Promotion hopefuls Doncaster miss out on Premiership target

Ambitious RFU Championship outfit Doncaster Knights have pulled off some impressive signings this summer but they have missed out on Tonga full-back Telusa Veainu.

Veainu is looking for a club after his one-year deal with Sale Sharks came to an end and was made a decent offer by the Knights to join their new-look squad.

However, the 33-year-old, New Zealand-born Tonga international, who has nine tries from 15 caps, the most recent against Spain last month, is believed to be only interested in a player-coach role.

Doncaster were hoping Veainu would add some more star dust to a backline that now includes Bath legend and former England winger Semesa Rokoduguni.

The hot-stepping Veainu spent five seasons at Leicester Tigers, scoring 32 tries in 79 appearances, before joining Sale via a spell in France with Stade Francais, and would have added considerable experience to a team hellbent on making it into the Premiership under Sir Ian McGeechan and Joe Ford.

To date, Doncaster have made more signings than Veainu has younger siblings – he has five brothers and five sisters – with 17 new faces having arrived in the close season to complement the 13 existing players that have remained on the club's  books.

But their search for an additional full-back/wing will continue now that the former Baby All Blacks player has turned them down.