The Yabbies squad will be bristling with European experience when the club kicks of their 2014 season at the Cowra 10s tournament tomorrow with four new recruits.
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The lads have joined the club in recent weeks from across the British and Irish Isles.
Welshman Rhun Jones and Scot Alasdair McNab join Irishmen Rory Sheard and Mike Henderson in bolstering an exciting line-up for the 2014 Yabbies playing roster.
Jones, 24, a half-back, grew up on a small farm in Abergele in North Wales and has a degree in Agricultural Engineering, which he’s looking forward to using while working for Carruthers Machinery in Young.
Before coming to Australia, Jones played with the Leicester Lions in the English National rugby competition and was part of the Worcester Warriors Rugby Academy.
His previous club before joining the Yabbies recently was with Randwick Rugby Club in the Sydney grade competition.
“I’m looking forward to a great season ahead with the Yabbies and feel that there is a lot of depth and quality throughout the whole squad,” Jones said.
Inside-centre McNab hails from Portpatrick in southwest Scotland and arrives from a season at Italian club Imola 1928 and played representative rugby in Scotland and Northern England.
He becomes the second Scot to join the Yabbies following the arrival of Calum McCaffery late in 2013.
And despite being on the other side of the world, Young has made the Scot feel at home.
“Young is very friendly and we’ve all settled in really well. People have gone out of their way to make us feel very welcome,” he said.
The Irish contingent is boosted by Rory Sheard from Belfast and speedster Mike Henderson from Killarney, who will join fellow Emerald Islander Will Dillon at the club.
Recruitment manager Mick Hudson said recruitment of local players has also been strong in the pre-season and the club has struck a good balance with recruitment.
“The response to our efforts to recruit players has been fantastic, and has created a buzz that is attracting good local players too,” Hudson said.
The Cowra 10s tournament will be followed by the Yabbies-hosted Harden Super Sevens on March 8.
EUROPEAN LINE-UP: From left to right, Calum McCaffery, Rory Sheard, Rhun Jones, Alasdair McNab and Mike Henderson have joined the Yabbies ranks as their latest recruits. (sub)