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Doncaster in advanced talks with ex-England wing Semesa Rokoduguni
By Jon Newcombe
Doncaster Knights look set to enter the transfer market again with veterans Semesa Rokoduguni and Logovi’i Mulipola lined up as potential high-profile signings by the Championship club. Rokoduguni was one of the deadliest wingers in the Gallagher Premiership for Bath before injuries blighted the end of his decade-long stay at The Rec.
A posterior cruciate ligament injury virtually wiped out the whole of his 2018/19 season and while he never regained his top-end speed, Rokoduguni's elusive running style and ability to bump off defenders ensured he remained a threat.
Whilst in the Premiership, Rokoduguni earned international recognition with England, winning four caps. He cemented his status as a fan favourite, scoring over 70 tries for Bath in all competitions while he also continued to serve as a lance corporal in the British army.
Now 36, Rokoduguni has spent the last two seasons with relegation-doomed Montauban in France’s Pro D2, scoring 10 tries in 44 games, but he is on the verge of a dramatic return to England with the Yorkshire outfit.
Mulipola, meanwhile, has a wealth of experience having spent 10 seasons in the Premiership – at Leicester and Newcastle for the most part, together with loan deals at Gloucester and latterly Saracens.
The 33-cap Samoan prop, who is a year older than Rokoduguni, has been with the reigning English champions since December. Mulipola can play on both sides of the scrum and has over 160 Premiership games under his belt.
Spearheaded by Ian McGeechan, Doncaster are on a recruitment drive for the 2024/25 season as they make a push for promotion to the Premiership. The Knights have already announced the signing of nine new players in a bid to improve on this season’s sixth-place finish in the Championship.
In the forwards, former Jersey Reds and Leicester back row Thom Smith returns to Castle Park for a second spell, lock Cory Teague has been signed from Exeter Chiefs, while Bristol hooker Fred Davies and Scarlets tight-head Joe Jones will bolster the front row.
Also arriving in the summer are Newcastle utility back George Wacokecoke and Northern Irish winger Zack Kerr, Bath full-back Brendan Owen and Nottingham pair, fly-half Morgan Bunting and centre/wing Jordon Olowofela.
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Latest Comments
oh ok, seems strange you didn't put the limit at 7 given you said you thought 8 was too many!
Why did you say "I've told you twice already how I did it but your refuse to listen" when you had clearly not told me that you'd placed a limit of 8 teams per league?
"Agreed with 4 pool of 4 and home and away games?"
I understand the appeal of pools of 4, but 6 pool games might not go down well with the French or the South Africans given already cramped schedules. I do still think that you're right that that would be the best system, but there is going to be a real danger of French and SA sides sending b-teams which could really devalue the competition unless there is a way to incentivise performance, e.g. by allowing teams that do well one year to directly qualify for the next year's competition.
Go to commentsFoster should never have been appointed, and I never liked him as a coach, but the hysteria over his coaching and Sam Cane as a player was grounded in prejudice rather than fact.
The New Zealand Rugby public were blinded by their dislike of Foster to the point of idiocy.
Anything the All Blacks did that was good was attributed to Ryan and Schmidt and Fozzie had nothing to do with it.
Any losses were solely blamed on Foster and Cane.
Foster did develop new talent and kept all the main trophies except the World Cup.
His successor kept the core of his team as well as picking Cane despite him leaving for overseas because he saw the irreplaceable value in him.
Razor will take the ABs to the next level, I have full confidence in that.
He should have been appointed in 2020.
But he wasn’t. And the guy who was has never been treated fairly.
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