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International heads Titans player influx
Rotherham Titans coach Craig West has resumed work on putting together his first-team squad for next season which sees the Clifton Lane club competing in the new Championship and the British and Irish Cup.
West's first task will be to complete the signing of 6ft 5in Canadian international Adam Kleeberger, a flanker, who made a strong impression in his country's recent game against Wales.
Kleeberger has been offered a contract which his agent has approved, so now it's a question of club and player completing formalities.
Another issue that has to be settled soon is the future of Jon Skurr, one of the Titans' best forwards last season.
Skurr, it's understood, has not signed a new deal. West is keen that he should remain and it's also thought that the player himself wishes to play another season, so why a new contract has not been agreed seems strange.
Before West went on holiday, he had signed several new players, and others are promised.
The new boys coming to Clifton Lane are Andrew Henderson,a centre from Newbury; Richard Snowball, a second-row forward who has played for Otley; hooker Ross Batty from Newcastle Falcons; prop Janie du Toit from Plymouth and winger Peter Swatkins who joins from Sedgley Park.
West has also signed two players from Leeds Carnegie: winger or centre Luther Burrell and lock James Craig.
The Titans coach is also keen to recruit a top-class scrum-half, and the player he has in mind is Kieran Campbell, capped by Ireland.
He has already tied up the signature of former Roth scrum-half Matt Rhodes who returns to Clifton Lane after serving with the Royal Marines in Afghanistan.
While West has been busy bringing in new players, several from last season have agreed to remain.
Frwards Nigel Conroy, Anton O'Donnell, Ben Prescott, Matt Challinor, Andy Barnes, Gregor Hayter, Ryan Burrows and Tinus du Plessis are all staying.
In the back line, Michael Whitehead, Nick Buckley, Brad Hunt, Jon Feeley and Jonny West are coming back.
The new league season kicks off on September 5 when Roth are away at Coventry. Their first home match is a week later against Plymouth Albion.
The new Championship has 12 clubs competing in what's predicted to develop into a much tougher league than National One. not least because there'll be play-offs to determine promotion and relegation.
Premiership clubs are considering court action to prevent the RFU introducing a new regulation that stops the winner of the league just below the Premiership going up automatically.
An exciting feature of the season is the new British and Irish Cup involving senior sides from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Rotherham have been put in the same group as South Yorkshire rivals Doncaster Knights. The two clash at Clifton Lane on March 6.
Before then, in November, during the autumn internationals, Rotherham play newly-promoted Birmingham at Clifton Lane and Scottish club Ayr away.
Once the Six Nations tournament is under way, Roth take on Welsh sides Pontypridd and Cardiff in February 2010.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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