish Pirates before welcoming Hartpury.

Wilkinson added: "It's testament to Clubber and now BLAZE coming through, showing the game and what it can bring. We want to show the exciting rugby that Champ has to offer. We want to make it as competitive as we can so I think it's really exciting to see BLAZE coming in showing free-to-air TV is exciting.

Played by professional and semi-professional players, Elior Champ Rugby provides a ‘Proving Ground’ for future stars. Watch every game live on Clubber TV and free-to-air on BLAZE on Sunday afternoons.