Doncaster Knights: Matt Challinor and Michael Hills sign new contracts

Club captain Challinor has penned a new one-year deal at Castle Park, while on-field skipper Hills has agreed a two-year deal.

Challinor, 33, arrived from local rivals Rotherham Titans in 2010 and made his 200th Knights appearance against Bedford Blues in November.

Doncaster-born Hills, 32, returned to Castle Park in 2013 and has led the Knights through their most succesful period in their history with successive play-off campaigns and a second place Championship finish in 2015/16.

Hills reached the 100-game milestone for the club against Leinster A late last year.

Challinor said: “It was an easy decision to make to be honest.

“I’ve been at the club for nine years now and, although I’m getting on a little bit, I still enjoy it and I still think I can add to the group on a Saturday.

“I used to come to the games when they first got into the Championship and it’s a club I always admired. I was over the moon when I got a chance to come here and I’m really proud with how it’s gone. We’ve had some ups and downs but in recent years we’ve been on the up and up.”

Hills said: “It was an easy decision for me to extend my time here, it’s a fantastic club.

“The group that Clive [Griffiths] brings together every year, with the core of the team that mainly stays together and the new boys that come in, we just have a great atmosphere.

“We’ve got a fantastic set of supporters and who wouldn’t want to come in every day to these grand surroundings with everything on one site? It’s a fantastic Championship facility.”